A world leader in industrial automation and information technology, Rockwell Automation is expanding its operations and technologies in Australasia and Southern Pacific nations in response to emerging new efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability opportunities as the world transitions into a post-COVID-19 era.
“COVID has been a game-changer in many negative ways over the past couple of years, but it has also delivered many positive opportunities by accelerating change in key Australian and New Zealand industries,” said Anthony Wong, Regional Director – South Pacific at Rockwell Automation. “These ongoing efficiency and innovation gains will be most pronounced in key local industries – such as food and beverage manufacturing, mineral processing, oil and gas production, and public infrastructure.”
Wong outlined a series of Rockwell Automation’s initiatives in an exclusive interview with AMT magazine, saying the new technologies and capabilities will have major relevance to its readers. Rockwell Automation – which employs over 24,000 people and has customers in more than 100 countries – is best known for its FactoryTalk software and Allen-Bradley automation systems, incorporating its programmable logic controller (PLC) and programmable automation controller (PAC) ranges from large to small and even micro applications.
The company continues to win global and local awards. FactoryTalk Edge Gateway solution software, for example, was selected this year as the winner of the “Industrial IoT Solution of the Year” award in the sixth annual IoT Breakthrough Awards – which recognise individuals, companies, and organizations involved in producing Internet of Things (IoT) products, solutions, and services. Rockwell Automation is a multiple IoT Breakthrough Award winner having won “Industrial IoT Innovator of the Year” in 2020 and “Industrial IoT Company of the Year” in 2021.
Further awards include being crowned one of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies” by Forbes, Cisco’s “Acceleration and Transformation” award, Dow Jones’ “Most Sustainable Companies” award, a “World’s Most Ethical Companies” award, and “America Business Ethics” award.
“We have also been recognised as a best global company for innovators to join, as well as for our commitment to diversity and inclusion, which are all very important because we believe that people are the foundation of all we do,” said Wong. “Through our stream of innovation coming to Australasia and the South Pacific, we aim to sustain our people advantage of creating an environment where everyone can – and is equipped – to do their best work, which is fundamental to our success.”
Expanding capabilities
Rockwell Automation is expanding its suite of brands and capabilities here as Australasia and the South Pacific moves to meet and take advantage of COVID-19 and post-pandemic challenges, such as strengthening supply chains, building a rapid response to trade opportunities, and improving safety and sustainability of operations. Recent product launches in the region include:
- Plex Systems. Welcomed to the Rockwell Automation family in 2021, Plex is a Smart Manufacturing Platform that connects people, systems, machines, and supply chains. Plex offers manufacturing execution system (MES) capability that connects to companies’ enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, as well as quality management and asset performance management, among other advantages. The platform deals with more than 8bn transactions a day and has an A security rating. Using Plex, a large food manufacturer made an US$500,000 (approximately AU$700,000) inventory write-off saving and was able to complete mock recalls within minutes.
- Fiix Computerised Maintenance Management Software (CMMS). The Fiix platform allows users to plan, track and optimise maintenance in one system. Fiix connects teams, tools, data, and processes to get critical insights, scale maintenance programs, and boost asset performance. For example, a supplier of dried egg products to food, beverage and sports nutrition markets was able to see a 42% reduction in after-hours call-ins and a 54% drop in reactive maintenance by implementing Fiix and a building automation system (BAS).
SaaS makes automation available to companies of all sizes
With Plex and Fiix, Rockwell Automation offers Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to customers, providing them with greater agility and closer alignment to where technology is heading, without large up-front investment costs.
“Previously, having sophisticated software and automation systems in place required data centres, infrastructure, large migration costs and other up-front capital costs,” said Wong. “Plex and Fiix even the playing field and allow companies of any size to capitalise on the latest technologies to enhance their manufacturing plant and processes, without needing to have a big budget. It’s the manufacturing equivalent of moving from DVDs to Netflix. Companies can receive daily updates and add or remove features any time to suit their specific needs.”
Making industrial data more accessible and consumable
Industrial data is generated in such large volumes and at such high speeds that it’s difficult to capture accurately. Even if you could, its use is likely limited by a lack of both context and ability to be easily consumed. With operational data locked within disparate devices or siloed in systems of record, data scientists expend significant effort on data preparation and are hard-pressed to extract actionable industrial performance insights.
Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk Edge Gateway solution software breaks down siloed systems and drives the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT) by simplifying and automating the collection of industrial data across machines, devices, and assets.
“Manufacturing, machine building, and precision engineering companies can use this quality and easily consumable data to improve operations and asset health, or look for opportunities to improve energy use,” said Wong. “It sounds like a simple and logical process but has mostly only been done with bespoke custom applications, and with significant investments in technology and software. FactoryTalk Edge Gateway requires no customised coding and enables a seamless transition to get data analysis up and running swiftly.
“Plex, Fiix, and FactoryTalk Edge Gateway each allow companies of any size to capitalise on the benefits of a connected Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled factory, without the large up-front investments that were previously a requirement to use technology this advanced.”
Leveraging technology to drive sustainability goals
Wong also foreshadowed pioneering technologies and solutions in advanced manufacturing related to environment, social & governance (ESG) concerns and opportunities: “We understand that companies operating in the manufacturing industry are looking for new ways to leverage technology to reduce their environmental footprints.”
This is a focus that extends throughout the Rockwell Automation organisation and is led by its global Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Blake Moret. In a recent World Economic Forum article on how advanced manufacturing can support ESG reporting, Moret said: “Intelligent devices, combined with innovative sustainability and energy management software, provide new levels of insight to reduce energy demand and increase efficiency. Real-time energy management is within reach, from simple monitoring to embedded AI tools that enable closed-loop optimisation.
“By creating a standard energy data model in context to production, energy intensity and other key performance metrics can be measured and improved. In one instance, an automotive company found that 40% of one machine’s energy consumption occurred when it was not producing anything. This simple, yet impactful, insight allowed them to de-energise the equipment when not in use, reducing both costs and greenhouse gas emissions.”
Wong added: “The company is in an extremely exciting stage. For over 100 years, our plant floor technology has been trusted by our customers. In recent years, we have made a strategic move to invest in software offerings so we can truly connect whole industrial enterprises, from OT to IT and beyond. These investments, as well as our unrelenting focus on sustainability products, will drive our business into a successful future.”