Drives & Controls Magazine February 2023

29 www.drivesncontrols.com February 2023 SPS REVIEW n Software suite boosts collaboration and speeds time to market Rockwell Automation has launched a suite of five cloud-based applications aimed at improving collaboration and productivity in automation design teams.The FactoryTalk Design Hub suite allows organisations to transform their design capabilities using simpler, more productive ways of working. Teams of all sizes, skill sets and locations, can enhance collaboration, improve lifecycle management, and obtain on-demand access to the cloud-based software.The benefits are said to include more productive designs, faster times tomarket, and systems that cost less to build andmaintain. “In this new age of‘work from anywhere,’having centralised, on-demand design tools is critical for businesses to scale production and easily adapt to evolving customer needs,”says Brian Shepherd, senior vice-president for Software & Control at Rockwell. “FactoryTalk Design Hub gives manufacturing engineers access to the full breadth of Rockwell Automation tools and capabilities in a centralised nexus for successful design and collaboration across their team and the greater enterprise.” The hub adheres to the latest security standards and IT best practices. It allows teams to access designs from anyWeb browser using software that is always up-to-date, and scales users and computing capacity to meet project workloads. According to Rockwell, traditional software limits collaboration, scalability, and productivity. FactoryTalk Design Hub addresses these concerns. The hub’s five core applications are: • FactoryTalk Design Studio Cloud-native software aimed at boosting system design efficiency. Available via aWeb browser, it avoids the need for downloads, installs or maintenance. It saves time using modern software practices and version control. Teams can share and merge changes, and project sizes can scale dynamically. Multiple controllers can be supported in one project. • FactoryTalkOptix This cloud-enabled HMI product allows users to design, test and deploy applications via Web browsers. Optional cloud-based connections support collaborative workflows that allow modifications to bemade fromanywhere at any time. • FactoryTalkTwin Studio This allows users to design, program, simulate, emulate and commission virtually in a single cloud environment. Users can develop projects better and faster, collaborating with their team-mates in real time. • FactoryTalkVault This provides secure, cloud- based storage for design teams.With its modern version and access control, it improves insights into designs by analysing control projects.Teams can spendmore time working on projects and less time searching for files or working fromoutdated versions. • FactoryTalk Remote Access This provides secure connections to equipment, allowing teams to respond faster and to resolve production issues. It connects domain experts to critical issues, no matter where each is located, speeding support response times and cutting travel and downtime costs. www.rockwellautomation.co.uk SEW-Eurodrive is offering kits of parts for quick and easy implementation of machines for picking, sorting and handling materials, as well for palletising and gantry systems. The StarterSet kits are based on items from the company’s Movi-C modular automation system, together with appropriate software. The hardware can include controllers, inverters, servo gearmotors, cables, digital and analogue fieldbus terminals, operator panels and accessories. The concept is aimed, in particular, at modular packaging machines that need to perform frequent product changes. Despite having different applications, many of their application and motion sequences are the same. They may not be identical, but they still offer the potential for simplifying things through standardisation. The StarterSet hardware and software components are specifically tailored to, and preselected for, particular types of machine. They can be used as is, but there are also flexible adaptation options and customised add-ons. SEW compares the concept to a recipe box, which contains everything a cook needs to create a meal. There is scope for implementing custom ideas. The kits contain all of the necessary components for basic applications. SEW says it is moving from the conventional automation pyramid, towards defined solutions including materials management. The sets can be ordered using a single identification number. A “gourmet package” adds the necessary software, such as the machine-based Movikit bundle for implementing applications. SEW leaves it to engineers to decide whether to implement functions in drive systems or centralised motion controls. The company says the concept will simplify procurement and offer peace of mind because everything has been thought of. There are no limits to what can be added to the StarterSet and how it can be customised for complex machines. www.sew-eurodrive.de/en/starterset Hardware kits provide a ‘recipe box’ for machine-builders SEW-Eurodrive’s StarterSet kits provide the components needed to build machinery Rockwell Automation says its cloud-based FactoryTalk Design Hub suite will result in more productive designs and faster times to market. Image: Business Wire