Thenew Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 6 human-machine interface and FactoryTalkvisualization software combine to offer new performance features for bettervisibility into machines and production lines. These new visualization andinformation tools are designed to enhance run-time performance and operator effectivenesswhile reducing deployment time and costs.

"Manufacturers, machine builders and systemintegrators are faced with increased pressure to keep costs down and improveruntime," says Frank Kulaszewicz, vice president and general manager of Controland Visualization for Rockwell Automation. "We're building on the common designenvironment that's core to our Integrated Architecture to provide manufacturerswith visualization solutions that ease development and maintenance time andprovide the critical real-time production data they need to quickly make informedbusiness decisions."

The new PanelView Plus 6 terminal includesmore memory, significantly faster refresh rates and more on-device storage.Every PanelView Plus 6 also now includes the latest FactoryTalk View MachineEdition (ME) and FactoryTalk ViewPoint software running on the Windows CE 6.0operating system.

FactoryTalk View ME 6.0 software provides thePanelView Plus 6 with new time-saving design enhancements including a newextensive graphics library, enhanced color animation capability and access to amulti-language font library. The new graphics library is the result of apartnership with Software Toolbox, Inc. that integrates Symbol Factory v2.5into FactoryTalk View Studio. The terminal can directly reference tags createdfor a controller and comes with a factory-default option, reducingtroubleshooting to increase uptime. The latest version supports Windows 7 andhas achieved VMware-Ready status. FactoryTalk ViewPoint further enhances thesystem's interoperability by providing remote access for Web browser-enableddevices. FactoryTalk View ME 6.0 can also be purchased separately to providePanelView-functionality through an Allen-Bradley Industrial Computer.

For distributed HMI users, FactoryTalk ViewSite Edition (SE) 6.0 software also includes a newly integrated Symbol Factorygraphics library and enhanced color animation capabilities through FactoryTalkView Studio to help customers build applications more quickly. FactoryTalk ViewSE 6.0 now supports the 32-bit version of Windows 7 and SQL Server 2008 and isthe first release to have VMware-Ready status. This latest version ofFactoryTalk View SE also offers FactoryTalk Alarms and Events serverredundancy, safeguarding a common, consistent view of alarms and eventsoccurring throughout an entire FactoryTalk system.

For the increasing number of manufacturersthat need up-to-the-minute production information from multiple locations,FactoryTalk ViewPoint 1.2 software provides access to real-time operations datasimply by logging onto an Internet browser. As a Web-enabled HMI application,it extends access to FactoryTalk View displays and dashboards to users anywherefor improved real-time decision making. The new version supports the latestoperating systems and Web clients to expand usability of this thin-clientapplication in a variety of Web environments and wireless devices. Newlysupported environments include the Microsoft Windows CE 6.0-based Allen-BradleyPanelView Plus 6, FactoryTalk View ME and SE 6.0 software, Microsoft Windows 7,VMware server and Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.