Learning Paths

Gain an in-depth understanding of how to connect, create, and deploy smart manufacturing solutions.

Configure and connect industrial devices and systems in any environment.

Use Rockwell Automation's Connected Components Workbench to connect an Allen-Bradley PLC for use with the ThingWorx Platform. This Learning Path will guide you through installation of Rockwell Automation and ThingWorx applications, connecting ThingWorx to the Allen-Bradley PLC, and how to configure, monitor, and control the PLC from ThingWorx.

Challenges For medical device manufacturers, unplanned equipment downtime negatively impacts patient outcomes. That's why medical device manufacturers are adopting a remote service approach.

Solution A Medical device manufacturer used ThingWorx to easily connect to medical devices in the field for remote monitoring of status and performance. The ThingWorx Edge Microserver provides secure, bi-directional connection to send data that is displayed on the web application created using ThingWorx Mashup Builder. Different machine types are modeled using purpose built features of ThingWorx Composer that anticipate this exact use case. ThingWorx seamlessly integrates with other enterprise systems to create a comprehensive, enterprise-wide solution and provides flexibility to meet the necessary security and auditing requirements.

Results Service employees detect, diagnose, and resolve problems faster, minimizing or even preventing equipment downtime. They can also more effectively collaborate with field service technicians to provide contextual guidance, improving first-time fix rates.

Data collected from connected devices is easily integrated into other existing business processes—such as parts planning and allocation or compliance reporting—which further enhances outcomes and reduces costs. Many manufacturers are also leveraging data to develop and deliver differentiated, value-add services, like automatic consumables replenishment and usage-based billing.

Challenges Manufacturers of factory equipment often rely on manual processes to maintain adequate supply levels of consumables in equipment at customer sites. But a clipboard-and-pen process for ordering supplies are error prone, and can quickly grow wrought with problems that often go unreported until they affect assembly line production, resulting in unexpected costs—such as overnight shipping charges—and risking downtime, which ultimately leads to customer dissatisfaction.

Solution One such manufacturer implemented ThingWorx to connect to equipment installed at customer sites, and created a custom web application using ThingWorx Foundation to remotely monitor supply levels. ThingWorx Industrial Connectivity provides the bi-directional connection to send data that is displayed in graphs on the web application created using ThingWorx Mashup Builder. Features of ThingWorx Analytics were used to generate alerts before maintenance problems affected production.

Outcomes The manufacturer is able to monitor supply levels to more effectively anticipate when consumables will need to be replenished. Supplies are now consistently ground shipped on time to meet assembly line demand, reducing interruptions to operations and allowing expansion to multiple plants with improved service level.