The Highlights of the Rockwell Automation Fair 2024

Rockwell Automation, the global leader in digital transformation and industrial automation just held its 33rd annual Automation Fair in Anaheim, California.

This exciting, immersive event brought together more than 10,000 manufacturing leaders, creators and makers from around the globe to showcase innovative solutions and drive profound industry-wide change.

This year's theme was 'Make It Matter' highlighting the need for manufacturers to achieve quantifiable and measurable impact through digital and sustainability-focused initiatives. 

Rockwell Automation seeks to aspire its fair attendees to amplify purpose and progress, with an expansive expo of over 130 interactive exhibits, over 275 educational sessions and opportunities to interact with other leading manufacturers. 

“At Automation Fair, we’re fueled by a common goal: to make the work we do matter — to our organisations, our teams, our customers, and the world,” says Christine Spella, Senior Director, digital, demand & integrated marketing at Rockwell Automation.

“This event embodies the power of innovation and collaboration to create a lasting impact.

Highlights from the fair

This year the focus of the fair was on industrial automation and digital innovation. Three key highlights were:

• Advanced robotics and AMRs

OTTO Motors introduced mobile robots capable of performing both material movement and data collection, offering enhanced productivity, safety, and workflow insights.

Concepts like mobile manipulation and integrating robotic arms with AMRs were also explored, demonstrating their applications in complex environments without significant infrastructure changes

• AI Integration

Rockwell Automation, in collaboration with Microsoft, demonstrated practical AI applications such as the FactoryTalk Design Studio Copilot.

This tool uses generative AI to simplify automation system design via natural language prompts.

The FactoryTalk Analytics Vision AI system also enhances real-time quality inspection, while Guardian AI offers predictive maintenance without additional sensors​

• Cloud Solutions for industrial efficiency

The partnership with Microsoft also showcased solutions like Azure IoT Operations, allowing seamless integration of shop-floor data with cloud analytics.

This approach enhances scalability and operational efficiency across manufacturing sites​.

Rockwell Automation & Microsoft

As is evident from these highlights, Microsoft and Rockwell Automation's partnership was at the centre of the event. 

This relationship combines Rockwell’s deep industrial automation expertise with Microsoft’s cutting-edge cloud and AI capabilities to create profound change in manufacturing. 

Together both companies are bridging the gap between traditional site practices and modern digital applications, creating integrated solutions to unlock the full potential of industrial data.

"We are excited to strengthen our partnership with Microsoft as we work to meet the evolving challenges faced by today’s manufacturers,” says Jessica Korpela, director, global customer innovation at Rockwell Automation.

“This enhanced collaboration fuses cloud and AI technologies with our extensive expertise in industrial automation, enabling our customers to reach unprecedented levels of efficiency, innovation and resilience in their operations.”

The Rockwell-Microsoft partnership represents a bold step forward in the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector, setting a new standard for connected, AI-driven operations that empower both companies and their customers to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

“We are thrilled to continue our work with Rockwell Automation to help customers accelerate their industrial transformation journey,” says Kam VedBrat, General Manager, Azure IoT, Microsoft.

“By combining Rockwell’s industry-leading automation solutions with Microsoft Azure IoT Operations, and through our collaboration on an adapted AI model based on Phi-3, we are enabling customers to unlock new levels of efficiency and innovation.”

This strategic partnership will deliver substantial benefits to manufacturers, helping them to navigate the challenges of today’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape.

Through the advanced digital solutions showcased at the Rockwell Automation Fair manufacturers can drive greater efficiency, reduce operational costs, and increase productivity.

This will empower them to achieve more, realising the full potential of their digital transformation journey.

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