FANUC and Rockwell to merge manufacturing technologies
by CanadianManufacturing.com staff
Two major software providers plan to combine their technologies for specialized manufacturing markets like automotive and aerospace.
FANUC FA America, a CNC supplier, and Rockwell Automation, Inc., a provider of industrial automation solutions, will work together to integrate CNC with programmable automation controller (PAC) environments.
Rockwell Spokesperson Carly Snyder says the collaboration is not consolidation, but a “leveraging” of each other’s technologies.
“Initially, the focus will be on integrating Fanuc CNCs with Rockwell Automation Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs) and software offerings, reflecting the network architectures of our current installed bases, including EtherNet/IP and FL Net,” Snyder says.
The companies are responding to their joint customers’ demands for integration, Snyder says, adding workers will be able access real-time information, improving plantwide visibility.
Equipment upgrades may not be top of the list for plants in the current economy, but Snyder insists that “manufacturing continues to bounce back from the recession.”
“We see a robust interest in planning for the next round of spending,” she says.
