Vendor News

Rockwell Automation explores new market, introduces products

Rockwell Automation, in association with Cisco has entered into a new market with the supply of a line of managed switches integrated with Cisco Technology. This enables Rockwell Automation to provide complete networking products from I/O to enterprise.

The company has also introduced the Logix-XT product family for applications requiring increased reliability in high-temperature and corrosive environments, such as those found in oil and gas, wind turbine and ship-building applications.

According to Clive Barwise, Integrated Architecture Field Business Leader, Rockwell Automation, "There is a definite disparity in the manufacturing environment between the production/control and IT departments regarding the use Ethernet/IP. Essentially Rockwell Automation is an expert in control space and Cisco is an expert in the IT and Ethernet space. By collaborating in this arena, both companies can use their industry know-how to help both factories' control and IT staff successfully merge these two areas and get advice on the use of Ethernet."

According to Barwise, the collaboration also enables IT and manufacturing to bring their best practices together to improve efficiencies and efficiencies, agility and competitive advantage for manufacturers. "It assists manufacturers in realising the benefits of a completely integrated network architecture that unites production intelligence with the rest of the enterprise, reliability and quality across the organisation, as well as the deployment and maintenance of security.

"Working in close collaboration with Cisco, Rockwell Automation has created reference architecture - a formal document that details design and implementation guidance and best practices for converged-network architecture. It brings together relevant applications, technologies, and principles, enabling manufacturing and IT organisation departments to successfully collaborate and implement a truly integrated system. The architecture is supported by both companies and provides one consistent, documented view," says Barwise.

The partnership also sees the two companies working towards improving the Ethernet/IP standard. Ethernet/IP is Rockwell Automation's adoption of Ethernet in the control environment. It is a global open standard that is owned by the Open DeviceNet Vendors Association (ODVA).

"We are actively seeking ways in which to improve Ethernet/IP protocol and will be presenting these changes to an ODVA committee in order to get them approved and adopted."

"As companies apply automation to support their sustainability efforts, they need products that require less auxiliary heating and cooling equipment in order to lower energy usage and carbon emissions. The Logix-XT product family supports these reductions, as well as reduced panel costs while offering demonstrable value to alternative energy applications," said Mike Burrows, Market Development Director, Rockwell Automation.

"As industrial applications reach further into remote locations of the world, the market requires specially designed control equipment to survive extreme environments. Because of ProSoft Technology's experience in providing tightly integrated network interface solutions for Rockwell Automation controllers, we are able to offer communication solutions for the Logix-XT product family as well," said Ken Roslan, Strategic Product Manager, ProSoft Technology.

The collaboration has been formalised on an international level. Locally, Rockwell Automation and Cisco sales teams are working together to determine the way forward.