PlantPAx® is a distributed control system (DCS) developed by Rockwell Automation with applications in a variety of industrial market segments such as life sciences, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, chemical, CPG, water/wastewater and pulp and paper. The system allows for seamless integration of process control functionality and process operations information, including safety systems, network health, power and energy management, into a single, plant-wide infrastructure. PlantPAx helps manufacturers create commonality across production lines and throughout their enterprise of production facilities, enabling them to make informed production control decisions, avoid potential downtime and risk, and create agility and resilience in their applications.

At FTI, we continually look for ways to bring innovative solutions to our customers. Through project experience and close working relationships with our end-user manufacturing clients, we continue to hear that production optimization is the single most common desired outcome of manufacturers across various market segments. Reducing scrap while improving quality, operator productivity and energy conservation, and maximizing production uptime are all examples of specific outcomes related to production optimization. A well designed and deployed PlantPAx Solution can deliver these outcomes, along with other significant benefits.

Benefits of PlantPAx

Seamless Integration of Plant-Wide Information

PlantPAx Solutions delivered by FTI enable better decision-making at all levels of the organization. Operators can access critical data and analytics, allowing them to respond quickly to changing conditions and optimize plant performance. Our clients have realized significant value in industries where rapid response to changing market demands – and therefore agility of their production systems – is essential. PlantPAx enables real-time production intelligence so that informed decisions can be made to capitalize on production quality improvements, energy conservation and operations productivity.

Scalability, Expandability and Total Cost of Ownership

Unlike traditional legacy DCS platforms, PlantPAx is designed to be highly scalable, making it suitable for both small and large plant operations. FTI can support customers who need a single station or a large, distributed architecture by tailoring the solution to meet specific immediate needs while designing it appropriately to accommodate future expansions and process changes. By coupling this approach with the fact that PlantPAx is designed to adapt and incorporate future advancements and technology enhancements, FTI delivers solutions that result in the lowest total cost of ownership – all on one platform that manufacturers can understand and embrace.

Improved Safety, Compliance and Security

In today’s digital age, cybersecurity is a critical concern for industrial operations. PlantPAx addresses this concern by incorporating robust security features that protect against cyber threats, and FTI collaborates closely with client IT/OT teams to ensure a successfully protected system. Because ensuring the safety of our team is a core value at FTI, we also work diligently to support the safety goals of our customers by integrating functional safety practices in our automation solutions, including PlantPAx deployments.

PlantPAx is built on standard, off-the-shelf hardware and software but typically demands a greater degree of planning and design. FTI works with our customers to explore the appropriate solutions for their production optimization needs. We specify and design the system, then install, commission and support it through the lifecycle. For certified systems, FTI facilitates project audits performed in collaboration with Rockwell Automation.

FTI is pleased to be a Gold-Level System Integrator Partner to Rockwell Automation with certified PlantPAx capabilities and experience. With this capability, we support our industrial customers in achieving their production optimization goals. Please contact us to explore whether a PlantPAx DCS is the right choice for your production environment.