Packaging

New Podcast Highlights the Latest Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture Solutions

Thursday 04. November 2010 - "Top 10 Things You Need to Know about Integrated Architecture" podcast reveals major enhancements that help drive plantwide optimization

A new podcast from Rockwell Automation highlights the top 10 enhancements showcased in the Integrated Architecture booth at the Automation Fair event, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 3-4. The podcast describes the new offerings within the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system that provide the foundation to efficiently and effectively drive plantwide optimization. By building a business in which information flows across the organization, companies can access data to make more informed business decisions, impacting day-to-day operations and helping to better respond to key market challenges, the economy and changes in consumer demand. To learn about these top 10 new offerings, listen to the podcast, visit Booth 409 or view the following excerpt from the podcast transcript:

EtherNet/IP simplifies network architecture, helping drive plantwide optimization. EtherNet/IP, the world’s leading industrial network, helps enable plantwide control, visualization and decision support, with the ability to manage discrete, process, safety, motion and drive applications on a single network. The convergence of plant-floor to the business enterprise via EtherNet/IP provides greater access to manufacturing data for making more accurate and informed decisions, while optimizing internal assets and resources, and utilizing a standard protocol. ODVA recently extended the EtherNet/IP specifications to include CIP Motion technology, delivering the speed, sophistication and precision demanded by motion control applications.

Expansions to the Rockwell Automation Integrated Motion on EtherNet/IP portfolio. Rockwell Automation has introduced new variable frequency and servo drive solutions with Integrated Motion on EtherNet/IP technology: the Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6500 servo drive and the enhanced Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 755 AC drive. When used with the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix programmable automation controller, these products provide high-performance, closed- and open-loop drive control using EtherNet/IP. This development means you no longer need a dedicated motion network. Now, users can unite high-performance drives, I/O, smart actuators and any other EtherNet/IP-connected device on a common network, helping to simplify machine design, operation and maintenance. Next year, Rockwell Automation plans to increase the scalability of this portfolio by introducing a servo drive that brings Integrated Motion on EtherNet/IP capabilities to the Allen?Bradley CompactLogix platform.

Visualization solutions provide market-leading functionality. Rockwell Automation visualization hardware and software gives users access to a common environment that delivers the real-time information needed to make better business decisions. Case in point: the Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 6 human-machine interface will provide users with 512 MB of RAM/Flash memory and Windows CE 6.0 operating system comes standard on the new terminal which removes the run-time memory limits for significantly faster refresh rates and more on-device storage. In addition, the FactoryTalk View ME 6.0 software provides the PanelView Plus 6 with time-saving design enhancements, including tag browsing, cloning and access to a multilanguage font library, and creates a consistent interface across multiple platforms, including Microsoft Windows CE, XP and Vista solutions. These enhanced capabilities are available in the 7-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch and 15-inch display sizes.

New software demonstrates commitment to delivering real-time information. At this year’s show, Rockwell Automation unveiled enhancements to FactoryTalk View Machine Edition that support the PanelView Plus 6 launch. In addition, Site Edition now includes redundancy for alarms and events to improve functionality for high availability needs and to provide users with more immediate access to real-time and stored data. Other announcements include upgrades to the FactoryTalk ViewPoint and Historian software applications. FactoryTalk ViewPoint provides access to real-time plant floor operations data simply by logging onto an Internet browser. As a Web-enabled HMI application, it extends the access to FactoryTalk View displays and dashboards to users anywhere for improved real-time decision making. The latest FactoryTalk Historian software offers extended machine-level data collection, expanded data storage and improved connectivity via a more robust EtherNet/IP connection.

Increasing focus on scalability and modularity. Through investments in motion and safety, Rockwell Automation delivers high-performance for the mid-range system. In the past year, Rockwell Automation introduced two programmable automation controllers in the CompactLogix form factor, the Kinetix 300 EtherNet/IP indexing servo drive and the PanelView Plus Compact. This year, the company plans to expand its scaled offerings by enhancing the capabilities of CompactLogix controllers, Kinetix servo drives and its visualization family—improving efficiency in both the design environment and the sustainability of the system once installed. These controller additions are ideal for applications with less than 200 I/O points and up to 16 axes of motion to help OEMs cost-effectively meet tomorrow’s machine requirements.

High availability easier and simpler. Rockwell Automation continues to expand its Integrated Architecture system to help meet high availability demands more easily and cost-effectively. The expansion includes Allen-Bradley ControlLogix L7 family of controllers which offers significant improvements in performance and provides faster cross-loading for redundant systems. In addition, fault-tolerant I/O provides SIL 2-rated redundant input and output modules including analog outputs that support redundant Ethernet adapters, all with no additional programming required. As part of the company’s end-to-end, scalable high availability solution, Rockwell Automation offers ControlLogix redundancy firmware version 19.50. Ideal for applications with redundancy requirements, version 19.50 provides support for Ethernet I/O, Ethernet device level ring topology, 1715 redundant I/O with redundant Ethernet adapters, and builds upon RSLogix 5000 v17 features.

Latest controllers offer improved performance. The new ControlLogix 5573 and 5575 controllers have enhanced memory and processing capabilities that help improve production rates, boost overall equipment effectiveness and provide more timely data for improved decision-making capabilities. Controllers interface seamlessly with motion drives through EtherNet/IP and SERCOS network interfaces and are capable of supporting as many as 100 axes. This further simplifies the synchronization of complex motion applications.

New Stratix switches help effectively manage real-time control and information flow. Since last year’s Automation Fair event, Rockwell Automation introduced an industrial layer 3 switch with Cisco technology. The Allen-Bradley Stratix 8300 switch extends the popular industrial switch family to provide VLAN and subnet routing capability using Cisco technology. Like the Allen-Bradley Stratix 8000 switch, the Stratix 8300 switch uses the Cisco Catalyst operating system, feature set and user interface. This helps engineers and IT professionals achieve secure, seamless integration of Ethernet applications while incorporating software and programming tools familiar to IT. In addition to external switches, Rockwell Automation is designing products with embedded Ethernet switch technology. Ethernet embedded technology helps enable machine builders to use a device-level ring topology that produces a single, fault-tolerant network.

New tools help manufacturers economically upgrade control platforms. New tools in the Rockwell Automation migration solutions program help reduce many of the costs, risks and complexities involved with PLC, visualization and software migration projects. The tools help users migrate from Allen-Bradley PLC-5 and SLC 500 controllers, PanelView Standard and RSView32. In addition, users can progress from within the Integrated Architecture family, such as from Allen?Bradley ControlLogix 5560 controllers to ControlLogix 5570 controllers or PanelView Plus to PanelView Plus 6 operator interfaces. In addition, Rockwell Automation offers a tool that helps users convert from a Modicon PLC to ControlLogix system without replacing the wiring.

Enhanced mechatronics solution offers better information integration. The latest mechatronics design portfolio from Rockwell Automation offers machine builders improved optimization and collaboration for complex machine designs. Updated Motion Analyzer 5.0 software, used by machine builders to help select the best-suited drive-motor-actuator combination for their application, now provides an enhanced interface with SolidWorks 3D CAD software. In addition, the latest version offers an intuitive workflow and user interface and more industry standard indexes. All of these enhancements help machine builders better analyze, optimize, simulate and select their motion profile.