New partnership enhances operator experience with device management

Rockwell Automation, Pepperl+Fuchs offer a complete portfolio of ThinManager-Ready products.

Pepperl+Fuchs and ThinManager, a Rockwell Automation technology, have partnered to provide operators and technicians a more streamlined and secured process with ThinManager software. Originally launched by Rockwell Automation more than 25 years ago, the ThinManager device management and content delivery platform is used by plant operators and maintenance specialists in manufacturing and process industries to centralize thin-client device management.

Together, Rockwell Automation and Pepperl+Fuchs now offer a complete portfolio of ThinManager-Ready products designed to support a wide range of customer applications. This includes dedicated HMIs, industrial box thin clients and a newly introduced range of tablet products by Pepperl+Fuchs. The Tab-IND and Pad-Ex tablets are available with the ThinManager BIOS onboard and no other pre-installed OS. This allows users to boot firmware directly from ThinManager and configures the tablets as centrally managed endpoints, enabling mobile visualization for frontline workers—in harsh industrial and hazardous environments. It also increases the cybersecurity of the solution. Pepperl+Fuchs offers hardware solutions for two application areas: non-hazardous and hazardous areas.

Tab-IND Features: (Non-Ex Areas)

  • Available in 8” and 10” industrial-grade tablets with 700 and 800 cd/m2 display for outdoor use including glove and pen support
  • Shortcut button and fingerprint sensor for fast authentication
  • Durable design with a minimum 5-year lifecycle and an operating temperature range of -20 °C to 50 °C.”SmartBack technology allows USB accessory integration
  • Accessories include scanner frames, docking stations, holders, and power supplies

Pad-Ex Features: (Hazardous Areas up to Class I, Div. 2 / Zone 2)

  • 11” field mobile tablet and desktop PC with up to 8.5 hours of battery life
  • Intel Core i5-1235U, 12 Gen processor with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory with NVMe, PCle and SSD
  • Connects to a docking station via a 35-inch Pogo connector
  • I/O ports include one Thunderbolt 4, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type A), one micro-HDMI, one audio in/out (combo jack), one microSD card (microSDXC), and one DC-in jack
  • Compatible with 4G LTE / Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (802.11 ax), augmented reality, and Bluetooth 5.3

Rockwell Automation and Pepperl+Fuchs are developing field solutions that support flexible and mobile working, including the use of durable tablets in demanding environments. The ThinManager-Ready tablet solutions are designed for mobile thin-client management system “intended foroperations and OT managers who oversee large facilities and require centralized management with enhanced security.

For more information on available products, please visit rockwell.pepperl-fuchs.com.

Edited by Puja Mitra, WTWH Media, for Control Engineering, from a Pepperl+Fuchs news release.