Foam producer Sekisui Alveo has a large factory in Roermond. To support production and maintenance, warehouses and distribution points with thousands of different items are spread across the various halls. Think spare parts, personal protection equipment and consumables. The company cooperates intensively with itsme for management, such as recently with the step-by-step introduction of vendor managed inventory (VMI) for the grab stock of mechanical items.

To control the expansion of a silo park, engineering & construction company IEC called on Breemes. Being involved in the engineering from the beginning, the electrical service provider was able to make smart proposals for both the low-voltage part and the PLC control. ‘We have always been able to find each other well and when changes occurred, we were quickly on the same page with Breemes.’

Heliox, a developer and manufacturer of charging systems for electric buses and trucks, was already working with itsme when production still took place in the Netherlands. Today, production has shifted to Slovakia, Portugal, and Moldova, and is also happening in the US. itsme remains the “irreplaceable” partner for the supply of electrical components and cable harnesses.

Blok System Supply and itsme have maintained an intensive relationship for many years. Early last year, this was further deepened with electronic data exchange via the Smart Connected Supplier Network. ‘It saves an enormous amount of time and reduces errors. We always have real-time information automatically.’ However, time for personal contact is not saved. ‘That is precisely what makes itsme a very nice party to work with.’

In today's digital world, industrial security in the field of automation is an important issue for every company. The number of cyber attacks is constantly increasing. In view of these threats and increasing legal requirements – such as the Cyber Resilience Act, NIS 2, RED DA and the EU Machinery Regulation – it is high time to take a closer look at industrial security.

The smallest scanner ever is now available, about the size of an orange: suitable for the highest safety level PLd/Cat.3/SIL2 and offering optimal ease of use, not only in stationary installations.

If you want to protect your components properly against external influences, a strong enclosure alone is not enough. There are always cables running to and from your equipment, which is why you need a cable gland in addition to the enclosure for a complete solution for protecting your equipment. This ensures that the end of the cable running to your enclosure is securely attached. After all, your installation is only as good as its weakest link.

With the concept of ‘Defense in Depth,’ Siemens offers a layered security model that provides comprehensive and in-depth protection for industrial installations. This concept is based on the recommendations of IEC 62443, the world's leading standard for industrial cybersecurity.