Rockwell Automation and Dassault Systemes are to develop a joint solution that will, they say, make a virtual design, development and production environment a reality.
The pair say it will more closely link product design to manufacturing and will serve manufacturers by addressing the needs of brand owners, tiered suppliers and machine builders together – by enabling collaborative, two-way mechanical and control design.
The objective: manufacturers can expect to reduce the cost of engineering and ramp-up time, and be able to continually optimise their manufacturing operations with an accurate, real-time, simulation model.
Immediate feedback will be available on design changes, enabling testing, using ‘what if’ scenarios, and Rockwell and Dassault insist that users will benefit because manufacturing operations will be commissioned faster and offer optimal production performance from day one.
In a little detail, the proposed joint solution involves linking manufacturing design to factory-floor control by integrating Rockwell Software’ RSLogix 5000 control programming and configuration software with Delmia Automation PLM (product lifecycle management) software from Dassault.
“Manufacturers are anxiously awaiting a solution that can turn the idea of a virtual design and production environment into reality,” says Kevin Roach, vice president of Software at Rockwell. “We see this relationship as a way to make our customers' visions come true in the very near term by capitalising on the strengths of the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture [digital factory] and Dassault Systèmes’ PLM solutions.”