The Latest Events, News and Automation Fair Highlights

Head to Houston for the 2017 Automation Fair^® Event

The Automation Fair^® event is taking place on Nov 15-16 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, in Houston, Texas, U.S. This annual event brings together Rockwell Automation and its comprehensive, global network of partners to help manufacturers learn about the latest technologies and trends in a single venue exclusive to manufacturers and producers around the world.

Last year at the event, there were more than a hundred of industry forums, user-group meetings, hands-on labs, technical sessions and demonstrations hosted for over 11,000 visitors to learn and use of the latest control, power, and information technologies.

This year, the event uses over 45,000 square feet exhibit floor featuring more than 140 exhibitors from Rockwell Automation and its PartnerNetwork™ program, showcasing their latest products and solutions.

There will be 19 hands-on labs, over 90 technical sessions and nine forums that give visitors opportunities to learn best practices for their operations.

The popular hands-on labs, offered up to four times a day, allow participants to work directly with Rockwell Automation products. Technical sessions are 60-minute presentations from leading industry and product specialists, and the forums provide real-world examples of how companies have increased their productivity and improved efficiency. Visitors are encouraged to sign up for hands-on labs, technical sessions and forums in advance to help plan the day ahead.

There are also co-located events that will be held prior to the opening of the Automation Fair^® event, including – the Process Solutions User Group (PSUG) annual meeting on Nov 13-14 and Automation Perspectives, a global media forum, on Nov 14. Executive leadership and industry authorities will share their vision, strategies and real-life business experiences relating to smart manufacturing and The Connected Enterprise®.
*There is an admission charge for the PSUG event.

The Automation Fair^® event is free, including lunch and refreshments.

Online registration is now available and will remain open through the event. Details and session schedules are available on the Automation Fair^® event page website. Registration for the event as well as sessions can also be done via the online system. 

2017 Automation Fair^® Event Spotlights

• Products on Display
• Forums
• Hands-On Labs
• Technical Sessions

The Connected Enterprise® Industries Pavilion

Rockwell Automation creates The Connected Enterprise® to help OEMs and end-users pursue Smart Manufacturing. This year at the Automation Fair^® event, visitors can explore demonstrations of highly connected, knowledge-enabled, industrial enterprises where devices and processes are connected, monitored and optimized to enhance productivity, safety, security, sustainability and economic performance at The Connected Enterprise® Industries Pavilion (Booth #1221).

The pavilion showcases the capabilities of The Connected Enterprise® in several industries, including oil and gas, chemical, and food and beverage. It also demonstrates how these capabilities connect smart machines and benefit equipment builders. Take this opportunity to learn more about the benefits of digital transformation and discover how The Connected Enterprise® is helping companies connect smart assets and optimize plant operations.

Scalable Solution for Water/Wastewater Operations

Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition & Conference (WEFTEC) 2017 was held on Sept 30 for four days in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. At the Rockwell Automation booth, integrated control and visualization technology designed to increase diagnostic and networking capabilities, and enhance process control were on display. The company featured its scalable automation solutions to help municipalities reduce process variability, meet regulatory requirements, improve operational efficiency and achieve secure, remote access to information.

Attendees explored the capabilities of smart motor-control solutions, mobility solutions and other new technologies that can help increase operational efficiency and availability. “Our goal is to provide the water industry with technology and solutions that help address the most compelling challenges in the industry, such as meeting water-quality standards, managing labor and operational costs, and planning for facility expansion,” said Kelvin Hurdle, North America industry manager, Rockwell Automation.

Asset Management Excellence

Rockwell Automation received the Delphi Pinnacle Award in recognition of its cost-saving services for the company in 2016. Delphi, the largest automotive components company in the world, annually recognizes top-tier suppliers who help the company achieve quality, value and cost-performance improvements.

To help achieve the cost savings, Rockwell Automation worked with the diesel components business of Delphi to implement the Rockwell Automation Asset Management Program since 2012. The service provides an on-site asset management professional to collaborate with companies to help manage inventory, mitigate obsolescence risk and reduce maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) parts costs by as much as 25 percent. From installing a Base Evaluation assessment to creating a customer-specific combination of services, capabilities and proven methodologies, the whole process has helped Delphi reduce cost tied to MRO by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“Rockwell Automation is honored to receive recognition from Delphi,” said Marc Baret, director of Industrial Services and Solutions, Rockwell Automation. “The automotive industry has been under pressure to reduce costs, and a key way to manage that challenge is by reducing inventory and making better use of components on-site. These best practices can be applied to any industry."

Free Ebook: Special Report on Electrical Systems

Published by The Journal from Rockwell Automation and Our PartnerNetwork™, the “2017 Special Report on Electrical Systems” Ebook is now available for free download in an interactive PDF format.

Recognizing that the electrical systems are the heart of any production system, the Ebook highlights best practices for variable-frequency drive maintenance, drive system configuration, energy and cost efficiency, and worker safety. OEMs can learn key standards and tips for designing equipment that meets U.S. industrial standards, computer-aided engineering (CAE) system upgrade, and other top content to gain ideas and insight to optimize motors, control panels, employee safety, power quality and more.

“2017 Special Report on Electrical Systems” Ebook is currently only available in English.

New Year, New Chairman

Rockwell Automation announced its board of directors elected president and chief executive officer Blake D. Moret as chairman of the board effective Jan 1, 2018. Moret succeeds Keith D. Nosbusch, who has served as chairman since 2005 and remains as a director.

“Blake is a champion of the company’s high performance culture with an extraordinary ability to inspire and connect with customers, employees, partners and the leadership team,” said Donald R. Parfet, lead director. “The board is confident that this leadership structure will continue to drive the company’s success.”

Sharing Successful Applications of Modern DCS

On Aug 17, a mini Process Solutions User Group (PSUG) held in Tianjin, China gathered over 90 industrial professionals from north and northeast of China, providing them a common platform to share their experiences in applying the PlantPAx^® modern distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation on their way to build a smart plant in China Manufacturing 2025.

At the event, customers shared stories including modular process in API production, ISA95 compliance in design, virtualization technology application, Pavilion^® APC in a chemical plant, and the PlantPAx DCS in oil field and mining and more.

“It is such a great pleasure to know more and more advantages of the modern DCS in a connected enterprise have been realized by China customers,” said David Dai Pengfei, manager of strategic business unit of Rockwell Automation GRC. Rockwell Automation China has delivered a couple of mini PSUGs recently in China to help customers in different areas learn about modern process solutions specially design for a connected enterprise and to meet and discuss with their counterparts in plant operation and maintenance to help improve business processes and reduce operational cost.