Siemens has launched SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements, a next-generation IT-style engineering application designed to transform how manufacturers develop automation visualization projects.

 

Built for the SIMATIC WinCC Unified system, the new tool enables automation engineers to create, version-control and deploy visualization applications using workflows familiar to modern software developers. Available now exclusively in the United States, SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements brings advanced software practices—including AI-assisted development, code-based engineering and continuous integration workflows—to the plant floor.

 

As manufacturers accelerate digital transformation, the industry continues to face a growing skills gap and increasing pressure to deliver products faster. Shrinking development cycles and rising efficiency demands are pushing companies to adopt more flexible engineering approaches. 

 

Siemens’ new application addresses this challenge by combining traditional graphical engineering with an open, code-based environment that enables faster and more collaborative automation development.

 

Key capabilities of SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements include:

 

AI-ready project generation from human-readable YAML files — The platform enables engineers to create complete automation projects by combining AI-generated code, configurations, scripts and reusable library packages into deployment-ready builds.

 

Hybrid engineering workflows — Engineers can seamlessly switch between graphical development tools and direct code editing, with both environments updating in real time.

 

Open architecture — Users can run custom web controls directly within the engineering environment without requiring external APIs.

 

Advanced collaboration through Git integration — Native Git support provides project history, branching and merge-request workflows, enabling distributed teams to collaborate more effectively. The extension-based integrated development environment, built on the Open VSX marketplace, allows engineers to customize their workspace and receive background updates without forced upgrades or additional licensing costs.

 

“We're witnessing a fundamental shift in industrial automation, where the speed of innovation is no longer limited by engineering tools but enabled by them,” says Adrien Amar, Global Business Development Manager, Software Defined Automation and SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements at Siemens Digital Industries. 

 

“For decades, we've helped manufacturers automate their production lines; now we're automating the automation itself. With SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements, engineers can generate, validate, and deploy automation projects at software speed—using AI generation, CI/CD pipelines, and the version control that IT teams have relied on for years.”

 

"The US release of SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements marks an important step forward in modernizing industrial engineering workflows, bringing visualization and control engineering together in a unified development environment,” adds Cory Rinaldi, Portfolio Sales Enablement Manager, SCADA & Edge, North America, Siemens. 

 

“By combining visual and text-based engineering, native Git integration, and AI-ready workflows, we're helping customers accelerate development, improve collaboration, and adopt IT-driven engineering practices without compromising the reliability expected in industrial automation. Initially supporting WinCC Unified PC Runtime applications, WinCC Unified Elements provides customers with a modern engineering approach, while expanding the flexibility and choices available within the Siemens automation portfolio.”