Industrial thermoprocessing equipment Comprehensive automation solutions for safe and sustainable thermal processing technology

OEMs of industrial ovens and furnaces, melting tanks, boilers, burners, and combustion systems are facing a profound transformation worldwide. Rising energy and CO₂ costs are putting increasing economic pressure on machine concepts and system operation. At the same time, regulatory requirements such as environmental regulations, the safety of machinery (Machinery Regulation), and regulations like the CRA and NIS 2.0 are tightening the requirements for development, certification, and operation, especially in an international context involving market access in the EU, US, and Asia.

To remain competitive, efficient, and sustainable, companies must contend with high investment costs and increasing pressure to innovate. The focus is shifting increasingly toward the total cost of ownership (TCO): Energy efficiency, availability, maintenance costs, and lifecycle costs are becoming key competitive factors.

At the same time, the shortage of qualified engineering personnel is exacerbating the situation. Development times are getting longer, while at the same time more expertise is required in the areas of automation, software, functional safety, and cybersecurity. OEMs therefore need scalable, future-proof solutions that reduce technical complexity, meet global requirements, and enable sustainable business models.

We offer solutions that address the needs of OEMs of industrial ovens and furnaces, melting tanks, boilers, burners, and combustion systems for the global development, standardization, and scaling of systems. The focus is on a modular, open automation platform that can be flexibly adapted to system-specific requirements. Automation, reduced hardware complexity, and standardized modules significantly shorten engineering and commissioning times. Machine concepts can be scaled and used worldwide. This is a decisive advantage for OEMs with access to the EU, US, and Asian markets. Reliable solutions ensure stable system operation even under demanding conditions. When combined with integrated diagnostics, they enable higher system availability, transparent status information, and rapid fault analysis – both locally and remotely. Remote maintenance and centralized device and patch management lay the foundation for efficient servicing and secure updates throughout the entire lifecycle. Our solutions can be seamlessly integrated into existing IT/OT environments and modern data architectures. They form a future-proof basis for the gradual modernization of existing systems. Safety and security are integrated from the outset: Functional safety and cybersecurity are addressed holistically and support compliance with international standards and regulatory requirements. This allows OEMs to keep complexity, risks, and total cost of ownership (TCO) under control while maintaining a high level of innovation.

In the field of industrial thermal processing technology, norms and standards are far more than just regulatory requirements. They are the foundation for safe, efficient, and high-quality systems. These norms and standards bring clarity to the operation, maintenance, and communication of technical systems and form the basis for sustainable innovation.

Internationally established regulations apply for applications in the low and high temperature range. These include the EU Machinery Regulation with the product standard ISO 13577-2/4 (formerly EN 746-2), EN 50156-1/2, and the North American standards NFPA 85, 86, and 87. In an increasingly networked processing world, digital security standards such as IEC 62443 and the NIS 2 Directive are coming into the spotlight. They not only enable protected remote access to critical systems, but also seamless integration with digital platforms such as Proficloud.io. Functional safety and industrial cybersecurity are inextricably linked. An industrial oven or furnace is only safe if its digital environment is also protected. Secure operations can only be achieved with cybersecurity.

The combination of technical standards and digital standards enables location-independent diagnostics, automated update management, and comprehensive performance monitoring. This results in maximum system availability and minimal downtime, and represents a clear step toward smarter and safer process heat.

Phoenix Contact offers tested automation and safety solutions for industrial thermoprocessing equipment. Independent TÜV certification confirms that safety-related functions have been implemented in accordance with standards. The TÜV certification covers, among other things, the AXL F PSAI8 I 1 F and AXL F PSRTD8 1 F safety-related modules. They are designed for use in safety-related measurement and monitoring functions in thermoprocessing equipment.