Table of Contents

Zeugwerk Framework

The Zeugwerk Framework is an object-oriented framework for building automation software on TwinCAT 3.1 (Codesys and CtrlX on request). It is not open source; you use it to implement your own applications and machine logic. The framework gives you a clear structure for applications, units, state machines, sequences, and equipment -so you can focus on your logic instead of boilerplate and infrastructure.

Tip

API Reference - Complete API documentation for ZApplication, ZCore, ZAux, ZEquipment, and related libraries. Look up types, methods, and parameters.

Tip

Changelog - Release history, version notes, and upgrade guides. See what changed in each Framework and library release.

What you'll find in this section

  • API Reference - Full API docs (ZApplication, ZCore, ZAux, ZEquipment). Start here when you need type or method details.
  • Concepts - Core ideas: Application, Units, State Machine, Sequences, Equipment, and how they fit together. Start here if you're new to the Framework.
  • Tutorials - Step-by-step guides: Quickstart, installation, and runtime setup.
  • Trial License - Activate the Framework trial license (included in the Development Kit). For Creator trial activation, see Trial License in the Creator section.
  • How-To Guides - Practical topics: extending sequences, custom state machines, logging, equipment examples, and incremental adoption in existing projects.
  • Community and support - Specialist user base, direct access to the engineering team, training, and ecosystem contribution (see section below).
  • Licensing & Support - Terms, legal information, and how to get help.
  • Changelog - Release history and changes.

Built for the long term

Zeugwerk Framework ships as fully compiled libraries for day-to-day use, but enterprise customers who reach volume licensing receive the complete framework source code delivered directly to their own Git infrastructure on every release. This means your team can read, audit, extend, and maintain the framework independently - your investment is never held hostage to a single vendor relationship.

The framework runs on TwinCAT 3.1 today, with CODESYS and CtrlX available on request. If your hardware landscape changes, reach out - portability is a design goal, not an afterthought.

Incremental adoption

A Zeugwerk Application does not have to be built from scratch. The ZApp folder is self-contained and integrates into existing TwinCAT solutions without modifying surrounding code. Teams migrating from existing projects can introduce the framework unit by unit -wrapping new functionality in the Zeugwerk structure while leaving legacy code untouched. Zeugwerk Creator supports this workflow explicitly: existing solutions can be prepared for the framework via the Prepare Zeugwerk option, without requiring a full rewrite.

Community and support

Zeugwerk Framework has a focused, specialist user base rather than a large open community. This means you won't find answers on StackOverflow - but it also means the people you do reach when you have a question are the ones who built the framework. Support goes directly to the engineering team.

For teams building on the framework at scale, the Zeugwerk team offers training, development support, and direct access to the roadmap. The Twinpack registry is open - teams are encouraged to publish their own libraries and contribute to the ecosystem.

If you're used to large open-source communities, the tradeoff is real: less breadth of community answers, more depth of expert access. For industrial automation - where wrong answers in forums cost real machine time - many teams find that a worthwhile trade.

Getting started

If you haven't already, install the Zeugwerk Development Kit and follow the Install Guide. Then work through the Quickstart Tutorial to run your first Framework application in minutes.