Beckhoff introduces AI‍-‍based automation programming

Recently, Beckhoff announced the addition of AI engineering to its TwinCAT range.

TwinCAT 3 CoAgent for Engineering adds an open-architecture engineering assistant with the flexibility to support the user’s choice of large language models (LLMs) and AI platforms. The company says that TwinCAT CoAgent helps engineering teams of all sizes adapt to skilled labour shortages, reduce the mundane and repetitive aspects of programming, and meet increasingly tight project deadlines with a fully integrated AI-enabled engineering tool for automation.

Beckhoff says it developed TwinCAT 3 CoAgent for Engineering as part of its continued investment in ML and AI technologies for automation. The AI-powered assistant works alongside controls programmers directly within the TwinCAT XAE engineering environment, providing code suggestions, optimisations, AI-assisted I/O configuration, HMI support and documentation enhancements. Users can define requirements in natural language, while TwinCAT CoAgent takes existing project structures into account so that suggestions fit the project at hand.

Because TwinCAT CoAgent is embedded directly in a standard automation engineering environment, results can be reviewed and incorporated without the copy-and-paste friction caused by external chat tools. Throughout the process, engineers remain fully in control, reviewing and approving every AI-generated result before it is applied.

TwinCAT CoAgent’s open architecture is built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and acts as an MCP Client that connects to specialised MCP servers for PLC, I/O, HMI and Beckhoff Information System operations. The same open standard lets customers connect to their own MCP servers for proprietary documentation, ERP systems or maintenance knowledge, so that company-specific resources become part of the engineering dialogue.

AI-driven benefits for operations

A feature extension, TwinCAT CoAgent for Operations, will provide users at runtime with new capabilities to operate, maintain and troubleshoot automation systems. It can also leverage continuously monitored process values, log files and KPIs to help detect deviations. The company says TwinCAT CoAgent for Operations will provide an interactive service agent that makes ongoing operations more intelligent, with faster troubleshooting, improved transparency and higher quality standards in reporting.

In internal testing and pilot deployments, the TwinCAT CoAgent assistant has shown productivity gains of 20–30%, particularly in areas such as onboarding to existing codebases, documentation and maintenance, according to Beckhoff.

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