Articles and News

Here, Claudia Jarrett, US country manager of industrial parts supplier EU Automation, explains why Industry 4.0 technology proves crucial in managing these new, ad hoc refrigeration systems.

Schaeffler Sondermaschinenbau, a company focused on specialised machinery construction, is standardising its electrical designs across its numerous locations and relying on Eplan Platform to get the job done.

ODVA’s briefing included naming HARTING a new principal member, details on CIP Security enhancements for EtherNet/IP that enable user-level authentication, and the standard organization’s strategic priorities for 2021.

In a presentation during the International Society of Automation’s (ISA) Virtual Process Industry Conference (PIC) on Nov. 17, 2020, Don Bartusiak, president of Collaborative Systems Integration and co-chair of the Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF), gave an overview of OPAF’s published standards and the planned future work of the forum.

Digital transformation technologies expertise from Emerson to support TVA’s goal of ensuring long-term, responsive power delivery from its fleet.

Peter Terwiesch, president of ABB Industrial Automation, becomes executive member of the EU Alliance established to kick-start the European hydrogen industry.

The extended “OPC UA for IEC61131-3” specification now supports the current 3rd edition of the IEC61131-3 standard and simplifies vendor adoption.

Energized commitment to fight against climate change and lead transformation to cleaner, more resilient and affordable electric grid in New York State.

Digitaltest has announced a partnership with JOT Automation to bring innovative solutions to the markets for new level of performance to create new revenue streams and improve customer experience.

FIA and Siemens extend partnership to provide the "FIA Mobility Advocate"—a unique software and hardware toolkit—for FIA Mobility Member Clubs to strengthen advocacy of future transport solutions.

Teledyne Imaging, a Teledyne Technologies [NYSE: TDY] company and global leader in machine vision technology, is pleased to announce the roll out of its new Teledyne Imaging vision solutions brochure.

In 2021, we’ll see factories, food-service operators, and transportation companies get more out of the sensor networks and remote wireless monitoring capabilities they quickly adopted this year—and we’ll see more companies in these industries add remote sensor systems to stay competitive. But the biggest IIoT-related gains in 2021 may not be the ones that typically make tech news headlines.

In this article, I want to highlight a trend recently uncovered by the Nozomi Networks labs team regarding new misuse of the DNS protocol. This phenomenon is already impacting corporate networks; plus, it opens the door to significant threats in the future. We urge security teams to gain an understanding of this new threat intelligence and centrally monitor their networks for traffic related to DNS resolvers susceptible of misuse.

Companies faced with challenges of recovering from pandemic and economic disruption benefit from digital technologies and metrics that show progress toward short- and long-term goals.

Why does Industry 4.0 depend on data? This article explores how data connects manufacturing intelligence with the outside world.

Honeywell announced the creation of the Immersive Field Simulator, a virtual reality training tool designed to produce a detailed facsimile of an industrial plant’s facility down to each pump, valve and touch screen.

This blog series discusses a few ICS cybersecurity myths, including the false belief that proprietary systems and protocols are inherently safe.

The two companies enter a strategic agreement to advance digital twin modeling and simulation technology across energy and process industries.

OPC Foundation announces today that its Field Level Communications Initiative has accomplished a significant milestone in the ongoing project by completing their initial release candidate with the focus on the Controller-to-Controller (C2C) use case.

Deloitte recently reported in a survey on AI adoption in manufacturing that 93% of companies believe AI will be a pivotal technology to drive growth and innovation in the sector. However, the vast majority of manufacturing companies have to overcome a lot of barriers that impede digital transformation and AI initiatives.

ProMat will continue to deliver the unrivaled solution-sourcing, education and networking it is known for through a state-of-the-art digital expo–ProMat Digital Experience (ProMatDX).

Constellium has agreed to join Project MFG as a Technology Partner for its Next Generation Manufacturing Challenge Series.

Sales revenues are up slightly by 1.2 % to € 759 million, and 205 new jobs have been created worldwide.

As of October 2020, HMS Networks is certified according to the IEC62443-4-1:2018 standard.

Project team remotely and efficiently migrated Richter Gedeon’s process control system using limited onsite staffing and resources.

Endpoint protection platform solutions have become highly sought-after especially since an increasing number of companies are adopting “Bring your own device (BYOD)” approach.

Automation professionals from the ISA Mentor Program answer the question: 'How can we improve operator trust in a PID controller?'

A3 also announced Automate Forward, the premier virtual conference and trade show for the robotics and automation industry, which will be held March 22-26, 2021.

Allied Electronics & Automation has completed an expansion of its North American distribution center in Fort Worth that adds more than 200,000 square feet of space and a full complement of the latest digital order fulfillment center technology from global intelligent automation solutions provider KNAPP.

Leading Japanese automation manufacturer to develop FDT 3.0-enabled flowmeters for the energy and environmental markets.

SmartBuy, designed and implemented by IBM can help drive business value and provide a fast, intuitive experience for ABB's employees and suppliers.

Leaders from Schneider Electric discussed the company’s vision for an all-electric, all-digital future and what this means for the environment, the economy and, of course, people.

CESMII, the Smart Manufacturing Institute, focuses on smart manufacturing to deliver success in our mandates to drive innovation and improve energy utilization. But how is energy used today? How much is wasted? How does this look globally? And most important, what is CESMII doing to help?

FANUC America, the leading supplier of CNCs, robotics and ROBOMACHINEs, and Plus One Robotics, a leader in AI machine vision for robots in logistics, have successfully paired their industry-leading technologies to meet the needs of their mutual customers in e-commerce.

Integration with Yokogawa portfolio makes possible a “sensor-to-enterprise” solution for solar, wind and energy storage projects.

The “LiFePO4–Why is it Safer for a UPS?” guide clarifies the important differences between lithium-ion battery types.

A new security bill is awaiting signature by President Trump. It directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create minimum cybersecurity standards for IoT devices owned or controlled by the U.S. government.

Universal Robots hosted its Cobot Expo 2.0 virtually on Nov. 16-17, 2020, bringing together collaborative robot experts to deliver live product demos and insightful keynotes about cobot ROI, production, upgrades and applications.

Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) and Advanced Physical Layer (APL) are building blocks for a dramatically new manufacturing and process automation digitalization architecture.

According to a latest report by an ESOMAR certified market research and consulting firm, global AI-enabled testing tools market revenues will grow at over 13% CAGR through 2030.

Teledyne Imaging, a division of Teledyne Technologies [NYSE: TDY] and global leader in vision solutions, is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of its multi-session virtual event held recently to introduce its newest and most innovative imaging solutions for machine vision.

What is the difference between IT security and OT security?

The combination cements Ivanti’s position as a global market leader in Unified Endpoint Management, Zero Trust Security, and IT Service Management.

In its ongoing support of the manufacturing technology community, IMTS–The International Manufacturing Technology Show launched a virtual Miles For Manufacturing (M4M) event in October— continuing through March 2021—that is designed to fund community-based organizations that champion under-represented, under-served students who participate in STEM and robotics programs in schools, in addition to directly funding STEM and FIRST™ robotics programs.

Industrial automation has been a bit slower to make an impact on the maintenance department. The nature of the work and the conservative tendencies of industry are perhaps some reasons for this. Recently, though, there has been more focus on automation in maintenance. These efforts have led to influence maintenance in several ways, which will be covered below.

Maintaining security posture across converged environments is crucial to reduce unnecessary cyber risk.

Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures™ 2020 were announced today, and Electromate was recognized as a national winner in the Emerging Market category.

Jim Chappell, the global head of AI and Advanced Analytics at AVEVA, shares how data centers can become more efficient, sustainable and robust by integrating AI.

The digital transformation of industry has given new momentum to the connection of the operational technology of the plant floor to the information technology of the higher-level enterprise. However, making the most of the potential of digitalisation requires more than just a network connection between these two levels of the business.

Cybersecurity expert Steve Mustard, the incoming 2021 International Society of Automation (ISA) president, was recently invited to speak with the Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA).

AI will become an integral part of setting up and using AMRs, simplifying their deployment process and improving their workflow; AMR users will be empowered to make more informed decisions, even without technical expertise, and robots will become the first line of support, predicting when intervention is needed or automating troubleshooting.

UL's scientific expertise in safety, sustainability and security will help inform World Economic Forum initiatives to shape the future of advanced manufacturing and production.

Open Systems International, Inc. (OSI) has been selected by MainPower New Zealand Limited (MainPower) to supply a new Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) based on OSI's monarch™ operational technology (OT) platform.

As pharmaceuticals companies Pfizer and Moderna give us cause for optimism on the vaccine front, our research shows that earlier estimations of the damage caused to manufacturing output in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic have seen positive adjustments, and that recovery is therefore going to be faster. So, we have what is potentially good news on two fronts.

Industrial automation marketing needs to be shaken up with more modern methods and approaches. This part of the blog series focuses on email marketing.

AI-enabled computerised maintenance management system modernises operations planning, management and equipment failure prediction.

HARTING Applied Technologies GmbH has won the "Toolmaker of the Year 2020" competition, emerging as the overall winner in a top-flight field of participants with more than 200 companies.

The finalists of the 16th Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Robotics & Automation (IERA) showcase the latest skills robots have acquired to assist humans at work: OnRobot’s applicant is an intelligent gripper named RG2-FT: With the fingertips it “feels” and picks up delicate materials like thin glass or test samples and passes them on to humans.

NEMA announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NEMA Cable Tray Section and the Unified Bulk Joint Industry Project (UBJIP) to develop harmonized cable tray requirements that are within the scope of NEMA Cable Tray Standards, Metal Cable Tray Systems, and Cable Tray Installation Guidelines.

Major industry players form the project connected home over IP commercial strategy group to promote the standard and define commercial use cases.

NUM’s Taiwan subsidiary has donated a complete CNC hardware and software package to the National Formosa University in Huwei.

Vector Controls and Automation Group, a leading manufacturing representative and distributor, has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2020 honor by The Houston Chronicle.

Leading Fortune Global 500 Chinese Refinery deploys Aspen DMC3 at its integrated refining and chemical plant in Dalian.

This ISA blog series highlights a few organizations working for better diversity and inclusion, such as the National Girls Collaborative Project.

This blog series will discuss a few ICS cybersecurity myths, starting with the misconception that air-gapped ICS networks are completely protected.

ARC Advisory Group and Automation.com recently collaborated on a web survey to gauge the current take up of various manufacturing execution system (MES)-related functionalities in the context of digital transformation. This article summarizes our key takeaways from this survey using only those respondents who identified as end users.

Seeq Corporation, a leader in manufacturing and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) advanced analytics software, announced today it ranked 76 on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, and energy tech companies in North America now in its 26th year.

Harpak-ULMA, an industry-leading packaging solutions provider, announced it is working with multiple medical device manufacturers commissioned to supply high volume syringe supplies as part of BARDA’s rapidly expanding COVID-19 Medical Countermeasure Portfolio.

Hitachi Industrial Equipment selects the Syncron Service Cloud, further expanding the partnership between Syncron and Hitachi.

5G is a rapidly growing market and will reach 300 billion USD by 2025 as forecast in the IDTechEx report "5G Technology, Market and Forecasts 2020-2030." However, there are many common misunderstandings about 5G that might lead to the wrong interpretation.

AstaZero is now building the world's longest indoor track for testing self-driving vehicles. AstaZero is the leading test bed for the automated transport systems of the future. With the new indoor track, AstaZero consolidates its position as a world-unique test environment.

Industry veteran brings successful leadership experience in the industrial capital and medical device industries.

Interact Analysis has published its newly updated Manufacturing Industry Output (MIO) Tracker report–a comprehensive and highly-detailed report on the status of the global manufacturing sector. The latest update shows a notable upward revision to key manufacturing economies, with both China and the US being much less impacted than previously predicted. This quarter’s update report is available free to all here.

This global drive and control technologies company delivers, powerful and safe movements in machines and systems, and is a driver for the digital transformation of automation technologies including hydraulics, electric drives and control systems, and mobile electronics.

The issue of inaction is especially relevant right now, as the coronavirus pandemic highlights the need for manufacturers to use automation and robots to reduce the number of workers on the factory floor, and protect the safety of those who remain. Here, Claudia Jarrett, US country manager of EU Automation, argues that manufacturers aren’t going far enough.

Concerning COVID-19 vaccine storage and distribution, perhaps the most significant challenge exists in temperature control, as some COVID-19 vaccine candidates will require ultra-low temperature (ULT), typically ranging from -86 to -45°C.

The company’s new certifications and expanded product line can help protect industrial operations and customer information.

The ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA) has appointed a chairperson–Megan Samford, VP, chief product security officer for Energy Management at Schneider Electric–and vice chairperson–Sharul Rashid, custodian engineer and group technical authority of Instrumentation and Control at PETRONAS–to its advisory board.

According to a recent study from market research firm Global Market Insights, The temperature sensor market is projected to garner noteworthy gains on account of surging application across diverse electronic appliances.

Despite COVID, reshoring is up in 2020. Job announcements for 2020 are projected to reach 110,000, which will bring the total since 2010 to over 1 million by year’s end.

What is Industry 4.0? What is smart manufacturing? Definitions vary, but the important thing is how you define these concepts at your organization.

Innovation leaders collaborate to accelerate reduction of planned and unplanned downtime across steel production operations.

Maintaining existing output at the facility while upgrading systems and processes was necessary to meet strict quality and production standards.

OEM partnership benefits SMBs and IT service providers looking to simplify endpoint security with automated vulnerability patching.

The ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA) announced the inclusion of eight new founding members: Eaton, KPMG, Deloitte, Idaho State University, PETRONAS, Surge Engineering, TDi Technologies and UL.

What will the factory of the future be like? How will it be organized? To answer these and many other questions about the Industry 4.0 production model, all it takes is a trip to the FPT Industrial Driveline plant in Turin, dedicated to the production of transmissions and axles for heavy equipment.

November 2020 marks a significant milestone for the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), as the organization will celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has named Water Design-Build Council (WDBC) Executive Director Mark Alpert, PE, as one of the five industry leaders chosen for the 2020 Class of DBIA Fellows.

Honeywell ThermoRebellionTM uses thermal imaging and artificial intelligence to quickly and accurately detect elevated skin temperatures before boarding flights.

Sponsored by DriveLock SE The onward march of smart factory and digitalization initiatives has led to a huge increase in the IT connectivity of industrial manufacturing systems. This raises important questions about how to secure them–especially heterogeneous systems.

There’s no doubt that this year has brought a mountain of change—especially in the manufacturing industry. As it is clear, this "new normal" will extend throughout most, if not all, of 2021, we need to collectively be better at identifying risk, empowering teams and adapting to change as it comes.

Parsable’s Connected Worker Platform will be deployed at Suntory's new Smart Factory model plant in Omachi, Nagano prefecture, Japan.

For some time now, the future mobility vision–in which totally autonomous vehicles are an everyday reality and shared mobility services are widely adopted–has been heralded as the future of mass transport. However, as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has inexplicably changed transport behaviour, both at a consumer and commercial level, the consensus is that it will significantly impact the shape of tomorrow’s strategy.

NEMA welcomes officers from Southwire Company, Phoenix Contact and Siemens USA.

Business leaders should insist on integrating legacy machines into smart manufacturing systems.

The ISA99 committee has begun the work of addressing misconceptions and possible impediments to the acceptance and adoption of the ISA/IEC 62443 standards.

This edition of The IIC Journal of Innovation shows how IoT will play a crucial role in helping IT organizations adjust to the “new normal,” from working at home to social distancing.

The New York Power Authority today announced the first milestone of its 15-year modernization and digitization program to significantly extend the operating life of its Niagara Power Project, the largest source of clean electricity in New York State and one of the country's largest hydroelectric projects.

Since July 2020, IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH has been represented in Serbia with its own subsidiary.

AMT hires George Toldy, Jr., MBA and Stephen D. McLaren to support increase in demand for the company’s engineering services, turnkey automated systems, and control system integration solutions.