The May 2021 ransomware attack on JBS Foods that knocked out the plant operations supplying roughly a fifth of the United States’ meat supply is an all too familiar story. Since September of 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been alerting food producers, processors, and manufacturers via an industry-specific notice that criminals are carrying out focused ransomware attacks targeting companies in this sector.
While digitalization has become a crucial goal across sectors, the application of digital solutions in manufacturing comes with added complications. Given the material nature of industrial process assets and equipment, the emphasis for manufacturing investment has still been predominantly hardware based, with upgrading plant machinery essential to meet production demand.
Production personnel can work safely and efficiently using the new Allen-Bradley 450L Perimeter Access Control (PAC) GuardShield safety light curtains from Rockwell Automation. Subject to risk assessment, light curtains eliminate the need for hard guarding and gates, while allowing frequent, easier and safe access to hazardous areas. Designed for whole-body detection, PAC light curtains are typically positioned around an area or in front of a machine entry or exit that poses a moderate to high risk of operator injury.
The steel industry has faced a whirlwind of challenges—a hiatus in construction projects, worldwide pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and market fluctuations—but increased demand for domestically produced steel is creating opportunities for U.S.-based manufacturers. The steel mills driving this growth are enhancing and developing their complex operations and processes to run more efficiently.
Several high-profile cyber attacks in recent years have put a spotlight on growing levels of cybersecurity risk in the automotive sector. The industry needs to quickly increase awareness of the current attack surface, which is often through the installed base of network assets, including machines and devices on plant floors. Successful attacks create not only financial risks in terms of ransomware shutdowns, data loss and expensive recovery processes.
Rockwell Automation, Inc. is pleased to announce that registration is now open for Automation Fair 2022, hosted by Rockwell and members of its global PartnerNetwork program. The annual event will be held at McCormick Place West in Chicago, Illinois, Nov. 14-17, and expects to bring over 10,000 manufacturing and technology leaders from around the globe.
Manufacturing organizations know that unplanned downtime is costly. What may be less clear is the impact that cyberattacks, like ransomware, have on downtime. Simply put: successful attacks on manufacturing mean downtime – not measured in hours or days, but often weeks or longer.
The new Allen-Bradley 42EA RightSight S18 and 42JA VisiSight M20A photoelectric sensors are economical and easy-to-apply sensing solutions that offer a wide range of sensing modes, mounting options and unique features, making them optimal solutions for global operations. All models have a visible red-light source to ease alignment, while multiple connection options and adjustment knobs for light or dark operation help ease installation, setup and maintenance.
The Automation Fair event offers an immersive experience showcasing the value and power of our IT/OT expertise. This two-day event brings together industrial automation experts and leaders to guide you through the latest breakthroughs, strategies, and proven best practices, and to work with you on how to enhance your operation and achieve greater results.
The incident response retainer program helps industrial organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents in operational technology (OT) environments.
Rockwell Automation has incorporated two more PowerFlex variable frequency drives (VFDs) into CENTERLINE 2500 low-voltage motor control centers (MCCs) to help industrial operators in global IEC markets improve their production, safety and energy performance. The PowerFlex 755TL and 755TR drives with TotalFORCE technology can be integrated into CENTERLINE MCCs.
Predictive maintenance (PdM) is transforming manufacturing operations and growth with technology that includes the Internet of Things (Iot), the Cloud, mobile applications, AI/ML to analyze and predict insights using data, and web applications to share entire operations data in one place. The tools and technology of Industry 4.0 have turned PdM from an abstract concept into a practical solution.
Rockwell Automation has just announced an unprecedented partnership with Bravo Motor Company, a company from California that offers applied innovation around decarbonization with a focus on the production of batteries, vehicles and energy storage systems. With the new alliance, Rockwell Automation will contribute to the provision of cutting-edge solutions for the manufacture of batteries and electric vehicles in the Brazilian market, based on the concept of the circular economy.
Zero Trust is everywhere. It’s covered in industry trade publications and events, it’s a topic of conversation at board meetings, and it’s on the minds of CISOs, CIOs, and even the President. What is Zero Trust, and why is it important? Zero Trust isn’t a cybersecurity solution in and of itself, but implementing a Zero Trust architecture will help mitigate and ultimately lower the number of successful cybersecurity attacks your organization might otherwise endure, greatly reducing operational and financial risk.
Oil and gas companies can digitalize their operations with greater ease and on their own terms using the new Avalon automation and digitalization platform from Sensia. The cloud-native platform gives oil and gas companies a scalable, packaged solution for executing digital strategies. This can help save time, money and hassle compared to building a custom digital platform by selecting and integrating technologies from multiple vendors.
The term “safety lifecycle” refers to a formalized engineering process that helps create a safety system that can work effectively throughout its lifespan. For example, industrial and manufacturing facilities use safety lifecycles to keep their functional systems operating smoothly. The safety lifecycle is described in international standards set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).