Sessions and discussions at the 2008 RSTechED hosted by Rockwell Automation helped attendees see a brighter manufacturing future.
Orlando, FL – Ability to get information in context and to adapt and make innovative decisions for better manufacturing: Who wouldn’t want that? Sessions and discussions at the 2008 RSTechED hosted by Rockwell Automation helped attendees see a brighter manufacturing future.
The
11th annual RSTechED
welcomed more than 1,500 registered attendees to the June 1-6 customer and partner event here. Discussions included how
Rockwell Automation acquisitions of Pavilion Technologies and Incuity Software are expected to make Rockwell Software FactoryTalk more valuable
. Attendees also previewed future products, including FactoryTalk ViewPoint and FactoryTalk Metrics.
| Getting information in context for manufacturing was among the key points at 2008 RSTechED, as this Rockwell Automation graphic shows. |
“The issue is no longer simply access to information,” said Kevin Roach, vice president of Software, Rockwell Automation. “It’s how the sea of information generated from many systems is rationalized across the enterprise into succinct and useful context.”
More than 400 product sessions, five customer panels, and two keynote addresses were among other highlights.
Alvin Toffler, a best-selling author, widely considered to be a leading “futurist,” was the Tuesday keynote speaker. He spoke about how macro trends affect the future of business segments and can define a company’s success for decades to come.
FactoryTalk Suite growth
Rockwell Automation also announced availability of a new version of FactoryTalk ProductionCentre, a software system that helps users deploy and scale manufacturing production applications across multiple sites in a more rapid and cost-efficient fashion. The latest version of the manufacturing execution system (MES) application delivers comprehensive production management functionality, the company says, along with advanced decision support tools to help manufacturers track and control production, reduce cycle times and excess inventory, analyze root cause and failures, and track and manage factory and field repair orders.
Manufacturing 2.0
The Manufacturing 2.0 Executive Forum, held in conjunction with RSTechED, was themed “Fueling Your Innovation Engine” and focused on best practices. The forum looked at how leveraging an IT-driven approach to manufacturing can include product and business planning, supply chain processes, and plant operations to create an efficient and responsive enterprise.
Representatives from IBM, Cisco, OSIsoft, and Smithfield Foods provided manufacturers a better grasp of coming changes and how to use them to help their enterprise prosper in tomorrow’s business environment.
Future insights
Five two-hour customer panel discussions addressed key industry trends, such as using asset management software to protect intellectual property and leveraging existing plant-floor investments. Panels companies included Wyeth Biotech, Chrysler LLC, Kimberly-Clark and Tyson Foods Inc., and others.
Convergence of IT and controls engineering
was among the most attended panels, according to Rockwell Automation.
Rockwell Automation Inc. is based in Milwaukee, WI.
– Edited by Mark T. Hoske , editor in chief
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