Production equipment in a foundry are critical systems, since malfunctions can lead to unscheduled melt cooling and can also cause considerable damage to the plant. Therefore, unscheduled shutdowns have to be prevented.

Siemens PROFINET validation: When commissioning new plants or during upgrades, Siemens checks the conformity of its PROFINET network with the applicable standards of the PROFIBUS and PROFINET international umbrella association and also provides other benefits through additional services:

• Network design and planning check (identifying planning and configuration errors)
• Physical check of the network infrastructure (identifying load peaks and communication bottlenecks)
• Data check (identifying topology deviations and telegram errors)
• Data stress check (locating vulnerabilities and transparency in network reserves)

Volkswagen operates a cutting-edge and energy-efficient foundry in its Hannover factory, which supplies cast parts to the engine factories and for automotive engineering. In this foundry, Siemens has carried out several validations of PROFINET networks to help keep the equipment plant working properly.