Strategic acquisitions

Strategic acquisitions, technology partnerships enhance Rockwell Automation process portfolio

Rockwell Automation has an established platform to deliver robust Process Solutions  through its Integrated Architecture, FactoryTalk Suite and Plant-Wide Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) interface,. Now our process capability has been further enhanced by specialist capabilities arising from three acquisitions and a technology partnership.

As technology advances blur the distinctions between discrete and analogue control systems, Rockwell Automation’s automation solutions demonstrate the ability of Integrated Architecture to be used in traditional DCS environments.

Today, many companies use different control and information systems for each type of production discipline. This approach means difficult and expensive system integration, but even more importantly, decisions are made based on the limitations and boundaries of these disparate systems, diminishing the ability to make timely, fully informed decisions and take action.

Rockwell Automation’s expertise in the areas of drives, high-speed motion, safety, and discrete automation gives the company a significant established presence in process facilities. The ability to integrate high-speed discrete, drives, and motion control applications with process applications opens up a new realm of facility-wide optimisation for its core industries.

The multi-discipline, plant-wide solutions based on the Integrated Architecture platform are particularly successful within the so-called hybrid industries - those which operate both discrete and process manufacturing, where limitations of interoperability in systems and interfaces are most marked.

This capability has in recent times been further enhanced by the acquisitions of
• ICSTriplex - safety capability and critical control
• ProsCon - process technology
• Pavilion - advanced process control

There is also a key partnership with:
• Endress+Hauser (instrumentation).

Collectively, these developments confirm Rockwell Automation as having one of the most powerful process control offerings available. The advanced capability of the safety systems can address the most demanding applications with confidence. Pavilion’s model predictive control technology has been proven to increase efficiency and profits significantly. The partnership with Endress+Hauser provides tools to simplify integration and improve plant performance, while both ProsCon and ICSTriplex provide the engineering capability to deliver complete turnkey installations.

Market Opportunity
Within the traditional DCS environments, the first generation of process automation systems are starting to reach the end of their natural lives. ARC Advisory Group believes that the next few years are a critical opportunity for control system suppliers to win market share: ”Many end users are in the process of deciding who their new control system supplier will be for the next 10 or 20 years, and the suppliers that get their foot in the door today will succeed in the long term.”

ARC predicts 7% market growth year-on-year through to 2010 as these ageing Process Automation Systems are replaced.  “Control system migration continues to be an important issue for manufacturers faced with ageing of Process Automation systems, combined with the compelling value proposition of information technology available from today's automation suppliers.”

Whether customers need to migrate, upgrade or replace equipment, Rockwell Automation will test, stage, and implement the project without causing a major disruption to production. Rockwell Automation’s experienced project teams can ensure the migration is at a pace that is acceptable for the individual customer and their budget. With assistance from Rockwell Automation, customers can quickly migrate to newer technology while minimising downtime and maximising operational success.

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