German engineering giants Bürkert and Siemens have deepened their decades-long collaboration with a new partnership to enhance integration capabilities for OEMs and end users in process industries. The agreement ensures full compatibility between Bürkert’s advanced valve island technology and Siemens’ SIMATIC ecosystem, streamlining automation in highly regulated environments such as pharmaceutical, biotech, and food & beverage manufacturing.

At the core of the partnership is closer integration between Bürkert’s compact valve islands—modular assemblies that manage multiple pneumatic valves—and Siemens' remote I/O systems. This synergy delivers simplified engineering, faster commissioning, and a consistent system design, improving usability and operator confidence. The joint development effort is backed by advanced diagnostics, robust redundancy functions, and long-term support via guaranteed software updates and spare part availability.

Key products in the programme include Bürkert’s Type 8647 AirLINE SP, designed specifically for integration into Siemens’ SIMATIC ET 200SP and ET 200SP HA platforms, as well as the PCS 7 distributed control system. For explosion-prone environments, the collaboration extends to the Airline Ex Type 8650, compatible with Siemens SIMATIC ET 200iSP I/O for ATEX zones 1 and 2.

Bürkert and Siemens’ fully integrated systems offer modular pneumatic control in compact cabinets, supported by the AirLINE Quick connection system, which can house up to 48 valve functions. Hot-swapping capabilities allow for rapid valve replacement without disrupting operations.

Enhanced functional safety features include pilot valve shutdowns and individual valve slot cut-offs. Complete software integration enables automated diagnostics and supports communication via PROFINET and PROFIBUS DP, even in hazardous zones.

The partnership enables faster system development for OEMs and delivers safer, more efficient, and scalable automation solutions for end users, positioning both companies as key facilitators of smart manufacturing in critical process sectors.