Endress+Hauser, in partnership with Covestro, BASF and Yokogawa, has completed a large-scale Ethernet-APL scalability test aimed at validating the technology’s performance in complex, multi-vendor process automation environments.

The test was conducted at Endress+Hauser Digital Solutions in Reinach, Switzerland, in May 2026, expanding previous trials by focusing on broader system architectures rather than only instrumentation density.

The latest validation integrated a Yokogawa CENTUM VP distributed control system (DCS) and Plant Resource Manager asset management system into an Ethernet-APL PROFINET environment for the first time, alongside a wider range of field devices, switches and network infrastructure components.

The test evaluated network scalability under realistic industrial conditions, including multi-ring Ethernet-APL topologies, cross-vendor system integration, asset management access and multi-day stability performance.

The results confirmed interoperability across control systems, field instruments, switches and network components.

“The successful results of this fifth large-scale test give users confidence in the maturity, scalability and flexibility which Ethernet-APL offers in real-world, multi-vendor architectures,” said Karl Büttner, Advanced Expert Product Management at Endress+Hauser.

The initiative builds on earlier testing that demonstrated Ethernet-APL’s ability to support high-speed communication in industrial environments.

Covestro led the latest test, with BASF contributing previous experience from its own scalability validation, highlighting growing industry interest in Ethernet-based field communication to support digital transformation.

"Ethernet-APL is a key element on our digital transformation journey – it extends high-speed communication into the field, unlocking the data transparency and connectivity needed to fully digitalize our operations. Taking an active role in this scalability test allowed us to validate the technology under conditions that closely reflect the complexity of our real production environments. The results give us greater confidence in the technology's readiness for deployment in large-scale industrial environments,” said Sebastian Mahler, Vice President, Head of Process Control Technology, Covestro.

“In 2023, BASF successfully demonstrated scalability with 240 PROFINET over APL devices connected in a single Ethernet ring, using ten field switches and control systems from ABB, Honeywell, and Siemens. Emerson was added in 2025. With the successful completion of the latest tests, we can now confirm that Yokogawa also demonstrated scalability in 2026 as part of a test led by Covestro and conducted at Endress+Hauser in Reinach, Switzerland,” said Gerd Niedermayer, Senior E&I Engineering Manager at BASF.

The test environment included Endress+Hauser APL field instruments, Samson APL field positioners, Ethernet-APL switches from R. Stahl, Softing, Phoenix Contact and Pepperl+Fuchs, as well as network infrastructure from Hirschmann and Siemens.

The companies said the results demonstrate Ethernet-APL’s growing ecosystem and potential to support reliable, transparent and interoperable digital operations across large-scale industrial facilities. -OGN/TradeArabia News Service