Complete automation is the name that Rockwell Automation has given to its 'expanded approach' to the market. For the company it meant turning an understanding of the clients needs into superior products and services.
Rockwell Automation asked customers what their biggest automation concerns were, and what follows are some of the most common replies that were given:
* I cannot afford downtime. I need products I can rely on to perform at the highest level.
* I'm accountable for my decisions. I need to know I'm making the best investment, and I need a supplier with a level of competency I can feel comfortable with.
* My customers' needs are shifting rapidly. I need to respond quickly to these changes.
* I need a supplier who knows the technology I need, and can help me keep up and stay ahead.
* There are a lot of options. I need a resource I can trust to help me decide what's best for my application.
* With less in-house support and engineering, I want a vendor who has the resources and availability that I need.
Complete Automation is designed to address these concerns by aiming at delivering four benefits - confidence, flexibility, greater productivity, and lower total cost of ownership.
* Confidence comes from reliability of products, knowledgeable staff, a commitment to long-term support, and a commitment to building advancements that protect the clients existing investment (in equipment or training). It also comes from providing local availability of products and support - in person, on the phone, or via the Internet. Rockwell Automation has benchmarked its software support function over time. The company claims a response time of less than 3 minutes for 83% of the time, with a first contact resolution rate of higher than 64%. There is also good support available via the company's website. Clients can access an on-line knowledge base, receive product updates, perform activation resets, transfer registration, and make technical support requests.
* Flexibility is provided by Rockwell Automation's integrated architecture, application-driven design, and open commercial approach. For many years, the company has been translating specific industrial applications into new products and solutions. Many of these solutions incorporate technology or support from its partners, it works with other suppliers in the manner that best suits its customer – as a member of the team, or as a single point of responsibility.
* Greater productivity is to be had with a common realtime control engine across multiple control disciplines, common communication services across all networks, and a standard visualisation environment. These elements make up an integrated architecture that is designed to increase productivity and lower costs.
* Lower total cost of ownership comes from product designs that reduce installation, provisioning and maintenance; commitment to compatibility and reuse; and purchasing options that deliver a lower transaction cost. This is why Rockwell Automation says that over the long-term, its clients come out ahead with Complete Automation.
These benefits are delivered by taking a unified approach to meeting the clients needs. Complete Automation encompasses Rockwell Automation's world class products, integrated architecture, global supply and local capabilities, and value-added services and expertise as well as the products and services of one of the largest partner networks in the world.
One example of the products offered is ControlLogix, Rockwell Automation's new control platform, which integrates discrete, motion, co-ordinated drives, batch, and process control within the same integrated architecture. One demanding application that is currently utilising ControlLogix's full capabilities is a customer's Chemical Mechanical Processing (CMP) line. This is a manufacturing technique used to achieve global planarisation across semiconductor wafer surfaces. The final process must yield a surface that varies by less than 1/10 000 of a micrometre. This spec is achieved by reliable, precise control of platen rotational speed, carousel rotational speed, carrier rotational speed, head pressure polish time, and slurry properties. All of these parameters are controlled by ControlLogix.
Hundreds of niche players in the automation industry sell just one type of technology solution, which may - or may not - be ideal. Rockwell Automation believes that a global supplier must deliver products, solutions, and expertise in all five disciplines of control: discrete, motion, coordinated drives, batch, and process. Complete Automation means offering the client a choice of technologies, then working with that client to determine which is best for their application.
Rockwell Automation staff include engineers with years of operating experience in packaging, automotive, plastics, petroleum, paper, and many other industries. They understand client's production problems from the inside and create solutions that meet their specific needs, with products that are designed to save time and effort across their life cycle. One example is the WorldProx line of inductive proximity sensors, which offers many barrel sizes and connection options, which allow for easy application. A 360° LED viewing angle makes installation easier. Features designed to protect these sensors against transient noise, short circuit, overload, false pulse and reverse polarity protection means that these sensors operate at a higher level of reliability. In the maintenance portion of the client's automation investment lifecycle, the WorldProx sensor can offer easy removal and replacement with its quick-disconnect options. If and when the client decides to improve their automation investment, it is easy because Rockwell Automation offers a wide selection of Allen-Bradley sensors. This allows for one-stop shopping.
The company works hard to protect clients' initial automation investments. It designs open systems and architectures that work in all industries and integrate seamlessly with most legacy systems. New products from Rockwell Automation build on top of existing technologies and programming, so clients can benefit by updating a portion of their systems – still using existing installations.
While its product offerings are broad, Rockwell Automation is aware that it cannot possibly provide everything that the market might want. Its Complete Automation open commercial policy means that it works as a team with four technology partners, distributors, and application solution providers to provide a range of products and services that can deliver an optimal fit to any client's application.
Complete automation integrated architecture
In today's world of changing demands, there is a need for flexible controls, the ability to process data in real time, and a way to visualise what's happening anywhere in the system. Rockwell Automation's integrated architecture addresses these needs. It provides functionality, flexibility, and greater productivity, which help lower total costs of operation.
* The Logix executable engine seamlessly integrates multiple disciplines - discrete control, motion control, coordinated drives control, batch, and process control - into one control platform.
* NetLinx, its common communications services embedded at the device level, helps information flow at peak efficiency regardless of the network used. Shop-floor to top-floor data integration is wire-independent.
* ViewAnyWare, its visualisation strategy creates a common visualisation environment across multiple devices from operator interface hardware to desktop computers. Common object definition allows the user to define a piece of data once, and use it anywhere. This combination delivers the right information in the right place, and at the right time.
Global supply and local capabilities
To maximise productivity and minimise costs, clients need reliable suppliers who can provide products and systems, spare parts, emergency support, and more. Complete Automation offers the best of both worlds - a global supply network that delivers products and systems, along with more than 5600 local distributors and business partners who can respond rapidly to short-term needs. Its open commercial policy gives the company the flexibility to work with anyone - even a competitor – to serve a customer.
Value-added services and expertise
The company can provide a variety of value-added services on a temporary or full-time basis. For example, in the early stages of an automation investment life cycle, a client can draw on its expertise in technology and integration consulting, custom-engineered solutions, and human performance assessment. Later in the project the company can offer the client real-time product support, repair and maintenance services, technical training, and on-site engineering.
Asset management and complete program management services are also offered. All of these capabilities allow Rockwell automation to support the client from the start of a project through completion and into operation of the systems.
On major projects, the company often heads a team that includes other suppliers and OEMs.
This is intended to give customers the best available technology, skills, and resources combined with a single point of responsibility. Customers with modest in-house engineering staffs often outsource work to Rockwell Automation. Rockwell Automation has earned the reputation of being a highly dependable source of technological support.
Manufacturing plants in emerging economies may need to train their workforce to operate and maintain automated systems. This training may be conducted at a remote location in an unusual language. Rockwell Automation's Global Technical Services staff can design and deliver such training and then prepare local people to take over the job.
Rockwell Automation addresses clients most important automation concerns.
* It delivers products that perform at the highest level of productivity and reliability because the company understands that clients cannot afford downtime.
* The company pays attention to the client, understands their problems, and delivers the technology needed to keep up and stay ahead. It organises a team of experts that help clients decide what is best for their application.
* Its approach to its open systems design makes it easy for clients to change and update their manufacturing technology, which can lower their overall costs.
* Clients can feel secure and comfortable in Rockwell Automation's ability to serve them over the long term. When clients need it, the company can provide technology, engineering support, and a variety of value-added services during the life cycles of clients' projects.
Barclay Fitzpatrick is the Vice President of Brand Strategy and Communication of Rockwell Automation.
| Tel: | +27 11 998 1000 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.rockwellautomation.co.za |
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