There’s currently no shortage of new buzzwords in communications technology, many of which promise the ultimate solution to a wide variety of Industry 4.0 scenarios. Keeping track of and assessing what technologies have a justification and which may not be that important is one of PI’s very own tasks. It cannot be emphasized enough that one technology alone is insufficient for a sustainable, practical implementation.
PI’s Pathway is Very Consistent
To start, we ask ourselves which use cases we want to solve with a new technology. This results in practical solutions that include not only the specification and international standardization, but also guidelines, a certification system, or accompanying seminars and plug-fests. Through the latter, in particular, many questions that arise with the entry into new technologies are answered. Users can, therefore, be assured that they will receive a good solution with the technologies provided by PI. These solutions ensure that existing technologies can continue to be used and guaranteed to work well with devices from different manufacturers. They will still be working ten years from now!
PI and the Rest of the World
The charm of PI is also in our global network, where many users, providers, universities, and manufacturers work together. Meanwhile, there are 25 Regional PI Associations (RPA) – making PI the world’s largest interest group in the fieldbus sector. The RPAs deliver important support and each in their local language. Our youngest member is the RPA in Taiwan. It is now the fifth partner from the Asian region, following China and Japan – which are among the largest RPAs in PI – and South Korea and Singapore. The network continues to grow!
Openness as a Main Driver
Openness is not only a must in technology but also in our daily work. The results of this work are repeatedly exhibited at trade fairs and elsewhere. Visit the PI booth at the Hannover Messe (Hall 9, Stand D68) to find out about progress in the “Industrie4.0@PI“ working group, learn about the IO-Link further developments, and much more! PI and its 80 international co-exhibitors are looking forward to your visit.
Karsten Schneider
Chairman, PI
