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Press Release
Rockwell Automation Lends Support for Merger of OMAC into ISA
Transfer of PackML™ to established body will help drive industry standard for packaging and other discrete applications
MILWAUKEE, Jan. 20, 2005 -- Rockwell Automation announced today its full support of the recently announced merger of OMAC and ISA and the corresponding adaptation of the OMAC PackML™ guidelines into the ISA-SP88 standard for batch control systems. According to company officials, the merger will provide benefits to end users, OEMs and automation suppliers alike.
"By merging into ISA, the standards and guidelines developed by OMAC are given strength and validity," said Mike Wagner, business development manager for the Global OEM team at Rockwell Automation. "As packaging guidelines -- such as PackML -- are transformed into ISA standards, they will reach further into the plant and allow manufacturers to achieve true integration between discrete and process applications."
While OMAC has, to this point, focused on packaging applications, merging its work into ISA-SP88 will allow OMAC guidelines to broaden and apply to other discrete applications in addition to packaging, such as converting or material handling. This integration and broadening of standards, in turn, will empower manufacturers to optimize entire plants, bridge traditional information gaps in automation and meet emerging requirements, such as tracking and tracing.
"For OEMs and suppliers like Rockwell Automation, the merger between OMAC and ISA removes barriers that, in the past, have made it difficult for different parts of a plant to work together," Wagner said. "This merger allows OEMs and suppliers to focus on true points of innovation, such as developing control technologies and simplifying machine operation while enhancing machine performance and ability."
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK) is a leading global provider of industrial automation power, control and information solutions that help customers meet their manufacturing productivity objectives. The company brings together leading brands in industrial automation for Complete Automation® solutions, including Allen-Bradley® controls and services, Dodge® mechanical power transmission products, Reliance® motors and drives, and Rockwell Software® factory management software. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, the company employs about 20,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.
NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like this information in electronic format (either disk or e-mail), please contact either of the individuals at the top of this release.
Allen-Bradley, Complete Automation, Dodge, Reliance, and Rockwell Software are registered trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.
PackML is a trademark of the Open Modular Architecture Controls (OMAC) Motion for Packaging Working Group (OPG).
Media contacts: Mary Novak Symes
Rockwell Automation
262.512.8507
mnsymes@ra.rockwell.com
Aaron Miller
Padilla Speer Beardsley Inc.
612.455.1702
amiller@psbpr.com