ABB has launched its Automation Extended initiative, an automation ecosystem to help mines modernize without disruption and adopt new technologies at their own pace.
The modern, open and modular automation ecosystem enables advanced analytics, AI and IoT integration, the company said, that allows changes without operational risk, and it builds on ABB’s long-standing leadership with the world’s largest DCS installed base and vision in process automation.
The program can also outline how future automation capabilities can be introduced progressively to maintain system integrity while allowing for flexibility, scalability and efficiency.
“Industrial operations today face volatile markets, cyber security challenges, regulatory pressures and a rapidly changing workforce. ABB’s Automation Extended addresses these realities by enabling innovation with agility and pace without disruption to production, supporting advanced analytics and IoT integration, and simplifying operations for diverse skill levels,” ABB said of the initiative.
Automation Extended will pave the road to autonomy and fuel the energy transition, the company added, and comes as independently researched figures in ABB’s Mining’s Moment survey show that 77% of mining leaders see integrated electrification, automation and digitalization as the key enablers of a sustainable transformation in the industry.
Across industries, operators can continue to rely on trusted ABB systems such as ABB Ability System 800xA, ABB Ability Symphony Plus and ABB Freelance, while introducing new technologies progressively and without operational interruption. This approach provides a structured, low risk path to modernization, preserving continuity while enabling innovation.
“In industries we serve – many operating large and complex infrastructures that deliver essential resources – our customers rely on modernization without disruption,” said Peter Terwiesch, President, ABB Automation. “Automation Extended delivers exactly that: bringing future-ready capabilities into the systems they know and trust, with security and interoperability at the core.”
Based on separation of concerns principles, the automation ecosystem includes two distinct yet securely interconnected environments: the control environment, a software‑defined domain that ensures robust, reliable and deterministic control for critical processes; and the digital environment, securely connected to the control layer, enabling advanced applications, edge intelligence and real‑time analytics.
“By integrating new technologies such as an Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) backbone and a Cloud-Native Architecture for managing both environments – leveraging containerization, orchestration and modular services – the ecosystem enables a broad spectrum of enhancements,” ABB officials explained.
“These range from proactively detecting and correcting process anomalies to optimizing maintenance strategies through continuous condition monitoring of critical assets, and elevating engineering with efficient modular approaches ready for deployment across diverse hardware platforms. This architecture delivers scalability and agility while ensuring robust performance.
Access to Automation Extended will be enabled through the next releases of ABB Ability System 800xA, ABB Ability Symphony Plus and ABB Freelance process automation systems.
Source: www.abb.com