Rockwell Automation outlines why installation is no longer the finish line for OEMs

The role of the packaging OEM is no longer defined by commissioning. It’s defined by what comes next.

Troubleshooting, recovery, workforce support, and digital technologies are now part of the equation as machine builders take a larger role in helping manufacturers keep operations moving throughout the life of the machine.  

That shift is reflected in Rockwell Automation’s OEM Advantage Playbook, which surveyed 500 OEM leaders across 17 countries. The research found that machine builders are placing greater emphasis on recovery time, workforce challenges, and digital technologies that keep production moving when disruptions occur.  

Packaging OEM spoke with Justin Garski, who manages Rockwell Automation’s OEM business for packaging and converting applications, about the findings and what they mean for machine builders. He shared how OEMs are leveraging diagnostics, digital twins, and simplified machine interfaces to streamline troubleshooting and accelerate recovery.

“I think we’re at a tipping point where an OEM is much more involved with the end users’ day-to-day operations than ever before,” said Garski. “Same math problem, just higher stakes at this point.” 

Looking beyond the fault log

As manufacturers push for greater uptime, fault recovery is becoming a larger focus across packaging operations. Garski said customer expectations continue to rise as lines handle a growing number of products and formats.

“I would say customers are asking for more advanced machines. The explosion of the SKU continues to proliferate,” said Garski.

He explained how OEMs are using new tools to better understand what happens when a machine fault occurs and help operators get equipment back up and running more quickly.

One example involves forensic cameras that continuously record machine activity. When a fault occurs, the system can capture video leading up to the event, along with operating data such as machine speeds, temperatures, and pressures. The programmable logic controller (PLC) triggers the video system when an issue occurs.

“When a fault happens, the PLC sends a message over to the video system and says, ‘I got a fault,’” said Garski. “Then it retroactively grabs the last 30 seconds or a minute, along with a series of parameters.”

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Rockwell is also working with OEMs through what it calls a “data-ready” initiative designed to structure controller data in a way that’s easier to understand and display on a human-machine interface (HMI). Instead of digging through traditional fault logs, operators are moving to dashboards that provide faster clarity than older approaches.

“If you’ve ever looked at a fault log, it’s a giant text file of doom,” said Garski.

The goal is to make it easier to identify the root cause rather than sorting through multiple downstream alarms generated after the initial event.

“If you open the door on a machine, you’d see the door open. You’d see a servo fault. You’d see some overvoltages. It cascaded down to like eight or nine different faults,” said Garski. “It was hard to figure out what the actual cause was versus the outcome.”

Designing machines for simplicity

Workforce shortages are also influencing how packaging machines are designed. Garski said OEMs are looking for ways to make equipment easier to operate, troubleshoot, and maintain regardless of an operator’s experience level.

This includes more visual guidance, digital documentation, and embedded indicators directly into the machines themselves. Garski pointed to an example where operators simply follow a red light, adjust a guide rail position, and wait for a green light confirmation rather than relying on detailed instructions or manual measurements.

“All the bells and whistles, all the super high-tech features have to operate just like your iPhone,” he said. “It’s got to be super simple and really intuitive.”

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The philosophy is also changing how OEMs think about overall training and documentation. Gone are the days of sifting through printed documents to find an answer.

“There’s this re-engaged push to get documentation and especially video content out on the HMI,” said Garski. “If I need to find a manual, you did it wrong.”

Putting digital twins to the test

The push to reduce troubleshooting isn’t stopping at diagnostics. OEMs are increasingly turning to digital twins to validate machine performance, test controls, and recreate issues before deploying a fix.

Garski described an example where an OEM recreated an issue involving a new pack pattern in a virtual environment before deploying a solution.

“It crashed, just like the customer said it would, exactly where it would,” he said. “The operator was able to put a change in there, dispatch that to the customer, and resolve it.”

The technology can also reduce the amount of troubleshooting and commissioning work required on-site.

“We’ve seen it from a sales standpoint to be able to go from a static model to something that brings a lot of credibility and reality of the situation,” said Garski. “People use it for things like rate validation and flow through a factory.”

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For engineers and technicians, that can mean less time spent on long startups.

“The more we can do these things offline, the more it brings some of those creature comforts back home,” said Garski.