Rockwell launches PanelView Pro for easier HMI upgrades

Rockwell Automation has launched its PanelView Pro graphic terminal for industrial manufacturing, aimed at users of FactoryTalk View Machine Edition applications.

The new human-machine interface hardware is designed to help manufacturers move from older HMI systems to newer equipment without rebuilding existing FactoryTalk View ME applications. It also supports the common cut-outs used in PanelView Plus 7 Performance terminals, reducing panel redesign work and limiting disruption on production lines.

Manufacturers replacing older HMI hardware often face a trade-off between upgrading equipment and keeping operations running. Rebuilding applications, modifying control panels and scheduling downtime can add cost and delay to projects, particularly where operators must also meet cybersecurity and compliance requirements.

Rockwell is positioning PanelView Pro as a way to address those issues through a modular design that separates display and logic modules. Users can replace or upgrade individual parts rather than the full terminal, which could simplify maintenance and spare-parts planning.

The terminal runs on a managed operating system and includes secure remote access. It is also built for more demanding factory settings, where equipment must operate reliably under tougher conditions than standard office or commercial devices.

The launch is also intended to preserve software investments already made by manufacturers using FactoryTalk View ME. In many industrial sites, HMI systems remain in place for years, which can make hardware refresh cycles difficult if new devices require applications to be rewritten or revalidated.

Angela Rapko, Vice President and General Manager, Visualisation & Asset Management at Rockwell Automation, said: "Manufacturers need visualisation technology that can keep pace with increasingly demanding operations while supporting long-term modernisation goals.

"PanelView Pro combines the performance, durability and flexibility customers expect in a modern graphic terminal with a modular design that simplifies maintenance and helps protect existing FactoryTalk View ME investments."

Migration focus

The launch reflects a wider trend in industrial automation, with suppliers trying to offer upgrade paths that do not force manufacturers into wholesale replacement programmes. For factory operators, the ability to retain application logic and visualisation work can be as important as raw hardware improvements, especially in plants with long asset lives and tightly managed stoppage windows.

Rockwell said the terminal offers faster processing, more responsive graphics and wider connectivity than older systems. Those improvements are intended to support plants with faster production environments and greater demand for plant-floor data visibility, while keeping users within the company's existing visualisation software framework.

Craig Resnick, Vice President at ARC Advisory Group, said the challenge for users is to modernise installed systems without taking on unnecessary operational risk. "Manufacturers need practical ways to modernise aging HMI infrastructure while maintaining production continuity, strengthening cybersecurity and preparing for AI-enabled operations that depend on better plant-floor visibility and contextual information.

"PanelView Pro addresses these priorities with higher-performance visualisation, improved durability and a modular architecture that supports application reuse, simplifies migration from FactoryTalk View ME and helps protect existing investments. This lifecycle-oriented approach can help reduce the cost, complexity and operational risk of modernisation while supporting long-term resilience, maintainability and more informed operational decisions."

Portfolio role

PanelView Pro sits within Rockwell's broader visualisation product line, intended to offer a more consistent hardware experience across its HMI products. That matters for manufacturers standardising equipment across multiple lines or sites, where consistency can reduce training needs and simplify support.

Additional modular components and expanded configurations are planned after the initial rollout. The terminal is scheduled to reach customers in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2026.