The following article was published in Automation.com

Posted on 02/28/05

Pharmaceutical OEM Provides Compliance Support and Reduces Development Time Using Commercial HMI from Rockwell Automation


Stock America cuts development time of custom batch sterilizers by 20 to 30 percent using Rockwell Software RSView Supervisory Edition HMI software

MILWAUKEE, Feb. 28, 2005 — A commercial human-machine interface (HMI) solution from Rockwell Automation is helping Stock America, Grafton, Wis., maximize functionality and reduce development time, while assisting with meeting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 21 CFR Part 11 safety regulations for its custom batch sterilizers. Using Rockwell Software RSView Supervisory Edition (SE) HMI software running on Allen Bradley VersaView industrial computers, Stock America improved the integrity of its data acquisition, while reducing development time by approximately 20 to 30 percent.

Stock America Inc. is an original equipment manufacturer that builds custom batch sterilizers and associated equipment for food and pharmaceutical processors. The company works directly with end users to design, install and validate in-container sterilization technology to help ensure products and packaging are contamination-free.

Stock America serves customers who process both retail and institutional products, so its sterilizers are standardized, yet flexible, to meet the varied needs of its customers.

“As a small OEM, it’s tough to stay on top of all the new government regulations,” said Tim Schurr, senior controls engineer, Stock America. “But Rockwell Automation is very knowledgeable about 21 CFR Part 11 and the Parenteral Drug Association Task Force, so using Rockwell Automation products allows us to offer the most up-to-date features to customers without having to be experts ourselves.”

In order to meet the FDA’s 21 CFR Part 11 compliance regulations, Stock America customers must be able to track users of the sterilizers and control systems, manage action audit trails and archive electronic records. With RSView SE, Stock America is able to provide compliance support without any custom development. The system automatically runs reports at the end of each shift documenting the required authentication and audit data.

“RSView SE offers all the data acquisition functions our customers need, plus it allows us to add functions we didn’t have before, like improved security and reporting,” said David Polvino, vice president, Stock America. “Primarily, our customers use it to record process temperature and pressure for compliance with governmental regulating agencies.”
RSView SE also allows Stock America to reuse code and cut down the time it takes to create new HMI programs. Previously, a typical Stock America custom batch sterilizer involved around 240 hours of engineering — this same project now takes approximately 200 total hours.

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 Allen-Bradley controls and services, Dodge mechanical power transmission products, Reliance motors and drives and Rockwell Software factory management software. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, the company employs about 20,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.

For more information on solutions from Rockwell Automation, please contact the Rockwell Automation Response Center, 10701 Hampshire Avenue South, Bloomington, Minn., 55438, 800.223.5354, Ext. 1784.