New Product Alert: Rockwell Automation’s Latest Allen-Bradley Technologies
Rockwell Automation has introduced a substantial lineup of new industrial automation products, including controllers, distributed I/O, motor-control equipment, industrial computers, networking hardware and software.
Here are several of the most important new products that manufacturers, system integrators and maintenance departments should have on their radar.
ControlLogix 5590 Controllers
The new Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 5590 platform represents the latest generation of Rockwell Automation’s large control-system architecture.
One of its most significant developments is integrated functional safety as a standard capability. This is intended to reduce the need for separate control and safety architectures while supporting demanding manufacturing, motion-control and process applications.
For plants currently operating earlier ControlLogix systems, the 5590 family may become an important consideration when planning future control-system upgrades and migrations.
PointMax I/O — Bulletin 5034
Allen-Bradley PointMax I/O is a new modular distributed I/O platform designed to provide greater performance in a compact footprint.
Its smaller physical size can help reduce control-panel space, while its modular construction is intended to simplify system design and installation. This makes PointMax particularly relevant to machine builders and manufacturers looking to deploy smaller, more flexible automation systems.
Micro820 L20E Controllers
Rockwell Automation has expanded its Micro800 controller family with the Micro820 L20E.
The new controller provides improved Ethernet communications for HMI and SCADA applications, expanded Class 1 implicit messaging and additional capabilities for compact machine-control systems.
The Micro820 L20E is aimed at smaller standalone machines and automation projects that require more communications capability without moving to a larger controller platform.
ArmorBlock 5000 I/O
The new ArmorBlock 5000 distributed I/O platform brings control and IO-Link connectivity closer to machines and production equipment.
Because these blocks can be mounted outside a traditional control cabinet, they can reduce enclosure requirements, field wiring and installation complexity. Integrated IO-Link support also provides access to sensor configuration, status and diagnostic information.
This approach can be particularly useful for conveyors, packaging machinery, material-handling systems and other distributed manufacturing applications.
EtherNet/IP In-Cabinet Solution
Rockwell Automation’s new EtherNet/IP In-Cabinet Solution combines device power and network communications through a compact, seven-conductor flat cable.
The system is designed to reduce point-to-point wiring inside control cabinets. This can save panel space, shorten installation time and make connected devices easier to replace or maintain.
For panel builders, the technology represents a significant departure from conventional cabinet wiring practices.
M100 Electronic Motor Starter
The M100 Electronic Motor Starter combines direct-on-line starting, reversing and safety functions within the same compact form factor.
By incorporating multiple motor-control functions into one product family, the M100 can reduce the number of separate components required inside a control panel. Potential benefits include smaller panels, simplified selection and reduced wiring.
Armor PowerFlex 330 Distributed Drive Motor
The Armor PowerFlex 330 combines motor, drive and control technology into a distributed, machine-mounted solution.
Locating motor-control equipment closer to the application can reduce cabinet space and shorten motor-cable runs. The platform also offers integration with Rockwell Automation control and safety systems.
This type of distributed architecture is especially relevant to conveyor systems, packaging lines and other machines containing numerous independently controlled motors.
New Industrial Networking Products
Rockwell Automation also introduced two additions to its Stratix industrial-networking portfolio.
The Stratix 2100 is a compact, unmanaged industrial Ethernet switch with Quality of Service support and Energy Efficient Ethernet operation. It is positioned as an economical option for smaller industrial networks.
The Stratix 4100 EtherNet/IP tap, or ETAP, supports transmission speeds up to 1 Gbps and can connect non-Device Level Ring equipment to DLR networks. It also provides enhanced network diagnostic capabilities.
Updated ASEM Industrial Computers
The new ASEM 6300B-SW2 industrial box PC and 6300P-SW2 industrial panel PC use 13th-generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors.
Both are fanless industrial computers designed for production environments and are offered with Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC. The box-PC and panel-PC formats allow users to select either a separate industrial computer or an integrated display-and-computer arrangement.
OptixEdge Advanced Edge Gateway
OptixEdge is Rockwell Automation’s new machine-level edge gateway for collecting and organizing industrial data.
The gateway is intended to move operating information from machines to higher-level plant or enterprise systems, providing manufacturers with better access to production data for visualization, analysis and decision-making.
What These Introductions Mean for Existing Allen-Bradley Users
Rockwell Automation’s latest releases show a clear movement toward:
- Smaller control-panel footprints
- Distributed and on-machine control
- Integrated functional safety
- Faster industrial Ethernet networks
- Simplified cabinet wiring
- Greater use of IO-Link devices
- Improved access to machine and production data
These developments may also influence the lifecycle and future availability of earlier Allen-Bradley controllers, I/O platforms, drives and networking products.
Before specifying any newly introduced product, users should confirm its current regional availability, catalog numbers, firmware requirements and compatibility with existing Rockwell Automation hardware and software.
Tek Automation Supply continues to support plants operating both current and discontinued Allen-Bradley equipment. Contact us if you need help locating replacement controllers, I/O modules, PanelView terminals, drives, power supplies or other difficult-to-find automation components.
Allen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Micro820, PointMax, ArmorBlock, PowerFlex, Stratix, FactoryTalk and other referenced product names are trademarks of Rockwell Automation. Tek Automation Supply is an independent supplier and is not affiliated with or authorized by Rockwell Automation.