Rockwell Automation (ROK) held their annual Automation Fair event in Anaheim, CA last month, welcoming over 10,000 people from around the world. While past events have been focused on new tools and gadgets to advance the possibilities of industrial automation and digitization, the theme of this year’s event was Making it Matter. New products were definitely introduced, but the event was focused more on what could be done to refine Rockwell Automation’s existing product and partner portfolio to reduce the risk of automation and make it more accessible for manufacturers at all stages of the journey.
Several of our in-house Rockwell Automation experts participated in this year’s event. We worked with them to develop the following recap if the most impactful announcements and releases from Automation Fair 2024.
Rockwell Automation and Microsoft Deepen Partnership
Rockwell Automation and Microsoft have a longstanding partnership that leverages the expertise of both organizations to deliver the most impactful, market-leading capabilities to manufacturers. Their expanded partnership will combine Rockwell’s deep industrial automation expertise with Microsoft’s cutting-edge cloud and AI capabilities to bridge the gap between traditional industrial operations and modern digital applications. The companies have a shared goal to unlock the full potential of industrial data.
This partnership will lead to a variety of innovative and new industrial products and practices. At this year’s Automation Fair, Microsoft debuted Azure IoT Operations, which integrates with Rockwell’s digital offerings like FactoryTalk® OptixTM to create a combined solution that allows manufacturers to capture critical insights from existing sites without extensive retrofitting.
The deeper relationship between the brands represents both organizations’ mission to create advanced digital solutions that drive greater efficiency, reduce operational costs, and increase productivity for their shared customers.
New Product Launches
Logix SIS
Rockwell released their Logix SIS system, a Logix-based high availability safety solution, in September and introduced its capabilities in Anaheim at Automation Fair. It’s a modern and integrated safety solution that offers both SIL2 and SIL3 certification for process and hybrid safety. The system is purpose-built to provide robust protection against industrial hazards while reducing overall lifecycle costs. Built on the same control and software infrastructure as the base process control system (BPCS), Logix SIS provides a simplified approach to safety control for easy implementation.
FactoryTalk View 15.0
FactoryTalk View has set the standard for HMI software solutions that help users design, build, and run operator interfaces. The latest version of the software, released in November 2024, features several iterative updates to graphics and navigation capabilities to make the program even more user-friendly.
On the Horizon: 2025 Planned Product Launches
In addition to the recently launched products, Rockwell Automation highlighted several products slated for release in 2025, including:
- In-cabinet single-pair Ethernet: A single cable solution for reduced wiring and panel build times. This new offering is based on Single-Pair Ethernet technology that can offer up to 80% reduction in wiring, 50% reduction in Testing, 30% reduction in Engineering, and 10% reduction in panel size.
- Embedded Edge Compute Release 2.0: This new release will provide Docker Container capabilities to allow additional Edge applications in a ControlLogix chassis-based module.
- OptixEdge: This non-chassis-based module will bring the same capabilities as the Embedded Edge Compute module to a DIN Rail-mounted solution.
- Next generation Logix processor: The L9 series will be the latest generation in Rockwell’s popular ControlLogix family of processors.
- 5034 PointMax I/O: The company plans to release the 5034 PointMax I/O as an upgrade-laden successor to the popular 1734 Point I/O module.
- 1445 Wireless Condition Monitoring System: Rockwell also plans to debut the latest innovation in their line of integrated Condition Monitoring systems. The 1445’s initial offering will be a tri-axial accelerometer with temperature. Sensors will be powered by solar or thermo-electric power packs.
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