Device data from manufacturer to operator

The Product Change Notification (PCN) use case, based on the AAS (Asset Administration Shell) management framework, provides a practical example of a unified data foundation within the industrial ecosystem.

A globally standardised database

Behind AAS lies a consortium of German industrial companies aiming to create a standardised data format:

“We are seeing a trend among our customers and partners towards the cloud for many things, such as PLC programming, ERP systems or even working with Eplan,” explains Dr Marco Litto, Senior Vice President Strategy & Corporate Program at Eplan. “They therefore expect there to be interfaces in the cloud as well, to enable cross-system collaboration. We see a great deal of potential here for the use of the administration shell.”

This is the Asset Administration Shell

The AAS is a digital container for data that ensures the communication and identification of a device throughout its entire lifecycle, for example in the digital twin of a control cabinet.
Component manufacturers, for example, make their device data available within this management shell. By using the component in engineering, it thus becomes a direct part of the project.
This data is also available to the plant operator, for example to access it in the event of maintenance.
The management shell thus accompanies a product throughout its entire lifecycle on a globally uniform database.

Seamless connectivity

The PCN demonstrates how a component manufacturer can ensure that operators are informed about changes to their equipment, such as an update to the firmware:

Using AAS, this information can be made available throughout the system.
If a change is made to a component, the engineer automatically receives a notification via the Eplan Cloud.
They can then decide for themselves whether, for example, they wish to update the firmware for the component.

They are then automatically provided with a list of the project lists in which this item appears, which version is installed, and whether they need to inform the operator of the change. Previously, this was managed via countless emails – a method through which important information was often lost.
Use cases such as PCN pave the way for a consistent database, leading to automated processes and the consistent use of AI solutions.