Machineering - Simulation und Automation

🚀 PLCnext Update: Two Major Innovations

Two big updates are changing the way you work with PLCnext:
• OPC UA meets iPhysics
You can now connect iPhysics directly to PLCnext via OPC UA.

• PLCnext in the Cloud
Develop and test PLCnext applications in the cloud – anytime, anywhere.

👉 Previously, data exchange relied on ComTCP and required local installation. OPC UA connectivity wasn’t possible.

Your benefits:
✔ Easier controller integration
✔ Increased engineering flexibility
✔ Location-independent development

Image: thanks to raybon009 | Getty Images Pro on Canva

What if operators could train on a machine before ever touching the real one?

With a digital twin, they can.

In this example, trainees learn how to handle real-world situations on an assembly system – from an emergency stop to an empty magazine.

Using the original HMI and the 3D machine model, they have to:
→ analyze the situation
→ identify the root cause
→ restore normal operation

And training doesn’t have to happen alone.

In the Collaboration Classroom, multiple participants can work together in a shared cloud environment, program different machine functions, and solve tasks as a team.

The result? A digital twin that goes beyond engineering and virtual commissioning.

It becomes a hands-on training environment where operators can learn, experiment, and make mistakes – without affecting the real machine.

🎥 See how it works in the video.

Where do you see the biggest potential for digital twins in operator training?

Where passion meets automation. 🚀

Today we’re at B&R’s Passion4Automation event in Eggelsberg, Austria!

A top-notch event packed with exciting presentations, fresh perspectives on automation, and plenty of opportunities for inspiring conversations.

Many thanks to the organizers for putting together such a great event – and to everyone we had the pleasure of speaking with!

Ihr teuerster Fehler? Ihn erst an der realen Maschine zu finden.

Fehler suchen. Stillstände beheben. Änderungen unter Zeitdruck umsetzen. Und das alles dann, wenn jede Stunde zählt.

Mit Virtual Commissioning und einem digitalen Zwilling lassen sich viele dieser Aufwände bereits vor der realen Inbetriebnahme reduzieren.

Aber lohnt sich die Investition wirklich?

Genau darum geht es in unserem kostenlosen Webinar der machineering Akademie.

Dr. Georg Wünsch zeigt anhand eines konkreten Kundenbeispiels, welches wirtschaftliche Potenzial in der virtuellen Inbetriebnahme steckt – und wie Einsparungen bis in den Millionenbereich möglich werden können.

Wir schauen auf die Fragen, die für den Business Case entscheidend sind:

→ Wo liegen die größten Einsparpotenziale?
→ Wie lassen sich Produktivität und Qualität steigern?
→ Welche versteckten Kosten entstehen beim Troubleshooting?
→ Welche Rolle spielt der digitale Zwilling?
→ Und vor allem: Wann rechnet sich Virtual Commissioning?

📅 1 Oktober | 11:00 Uhr
💻 Online
🎟️ Kostenfrei
🎙️ Dr. Georg Wünsch, Gründer & Geschäftsführer von machineering

Virtual Commissioning nicht nur technisch denken. Sondern wirtschaftlich.

👉 Jetzt kostenlos über die machineering Akademie anmelden:
https://www.machineering.com/akademie/webinar-investitionsrechnung/

🥤 What happens when 1200 bottles per minute move through a production line?

Every second counts.
And even small bottlenecks can quickly turn into costly downtime.

With the new Component Stream from machineering, mass flow processes can now be simulated and analyzed in real time — from filling to final packaging.

The key advantage:
🥤 Real-time capable simulation combined with the real system
🥤 Immediate detection of congestion and crowding
🥤 Faster reactions and more stable production processes

This doesn’t just apply to the beverage industry.
The same approach can be transferred to any industry where high-speed material flows play a critical role.

👉 See how real-time simulation helps prevent downtime before it happens.


Image: thanks to bongkarn | AdobeStock

Let’s fly ✈️

We start a flight over a machine together with SEMA Maschinenbau. It’s pretty cool to get an overview like this.

Great conversations, inspiring insights and a international exchange at the CLF 2026 – 16th Conference on Learning Factories in Bolzano, Italy 🇮🇹

The CLF 2026 in Bolzano clearly showed how strongly Learning Factories are currently evolving. 👇A central topic in many discussions was the digital twin as the foundation for modern learning and development environments.

Today, the question is no longer whether simulation and virtual commissioning will become part of Learning Factories. The real question is how realistic and flexible these learning environments can become in the future.

This is exactly where digital twins offer enormous potential. Processes can be tested before real implementation, errors can be analyzed early, and complex workflows can be communicated more clearly and effectively. As a result, learning environments are becoming much closer to industrial reality while still providing space for experimentation and innovation.

With iPhysics, we are currently experiencing this development in many projects. The digital twin is increasingly becoming the foundation for transferring knowledge in a practical way and for validating industrial processes at an early stage.

One of the most exciting aspects of CLF 2026 was the international exchange on AI, simulation, digital manufacturing, and the role of Learning Factories in the industry of tomorrow.

A big thank you to Prof. Erwin Rauch, Prof. Dominik Matt, Prof. Patrick Dallasega, Dr. Luca Gualtieri, and the entire organizing team of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano for the inspiring event and the many valuable discussions. 🤝

🛑 What if you could validate safety concepts before anything moves?🛑

With the new iPhysics feature for the SICK microScan3, safety areas can be defined, tested, and optimized — directly in simulation.

Using the digital layout:
• Scan environments virtually
• Prepare scan fields in the SICK Safety Designer
• Test and validate safety concepts before real-world deployment

This enables early validation of safety concepts for both stationary and mobile applications – reducing risks and improving planning reliability.
Instead of reacting later, you design safety right from the start.

👉 See how it works and take your safety concepts to the next level.

Image: thanks to Marta Ortiz | Getty Images Pro on Canva

🌍 Automation at its finest – powered by iPhysics

This simulation showcases how planar motor technology enables precise, contactless, and low-vibration transport of medical bottles.
Freely movable platforms allow full flexibility for various bottle sizes – no mechanical adjustments needed.



Image: thanks to Yuliia Chyzhevska | Canva