A fast track to analytics, mobile collaboration

At today’s Automation Perspectives media event, held in the run-up to Automation Fair this week in Atlanta, Rockwell Automation demonstrated how data and information from people and connected industrial assets can be transformed into meaningful insights to drive positive business outcomes.

Led by Frank Kulaszewicz, senior vice president, Architecture & Software Division, Rockwell Automation, the demonstration featured the company’s new FactoryTalk TeamONE, FactoryTalk Analytics for Machines and FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices applications.

"Our focus has always been productivity,” Kulaszewicz. "We want our customers to be more productive wherever they are, whatever device they are using, and with any infrastructure they have. That's what our most recent mobility project, internally called Project Stanton, is all about. It's a simple new app that works on IOS or Android. It enables mobility, but is really focused at team productivity."

FactoryTalk TeamONE

"We are happy to announce today that we have released a new product called FactoryTalk TeamONE," added Kyle Reissner, mobility leader, Rockwell Automation, as he joined Kulaszewicz on stage. "The TeamONE name represents what our goal is, productivity for teams, all in one nice and easy-to-use package."

Importantly, the app itself has a server, database and sync engine inside of it, Reissner explained. “It isn't a client-to-server communication—each device is a smart node," he said. "It's the first industrial app on the market to mix human and device data in such a frictionless and instant way."

Kulaszewicz noted that TeamONE does not require special corporate IT policies. "The live data doesn't leave when the worker leaves the plant. Additionally, TeamONE gets the live data by directly connecting to the automation devices locally via Wi-Fi so you don’t have to connect the devices to the internet. No servers are required and no pre-bought software is required to be installed and run. All you need is the device and the app to get started."

A free version of TeamONE is available today at 33seconds.io. "We turned it on last night and you can download it now," said Reissner. "We plan to bring more functions, such as an alarm module, as we develop and release a TeamONE standard edition next year. We'll also release a software development kit to allow creation of modules and content."

FactoryTalk Analytics for Machines

Mike Pantaleano, business manager, scalable analytics, Rockwell Automation, was next in line, first to show off the company’s new FactoryTalk Analytics for Machines. "OEMs can now embed a gateway into the machines they make, and once commissioned, specific information from select controllers flows securely to our FactoryTalk Cloud. The information is gathered and presented in the form of dashboards providing real-time, actionable information where they can access it. “No cloud coding and no dashboard development is needed, it's all done for them,” said Pantaleano.

FactoryTalk Analytics for Machines gives a high-level, literally global, view of OEM equipment status with the ability to dig deeper into the data. It will be sold as a subscription, generally available in the first quarter of 2017. While this is a cloud app, Rockwell Automation is providing analytics for use inside the plant as well.

FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices

FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices also is coming soon, and is intended for use inside a customer’s facility. Initially hosted on a VersaView 5400 industrial monitor, this appliance, once booted up, can go out and discover all the EtherNet/IP devices on a network. "It will also do more detailed analytics,” said Pantaleano.

“The data will be contextualized, real analysis will happen and a diagnostic assessment will be performed automatically. When a problem occurs, the appliance will send specific actions to take by creating action cards and learning what is important to you."

“The data is available today, but think of all the coding it would take to get the information stored, analyzed, packaged in something that is usable and then create all the graphics,” said Pantaleano. "FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices will do that for the customer automatically," he said. "It will improve productivity and increase reliability, and is a brand new, modern way to do analytics."