Modern factories rarely start from a blank sheet. You already have PLC standards, safety rules, data collection targets, and a preferred way to connect machines to upstream and downstream processes. WECAN designs automation equipment and intelligent mechanical systems with integration in mind, covering areas such as robot integrated applications, industrial software control systems, and production tooling, so your new machine can join your existing line with fewer interface surprises.

Integration Starts with a Clear Control Architecture

Most “integration problems” come from unclear boundaries between machine control and line control. In WECAN projects, the typical approach is to define:

• Machine-level control for motion sequences, interlocks, and local alarms, commonly PLC-based for deterministic control

• Line-level signals for start, stop, ready, fault, and recipe selection so your line controller can coordinate multiple stations

• Operator interaction via HMI-style workflows, where needed, for parameter setting, alarms, and maintenance checks

This architecture is particularly relevant for equipment like servo-controlled press systems, where WECAN highlights PLC-controlled stamping stroke and operation, with servo motion supporting accuracy and repeatability.

Communication Compatibility: Designed for the Networks Plants Actually Use

When connecting a new machine to your existing automation layer, communication protocol choices matter. In factory automation, Industrial Ethernet dominates new installations, and plants most commonly standardize around a short list of Ethernet-based protocols. For example, one widely cited industry analysis reports PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and EtherCAT as leading shares for newly installed nodes, with Modbus TCP also present in many mixed environments.

That reality shapes practical integration in two ways:

• Signal-level integration: hardwired I/O for safety chains, cycle complete, fault, and permissives

• Data-level integration: Ethernet-based communication for status, production counts, recipe parameters, and fault codes

If your plant is standardizing under an OEM/ODM rollout strategy for multiple sites, defining one protocol baseline early reduces engineering change cost across copies of the line.

Mechanical and Process Integration: Matching Upstream and Downstream Interfaces

Automation integration is not only about software. WECAN equipment is commonly deployed as part of a wider production workflow, where alignment, part presentation, and cycle timing must match adjacent stations.

For example, WECAN describes hanger production equipment as being integrated into production lines to reduce manual handling and improve workflow consistency, which is the same integration principle applied across many assembly and processing scenarios.

In practice, this often means designing around:

• Standardized part infeed and outfeed heights

• Consistent part orientation rules

• Buffer logic for when upstream or downstream stations pause

• Cycle-time synchronization so the new station does not become the bottleneck

Safety Integration That Aligns with Machine Standards

When a new machine enters an existing line, the safety design must match the risk assessment method and documentation your facility already uses. Two widely referenced standards in this space include:

• ISO 13849-1, used for designing and integrating safety-related parts of control systems and performance levels

• IEC 60204-1, focused on electrical equipment of machines and general requirements for machine electrical systems

A good integration approach maps WECAN machine safety functions into your plant’s existing safety architecture, such as E-stop loops, door interlocks, light curtains, and safe torque off where applicable, while keeping diagnostics readable for your maintenance team.

Data Integration for Monitoring, Traceability, and Continuous Improvement

Many plants want more than “machine runs.” They want actionable data that supports uptime improvement and process capability. A practical data package typically includes:

• OEE-ready signals: run, stop, idle, fault, planned downtime

• Quality-related counters: rejects, rework triggers, inspection results when available

• Alarm structure: code, description, timestamp, and recovery hints

• Recipe and parameter tracking for change control and audit needs

Even if you begin with basic line signals, defining a data model early keeps the door open for later MES or SCADA expansion without retrofitting everything.

A Practical Integration Checklist

Why Many Buyers Choose WECAN as a Long-Term Integration Partner

WECAN positions itself around automation equipment, intelligent mechanical equipment, robot integrated applications, and industrial software control systems, which matters because integration success depends on owning both mechanical execution and control-system logic.

As a solution provider, WECAN’s value is strongest when you need more than a single standalone machine: you want a system that can plug into your current automation standards, support scale-up, and remain serviceable as your line evolves.

Conclusion

WECAN products integrate with existing automation systems by combining PLC-based machine control, plant-friendly network connectivity, and practical line-level interfaces for timing, part handling, and safety. When integration is designed from the start, commissioning becomes faster, alarms become clearer, and your line gains capacity without creating a new “special case” that only one engineer can maintain.