Rockwell Automation Reduces Effort for Machine Builders

Rockwell Automation has extended its control offering for machine builders with the launch of the Connected Components program. Combining a controller with a full suite of compatible components and a dedicated set of application development tools, Connected Components from Rockwell Automation is designed for machine builders to quickly identify the right control products needed for their specific applications.

“We recognize that machine builders are under pressure from their customers to reduce costs and shorten time to market. At the same time, they want to add sophistication to their machines,” said Paul Gieschen, marketing director for Components Products at Rockwell Automation. “Connected Components allows them to improve their machine design and performance, and spend less time engineering the control solution.”

The Connected Components program is built around a core of Allen-Bradley MicroLogix programmable logic controllers (PLCs), Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives and the newly developed Allen-Bradley PanelView Component human-machine interface (HMI). According to Rockwell, the Connected Components Building Blocks make it quicker and easier to implement common control tasks as part of the machine design.

These Building Blocks include prewritten software code for the PLC that can be modified to meet the needs of a given machine. Other features include prewritten HMI programs and preconfigured drive-parameter files. The Building Blocks can also help with product selection, panel layout and wiring diagrams written in CAD format, and generating a bill of materials for the project.