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Siemens is also expanding the TIA Portal ecosystem with IT-oriented workflows – with Simatic Automation Xpansion (Simatic AX). This provides IT professionals with a familiar development environment based on Visual Studio Code and version control via GitLab. In this way, libraries with object orientation can be created in Structured Text and integrated into the TIA Portal. The engineering platform – which was previously a standard tool used with operational technology (OT) – can now also be used by IT users without first reskilling them. With this development, Siemens isn’t just taking a decisive step towards IT/OT integration, it’s also countering the growing lack of skilled workers in the OT world. Simatic AX is available as a service and cloud-based. Projects can therefore be downloaded and updated quickly and easily at any time and any place.

Because motion applications in automation are becoming increasingly complex, the new version of the TIA Portal also offers simple and holistic engineering of 5D/6D kinematics: in other words, motion control functions up to six interpolating axes. Complex kinematics like robots can now be easily integrated into industrial processes in the TIA Portal. This allows companies to easily expand, convert, or modify their production facilities without interfering with running systems.

The scope for TIA Portal and Simatic controllers has also been further extended: The Simatic S7-1500 and the Simatic ET 200SP now provide a higher computing and communication performance and support R1 redundancy. This ensures the maximum availability of applications and helps solve future automation challenges. The R1 redundancy can be easily and flexibly integrated into existing networks with no programming effort. This makes it one of the simplest solutions on the market that can be used in a wide variety of industries – in factory automation as well as in logistics and infrastructure, where R1 redundancy is especially relevant for large infrastructure projects. The new hardware also supports the latest security standards, and so the Version 18 of the TIA Portal will again place a strong focus on state-of-the-art security.