Software promotes plug-and-play equipment development.
Press Release Summary:
Modular OEM Accelerator program provides engineering services and tools for life sciences machine builders and process equipment providers. It facilitates incorporation of ISA-88 design methodologies, predefines equipment capabilities and parameters for manufacturing execution systems (MES), and helps equipment integrate with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) software. Modules' tools and concepts help drive plant-wide information integration and asset utilization.
Original Press Release:
Rockwell Automation Helps OEMs Provide Life Sciences Companies with Plug-and-Play Equipment
The Rockwell Automation OEM Accelerator program drives improved plant-wide information integration for lower total cost of ownership and faster time to market
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 30, 2006 - Rockwell Automation today introduced its OEM Accelerator program that provides engineering services and tools to help life sciences machine builders and process equipment providers reduce their development costs and time to market. As a result, OEMs can provide their customers with predefined interfaces that can reduce risk, lower cost and speed integration time.
The OEM Accelerator program simplifies the incorporation of ISA-88 design methodologies, predefines equipment capabilities and parameters for manufacturing execution systems (MES), and helps equipment seamlessly integrate with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) software. Applying the tools and concepts in these modules allows plug-and-play functionality that delivers substantial time- and cost-saving benefits for OEMs, and improved information integration for the end user for greater asset utilization.
"The life sciences industry faces an ever-evolving challenge of maximizing equipment efficiency and minimizing costs without overhauling an entire system," said Bob Honor, vice president of life sciences, Rockwell Automation. "This program helps OEMs better integrate their equipment with control and information systems already in place at their life sciences customers' facilities. As a result, OEMs meet end users' expectations and demands to build greater value into their equipment offerings by lowering total cost of ownership and shortening delivery cycles."
The OEM Accelerator program includes three modules - ISA-88, MES and OEE - designed for various aspects of an end user's plant-wide integration needs. When used in combination with other plant-floor applications, life sciences companies can gain better insight into all areas of their manufacturing operations and leverage that information to make more informed business decisions.
OEM Accelerator ISA-88 - This component serves to drive better engineering collaboration between OEMs and end users, delivering ongoing reduction in both the OEM's and the end user's total cost of ownership through enhanced reusability, consistency, maintainability and integration with batching software. The ISA-88 component shows OEMs how using Rockwell Software RSLogix 5000 with PhaseManager and add-on instructions can increase their equipment's value to end users. These ISA-88 enabling features streamline configuration and improve productivity and quality. As a result, OEMs save time and money through shortened development cycles and improved code reuse, and end users can significantly lower validation time and equipment costs and reduce the cost of maintaining disparate equipment from multiple OEMs.
OEM Accelerator MES - Many life sciences companies leveraging Rockwell Software RS PMX MES are looking to integrate their MES systems with their machines to enable equipment flow control, recipes, calibration, maintenance, benchmarking, statistics and batch reporting. With OEM Accelerator MES tools, Rockwell Automation technical consultants work with OEMs to build an equipment instance file containing predefined tag references that can be easily uploaded to an end user's RS PMX MES software. As a result, OEMs can dramatically shorten the time it takes to connect their equipment to the MES layer and validate that interface.
OEM Accelerator OEE - With the OEE component, life sciences companies that use Rockwell Automation Line Performance Solutions (LPS) built from FactoryTalk Metrics - an off-the-shelf software program that analyzes production line data for improved efficiency - can seamlessly interface their equipment with the LPS. The OEE component gives OEMs the knowledge to embed the data structure for the LPS into their control programs. As a result, end users can directly access equipment performance analysis data using fewer control system components and with significantly less configuration effort.
Rockwell Automation plans to add additional components to its OEM Accelerator suite for the life sciences industry, including RFID and Process Analytical Technology (PAT), each specifically designed for OEMs that are committed to optimizing the total value of their equipment. In turn, end users can derive further reduced costs and maximized production through component-enhanced equipment.
Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK), is a leading global provider of automation, power, control, and information solutions that help manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.A., the company employs about 21,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.
For more information on Rockwell Automation OEM Accelerator, please contact the Rockwell Automation Response Center, 10701 Hampshire Avenue South, Bloomington, Minn., 55438, 800.223.5354, ext. 1967.
FactoryTalk, PAT, PhaseManager, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Software, RSLogix and RS PMX are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.
