Flexicon

Flexicon Corporation, a global leader in bulk handling equipment and integrated plant-wide systems, faced mounting pressure as customer demand grew more complex. Larger processors required multi-ingredient blending, batching functionality, and layered access controls for operators and management. Historically, every system required a dedicated automation engineer to program controls from scratch — a project-driven approach that created bottlenecks as the company scaled. After doubling its Bethlehem, Pennsylvania headquarters facility and expanding its Controls and Automation team, Flexicon needed a standardized, cost-effective solution for its standard product line. Without it, long engineering cycles and high per-unit labor costs threatened the company's ability to remain competitive on delivery time and price.

Flexicon partnered with Rockwell Automation to implement Connected Components Workbench software — an integrated toolset covering controller programming, device configuration, and HMI integration in a single environment. Micro820 controllers were deployed for small standalone machines requiring flexible communications and I/O, while Micro850 controllers handled larger standalone units. PanelView 800 graphic terminals provided high-resolution touchscreens with built-in Ethernet and serial ports, enabling remote monitoring. A key architectural decision was building a configurable program structure stored on microSD memory cards, allowing non-technical personnel to complete site-specific configurations via a password-secured screen — eliminating the need for an engineer on every deployment. Rockwell Automation also provided hands-on training to bring the Flexicon team up to speed on the full capabilities of the platform.

The shift to a standardized, configurable control architecture delivered measurable improvements across Flexicon's engineering and deployment workflow:

• Reduced engineering cost per order by eliminating custom programming on each system
• Shortened time to market through reusable, pre-tested control application templates
• Repeatable and reliable control applications replaced one-off, engineer-dependent builds
• Non-technical deployment enabled by microSD-based configuration, reducing reliance on specialized staff at commissioning

Beyond efficiency gains, the solution freed Flexicon's engineering team to focus on forward-looking product development rather than reactive order fulfillment — a structural shift in how the Controls and Automation group allocates its capacity.

• Standardize before you scale: Building a configurable, reusable control architecture pays compounding dividends as order volume grows — Flexicon's gains only materialized after committing to a common toolset.
• Design for non-technical users: Enabling field configuration via microSD and password-secured screens reduced the engineering bottleneck at commissioning without sacrificing control integrity.
• Involve the vendor in training: Rockwell Automation's hands-on training was part of the solution, not an afterthought — platform capability only converts to results when the team can use it fully.
• Flexibility and repeatability are not opposites: A well-architected configurable program can handle product variation without custom engineering on every order.