Articles and News

Comau has developed and deployed an automated e-drive assembly line for Geely Automobile Holdings at its Geely Veremt plant in Ningbo (China), for the end-to-end assembly of the electric motor, gearbox and inverter.

The Xcelerator provides the ability to work in a collaborative and connected way, significantly reducing cycle times across each digital thread.

NEMA President and CEO Debra Phillips issued a statement in response to the White House's urging Congress to pass legislation—the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA)—to strengthen U.S. research, development, and manufacturing for critical supply chains, including semiconductors.

Inaccurate or overlooked alerts on manufacturing data can be reduced with proper data handling when developing and deploying predictive models. This article first appeared in the December 2021 issue of Intech magazine.

Kassow Robots is strengthening its sales team with the appointment of Ulrich Möller as sales manager for the DACH region. In taking this step, Kassow Robots reinforces its sales presence, which is an established goal for 2022.

Plans are to replace the distributed control systems (DCS) at pulp mills in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada with the Valmet DNA, a single automation system for process, machine, drives and quality controls.

Asset management software proves to be a comprehensive, customized, easy-to-use, quick to deploy, cost-effective, and flexible solution.

This vulnerability allows attackers to remotely control and execute code on vulnerable machines.

With a background in delivering award-winning cultural transformation, Jordan will lead the group’s talent and leadership capabilities and the development of an organisational culture that empowers its people.

Although it would be ideal to always select common controls and implementations for both IT and OT, organizations have had challenges in doing so. A new ISAGCA whitepaper explains how to apply ISO/IEC 27001/2 and the ISA/IEC 62443 series to secure operational technology environments. This article originally appeared in the December 2021 issue of Intech magazine.

While most of the Automation Salary Survey 2020-21 results focus on variations in salary, we also surveyed participants about other effects of the pandemic on the workplace, like changes in job functions, opportunities for remote work, and laid off or furloughed employees. COVID-19 is still affecting the workplace, but the survey results show signs of recovery.

Capvidia, a leading CAD software provider in model-based definition (MBD) workflows, saw another record year in 2021.

Johan Jonzon, CMO and co-founder of innovator in edge analytics Crosser, shares insight into how manufacturers can calculate key performance indicators (KPIs) using edge analytics to make the most of their data.

The best automation solution on paper means nothing if it cannot be delivered in 2022. Even remarkable AGVs means nothing if manufacturers and logistics leaders cannot take delivery of the product until 2023.

There is such a high level of data available in manufacturing that it can become overwhelming. Organizations are limited in the amount of data that they can reliably contextualize and convert to information and are further limited in how much information they can act upon.

Caja Robotics, a leader in robotic and flexible goods-to-person solutions for order fulfillment announces today they will be working closely with Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics company, to integrate Caja robotic systems in the USA.

The ISA88 standards committee, Batch Control, will soon begin work in concert with IEC SC65A on an update of Batch Control Part 1: Models and Terminology. This piece originally appeared in the December 2021 issue of InTech magazine.

Ultimo and XMReality have launched a partnership to help customers improve efficiency and increase safety in field maintenance jobs.

IWS sets up a hub-and-spoke services and support capability to fuel expansion of digital completions technologies.

MLOps is a set of tools and practices which help ensure that the development and release of ML models is orderly, repeatable, and scalable.

ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA) announces that the first Incident Command System for Industrial Control Systems (ICS4ICS) exercise at S4 will be held in Miami on April 18, 2022 at 2 p.m.

There are a lot of use cases for 5G and private wireless in the context of factories and warehouses. But there are untapped opportunities using private 5G networks for automotive retail.

Trillium and Termomeccanica Pompe have signed a joint agreement that will bring the Termomeccanica Pompe, Gabbioneta Pumps, and Begemann brands together under the Trillium umbrella in Italy.

The new 5-year plan for the robotics industry in China focuses on promoting innovation, making China a global leader for robot technology and industrial advancement.

IoT Breakthrough announced that TrendMiner, a Software AG company, has been selected as winner of the “IoT Analytics Solution of the Year” award in the 6th annual IoT Breakthrough Awards program.

In Bad Säckingen, WERMA's red flashing beacons warn citizens when the fire service is called out. "When we receive an alert, every second counts," said Mark Jagenow, who has volunteered as a deputy commander for the past six years.

Atik Metal, one of the world’s leading and most reliable companies in the foundry industry, has approved AMETEK Land’s Cyclops L portable pyrometer for use in its furnaces, with the aim of replacing its traditional dip thermocouple instruments.

Survey finds nearly 90% of companies incorporated sustainability goals into product design, but other priorities continue to compete for organizational focus.

Due to the current situation surrounding Covid, Deutsche Messe AG will stage the world’s leading trade show for industrial technology from May 30 to June 2. The new date provides exhibitors and visitors with planning security.

These trends are set to bring innovative use cases to transform the industry and ensure the sustainable management of water and its availability. Climate change and water scarcity are challenges that must be tackled urgently. The future depends on digital transformation as a way to extract value from data and turn information into business intelligence.

Hargrove Controls + Automation is the 2022 System Integrator of the Year for the Mid-Sized Integrator Category. Karen Griffin, vice president of Hargrove Controls + Automation, discussed how her company approaches leadership in an interview with CFE Media.

Can another standards war be avoided with exciting new industrial multivendor interoperability and plug and play standards?

Trends that emerged in 2020 and 2021 are likely to develop and become even more important in 2022.

Seeq’s annual partner awards program honors excellence in delivering the next generation of process manufacturing improvements.

The ISA95 (IEC 62264) standards have an important place in the Industry 4.0 smart factories of the future. The key is an extended ISA95 activity model. This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of Intech magazine.

Manufacturers should invest in IoT projects for three reasons: IoT projects improve efficiency, IoT proofs showcase latest technology, and IoT encourages creative thinking.

To ensure the safety of customers, partners and employees, the ARC Industry Forum 2022, originally planned to be held in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 14-17, will be postponed to June 6-9, 2022.

Helmut Schmid will take over as CEO in January 2022, as successor to the previous CEO Franz Humer.

The Industry IoT Consortium announced that the BIRD INITIATIVE (Business Innovation powered by Research & Development) is now a participant of the IIC Negotiation Automation Platform Testbed.

The new investments will help Formic accelerate deployments of robotics-as-a-service for U.S. manufacturers.

Demand better of your suppliers, because in this world safety relies on security.

Honeywell today announced that it has been selected by Repsol to supply an integrated control and safety system (ICSS) for the first advanced biofuels production plant to be built in Spain.

From production to processing, as well as packaging applications, NORD’s drive systems are built for long service life and high performance.

A growing list of leading manufacturers are finding that AR can be applied to a variety of industrial issues. This article was originally published in the October issue of InTech magazine.

Thomas Jefferson once said, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Given what we have all experienced over the past 2+ years, Digi-Key Electronics' Eric J. Halvorson tends to agree with Mr. Jefferson. Looking ahead in 2022, here are five trends Halvorson predicts for the world of industrial automation.

The problem concerns IDEMIA biometric readers designed to organize access control, in which privileged commands can be executed via the management protocol.

Johan Jonzon of Crosser offers advice for controlling the chaos that legacy equipment can create. Blending the old with the new can be easier than you think!

The University of Texas at Austin, Rohde & Schwarz and FormFactor have collaborated to characterize a new technology for RF switches that improves battery life performance and supports higher bandwidths and switching speeds.

I am starting my term as President of the International Society of Automation (ISA) and will have the honor to lead the Executive Board.

Automation.com published 2,600 industrial automation feature, news and new product articles in 2021. Here are the best-read ones that you might have missed.

A prestigious annual awards program recognizes standout Internet-of-Things companies and products.

The IPC-CFX IIoT-based, “Plug and Play” standard is successfully utilized, together with Aegis’ FactoryLogix MES Platform, across all key process types.

To get the lowdown on near- and medium-term prospects for the servo market, Interact Analysis interviewed Senior Research Director Tim Dawson in advance of his upcoming report.

Rotork plc ("Rotork"), the global flow control and instrumentation group, announces the appointment of Kiet Huynh as chief executive officer (CEO).

Growing demand for real-time data analysis across geographies and increasing adoption of IIoT technology to improve performance will push projected growth through 2026.

Innovative solutions can improve distributed ledger technology performance over a network.

Portescap has opened a new engineering laboratory in its Mumbai, India office, expanding analysis and reliability testing space as well as boosting its proof of concept (POC) capabilities.

International Process Plants (IPP) and its affiliates announced today the acquisition of Juniper Acquisitions LLC, owner of the Juniper Specialty Products commercial-scale high-purity gas-to-liquids (GTL) wax manufacturing plant in Westlake, Louisiana.

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that it has obtained ISASecure CSA Level 1 certification from the ISA Security Compliance Institute* (ISCI) for its CENTUM VP integrated production control system, a product in the OpreX Control and Safety System family.

Backed by the employee-led VISION Committee volunteer group, Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. donated $25,000 to Northern Illinois Food Bank and $25,000 to A Safe Place.

Within the context of Industry 4.0, manufacturing systems connected using APIs could include a SCADA system connected directly to a CMMS for creating and managing work orders. This article originally appeared in the October 2021 issue of InTech magazine.

According to a study by the Engineering Design Show, more than 50% of engineering firms find it difficult to recruit and retain staff with the skills and knowledge necessary for the job. In response to this, the government is investing millions of pounds into STEM education. This means mechanical engineering will be more accessible for aspiring scientists from all backgrounds.

The leader in self-powered industrial IoT has generated more than 1.5 billion data points using less energy than it takes to brew three pots of coffee.

SEMI, the global industry association that unites the entire electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, has issued recommendations to the European Commission for growing Europe semiconductor ecosystem resilience and competitiveness.

Optimizing automated equipment condition monitoring calls for a different wireless network protocol than that used with process instruments. This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of InTech magazine.

Automation technologies integral to world’s first offshore green hydrogen production process.

The International Society of Automation (ISA) and the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA), with contributing author Gary Rathwell, have released a new white paper entitled, “Implementing an Industrial Cybersecurity Program for Your Enterprise.”

Highest sales in the company's history: HARTING Technology Group heads for a climate-neutral future with record investment, a sales increase of 14.5% to $956 million (EUR 869 million), and 713 new jobs created worldwide.

New research from Interact Analysis shows that during 2020 the overall market for geared motors and heavy-duty industrial gears declined by 2.4%.

These grippers reduce end-effector size, lower cycle time, ensure safety and offer new solutions.

Thomas Burke, Global Strategic Advisor at CLPA, looks at the latest advances and trends in TSN-compatible industrial communications.

What commercial providers of MPC use phenomenological dynamic models?

The IACS white paper is intended to address the needs of owner/operators of industrial facilities.

Siemens today announced that Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer, has selected Capital electrical/electronic (E/E) systems development software from Siemens‘ Xcelerator portfolio to accelerate the development of commercial aircraft.

Orders of manufacturing technology surpassed $650 million in November 2021, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.

Industrial machinery and equipment system designs typically rely on proven materials and methods to ensure reliable and effective end results. But every so often, a new option becomes available to improve performance, reduce cost and increase safety. This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of InTech magazine.

ARC Advisory Group research suggests that the Industrial IoT, connected smart assets, and especially the Digital Twin are having the most immediate and significant impact on how companies implement technologies that enable smart manufacturing.

Leadec, the leading global service specialist for factories, has taken over Meiners Electric as of 12/31/2021. Meiners Electric is an electrical contractor in Louisville, Ky., serving the Greater Louisville Area.

The Coalition for Open Process Automation (COPA) hosted a 90-minute virtual broadcast discussion and first public demonstration of the COPA QuickStart system illustrating the benefits and value of Open Process Automation based on the O-PAS standard.

Informal interactions at events foster greater camaraderie in the automation community. You make long-term professional connections and friendships, and these become your personal ecosystem of automation resources. This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of InTech magazine.

GE Digital has entered into an agreement to acquire Opus One Solutions Energy Corporation, a software company that helps electric utilities optimize energy planning, operations and market management, all which advance the energy transition.

What is OT/ICS asset inventory, what should it include, and what are the benefits of a robust asset inventory for OT/ICS cyber security?

Unison Tube LLC and Moore Machine Tools have teamed up to provide their individual customer bases with an even wider range of machine tool solutions.

Holland Pump Company, a leading independent specialty pump rental and dewatering solutions provider, announced it has completed the acquisition of Pump Service & Supply of Troy–PSS, based in Troy, New York.

Scientific and industrial imaging specialist Atik Cameras streamlines production as Pedro Matos heads up Atik Cameras production facilities in Lisbon.

PAC Machinery, a leader in packaging equipment with one of the most diverse ranges of machinery, is celebrating a successful year and announcing a list of the most popular packaging machines purchased by customers in 2021.

The first step to implement predictive maintenance is to determine if PdM is the right strategy for an asset.

Technology is enabling manufacturing companies to do remotely what they had not dreamed of before. This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of InTech magazine.

TriMech, strategic technology partner to engineers and manufacturers across North America, announced today it has acquired the Mastercam businesses of MACDAC Engineering and Compumachine.

With the huge shift towards automation across industries all around the world as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is time to explore the effects this may have on the way business is conducted during the next twelve months. To kick off the new year, Meili Robots has compiled a list of the seven biggest trends and predictions for the robotics industry in 2022.

congatec is pleased to announce its new leadership team, with Dr. Dirk Haft taking over as the new CEO and Daniel Jürgens as the new CFO. Gerhard Edi, previously CTO, will assume the newly created position of Chief Strategy Officer.

The CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) has reached new heights in its aim to promote and advance state-of-the-art open industrial communications technologies. With more than 4,000 active members currently enrolled, the organization offers a clear example of the key role that industrial partnerships play in the successful creation of smart factories, also known as e-F@ctories.

IFS, the global cloud enterprise applications company, today announced that it has retained its position in the Leaders category in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Manufacturing Field Service Management Applications 2021-2022 Vendor Assessment.

Sloan Zupan to lead Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc.’s marketing efforts through strategic marketing, product management, and product marketing.

Claudia Jarrett, US country manager at automation parts supplier EU Automation, explains why automation will be crucial if manufacturers are to defend themselves against 2022’s biggest cybersecurity threats.

Digital sensing devices built on open standards can significantly expand data visibility and improve an organization’s asset management process. This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of InTech magazine.

Effective Jan. 1, 2022, the Endress+Hauser subsidiaries SpectraSensors, Inc. and Kaiser Optical Systems, Inc. have joined forces to form a new company: Endress+Hauser Optical Analysis, Inc.

HGR Auctions connects buyers and sellers with industrial equipment around the world.

Effective Jan. 1, Energistics Consortium, Inc. is now an affiliate of The Open Group, a global consortium that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards.