Automation Today Issue 65

Products and Solutions from Rockwell Automation

Studio 5000 Software Expands the Possibilities in Design Projects

Industrial engineers can not only design machines and processes more efficiently but also reimagine what’s possible in design projects using new additions to the Studio 5000 design software. Rockwell Automation has enhanced the software with two key updates.

The new Simulation Interface tool can transform how users design, test, validate and commission systems using digital engineering. The tool connects a system’s real or virtual controller to advanced simulation and modeling tools. Users can then simulate how products or processes with dynamic properties will behave in production.

By virtually designing, proving and adjusting systems, users can realize significant time and cost savings compared to physically building, testing and re-engineering systems. They can also test and push systems in ways that aren’t physically or financially feasible in a typical physical design environment.

The Simulation Interface tool uses the Functional Mock-Up Interface standard to facilitate connections to simulation models that also use the standard. Additionally, the tool connects natively to MATLAB Simulink for direct connections between a Logix program and a simulation model.

The Application Code Manager (ACM) tool has been updated to expand on its existing productivity benefits.

A new document template editor can save users time by automatically generating documentation for their projects. Users only need to create a template and placeholders for data, and ACM will then auto-populate the data when a project is completed.

A new import feature can also help users save time and reduce rework. ACM can now import information from the Integrated Architecture Builder or Architect tools to automatically create a controller’s hardware I/O tree. This reduces duplicative work across design tools.

New Allen-Bradley FLEX 5000 HART I/O saves design and maintenance time

Design and controls engineers can now more easily access, configure and manage HART devices using the new Allen-Bradley FLEX 5000 highly integrated HART I/O modules. The simplified programming experience, available with the Studio 5000 Logix Designer application, can help simplify design, maintenance and operational productivity.

Integration between the new I/O modules and HART devices can enhance device management, improve diagnostics coverage and provide real-time device health monitoring. The ability to add and replace process devices online can also reduce downtime and improve productivity.

When a machine is being developed, common data structures and tight integration of instruction sets in the PlantPAx 5.0 system and above can minimize design and engineering time. And once a machine is operational, the FLEX 5000 highly integrated HART I/O modules can improve overall operational efficiency through increased uptime. A central design environment allows all this work to happen in one place for a smooth user experience and increased productivity.

Meeting more application demands, Rockwell Automation has expanded the FLEX 5000 I/O options to include support for high-density digital, AC and serial modules. The expanded portfolio further enhances standard and safety I/O control in one platform for extreme temperatures.

Expanded Safety Controller Line Delivers Cost Savings, Improved Performance

Engineers can now bring the performance and cost-saving benefits of the Allen-Bradley Compact GuardLogix 5380 controllers to more safety applications. Rockwell Automation has expanded the family of safety controllers with the addition of the new Compact GuardLogix 5380 SIL 3 controller.

Using the expanded product line, engineers can now scale applications up to and including SIL 3/PLe performance with 1oo2 architecture. This flexible option to right-size a safety control system to an application based on its safety assessment helps reduce design and acquisition costs. The scalability benefits of the Compact GuardLogix 5380 controllers also allow companies to create smarter, simpler and better-performing machines.

The increased processing power in the controller can achieve faster reaction times and shorter safe distances. This can help create smaller machines, save valuable floor space and increase operator efficiencies.

Having one high-performance controller for both standard and safety control also helps improve productivity and reduce the system cost, complexity and cabinet size. And it allows engineers to mix and match standard and safety I/O in the same chassis.

Embedded Gigabit Ethernet ports provide greater communications capacity for smart devices. This can help engineers meet data-intensive smart manufacturing goals without adding extra hardware. Future-proofing machines is made possible with the availability of easy diagnostics.

Integrated support for certified motion safety instructions can minimize hardware components and wiring in a machine and improve ease of installation. And local safety I/O support can reduce the need for an adapter and improve machine performance.

New Allen-Bradley Compact Box PCs and Thin Clients Provide Cost and Space Savings

The new VersaView 6300 box PCs and thin clients fit in the palm of a hand, making them the smallest industrial computers to date from Rockwell Automation. The compact design can help users realize valuable panel-space and reduce costs.

The products are also designed to withstand harsh industrial environments. They have a built-in heatsink, can operate in 0° to 50° operating temperatures, and are protected against shock and vibration. They are designed with reduced connection and no moving parts to improve reliability.

“These new box PCs and thin clients are the first of the Allen-Bradley VersaView 6300 family of industrial computers, and leverage designs and technology from our acquisition of ASEM earlier this year,” said Dan DeYoung, Hardware Business Director,

Rockwell Automation. “The unique designs of the VersaView 6300 family provide a very high level of durability for industrial environments in an affordable, flexible platform.”

Both products work with the Rockwell Automation ThinManager software, which makes centralized and secure application management possible.

The thin clients are ThinManager-ready, and the box PCs are ThinManager-compatible, meaning they can run on a Windows 10 IoT operating system or switch over to run in the ThinManager environment, effectively becoming thin clients. This dual-use option gives users new freedom and flexibility, such as:

The ability to deliver applications from a central server or a local PC using one product, which can simplify a company’s supply chain.
The option to load applications from a PC if a central server goes down, which can improve availability.
The ability to use a PC first as an HMI for a standalone machine, as a thin client for a series of connected machines, or as a data aggregator to collect and share operational data.

Both products use DisplayPort, which supports 4K video for high-resolution content displays. They also have two USB 3.0 ports and two Ethernet ports, making them ideal for high-speed data logging and IIoT gateway applications.

New I/O Modules Simplify Device Connections in Hazardous Areas

Industrial producers can more easily and efficiently connect to devices in hazardous areas using the new Allen-Bradley 1718 Ex I/O modules from Rockwell Automation. The intrinsically safe distributed I/O modules provide EtherNet/IP connectivity to field devices in Zone 0 and Zone 1 hazardous areas.

1718 Ex I/O modules can reduce wiring in industrial applications because they can be mounted in Zone 1, closer to field devices in hazardous areas. The I/O modules can also save space with a compact, chassis-based I/O design that contains the primary power supply and an optional redundant power supply in the chassis.

Different chassis options and slot sizes allow users to scale the 1718 Ex I/O modules to meet a wide range of system requirements. Add-on Profiles in the Studio 5000 Logix Designer application help ease configuration of the modules. And a dual-port EtherNet/IP adapter that enables a Device Level Ring (DLR) topology can help improve network resilience.

The 1718 Ex I/O modules are designed for hazardous applications found in industries like chemical, oil and gas, and food and beverage. An ATEX-certified enclosure is required for the 1718 Ex I/O modules to be mounted in an ATEX Zone 1 area. As a complete solution, Rockwell Automation collaborates with our Encompass partner Pepperl+Fuchs, who offers Zone 1 certified enclosures.

Updated Tools Ease Firmware and Software ManagementIndustrial producers can now more easily track and manage their industrial firmware and software using newly updated, free tools from Rockwell Automation. The ControlFLASH Plus and FactoryTalk Updater tools give producers more centralized visibility and management of all Rockwell Automation firmware and software.

Producers can struggle to stay on top of what firmware and software versions are used across their plants. This can cause unnecessary downtime if failed assets can’t be restored until a piece of software or firmware is updated. One challenge is a lack of centralized visibility into what versions are used and where.

With the ControlFLASH Plus and FactoryTalk Updater tools, one administrator or multiple team leaders can now see what firmware is used on Rockwell Automation control devices and what software is used on workstations across plants. They can also see if newer firmware or software versions are available, and then update multiple assets at once.

Because it uses a centralized management approach, FactoryTalk Updater allows users to manage workstations that are connected on an internal network but not connected to the internet for security purposes or other reasons.

ControlFLASH Plus allows users to create a firmware-favorite list. This can help them more quickly and completely restore machines following an incident. In addition, it can reduce reliance on tribal knowledge for supporting machines, and it can provide important details about assets and their support requirements for modernization projects.

Both tools are free and can be downloaded from the Rockwell Automation site.

Stratus Edge Computing for Smart Machines

Stratus, a Rockwell Automation Encompass Partner, delivers edge computing solutions to improve machine performance, increase yield and ensure high availability and reliability. The Stratus ztC Edge platform enables digitalization, IIoT and Industry 4.0 by simplifying and shortening the time it takes to modernize machine and equipment compute systems.

The ztC Edge platform’s rugged, self-protecting, single or redundant hot-swappable nodes reduce downtime, increase flexibility, and improves OEE and production metrics, while also providing an option for additional service revenue streams. It provides virtualization and redundancy in an OT-friendly solution, allowing you to simply load applications into the virtual machine, reducing the commissioning time for new machines.

Providing a secure, rugged and highly automated computing solution, the Stratus ztC Edge delivers redundant and virtualized applications quickly and easily. This helps to improve productivity, eliminate unplanned downtime and reduce risk.

In addition, the secure, cloud-based Stratus repository safely transmits, stores and retrieves the edge computing platform and user preference templates and enables system back-up and restore. Stratus ztC Edge can also be managed and replaced by OT/Maintenance teams, saving time and effort.

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