Rockwell launches factory‍-‍scale digital twin technology

Rockwell Automation has launched its Emulate3D Factory Test software at NVIDIA GTC 2025. The solution is designed to enable factory-scale virtual controls testing, helping manufacturers conduct factory acceptance testing to validate automation systems before deployment.

“Manufacturers need scalable, high-fidelity digital twins to optimise system performance and accelerate commissioning times,” said Matheus Bulho, Senior Vice President, Software and Control, Rockwell Automation. “With the launch of Emulate3D Factory Test, we’re providing a solution that allows engineering teams to test, iterate and validate automation systems at full factory scale — leveraging the power of NVIDIA Omniverse to deliver unprecedented visualisation and collaboration capabilities.”

Factories are inherently complex environments, with thousands of moving parts, high-speed machinery and intricate system interactions. Traditional simulation tools often struggle to model these environments with sufficient fidelity and scale. Rockwell says that Factory Test overcomes these challenges with a modular modelling approach, enabling teams to build, verify and combine mechanical, electrical, controls, process, robotics and device behaviour models into a unified digital twin.

“NVIDIA Omniverse and OpenUSD are redefining how industries use AI-driven simulation to optimise design and operations,” said Brian Harrison, Senior Director of Omniverse Digital Twins at NVIDIA. “With Emulate3D Factory Test, Rockwell Automation is integrating Omniverse technologies and OpenUSD to bring next-generation digital twins to the industrial sector, helping teams simulate, validate and optimise complex manufacturing systems at an unprecedented scale.”

Emulate3D is already being used by companies in Australasia, including Products for Industry — an Australian manufacturer that uses the technology to create a digital twin, and completely visualise a new or upgraded plant, prior to physical implementation.

Image: Supplied