PTC, Rockwell Partner for IIoT, AR Manufacturing Solutions

PTC, a company specialising in computer software and services, has accelerated its partnership with Rockwell Automation. The joint venture aims to boost collaboration on the manufacturing sector’s Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and augmented reality (AR) technologies.

Specifically, the partnership leverages PTC’s ThingWorx IoT tools such as its Digital Performance Management (DPM) platform. Also, the firm’s Vuforia AR technologies will facilitate and provide companies with vital tools for their manufacturing digital transformations.

PTC provides manufacturers across the world to accelerate their products and services, streamlines operations and boosts productivity for the global workforce. Businesses can deploy the solutions across the Cloud, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms, and others.

Comments on Strategic Partnership

According to Jim Heppelmann, Chief Executive, PTC, stated that his firm “enjoyed a productive and beneficial relationship” with Rockwell over the last five years.

We’re pleased to extend it,” he said.

Heppelmann continued that the industrial IoT solutions would “bring real value” to Rockwell Automation customers. Additionally, the executive explained it aims to create a host of novel use cases across manufacturing, including asset monitoring, quality control inspections, and predictive maintenance.

He concluded,

“PTC partnering with Rockwell Automation continues to be a win-win for manufacturers that want to improve efficiencies and productivity in their factories”

Blake Moret, Chairman and Chief Executive, Rockwell Automation, added,

“Rockwell continues to leverage PTC software as an important component of our global customers’ digital manufacturing solutions. Alongside our best-in-class Operations Management solutions, we remain excited about PTC’s innovative solutions and the impact those technologies have on customer value.”

The news comes after Rockwell became a Pinnacle Sponsor for PTC’s LiveWorx event at the Xtropolis venue in May. The Boston, Massachusetts-based event showcased multiple manufacturing technologies from companies exhibiting at the time.

Further Automation fairs will take place in early November at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Key Technologies of the Industrial Metaverse

For many enterprises, the industrial metaverse is increasingly depending on extended reality (XR) technologies. These tools form the building blocks for safeguarding supply chains and shaping the future of product design.

Companies can incorporate emerging technologies such as cloud and edge computing, digital twins, 5G, blockchain, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence (AI), and XR devices. These integrate into their workflows to develop optimised, automated systems with industrial internet of things tools.

For example, Dr Colin Parris, Chief Technology Officer, GE Digital explained further at a recent IIoT event. He explained how the industrial metaverse relied on several key building blocks at the panel talk.

These often involve the strategic implementation of such immersive technologies, leading to a growing ecosystem of technologies and use cases.

Brian Ballard, Senior Vice President of Solution Delivery, TeamViewer, added that such integrations would lead to “better and more interconnected and accurate” data usage.

He added that these would lead to better feedback loops for analysing, monitoring, and utilising digital twins in real-time. Explaining further, he said that products and services could behave “exactly as they were intended” rather than via estimates.

These would lead to “downstream effects” for production processes. This includes metrics such as boosting time to production, time to market, expenses, error reduction, and return on investment (ROI).