Ethernet-APL has cleared another major milestone after Endress+Hauser, in collaboration with Covestro, BASF and Yokogawa, successfully completed a large-scale scalability test designed to replicate the complexity of real-world process automation environments.

 

Conducted in May 2026 at Endress+Hauser Digital Solutions in Reinach, Switzerland, the latest validation moved beyond device density testing to examine how Ethernet-APL performs across broader plant architectures involving multiple vendors, control systems, field devices and network components.

 

The test marked the first integration of a Yokogawa CENTUM VP distributed control system (DCS) and Plant Resource Manager (PRM) asset management system into a large-scale Ethernet-APL PROFINET environment. 

 

The setup also included a wider mix of Ethernet-APL switches and network infrastructure components, demonstrating interoperability across an expanding industrial ecosystem.

 

Previous large-scale trials had already demonstrated Ethernet-APL performance under full-load conditions. The latest test focused on architectural scalability, including multi-ring network configurations and a multi-day stability phase to evaluate sustained operation under realistic conditions.

 

"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 successful connection of the Yokogawa CENTUM VP system further strengthens the range of DCS environments proven to work with Ethernet-APL. The inclusion of additional Ethernet-APL switches and higher-level network components also highlights the technology’s interoperability across diverse industrial automation architectures.

 

Covestro led the latest test, while BASF contributed experience from earlier Ethernet-APL scalability trials. The involvement of two major global chemical producers reflects growing industry interest in Ethernet-based field communication to support digitalization, improved data access and lifecycle transparency.

 

'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.