With Covid-19 infection rates hitting an all-time high in Germany, several major exhibitors at next week’s SPS automation show in Nuremberg – including Siemens, ABB, Beckhoff, Schneider Electric, Rittal, Wago, Pilz, Lenze, Sick, Weidmüller, Bosch Rexroth, B&R Automation, TE Connectivity and Harting – have decided to pull out of a physical presence at the show, although many will still take part in online activities that are running in parallel.
Omron has upgraded its Barcelona-based Automation Centre where visitors from across the Emea region can collaborate with the company’s engineers to develop industrial automation systems, including robotics, vision, quality control, flexible manufacturing and AI. Covering more than 800m2 of floor space, the Centre allows customers to experience the benefits of connected, intelligent factories before making an investment.
Rockwell Automation has set up a Cybersecurity Operations Center in Israel to deliver remote cybersecurity services to customers around the world. The centre is one of several moves that that Rockwell has announced to bolster its cybersecurity activities, including partnerships with the cybersecurity specialists Dragos and CrowdStrike.
The motion controls manufacturer Allied Motion Technologies has bought two US-based businesses: the nano-precision linear and rotary motion specialist, Alio Industries; and the electromechanical automation system and motion controls manufacturer, Ormec Systems. Allied is paying $20m for Alio, consisting of $15m in cash and $5 million stock. The financial terms of the Ormec acquisition have not been revealed.
A group of more than 25 automation companies and other organisations has be formed to develop, and campaign for, a common software layer that will work on automation technologies of any brand. The founder members of UniversalAutomation.org (UAO) include Advantech, Belden, Hirschmann, Intel, Jetter, Phoenix Contact, ProsSoft, Shell, Wood and Yokogawa.
The number of industrial robots being used worldwide for electrical and electronics applications overtook those being bought by the automotive sector for the first time during 2020, according to the latest statistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). While the number of robots being bought for electronic applications soared from 89,000 in 2019 to 109,000 in 2020, those for automotive applications plummeted from 102,000 to 80,000.
Global sales of low-voltage AC drives fell by about 8.9% during 2020, with the EMEA region being hit hardest with sales plummeting by 17.8%, according to new data from Interact Analysis. The Americas experienced a 11.9% contraction, but in the Asia-Pacific region sales actually grew by 1.1%, driven by the Chinese economy which expanded despite the pandemic.
IBM and Boston Dynamics have formed an alliance to deliver data analysis at the edge to help industrial companies improve safety, optimise field operations, and boost maintenance productivity in environments such as factories, power plants, warehouses and more. They plan to transform Boston Dynamic’s robot “dog” Spot into an intelligent roaming edge device, designed to give industrial staff more flexibility to inspect and monitor their equipment with dynamic sensing.
The Japanese motors and drives manufacturer Nidec has acquired the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machine Tool company, which designs and manufactures machine tools, cutting tools and related products. As well as selling machine tools to external customers, Nidec plans to use the gear-cutting capabilities and expertise of the acquired business to boost its E-Axle activities, which produce combined motor, inverter and gearbox systems for use in electric vehicles.
The electric motors and mechanical power transmission manufacturer Regal Beloit has completed its merger with Rexnord Process and Motion Control (PMC) to create a new business, Regal Rexnord Corporation. The combined business, employing about 29,000 people and with manufacturing facilities on five continents, is predicted to generate revenues of around $5bn in 2022, with an adjusted Ebitda of more than $1bn. The merger is expected to generate synergies worth at least $120m over the coming three years.
Ten countries, including the UK, have pledged to double the efficiency of their electric motor systems and those of three other technologies – air-conditioners, refrigerators and lighting – by 2030. The countries are members of an initiative called Sead (Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment) that promotes the production, purchasing and use of energy-efficient equipment worldwide. Of Sead’s 21 participating governments, fewer than half have so far committed themselves to doubling equipment efficiencies by 2030 – a target which Sead admits is “ambitious”.
Siemens is spinning off its large drives applications (LDA) business as a separate legal entity, before possibly selling the operation or forming a partnership with another company. According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, the creation of LDA as a separate entity could be the first step towards divestiture. The operation is one of several businesses that Siemens has said it wants to improve or sell off.
Novanta, the US-based industrial conglomerate whose businesses include Celera Motion and ATI Industrial Automation, has bought US-based Schneider Electric Motion for $115m in cash and renamed it Novanta IMS. It specialises in brushless motors, integrated motor drives and electronic controls.
Takemitsu Takizaki, who founded the sensor and controls manufacturer Keyence in in 1974, has become Japan’s richest man with an estimated fortune worth $38.2bn – putting him ahead of the previous frontrunner Tadashi Yanai, who founded the clothing giant Uniqlo and has lost $9.7bn in the past year, leaving him with a mere $35.5bn.
Bright Machines, the US automation start-up that was valued at $1.6bn when it announced its intention to go public earlier this year, has released a software package “that liberates manufacturers from the constraints of traditional factory automation and introduces a new self-service capability that enables flexible automation at greater speed and lower cost”.
