Cebeo Enhances Machine Intelligence with SIMATIC IOT2050

In modern manufacturing, data-driven insights can greatly enhance maintenance, production efficiency, and personnel deployment. However, smaller machine builders often lack the expertise and resources to leverage this data effectively.  

Addressing this gap, Cebeo Solutions for Industry has introduced an affordable and scalable solution utilizing Siemens' SIMATIC IOT2050 intelligent gateway. Wouter Vierstraete , Manager of Cebeo Solutions for Industry gives a hollistic overview of the solution.

Making Data Accessible 

Small machine builders play a crucial role in facilitating automation projects for manufacturing companies, yet they often struggle to consolidate data from various machines into a unified dashboard. “These builders usually don't have the budget to hire specialist staff,” explains Wouter. “Our goal is to support them through this process.” 

“With Cebeo Solutions for Industry, we offer more than just products—we provide added value. Many of our clients seek an accessible, scalable solution to visualize data from their automation projects. While Siemens’ MindSphere system is a great tool to do this, it can be quite elaborate for beginners. We sought a tool that is comprehensive and easy to use for starters.” 

SIMATIC IOT2050: The Perfect Fit 

“We quickly embraced the SIMATIC IOT2050 gateway as it seamlessly bridges any OT device with the dashboard. The IOT2050’s ability to communicate via PROFINET, Ethernet, and serial connections makes it highly versatile. Though we considered an ET 200SP Open Controller system, it was too advanced for our purposes. The IOT2050 proved to be the ideal size and price for our goal.” 

“An IoT graduate student collaborated with us on this project. In just a few days, he developed a manual enabling our OT engineers to connect devices to the IOT2050 and read data.” 

“The subsequent step involved making the data usable. Amaster student in Automatization worked with a SINAMICS V20 drive to create a system at an affordable price, though initially only with serial communication. He developed a simple dashboard for stopping, starting, and controlling speed. We then advanced further: could we modify parameters like speed and start-up time in real time? This, too, was achieved smoothly.” 

“We've also ventured into cloud integration. Remote connections are established via the Remote-RED application or through a secure connection, such as SINEMA Remote Connect.” 

The Ideal Solution for Beginners 

“Our project is still in the planning stage. We're currently testing everything at a customer site and have yet to encounter a machine that we couldn’t integrate with the IOT2050. It also supports non-Siemens devices, showcasing Siemens’ commitment to universal connectivity.” 

“We haven't yet come across a machine that we haven't been able to integrate with the IOT2050.”

“With the IOT2050, we have an ideal beginner's solution for digitization, arriving at just the right moment. Five years ago, this technology might have been feasible, but today the demand is high. Almost everyone collects data, and now it’s usable. The IOT2050 makes this both practical and scalable, as multiple units can be linked for larger projects.” 

“At Solutions for Industry, we present a comprehensive concept based on the IOT2050. We guide our customers initially, allowing them to expand as needed. We connect them with other existing customers instead of establishing our own software engineering department. This approach ensures a mutually beneficial solution for everyone.” 

By making advanced data analytics accessible and affordable, Cebeo Solutions for Industry and the SIMATIC IOT2050 gateway empower small machine builders to elevate their automation projects and achieve superior operational efficiency.