Audi’s Edge Cloud 4 Production Transforms Factory Automation with Virtual PLCs

Germany, 28th March 2025 – Audi is redefining factory automation with its groundbreaking Edge Cloud 4 Production (EC4P) initiative, bringing software-driven innovation to the heart of automotive manufacturing. At the Böllinger Höfe plant in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg region, the company has begun rolling out virtual programmable logic controllers (vPLCs), marking a significant step towards its vision of a fully software-defined smart factory.

Sven Müller, Audi’s project manager for EC4P, explained the shift: “Automation is a lot about hardware today, and we want to rethink that. We want to focus now on applications, and EC4P is a platform on which all of the production-related applications find a new place to run. That also means that now applications are communicating with our robots through the network in real time, which nobody has done until now.”

The EC4P system integrates edge and cloud technologies to streamline operations. By replacing thousands of industrial PCs with centralized servers, Audi aims to improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and enhance security. The servers act as local data processing centers, ensuring low latency and reliable communication between robots and applications. “Starting with EC4P, we are replacing thousands of full-blown industrial PCs with commodity servers. So, we are gaining energy efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint through virtualization,” said Thomas Kampa, IT solution architect at Audi.

This month’s milestone includes deploying virtual PLCs in Audi’s data center. These controllers are essential for managing manufacturing processes and ensuring safe operation of automation devices. “Normally, you have this as hardware directly next to the robot, but now we host virtual safety PLCs in our data center,” explained Kampa. The system also features a dual-fabric network concept developed with Cisco to ensure uninterrupted operations.

Security remains a top priority for Audi. The EC4P platform leverages Cisco’s micro-segmentation technology to protect communication between physical and virtual assets. “Even with a private cloud… one tool to mitigate the chance and impact of cyberattacks is micro segmentation,” noted Müller.

Looking ahead, Audi plans to integrate AI into EC4P for tasks like simplifying maintenance configurations and enhancing quality control through computer vision. “AI will play an increasing role in our next steps,” said Müller.

With EC4P as its foundation, Audi is leading the way toward IT-based production, setting new standards for efficiency, sustainability, and innovation in the automotive industry. As Müller emphasized, “This idea… is something which we are not seeing in the manufacturing industry today.”

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