Live from Automation Fair

PlantPAx V5 to feature new process controllers

Rockwell Automation showed an early trailer for what the company promises will be this summer’s blockbuster release: PlantPAx V5. The company's Dave Rapini also gave an overview of its upcoming purpose-built process controllers, which will launch alongside the updated DCS. Read more.

GE Healthcare speeds biopharma production

"It's estimated that by 2022, biopharmaceuticals will make up about 30% of the prescription drug market." GE Healthcare’s Kevin Seaver explains how Rockwell Automation is helping GE streamline its process control and automation. Read more.

Milwaukee Brewing taps human possibility

"Brewers can focus on the product, not running around turning valves off and on," said Milwaukee Brewing Co.’s Jim McCabe, recounting the benefits of partnering with Rockwell Automation. "Automation expands what people can do." Read more.

MQTT saves time and bandwidth, too

Chevron’s Todd Anslinger covered how MQTT can be used to streamline radio communications. “If all the producers used pub/sub, we could just change the IP address, point it to a new broker in the cloud, and have it up before lunchtime instead of in months.” Read more.

Lima upgrades treatment system with server, software

The EPA challenged the City of Lima, Ohio, to reduce its discharges to the local Ottawa River. City of Lima's Matt Fiedler explained how Rockwell Automation helped the wastewater treatment plant increase flow and modernize its control system to overcome that challenge. Here's how they did it.

Headlines from Tuesday, Nov. 19

Rockwell Automation announces partnership with Accenture

Rockwell Automation and Accenture’s Industry X.0 will team up to develop a digital offering to help industrial clients move beyond existing manufacturing solutions and transform entire connected enterprises. Rockwell's Blake Moret and Accenture's Mike Sutcliff shared the joint vision. Read more.

Kids rise to ‘You Make It’ challenge

Rockwell Automation’s challenge invited young inventors to submit their big ideas to solve big problems back in June. Three finalists were gathered here to present their projects and highlight the imagination of the next generation of thinkers. Read more.

Advanced manufacturing helps nonprofit Edesia save lives

Edesia's Maria Kasparian showed off how automation can transform the ability of nonprofits at Rockwell Automation's Perspectives event. “Improved nutrition has one of the best ROIs you will ever see.” Read more.

Excelsior turns to DCS for in situ copper extraction

Excelsior Mining’s Gunnison project near Tucson, Arizona is projected to produce more than 2 billion pounds of copper over its 24-year life using an unusual leaching process. "We chose PlantPAx because it would save a lot of time." Read more.

Rockwell Automation, Schlumberger partner on oil & gas solutions

Together the two organizations created Sensia bringing together about 1,000 oil & gas professionals, operating as 11 legal entities and a presence in more than 80 countries. Sensia’s Neil Enright explained how the group has turned insights into actions. Read more.

Mondelēz automates juice plant with FactoryTalk

"The juice plant's production lines are more flexible and adaptable than ever, while keeping their regulatory records automatically." Pedro Ollier of LC Tech Group discussed a recent project for Mondelēz to upgrade automation using PlantPAx and FactoryTalk. Read more.

Headlines from Wednesday, Nov. 20

Rockwell Automation investing in Lifecycle Services capabilities

Whether a company needs to design, build, sustain or improve operations, the Lifecycle Services group at Rockwell Automation can provide support every step of the way, Rob Ninker explained during a guided tour of the group's booth. Read more.

Seamless integration solves oil and gas challenges

Global technical engineering and project services firm Wood’s Alexander Kebaili discussed how Rockwell Automation's integrated solutions can save one around $10 million on a typical greenfield automation project. Read more.

Effective cybersecurity is a team sport

"IEC 62443 and other standards are crucial because they can help drive governance of cybersecurity at the operations technology level.” Rockwell Automation’s Kamil Karmali on the important role that industry standards play in promulgating consistent cybersecurity practices. Read more.

Wastewater system upgrade benefits from integrated approach

With a goal to upgrade or replace controls and electrical equipment at two  wastewater treatment facilities in the City of Fort Myers, Fla., system integrator Commerce Control utilized Rockwell Automation's control system and motor control centers to provided cost and time savings. Read more.

Chemical makers secure, automate and optimize

"Cyber intrusions and attacks are increasing, but there's still a disconnect." Deloitte's Jason Hunt, who was joined by three end users who detailed their projects, previewed the results of a new survey on securing operational technology environments. Read more.

Headlines from Thursday, Nov. 21

Eli Lilly takes architectural approach to transformation

A changing industry drives transformation for pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, but "There is complexity when implementing any solution here." Eli Lilly's Wilfred Mascarenhas explained how the leader has transformed with its industry over the past 15 years. Learn more.

Virtual commissioning breaks through to control

Rockwell Automation's acquisition of Emulate3D this past January, along with its dynamic simulation software environment, recreates physical systems, and allows users to perform virtual testing and commissioning. Learn more.

Mining company embraces the next-generation workforce

Newmont Goldcorp’s Bill MacGowan discussed the steps the mining company is taking to attract next-generation talent. According to MacGowan, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" is the only movie that has a positive view of mining. “We want to change that.” Read more.

Integrated Architecture makes for smarter machines

With so many options available today, it can be challenging to create a solution to fit a customer's needs. Rockwell Automation's Stephanie Winterhalter explained how smart systems can help. Learn more.

BioPhorum pursues life sciences plug and play

"It helps to think of OPC-UA communications as the road, NAMUR as the car, and our data model as what's inside the car." Rockwell Automation’s Bruce Kane explained the life science industry movement to develop process automation system components that readily plug-and-play, or interoperate, with one another. Read more.

Overcoming gotchas in material-handling system design

David Cahoe, Intellimodus’ senior technical advisor, discussed the five most common gotchas in material-handling implementations—and how to overcome them. “Changing technology and new equipment have created the need for constant innovation and learning to keep things integrated properly.” Read more.

Headlines from Friday, Nov. 22

Ford, GM address global markets and transformations

General Motors and Ford Motor Company representatives shared their thoughts on how technology has moved the industry forward. "We engaged the technical capability of our people; we brought in new engineers and interns, and those people became key to our technical capabilities,” GM's Jim Hall explained. Learn more.

InnovationSuite partners pile on productivity

PTC and Rockwell Automation's year-old collaboration has already resulted in the partners signing up more than 100 new customers. Since the partnership's inception, FactoryTalk InnovationSuite has experienced rapid customer adoption and global growth, OT and IT integration and broad industry recognition. Read more.

Remote support capabilities differentiate OEM solutions

Kraft Heinz’s Manochehr Sadri explained how a manufacturer's ability to support assets remotely is what separates it from the competition. “We have put our strategies into our standards, not to tell you how to build equipment.” Read more.

PlantPAx helps paper mill realize ‘a single pane of glass’

“We wanted to move from islands of automation to a single pane of glass—a single graphical interface to show status and control the entire facility,” said Taylor Hermes, who explained how the Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Thilmany paper mill achieved a single view into all its systems. Learn more.

Teamwork needed to tackle transformation tasks

"This is taking partnership and extending it into the digital transformation era, said Rockwell Automation's Mike Pantaleano as he touted its Digital Partner Program, which brings together trusted, integrated ecosystems of experts to achieve successful digital transformation. Read more.

Standardized automation boosts productivity at Occidental

In 2000, Occidental Petroleum’s Permian Basin operations expanded with acquisitions of existing wells. The company's Alan Bryant explained how his team's been working since 2003 to standardize systems across all of these sites. Read more.