Manufacturing
Accelerating Industrial Automation and Autonomy With Factory-Scale Simulation
Rockwell Automation
Objective
To tackle the challenges of today’s complex, interconnected factories, Rockwell Automation is transforming how manufacturers approach controls testing with enterprise-scale simulation. The company’s Emulate3D Factory Test platform integrates OpenUSD (Universal Scene Description) and NVIDIA Omniverse™ technologies to enable manufacturers to build factory-scale, physics-based digital twins—virtual replicas that enable teams to simulate, validate, and optimize automation and autonomous systems with accuracy and efficiency at scale.
Partner
Rockwell Automation
Use Case
Simulation / Modeling / Design
Products
NVIDIA Omniverse
Key Takeaways
Overcoming Barriers to Automation and Commissioning
Industrial automation and commissioning have remained largely unchanged since the invention of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in the 1970s. Engineers are often required to travel to factory sites with laptops and sit on factory floors in less-than-ideal conditions that hinder concentration and productivity.
As manufacturing systems continue to grow in complexity and scale, this traditional approach creates multiple challenges. For example, controls testing can only begin after physical equipment is installed, which creates bottlenecks and delays in project timelines. On-site commissioning also poses considerable safety risks, with engineers facing physical dangers and potential equipment-related injuries while working in active industrial environments.
Furthermore, the complexity of modern factories limits collaboration. To deliver today’s complex manufacturing systems, diverse teams of experts must work across multiple domains, including mechanical, electrical, controls, process, and robotics. However, traditional approaches don’t accommodate increasingly distributed teams that must work simultaneously on different aspects of shared controls testing and commissioning projects.
Despite the increasing adoption of simulation tools, scalability remains a significant challenge. Large-scale physics simulations, comprising thousands of moving parts, exceed the limits of simulation software and the computing infrastructure on which they run, forcing engineers to compromise on detail or accept reduced system performance.
Rockwell Automation is addressing these needs and setting a new standard for industrial automation with its Emulate3D Factory Test platform. By leveraging OpenUSD and NVIDIA Omniverse technologies and libraries, Rockwell is delivering advanced, factory-scale digital twin capabilities purpose-built for the manufacturing industry. With Emulate3D Factory Test, users can remotely design, test, and commission complex systems—empowering manufacturers to simulate, validate, and optimize their operations with accuracy and efficiency.
Rockwell Automation
Automated bottling production line powered by robotics and advanced factory automation. Robotic arms handle tasks such as bottle filling, capping, packaging, and palletizing, demonstrating seamless integration for enhanced efficiency and precision in high-tech manufacturing environments.
Accelerating Factory-Scale Design Through Simulation
The Emulate 3D Factory Test platform offers powerful capabilities and benefits to manufacturers, including:
Multi-Model Orchestration: Engineering teams can work on different factory components simultaneously—such as left-side loaders, right-side loaders, and conveyor systems—while maintaining real-time synchronization.
Physically Based Visualization: Users can transform functional simulation models into compelling, photorealistic presentations, enabling equipment builders, for example, to win projects and communicate complex factory designs more effectively to their key stakeholders.
Distributed Computing Architecture: The platform scales across multiple virtual machines and geographic locations, with PLCs and robot controllers connecting to virtualized Emulate3D systems that replicate the behavior of real hardware. The platform’s support of real-time streaming makes it easily accessible to distributed teams working on complex factory-scale projects.
Comprehensive Testing Framework: The platform is built with modern DevOps workflows in mind, providing streamlined version control, testing, and deployment, and capabilities like automated test runners and fault injection frameworks to enable the simulation of edge cases and failure scenarios.
Rockwell Automation
Driving Results for Manufacturers Across Industries
Industrial automation companies and manufacturers from across Rockwell's diverse customer base are using the Emulate3D Factory Test platform to deliver transformative outcomes in project success rates, operational efficiency, and collaboration.
ATC Automation & Robotics, a global leader in cutting-edge automation solutions, uses the platform to design custom machinery and create detailed renderings of specialized components for its customers. These visualizations have helped the company demonstrate the technical feasibility of its offerings and secure project approvals.
RidgeTech, a controls systems integrator, uses Factory Test to plan equipment layouts within complete factory settings, delivering better planning outcomes and giving customers confidence in the company’s proposed solutions.
Pearson Packaging Systems, a leader in packaging automation solutions, utilizes Factory Test to coordinate engineers across various locations, allowing them to collaborate simultaneously on the design and simulation of complex packaging lines. Each team member can test their specific components while maintaining visibility into the complete, integrated system.
A leading logistics company is utilizing the platform to design and simulate cross-dock facilities that process tens of thousands of items daily. They test various automation scenarios and equipment configurations to optimize operations before physical implementation.
Rockwell Automation
“Scaling digital twins to the full factory level is critical for modern industrial operations. With Emulate3D Factory Test, manufacturers can now test, iterate and optimize their automation systems with greater accuracy and efficiency – before a single piece of equipment is installed.”
Matheus Bulho
Senior Vice President, Software and Control, Rockwell Automation
Paving the Way for Scalable, Intelligent Manufacturing
Rockwell Automation's Emulate 3D Factory Test represents a fundamental shift in how industrial automation projects are conceived, designed, and deployed. By enabling controls testing and virtual commissioning at factory scale, the platform eliminates traditional constraints that have limited the industry for decades, enabling manufacturers and industrial automation leaders to innovate faster while reducing risk and improving outcomes.
To learn more about Emulate3D Factory Test and Rockwell Automation’s journey with OpenUSD and NVIDIA Omniverse technologies, check out their GTC session.
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