5/14/2025How Can Digitalization Be Effectively Advanced in the Process Industry?
A New White Paper Describes How Established Technologies Enable IIoT Applications
Industrial digitalization is gaining momentum—and with it, the shift toward intelligent, networked systems. In process industries in particular, the IIoT holds great potential by unlocking unused data. The key is not disruptive systems, but the smart combination of established technologies like FDT, FDI, PA-DIM, and OPC UA.
Field devices in modern process plants provide valuable data. To make efficient use of this data, however, in addition to IIoT-capable sensors a well-thought-out integration strategy is needed. This is where FDT (Field Device Tool) and FDI (Field Device Integration) come into play. FDT enables seamless integration via device drivers thanks to its independence from specific fieldbus technology used, while FDI offers a standardized framework for integration into engineering systems, including all data structures for commissioning, diagnostics, and maintenance.
Standardized Information Models
At the core of any IIoT strategy lies a clearly defined information model that maps real-world objects along with their properties and relationships. This model serves as a bridge between the technical know-how of plant operators and the data-driven approach of IT. FDT and FDI provide the necessary level of detail—enhanced by PA-DIM (Process Automation Device Information Model), which defines a consistent parameter structure for all field devices.
NOA: New Paths with Existing Infrastructure
With the “NAMUR Open Architecture” (NOA), the user association NAMUR has developed a concept that enables new digital services without modifying the proven process control systems. Through PA-DIM, field device information becomes accessible without interfering with the core process – ideal for optimization and predictive maintenance.
OPC UA: The Data Courier for IIoT
OPC UA has firmly established itself as a powerful standard for semantic data exchange in a machine-readable format that IT systems can interpret and process. This architecture enables not only secure transport, but also the structured and machine-readable description of information. As a result, PA-DIM models can be transmitted seamlessly to IT systems and cloud services.
Hardware – The Backbone of Digitalization
Even though much is now software-based, the connection to the physical world remains essential. The Ethernet-APL Field Switch and proven Remote I/O components from Pepperl+Fuchs act as communication bridges between field devices and the overarching IT infrastructure.
Conclusion: Structured Digitalization for Effective IIoT
Digital transformation in the process industry doesn’t succeed through disruptive innovations, but through the smart interaction of established technologies. FDT, FDI, PA-DIM, OPC UA, and NOA provide the building blocks to implement IIoT applications in a meaningful and scalable way—preparing existing process plants for the challenges of tomorrow.