Rockwell Automation, Dassault Systèmes partner
Staff -- Control Engineering, 1/1/2008
Promising “a true collaboration of design and manufacturing engineering throughout a product’s lifecycle,” Rockwell Automation and Dassault Systèmes announced an agreement to work together to make the virtual design and production environment a reality.
The first step is a jointly developed software solution that links Rockwell’s FactoryTalk-based systems, including RS Logix, with Dassault’s 3D and product lifecycle management (PLM) systems, including Delmia Automation, to enable collaborative mechanical and control design with bidirectional synchronization. Complimentary object-oriented technology and similar corporate cultures mean “real world projects are in beta test now and the work will take months not years to commercialize,” according to a spokesman.
“Manufacturers are anxiously awaiting a solution that can turn the idea of a virtual design and production environment into reality,” said Kevin Roach, vice president of software, Rockwell Automation. “We see this relationship as a way to make our customers’ visions come true in the very near term by capitalizing on the strengths of both the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture and Dassault Systèmes’ PLM solutions.”
The joint solution will link manufacturing design to factory-floor control by integrating Rockwell Software RSLogix 5000 control programming and configuration software with Delmia Automation PLM software.
“This relationship is a natural fit for both Dassault Systèmes and Rockwell Automation,” said Philippe Charles, CEO, Dassault Systèmes Delmia Corp. “The years of development that we have put into our Delmia Automation solution and that Rockwell Automation has put into its Integrated Architecture make it possible for our two companies to integrate these technologies and provide a joint solution to customers in the very near future.”
According to Dick Slansky, senior analyst, PLM & Discrete Manufacturing, ARC Advisory Group, the partnership “positions Rockwell Automation squarely in the digital manufacturing technology space and extends Dassault Systèmes’ reach into manufacturing operations. The integration of these solutions will provide manufacturers with the capability to virtually design their production systems in 3D, and design and validate control logic prior to physical implementation and commissioning. This will reduce the time it takes to launch manufacturing systems, as well as its associated costs.”
For more about the partnership from Rockwell Automation and Dassault, download a podcast from www.controleng.com.
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