Rockwell Automation has announced a strategic initiative to provide flexible, modular solutions to improve the flow of information throughout the manufacturing enterprise.
Rockwell Automation has announced a strategic initiative to provide flexible, modular solutions to improve the flow of information throughout the manufacturing enterprise. Manufacturing BusinessWare combines a tailored mix of value-added services, software integration tools and manufacturing software applications, to provide a complete solution for tightly integrating plant floor production facilities with the business systems that run the corporate enterprise. Manufacturing BusinessWare solutions are designed to address the top issues facing today's manufacturing enterprise - improved asset management, better equipment and line efficiency, more effective quality management and process improvements.

Initial target industries include automotive and consumer goods, and the company expects to expand its reach by teaming with Rockwell Automation Solution Providers.

'Today, many companies rely on manufacturing execution systems (MES) vendors or custom systems for software that integrate manufacturing with the rest of the enterprise.

Unlike component-based solutions, today's solutions are often monolithic in their design, and can be less flexible and more costly to implement and upgrade,' said Brandon Ekberg, Rockwell Software Information Automation Business Unit, Rockwell Automation.

'Companies are looking for a component-based solution from a vendor who can also offer both the application expertise and implementation services specifically for the manufacturing enterprise.' According to Roddy Martin, research director for manufacturing strategies at AMR Research, lower total cost of ownership is a driving factor in manufacturing.

'By working with a vendor who can deliver a complete solution with services, tools and applications, companies can decrease implementation costs and create an enterprise-wide information architecture which includes leveraging the Web as an information - exchange medium,' he said.

The foundation of Manufacturing BusinessWare solutions is an Information Enabled ArchitectureTM, a component in the transformation of plant floor data into information and process knowledge.

'Manufacturing BusinessWare is a natural for Rockwell Automation, because it draws on our legacy of providing superior value-added services,' said Richard Eshleman, vice president, Information and Automation Systems, Rockwell Automation.

'We are now positioned to help our customers realise significant business process improvements by combining their manufacturing automation investments and our manufacturing process and information systems experience,' he added.

Integration tools and manufacturing applications will be provided by both Rockwell Automation and its Encompass Partners.

Encompass Partners are a carefully selected group of manufacturers whose products complement Rockwell Automation's robust product and service offering.

The company recently launched the first two of a family of Manufacturing BusinessWare tools, Rockwell Software RSBizware Historian and Rockwell Software RSBizware ComplianceTrack.

RSBizware Historian is an extension of the Rockwell Software RSSql product that provides pre- designed data models and analysis tools for customers who require a complete solution for the collection and analysis of production data.

RSBizware ComplianceTrack is a product for managing compliance processes, creating compliance checklists, performing audits, and collecting, analysing and reporting audit results.