Machine Builder (OEM) Solutions

Machine Builder (OEM) Solutions

What Matters

Being Lean Matters

A championship-caliber fight is going on in the OEM marketplace — an intense competition fueled by the expanding global marketplace. Those who have successfully adopted lean practices are knocking out their opponents with low-cost, feature-rich machines.

Lean Puts You in Your Customer's Corner

At first glance, lean initiatives seem to be inwardly focused; a corporate mission to eliminate waste and increase efficiency. However, upon closer examination it becomes clear that lean is equally about your customer. A champion OEM studies its customer's business inside and out, gathering true understanding of the situation. Many times end users can identify their desired results, but they look to machine builders to tell them how to get there. Becoming an expert in your customer's needs allows you to create exactly what is desired the first time, thus preventing costly changes to the machine mid-stream, or worse, just before it ships. To fully understand your customer's needs, consider leveraging the experience of business partners or suppliers. The Rockwell Automation OEM team is one such resource. The team includes automation consultants, engineers, and project managers in most industries who understand your customers' issues.

Lean Makes You Light on Your Feet

When a boxer enters the ring, he takes with him all of the strength and experience he has acquired during his previous rounds. Good machine builders do the same, by applying their previous successes to current projects rather than starting from scratch each time. Reusing what works best helps shorten design cycles, simplify technical problems, and more importantly allows the engineering staff to focus on the innovations that generate a competitive advantage. Lean tools such as Power Programming ensure that machine builders cash in on previous success efficiently and effectively. Machine builders can make further gains to reduce service and support costs, streamline upgrades and simplify asset management by standardizing on components and solutions.

Lean Prepares You for the Next Round

To stay competitive, many OEMs are looking to expand their presence into new markets. The global marketplace brings with it a host of new challenges, including juggling different labor conditions, standards and regulations. When a champion OEM enters the ring, they have the right support in their corner. They leverage the relationships and experience of established business partners to efficiently provide solutions, service and support worldwide. Whether you're looking to sell a machine nearby or somewhere around the world, global partners like Rockwell Automation can provide your customers with local parts and support.

Lean creates value for machine builders and their customers. As a result, it prepares champion OEMs for victory. By integrating lean initiatives into all aspects of your company culture, your company is better positioned to quickly adapt to your customer needs, efficiently leverage best practices, and expand into new marketplaces—ensuring superiority for your bottom line.


Product and Service Highlights

Essential Components

When you need to purchase industrial components, you want the highest quality at a fair price. You also want intuitive product selection and configuration, quick order turnaround, and fast delivery. That's precisely why Rockwell Automation developed the Essential Components program. It offers a wide range of parts that you specify everyday, at prices that can help you be more competitive. And take advantage of the FREE Product Selection Toolbox DVD to simplify product configuration, design, and ordering process.

Whether your application is simple or complex, you can match our technology to your requirements. From push buttons and terminal blocks to I/O systems and operator interfaces, with Allen-Bradley Essential Components, you have access to one of the broadest ranges of industrial components available anywhere. More importantly, you get the right components, at the right price, right when you need them.  More Information...

Integrated Architecture™

The Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture is an industrial automation infrastructure providing scalable solutions for the full range of automation disciplines including sequential, motion, process control, drive control, safety and information. Unlike traditional architectures, Integrated Architecture reduces total cost to design, develop and deliver machines by using a single control platform for the entire range of factory automation applications, large or small.

Users with less-complex applications can take advantage of this architecture with a suite of integrated products from Rockwell Automation, including the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix™ controller family, PanelView Plus™ 400 and 600 terminals, POINT I/O™ modules, and the PowerFlex® 40 drive — all connected on a single communication network such as EtherNet/IP™. Designed specifically for OEMs, this compact machine solution will dramatically reduce your time to market, allow you to re-use programming code and has built-in diagnostic and remote access capabilities — saving you both time and money.

This control and information framework enables you to choose the right combination of controller, I/O and networks to meet each customer's specific needs, without having to write custom code. With Integrated Architecture, you get:

OEM Toolkit

Our OEM Toolkit Program provides you with easy access to the tools you need to cost-effectively integrate Rockwell Automation technology and develop the flexible, high-performance solutions your customers demand. The program offers software and hardware discounts, technical training and ongoing product and technology updates, as well as services and tools to help you take maximum advantage of Allen-Bradley products.

The program offers three categories of tools:

Power Programming

Many vendors have incorporated programming standards that address specific issues. Unfortunately, these solutions don't address the requirements at a system-wide level. This is where Power Programming gives you a distinct advantage. The Power Programming methodology includes free tools that drive an integrated, modular approach to application development. It provides specification templates, HMI faceplates and pre-tested routines for common functions, allowing you to more efficiently design machines that are easy to use, modify, integrate and maintain. Power Programming is designed around current, open standards and guidelines and is currently being upgraded to leverage the Add-on instruction capabilities in RSLogix5000 version 16. With this user defined function capability, Power Programming becomes an even greater help for you to: