Does Your Machine Still Need a Dedicated PLC?

Many OEM machines already include an industrial PC for HMI, data handling or connectivity.

So the question becomes practical.

If computing power is already inside the machine, does control still need its own physical controller?

Phoenix Contact’s Virtual PLCnext Control portfolio allows real-time control tasks to run as an OCI container on high-performance hardware. Instead of adding a separate PLC, control becomes a virtual instance on an existing platform.

For some machine architectures, that changes the hardware equation.

Consolidating Hardware Inside the Machine

In repeat machine builds, reducing component count matters.

Running Virtual PLCnext Control on an existing industrial PC can:

• Remove a dedicated PLC from the bill of materials
• Reduce panel space requirements
• Simplify wiring and hardware layout
• Consolidate multiple control instances onto one platform

For modular machines or multi-axis systems, multiple virtual controllers can operate on a single hardware platform, reducing duplication across builds.

This is not about replacing hardware for the sake of it. It is about eliminating hardware that may no longer be necessary.

Scaling Performance Across Machine Variants

OEM platforms often come in tiers.

Higher output models require more control resources. Entry models require less.

Virtual PLCnext Control allows CPU cores, RAM and system resources to scale without redesigning the control hardware. Licence levels within the portfolio align memory, tasks and data storage with machine complexity.

For builders managing multiple variants, that flexibility can simplify standardisation across the product range.

Replication Across Repeat Builds

Container-based deployment also changes how control applications are managed.

Applications can be deployed, replicated or migrated between hardware platforms more easily than hardware-bound controllers.

For OEMs producing repeat systems, this supports:

• Consistent control environments
• Faster deployment across builds
• Simplified updates and version control

The control environment becomes part of the machine platform, not tied to a single physical device.

Integration Without Losing Industrial Capability

Virtual PLCnext Control retains familiar PLCnext functionality, including:

• PROFINET communication
• OPC UA connectivity
• Fieldbus integration
• High-level language support alongside IEC 61131-3
• Integrated security features such as firewall and certificate handling

Control remains real-time capable. It simply runs within a virtualised environment.

For machines that already combine IT connectivity and industrial control, consolidating those layers can reduce complexity rather than add to it.

When It Makes Sense

Virtual control may suit OEM machine builders who:

• Already deploy industrial PCs in their systems
• Build repeat or modular platforms
• Want to reduce hardware duplication
• Need scalable performance tiers
• Are consolidating control and data processing

In smaller standalone machines with minimal computing requirements, a traditional hardware PLC may remain the more straightforward solution.

The decision is architectural and commercial.

If the computing platform is already there, virtualising control may be the next logical step.