Managing blockchains for multiple components in an industrial facility

A method, comprising:

• controlling, by an industrial controller comprising a processor, one or more output signals to respective one or more devices of a first industrial automation system of a first supply chain entity in accordance with an industrial control program executed by the industrial controller, wherein the industrial control program facilitates manufacture, by the first industrial automation system, of a product comprising multiple component parts;
• performing, by the industrial controller in cooperation with one or more industrial devices on a blockchain network, a consensus-based validation of a manufacturing event originating at a second industrial automation system within the first supply chain entity or at a second supply chain entity, wherein the performing comprises validating the manufacturing event in response to a determination that the industrial controller or the one or more industrial devices agree on a validity of the manufacturing event;
• in response to validation of the manufacturing event, adding, by the industrial controller, a record of the manufacturing event to a ledger of an industrial blockchain stored on the industrial controller and on an industrial device of the one or more industrial devices;
• receiving, by the industrial controller, multiple industrial blockchains respectively associated with the multiple component parts, wherein the multiple industrial blockchains record production statistics generated by one or more other industrial controllers on the blockchain network for the multiple component parts;
• and
• in response to verifying authenticities of the multiple industrial blockchains, aggregating, by the industrial controller, the multiple industrial blockchains to yield an aggregate industrial blockchain for the product,
• wherein the controlling comprises:
• referencing, by the industrial control program, the record of the manufacturing event as an input, and
• in response to the validating of the manufacturing event, controlling an output signal, of the one or more output signals, to modify operation of the first industrial automation system based on the record of the manufacturing event.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause an industrial controller comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

• executing an industrial control program;
• controlling, based on the executing, one or more output signals to respective one or more devices of a first industrial automation system of a first supply chain entity, wherein the controlling facilitates manufacture, by the first industrial automation system, of a product comprising multiple component parts;
• performing, in collaboration with one or more industrial devices on a blockchain network, a consensus-based validation of an event originating at a second industrial automation system within the first supply chain entity or at a second supply chain entity, wherein the performing comprises validating the event in response to a determination that the industrial controller and the one or more industrial devices agree on a validity of the event;
• in response to validation of the event, appending a record of the event to a ledger of an industrial blockchain stored on the industrial controller;
• receiving multiple industrial blockchains respectively associated with the multiple component parts, wherein the multiple industrial blockchains record production statistics generated by other industrial controllers on the blockchain network for the respective multiple component parts;
• and
• in response to verifying authenticities of the multiple industrial blockchains, aggregating the multiple industrial blockchains to yield an aggregate industrial blockchain for the product,
• wherein the controlling comprises:
• referencing the record of the event as an input into the industrial control program, and
• in response to the validation of the event, controlling an output signal, of the one or more output signals, to modify operation of the first industrial automation system based on the record of the event.