From Nov. 18- Nov. 21, I attended the 25th annual Automation Fair event, hosted by Rockwell Automation and members of its PartnerNetwork program.
The event, held this year in Anaheim, California, has grown over the years and now reaches more than 10,000 automation professionals, including chemical, electrical and mechanical engineers and countless operators and technicians. The show encompasses four days of interactive learning with sessions designed around process functions and industries, as well as several training classes focusing on the oil and gas sector. In addition, attendees could browse the expo featuring more than 120 exhibitors showcasing the latest industrial automation technologies.
At the expo, I talked to several people who were happy to share both the challenges and the benefits they see as part of the industrial automation revolution, including how the latest advancements in artificial intelligence are disrupting the industry and creating a new, exciting tool that can further help increase production efficiencies. Chris Dornan, marketing manger - Logix Controllers at Rockwell Automation, noted that with all the new technology and tools available, maintenance that used to take months, is now being completed in a matter of days.
Ryan Leroux, stategic accounts manager for Sensia, a collaboration between Rockwell Automation and technology company SLB, mentioned that the automation sector has grown exponentially and the visibility it provides helps optimize production outputs. However, one challenge is finding the right workers to fill the IT/OT space. To help with reskilling workers to fill the gaps between traditional manual labor and more digitalized roles, training options have increased; however, with the higher quantity of training class options available, the quality has decreased, he warned. “It’s pretty much ‘you get what you pay for,’ he said.
The workforce challenges also bring new opportunities to think outside the box. In some cases, younger workers no longer have a more experienced engineer to shadow and gain valuable knowledge. The younger generation also is more adept with technology. This has allowed many industry providers to rethink more traditional offerings. For example, enclosures don’t typically see major changes from how they’ve been made over the years, but nVent Hoffman, a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork, recognized that simulation technologies could help simplify cabinet design and reduce the amount of time engineers spent commissioning and installing. So, regardless of the years of experience an engineer might have, their approach is to help minimize the learning curve, said Sanu Warrier, product director, Software for nVent Hoffman.
Other buzzwords heard around the show included AI and cybersecurity. As software and cloud-based technologies advance, so do cyber threats. AI not only can help improve operational inefficiencies, it can also provide a more proactive approach to cybersecurity, finding risks before they create vulnerable pathways into operations.
But it’s not just advanced technologies playing a role. Even “simple” points of defense like card readers can help shut down vulnerable points of access. Juan Martinez, Global Solutions Sales Lead at rf IDEAS, Inc., a Rockwell Automation partner that provides secure passwordless authentication, says its technologies now go beyond simple scanning of an ID badge and can be incorporated into smart phones. In addition, the units do double duty — they can control access and help optimize operations. Operators scan their badge (or phone) to access an HMI and adjust batches; the readers then act as a monitor, tracking and recording the operator’s changes.
Martinez said this method has helped several of its users improve both their security and their operations’ efficiency. He gave an example of a paint manufacturer who kept losing batches but was unable to determine where and how. rf IDEAS added its security to open HMIs and suddenly the paint manufacturer could see which operators had adjusted the controls that were inadvertently damaging the batches, saving the company millions.
These are the stories Rockwell Automation and its partners like to share to highlight the benefits of industrial automation technologies for plant operations. If you’ve never been to the show, consider attending one in the future. Next year, the event will be held in Chicago from Nov. 17-20. Hope to see you there!
