Rockwell Automation on Industry-Focused Ingenuity

Rockwell is absolutely on the critical path to success and managing risks. “Managing risk means cybersecurity and safety. In the last few years, many are integrating cybersecurity and enterprise risk management (ERM) because you had to think of these risks. There is always second or third tiers of risk that never really floated up to the level of funding.

One example is the semiconductor shortages that required tens of millions of dollars of redesign to work around those issues on cybersecurity. They must find money and resources to spend and expand workforce that was mostly at home. The mitigation of these sorts of risks is not going away anytime soon.”

“Sustainability is another one that I do not think is going to go away anytime soon,” explained Blake. “We have always been efficiently involved, providing operations, and helping manufacturing companies use less water, air, gas, electricity, and steam. We have expanded what we can do with the software that we have added. Being able to provide first the visibility and then the ability to manage shed loads and balance usage to avoid the rise in hikes and peaks. The work that we are doing with the energy suppliers, helping the fossil fuel companies with their energy transition, and every one of them is now squarely focused on being a part of the energy transition. Renewable companies, such as First Solar, are trying to ramp up scale globally for competitive prices in photovoltaic panels to be able to meet a demand that is growing like nothing they have ever seen before.”

According to Blake, many people believe that digital is the key lever for addressing these sorts of issues like sustainability and fast growth. “By opening new lines of business with more flexibility, we are building that connectivity and digital infrastructure from the ground up.”

He stated, “Here at Rockwell, we have something called the integrated architecture to prosperity and value for customers for over 20 years, probably a quarter of a century. Being able to have easy ways to connect data from that last mile devices, the variable speed drives, and the servo controllers. Even operator interface is connected easily into a programmable control system and then pass certain data up to higher level information management. We are adding what is required nowadays the ability to exchange data between software applications, which has been done for a long time but as it comes down to the plant floor, becomes an important skill for Rockwell as well. So, it is not something brand new. We have been doing this successfully for a very long time and it remains important, and the opportunity to differentiate broadens that scope.”

Blake concluded, “Industrial systems are highly complex, but, by layering tools on top of them, individuals can work with them. The technology under the hood must be brought back a step from the workers, so they can fix something on third shift when there is no one else around.

“We are connecting the imaginations of people with the potential of technology, to expand human possibility and keep it focused on real business results, and that is the way that drives me and drives our company. I do not think there is anybody better positioned to bring that IT and OT together to connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand human possibility and keep it focused all the time on real business results,” he finally said.

Originally published in International Metalworking New for Asia