Insights on automation & engineering
Articles on trends, best practices and project learnings.
AI in PLC Programming: What Works in TIA Portal Today
How AI agents program, test and document PLC code in TIA Portal, where the limits are, and what buyers should ask about data protection, safety and liability.
9 minEngineering
WAGO 750-881 Discontinued: What Now?
The WAGO 750-881 and 750-880 are discontinued and WAGO-I/O-PRO is no longer supported. What this means for existing plants and the two realistic ways forward.
11 minEngineering
Fieldbus in Siemens Plants: AS-i, PROFINET and PROFIBUS
PROFINET, PROFIBUS DP, AS-Interface, IO-Link and Modbus TCP on S7-1200 and S7-1500: TIA Portal integration, typical commissioning faults, diagnostics, retrofit.
13 minEngineering
PLC Coding Standards: From Naming to a Reusable Library
A PLC coding standard that survives contact with a real project: naming that scales, block interface contracts, a versioned library and workable enforcement.
10 minEngineering
PLC Troubleshooting: Plant Is Down — What to Check First
From the alarm view to the block: the sequence that holds up under pressure, the TIA Portal tools that pay off, and five recurring fault classes.
9 minEngineering
PLC Documentation: 3 Layers and a Handover Checklist
What belongs in PLC documentation: three layers from code to plant file, a checklist for the handover and how to proceed with only an online upload.
10 minEngineering
The 5 PLC Programming Languages: LD, FBD, IL, ST, SFC
Which language for which task: LD, FBD, IL, ST and SFC under IEC 61131-3, how the Siemens names map onto them and a decision guide for TIA Portal.
10 minEngineering
S7-300 Retrofit: Migrating to S7-1500 and WinCC Unified
S7-300 discontinued, S5 long out of spare parts: how a control system retrofit to S7-1500/S7-1200 and WinCC Unified works — often without a new cabinet.
12 minEngineering
PLC Retrofit Costs 2026: What Control System Modernization Really Costs
Old PLC, no spare parts? What drives the cost of a control system retrofit, and why it usually costs considerably less than a new control cabinet.
10 minEngineering
Automation in Luxembourg 2025: Trends Shaping the Greater Region
PLC programming & industrial automation in Luxembourg: 6 trends for 2025, real projects at Goodyear, Husky & more + funding programs for SMEs.
14 minStrategy
React HMI Development with WinCC Unified: A Practical Guide
Building HMIs with React or JavaScript skills? WinCC Unified runs JS on the V8 engine. Concrete synergies, API comparisons and real code examples.
10 minEngineering
PLC Programming: 8 Best Practices for Maintainable Code
Write clean, maintainable PLC code in Siemens TIA Portal: proven naming conventions, FB/FC structure, NAMUR alarm handling, Git and simulation testing.
15 minEngineering
Worldwide Commissioning: A Field Report from 30+ Projects
Practical insights from international commissioning projects: From preparation through factory testing to final acceptance – with checklists and lessons learned.
14 minProcesses