Lightning strikes and switching operations in the power grid can create surge voltages capable of disabling sensitive electronic systems. Routers, heat pumps, controllers, servers, photovoltaic inverters, and even complete production facilities may be affected. Although damaged hardware can be replaced, production downtime and data loss often create greater disruption and expense. The SPP surge protection system from Phoenix Contact provides a coordinated approach to protecting critical electrical and electronic infrastructure from lightning strikes and surge voltages. As modern buildings, industrial facilities, and photovoltaic systems become increasingly dependent on sensitive electronics, a single surge event can result in equipment damage, costly downtime, and data loss. The SPP family is designed to help ensure high system availability through end-to-end protection.
Two Coordinated Product Lines
The SPP family consists of two complementary product lines. FLT-SPP provides type 1+2+3 combined lightning current and surge protection, while VAL-SPP covers type 2 AC applications and type 1 or type 2 protection for photovoltaic systems. Their consistent design and safety concept simplify planning and help coordinate protection from the main distribution system through to sub-distribution.
The energy sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Increasing demands on sustainability, security of supply, and efficiency make smart solutions indispensable. Modern products and services for the energy management of the future combine technological innovations with a clear goal: using energy more intelligently, conserving resources, and improving cost-effectiveness. An energy management system must also be easy to implement. Coordinated sensor and measurement technology reduce the effort involved in energy data acquisition, while communication solutions and digital services help integrate, manage, and process measurement data. Companies are increasingly turning to intelligent hardware that provides transparency regarding energy flows and actively manages them.
Smart products, measurement technology, and digital services work together to provide transparency regarding energy flows and support intelligent energy management.
Measurement Technology as the Basis of Energy Management
In industrial and building structures, energy measurement technology forms the foundation for efficiency, cost transparency, sustainability, and electrical safety. In industry and production, measuring systems enable transparent monitoring of system operation, load management, predictive maintenance, and high system availability. Data centers use measurement technology to optimize power usage effectiveness (PUE) and improve failsafe performance through residual current monitoring.
Smart buildings rely on real-time data to network heating, ventilation, and lighting systems while supporting ISO 50001 energy management requirements. Measurement technology is also essential for charging infrastructure and renewable energy applications, where accurate measurements ensure both reliable billing and stable grid operation. Without measurement data, achieving decarbonization targets and identifying potential energy savings would not be possible.
Figure 1: Topological representation of an energy monitoring solution.
A 3D production layout forms the basis for structured, future-proof factory planning.
Control cabinet building efficiency has become a key priority for manufacturers. Rising demand, shorter delivery times, and increasing complexity put pressure on production teams. As a result, companies need production environments that are both flexible and efficient.
To address this challenge, Phoenix Contact and PGA partnered to modernize control cabinet manufacturing. Their project focused on two areas: factory planning and workstation design. Together, these improvements increased quality, reduced production times, and enhanced ergonomics.
The Growing Cybersecurity Challenge in Industrial Networks
As industrial systems become increasingly digital, they are unlocking new levels of efficiency and flexibility. But this transformation comes at a cost: greater exposure to cyberattacks. What was once limited to IT environments now directly affects operational technology (OT), putting production continuity and infrastructure reliability at risk in modern industrial network cybersecurity environments.
To address this growing threat landscape, cybersecurity is no longer optional—it’s becoming a regulatory requirement. Frameworks such as the IEC 62443 standards, along with European regulations like the NIS 2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), are setting clear expectations for how industrial organizations must secure their systems. These regulations extend responsibility beyond critical infrastructure to include much of the industrial value chain, while also requiring security measures to be verifiable across a product’s lifecycle.
From Compliance to Industrial Network Cybersecurity in Practice
Meeting regulatory requirements is only the starting point. The bigger challenge lies in translating these standards into real, effective protection on the ground.
Industrial networks are made up of multiple interconnected components, each playing a role in maintaining security. Managed switches, security routers, and wireless infrastructure together form the backbone of modern industrial communication. But as connectivity increases—especially with remote access and wireless technologies—so does the number of potential entry points for attackers.
And the risks aren’t always obvious. Over time, misconfigurations, outdated firmware, or unsecured interfaces can quietly create vulnerabilities. In long lifecycle environments, these gaps can go unnoticed until they become critical.
Automated UV inkjet printing with the Bluemark E.Card
Industrial identification plays a key role in keeping modern systems running reliably. However, rising technical demands and structural constraints challenge control‑cabinet and machine builders. In response, Phoenix Contact’s new Bluemark E.Card UV inkjet printer shows how marking processes can be simplified and accelerated, improving overall efficiency.
In control cabinet and machine building, system functionality and availability are the priority. Consistent identification of installed components is essential but often overlooked. Clear, durable labeling improves orientation and streamlines workflows throughout a switchgear system’s lifecycle. Standards such as EN IEC 81346 define uniform reference designations for systems, devices, and functions, regardless of manufacturer.
Consistent identification of all components, devices, and circuits supports quality assurance, speeds commissioning, and enables quick responses during service or maintenance. As a result, industrial identification is crucial for the reliable operation and availability of modern systems.
Increasing demands on identification processes
Control cabinet and machine builders face growing challenges. With increasing system diversity and complexity, the technical demands on industrial identification are high. Applications range from protected control cabinets to machines where markings must withstand chemical and mechanical stress. This requires versatile solutions that deliver clear, high‑quality, and durable markings.
Control cabinet and machine builders also face structural challenges. A Germany‑wide study by Phoenix Contact and Ruhr University Bochum shows rising efficiency pressure across the industry. 88% of surveyed companies cite a shortage of skilled workers, and 62% report recurring capacity bottlenecks. Time‑consuming manual tasks, such as printing and processing marking materials, tie up qualified staff and worsen the situation. The industry’s project‑driven nature adds complexity, with 73% of sales coming from project business, leading to high product variety and demanding flexible production processes. Media discontinuities further slow workflows: despite digitalization, 88% of companies still receive planning data as PDFs and rely on paper documents, highlighting the need for more integrated processes industrial efficiency challenges.
To achieve consistent industrial identification, control cabinet and machine builders must do more than meet technical requirements. They need to simplify marking processes, reduce manual work, and better integrate digital workflows. Phoenix Contact addresses this with the new Bluemark E.Card UV inkjet printer, which sets new standards in efficiency and print quality for industrial identification.
Automated material processing meets innovative printing technology
High print volumes and diverse materials quickly overwhelm conventional card printers, especially when cards must be inserted and removed manually, an approach that is slow and error‑prone. The UV inkjet printer solves this with automated card transport: it feeds stacked materials into printing, then restacks them afterward, even detecting unsorted cards and marking them correctly. This automation saves time, up to 40% compared to manual processing, and boosts overall efficiency automated printing. Maintenance for cleaning or replacing fixed inkjet printheads is common and often causes downtime and reduced print quality. The Bluemark E.Card avoids this by using thermal inkjet technology, where the printhead is integrated into the ink cartridge. This ensures consistently high print quality and minimizes maintenance through regular cartridge replacement thermal inkjet technology.
Versatile identification solutions for industrial requirements
By combining thermal inkjet technology with UV‑LED‑curable inks, Phoenix Contact’s new card printer delivers high‑quality markings for all applications. The Bluemark E.Card automatically detects inserted materials and applies optimized print parameters for each one. Its modular ink system produces sharp text on polycarbonate, polyamide, and metal cards.
Thanks to intensive UV curing, the markings are wipe‑proof, scratch‑resistant, and chemical‑resistant, meeting the demands of durable identification in control cabinet and machine building industrial identification.
Consistent use of digital marking data
Efficient industrial identification requires consistent marking data and digitally integrated printing systems. Phoenix Contact’s marking software supports large projects and controls printers like the Bluemark E.Card, offering application‑focused functions and interfaces to ECAD tools and common data formats. With the Universal Data Interface, marking data can be used consistently without complex direct integrations. Information from digital circuit diagrams is easily imported for fast creation of marking solutions. Print projects are planned and monitored via the printer’s bidirectional OPC UA interface, while the Bluemark E.Card displays all key device and print status information.
Using digital data throughout the process reduces manual work, minimizes errors, and enables flexible marking, especially in project‑driven control cabinet building digital marking processes.
Increasing digitalization boosts industrial efficiency and flexibility, but it also makes modern production facilities more vulnerable to attacks. Cyberthreats now target not only IT systems but also operational technology. To ensure adequate protection, an expanding set of standards and legal requirements has been established.
Achieving Power Reliability with coordinated surge protection and power supply components
Modern energy and automation systems demand a stable, efficient, and fail‑safe power supply. As a full‑service provider of high‑performance power supply systems, intelligent protection components, and coordinated device protection solutions. Phoenix Contact offers a comprehensive portfolio for Power Reliability. This approach goes beyond traditional power supply concepts and focuses on ensuring high system availability.
New developments in battery energy storage systems and their impact on components
Batteries are key to the energy transition, without them, a renewable, electrified society is impossible. Ongoing improvements and cost reductions are driving new battery technologies, raising the question of what comes next. To keep pace, component manufacturers must act boldly and innovate through close collaboration with battery makers and users.
Modular connectors as a key component for the All Electric Society
As renewable energy and digital technologies grow, demands on electrical connections continue to rise. Innovative high‑current solutions, such as modular connectors, offer a powerful and flexible alternative to traditional systems.
Explosion protection is becoming increasingly important, especially with the growing relevance of green hydrogen. Phoenix Contact therefore offers state‑of‑the‑art interface solutions for explosion‑protected applications.
