Towards plug and work OPC UA as middleware of modern automation systems

Currently tight integration of systems using traditional proprietary field busses and PLC controllers dominates automation systems. This approach to integration originates from the early days of electrical integration. Since at least the rise of Industry 4.0 more software driven approaches are becoming a necessity to cope with shorter time to markets and increasing customer requirements concerning customizability. Especially in terms of modularization and ease of commissioning approaches from the software domain can be borrowed to simplify integration of systems. Open Process Control Unified Architecture (OPC UA) offers a means of communication and modelling of complex automation systems. To show feasibility and possibilities of this approach we developed an automation architecture driven by OPC UA.