Rockwell Automation Helps Reduce Engineering Costs and Enables Greater Batch Processing Flexibility with RSBizWare Batch™ 6.0

Use of standard information exchange allows rapid batch operation changes and fast response to changing customer demands

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 30, 2002 —Rockwell Automation has announced enhancements to its Rockwell Software RSBizWare Batch™ batch processing software, allowing manufacturers to more easily create, deploy and manage batch information to efficiently meet customer demands. The new enhancements in RSBizWare Batch 6.0 provides manufacturers greater flexibility by enabling them to create material class recipes, support quality object models as defined by S95 and store recipe information natively in extended markup language (XML).

The material class recipe capability helps users improve recipe management since they can author recipes centrally and rapidly deploy them to production sites. RSBizWare Batch 6.0 can map the master recipe material classification to the locally available material ingredients.

Using quality objects as defined by the S95 standard for enterprise-control integration, RSBizWare Batch 6.0 enables the tracking of quality data for materials during batch production. This is a powerful advantage for manufacturers in the food processing and pharmaceutical industries, who are required to capture such data for regulatory compliance.

RSBizWare Batch 6.0’s recipe storage function leverages the XML standard for sharing recipes across the enterprise to allow efficient workflow between operations, quality assurance (QA) and information technology (IT) personnel.

RSBizWare Batch 6.0 also allows process area model changes with minimal disruption to batch operations. Manufacturers with large sites benefit from this capability since they can avoid costly downtime to update the process area model.

“Today’s competitive environment demands swift operational flexibility to cost-effectively keep up with changes dictated by dynamic customer demands,” said Lorenzo Majewski, product manager RSBizWare Batch, Rockwell Automation. “Our latest version of RSBizWare Batch provides manufacturers with the ability to seamlessly share batch information and the flexibility to make equipment and recipe changes as necessary. This capability can help reduce engineering costs and also help enhance operational efficiency.”

RSBizWare Batch 6.0, now also available in Spanish, is part of the RSBizWare suite of products. It is being released as part of Rockwell Automation’s coordinated product release program. The biannual program helps simplify installation and product integration for end users by providing software products designed and pre-tested for interoperability, making it easier for manufacturers to manage product updates.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) is a world-leading 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 Dodge® mechanical power transmission products, Reliance ElectricÔ motors and drives, Allen-Bradley® controls and engineered services and Rockwell Software® factory management software. The company also is a leading provider of contact management technologies and applications that help companies more efficiently manage interaction with their own customers. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, the company employs approximately 23,000 people at more than 450 locations serving customers in more than 80 countries.

For more information on RSBizWare Batch 6.0, please contact the Rockwell Automation Response Center, 10701 Hampshire Avenue South, Bloomington, Minn., 55438, 800.223.5354, Ext. 1373.