Automation body leadership. - The International Society of Automation (ISA) has announced its Society leadership for the term beginning 1 January 2025.

High clamping forces with easy handling. - The Jakob Antriebstechnik clamping nuts of the MCA-S and MCA-T series are an advancement of the proven MCA series. To enhance user-friendliness, the traditional hexagon design has been supplemented with a star or T-handle, allowing for easy operation by hand without additional tools. Significant clamping force can be effortlessly applied thanks to the integrated planetary gear system.

Empowering batch consistency, quality, and innovation. - DeltaV™ Edge Environment 2.0 is the newest version of Emerson's edge technology for delivering OT applications and contextualized control data anywhere in the enterprise. The updated DeltaV Edge Environment now supports batch data integration to help life sciences, chemical processing and other batch processing industries leverage their critical data in analytics applications, AI and machine learning applications, IT enterprise systems and more, whether on-premises or in the cloud.

Tackling AI's compute memory bottleneck. - Vertical Compute founded by CEO Sylvain Dubois (ex-Google) and CTO Sebastien Couet (ex-imec), has successfully closed a seed investment round of €20 million. The round was led by imec.xpand and supported by a strong investor base including Eurazeo, XAnge, Vector Gestion and imec. The funding will support Vertical Compute's ambition to develop a novel vertical integrated memory and compute technology, unlocking a new generation of AI applications.

Tracking tracing and sensing. A leading provider of localisation solutions, Undagrid B.V., has been acquired by EnOcean GmbH. This strategic move enables EnOcean to introduce the world´s first tracking, tracing, and sensing solution without batteries and regular maintenance. By combining their expertise, the two companies aim to revolutionize asset management across vertical markets such as aviation, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. Undagrid will retain its brand and operational independence under the new partnership.

Upgrade brings more safety. - The latest update to Kollmorgan's SafeMotion™ Monitor (SMM) firmware has been announced. This upgrade, SMM2.0, allows OEMs to leverage SMM functional safety features with more encoder and motor types to support a wider range of applications such as material forming, multi-axis measurement equipment, food processing and food packaging.

Connector supplier of the year! - Harwin PLC is winner of Anglia Components' Supplier Of The Year Award, 2024. The prestigious award is given on an annual basis to the company within Anglia’s portfolio of leading component manufacturing partners that has shown outstanding support for Anglia’s customers during that year. During 2024, Harwin, a leading manufacturer of connectors and accessories for high reliability, high performance applications, exceeded Anglia’s performance metrics and very actively supported Anglia’s new customer acquisition and support campaigns.

Jeff Rozelle has been appointed Senior Vice President of Business Development, West Region (USA) with AES Clean Technology.

Device safety in vibration. - A new patented DIN-Rail clip introduced by Antaira Technologies has reimagined traditional mount designs, resulting in a more secure attachment for its Ethernet switches and routers onto any 35mm metal rail. The DIN-Rail clips, now available, replace the standard clips that come with most Antaira devices.

Collaborative Robot design recognised. - A major milestone for Delta's D-Bot Series Collaborative Robots (Cobots) has been announced. They have been honoured with the prestigious 2025 German Design Award in the category of Excellent Product Design. This accolade, which follows their 2024 Red Dot Design Award win in Singapore earlier this year, highlights. The German Design Awards, presented by the German Design Council, are among the most prestigious honors in the design industry.

Discounted acoustic camera. - Following the success of the FLIR 124-LD acoustic camera, earlier this year FLIR introduced a new state of the art acoustic camera entitled the FLIR Si2-LD, containing several new advanced features. As a result, FLIR are now offering the FLIR 124-LD camera at a discounted price while stocks last.

Safety controller. - IDEC Corporation is launching the FS1B Safety Controller—an upgrade of the popular FS1A device—providing additional features. The FS1B lets designers create streamlined machine safety systems with multiple safety channels by using any of 24 preset safety logic strategies selected with DIP switch configuration—with no programming required.

Distributor Of The Year. - Mouser Electronics, Inc., has been awarded with the Distributor of the Year award in the category of E-Commerce Distribution from Bourns and received the award in Munich (D) in November 2024. This accolade was awarded for the strongest sales and new customer growth in the EMEA region.

Top ISA blogs. - Here are the top 20 overall highest performing blog posts of 2024 on ISA Interchange. Contributing to the ISA Interchange blog can be a great way to build a reputation as a thought leader. ISA welcome items sharing knowledge and insights of the automation profession during the coming year.

Strategic process automation partnership launched. - SICK and Endress+Hauser are bringing their strategic partnership in process automation to life: SICK's advanced gas analysis and flow measurement technology is now an integral part of Endress+Hauser's comprehensive instrumentation portfolio. The collaboration is designed to offer customers in the process industry enhanced support in increasing plant efficiency, protecting the environment and reducing carbon footprint.

Private 5G networks made easy. - Moxa has made upgrading to 5G private wireless networks easy with its UC-4400A computer. The UC-4400A is an Arm Cortex-A53 quad-core 64-bit computer that comes equipped with built-in LTE/5G and Wi-Fi 6E capabilities, offering an all-in-one solution combining data collection, processing, and wireless connectivity. It simplifies network infrastructure and enables hassle-free relocation or expansion of equipment without additional wiring. The UC-4400A reduces the complexity of legacy physical networks, improves scalability, and future-proofs industrial operations to meet evolving needs.

Importance of vibration monitoring. - Vibration checks resonate with owners after newbuild pump failures The failure of a cargo pump onboard a newbuild tanker has highlighted the need for crews to regularly monitor rotating machinery for excessive wear and vibration, if unnecessary downtime and costs are to be prevented. CM Technologies' Sales Director Uwe Krueger cites other examples where ships' pumps appeared to be in sound condition, but were in fact close to being written off.

Fabian Dreier (42) is to succeed Oliver Blum as Corporate Director Supply Chain of the Endress+Hauser Group on 1 February 2025.

Europe's first commercial-scale floating offshore windfarm. - Aker Solutions has awarded ABB a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for the 560 MW Green Volt floating offshore wind project, led by Vargronn and Flotation Energy. Green Volt, located 80km off the coast of Peterhead in northeast Scotland, aims to become the first commercial-scale floating wind farm in Europe and will contribute to the decarbonizsation of the country's energy system.

Korean carbon tech partner. - Emerson's advanced measurement and automation technologies will assist LowCarbon, a South Korean company in driving the development of innovative carbon capture technologies to help Korea achieve carbon neutrality and sustainable growth. This collaboration will advance carbon capture technologies to help Korean energy sector thrive in a sustainability-focused market.

OT Cybersecurity Conference report. - The second rendition of the annual ISA Ireland Section OT Cybersecurity Conference in Mullingar comes to a close once again, following and building on last year's success and in the midst of a cold snap. The NIS2 Directive is pre-eminent in our speakers, sponsors and attendees minds and this year's conference was put together with a focus on the directive; specifically how our attendees may learn from both our speakers and sponsors as to how they can craft their approach to alignment with the directive, and frameworks which can assist them in this effort, such as the ISA/IEC-62443 standard. (Brian Hennessy, ISA Ireland Section Committee - Cyber|Ireland)

Quality inspection sensors. - SmartRay has added a new model to its innovative ECCO X series, giving users a choice of laser wavelengths. Their new ECCO X 100 combines fast, high-resolution inspection with maximum mounting flexibility, to meet the highest customer demands.

Powering the future of solar. - Fluke Corporation has released new survey findings highlighting key challenges for the solar industry on its path to a net-zero future. The survey identifies improving panel efficiency, transitioning from reactive to predictive maintenance, and adopting smart technologies as top priorities. Crucially, data emerges as the driving force behind innovation and operational efficiency, offering solutions to these pressing challenges.

Why should dew point sensors have a fast response? - Humidity is the enemy of battery manufacturers, so its measurement and control is extremely important – not just for the plant's energy efficiency, but also for the quality and yield of batteries, affecting issues such as range in EVs. One of Vaisala's experts Antti Viitanen explains why a fast response time is so important for dew point sensors.

Touch display. - The new Powertip 4.3" TFT Touch Display is now available from Inelco Hunter. This is aimed at applications where a bright, compact display with a full viewing angle is required.

Cybersecurity initiative commended. - An initiative by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to identify and address key security practices for enhancing the quality and safety of software products, particularly across industries has been commended by TrustInSoft (TIS).

Peieter de Koning (L), is Chief Information Officer on Endress+Hauser's Executive Board, while Oliver Blum who takes over as Oliver Blum takes over the management of the group-wide IT service provider.

Energy trends 2025. - As global energy demands rises alongside the challenges of climate change, the need for a resilient and sustainable energy system has never been more urgent, according to GridBeyond's latest white paper "Energy trends 2025 – The rise of the demand side." Now in its sixth edition, the report offers an in depth analysis of the energy systems in the UK, Ireland, USA, Australia and Japan highlighting their shared challenges like aging infrastructure, rising energy demand, and the need for innovation.

What Industry 4.0 Means to Automation Professionals - Automation has been at the forefront of nearly every country, enterprise, individual, educational curriculum and society. There can hardly be any intellectual discussion, business forum or program in today's world where automation does not take center stage. We work, live, breathe, follow and preach automation in today's application programming interface (API) economy and generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI)-obsessed world, which is leading us to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). (InTech Plus)

Generative AI to boost productivity, efficiency and sustainability. - Building on its long-standing collaboration with Microsoft, ABB has launched ABB Ability™ Genix Copilot, a generative AI solution that helps energy, utilities and other industries improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability by contextualising vast amounts of data and providing actionable insights in an intuitive manner.

Towards unravelling of the universe. - Analyzer to evaluate 1.6 Tbps transmission system of radio telescope. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) has selected the Anritsu 400G Tester and Optical Spectrum Analyzer MS9740B for the evaluation of a new data transmission system (DTS) for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) located in Chile. The Network Master Pro MT1040A of the 400G Tester was used to evaluate the DTS communication function with 1.6 Tbps data transmission.

Shading control. - An advanced portfolio of KNX-based Blind/Roller Shutter Actuators has been announced for ABB's smart building and home automation solutions, as part of its façade control portfolio. The latest additions to the range will enable seamless integration into a KNX system for reliable, automated control of blinds and shutters, as well as provide enhanced security and energy-saving features to enable more sustainable buildings.

Android and Linux-based Smart TFT displays. - Review Display Systems (RDS) have announced a new range of Android and Linux-based smart displays from a leading supplier of advanced display solutions, DWIN. The innovative display modules have been designed to aid and assist embedded system development and provide engineers with easy-to-use tools to create user-friendly, interactive graphical user interfaces for industrial, security, healthcare and retail applications.

Electro Rent has appointed Alan Mayer as its Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).

Memory & storage excellence recognised. - Taiwan Excellence Award for three major memory and storage solutions. The 2025 Taiwan Excellence Award has ben achieved by Innodisk for three of its innovative products. The award recognizes the company's strengths in product innovation, R&D, and quality control. The three award-winning products are the CXL Memory Module, DDR5 Air/Immersive Dual Cooling Memory, and E1.S 4TS2-P SSD.

Specialist in enclosure climate control strengthens its position in China. - STEGO is converting its former sales office in Nanjing, a major economic hub in China, into an independent subsidiary with its own office organisation and warehouse. This transformation will ensure the consistent availability of STEGO products in the important Chinese market and enables invoicing in the local currency, Renminbi (Yuan), simplifying billing and transaction processes.

Clamping screw with power amplifier. - The heart of the JAKOB SC power clamping screws is their unique inner workings: a specially developed wedge clamping system. This system serves as a powerful amplifier and enables extremely high clamping forces with low tightening torques. The simple, manual operation guarantees the highest operational reliability.

PI's 2024 Innovation Awards winners. - For more than 20 years, P.I. Process Instrumentation's annual Innovation Awards program has recognized the latest solutions in process instrumentation.The program accepts nominations from companies that would like to submit their technology breakthroughs in process instrumentation.

Support for climate protection. - Endress+Hauser has achieved a further milestone in sustainability: The Science Based Targets initiative has validated the Group's greenhouse gas reduction targets. Both the near-term target for 2034 and the net-zero target for 2050 are therefore in harmony with the 1.5-degree Celsius path of the Paris Climate Agreement and correspond with current scientific findings.

Source measurement unit. - The AQ2300 series high-performance, high-speed SMU (Source Measure Unit) has been released by Yokogawa Test & Measurement in the European market. It addresses various density needs for semiconductor/communication devices and offers high-quality pulse generation alongside high-precision voltage/current generation and measurements. Its inherent productivity and expandability characteristics means that the 2-channel SMU module also saves time and space when performing the typically complex measurement functions essential for semiconductor devices.

Seamless data interoperability for machines. - Siemens and Eplan are to make engineering and production processes for customers in machine and line building more efficient. This will be achieved by both companies significantly expanding data interoperability between their offerings. The automated interaction between Siemens' Teamcenter X® software, TIA Portal, Eplan Electric P8 and Eplan Pro Panel makes engineering information available right on Eplan and vice-versa.

Higher voltage motor. - The Editron EM-PMI375 690-volt electric motor has been launched by Danfoss Power Solutions. Based on synchronous reluctance assisted permanent magnet technology, the EM-PMI375 functions as both a motor and a generator. It is designed to work with the Editron EC-C1700B inverter, offering a system solution for 690-V AC and 1,050-V DC applications such as winches, cranes, marine vessels, and mining and material handling machinery.

Simple natural gas analysis in custody transfer etc. - The Rosemount™ 470XA Gas Chromatograph, just released by Emerson, is designed to simplify natural gas analysis in custody transfer and other process applications.

Among best in sustainable growth. - Vaisala has been recognized in the 2025 edition of TIME's "World's Best Companies* – Sustainable Growth" study. The study, conducted by TIME Magazine in collaboration with Statista, globally identifies companies that have shown outstanding performance in sustainable growth. This high global ranking underscores Vaisala's dedication to being both profitable and good for the planet. Vaisala has been ranked 38th in the study.

Robotics power production and logistics efficiency. - An agreement for a state-of-the-art installation of 10 atlas pallet shuttles, 3 elevators and 4 escala bin shuttles at Knorr-Bremse's plant in Lisieux (F) has been announced bu Movu Robotics. Delta+ Consulting facilitated this project in close collaboration with Knorr-Bremse and Movu Robotics, underscoring the commitment to innovation and operational excellence shared by all partners involved. The project's go-live for the installation is scheduled for early 2026.

Safety Symposium to mark the 25years in Benelux. - HIMA Group celebrated 25 years of HIMA's presence in the Benelux market at the Functional Safety Symposium 2024, held on November 28 in Dordrecht. More than 150 attendees explored the latest solutions for the digitalisation of functional safety.

How to Approach the Risks of IoT Technology. - NIST offers manufacturers an array of cybersecurity information related to Internet of Things technologies—from device selection and implementation guidance to outlines on what capabilities IoT devices should feature. (Automation World)