New cybersecurity report reveals year-long intrusion in utility systems. - A Dragos report details how Volt Typhoon hackers accessed a Boston-area utility for a year, prompting cybersecurity upgrades. A report published by cybersecurity firm Dragos details how Chinese hackers linked to the Volt Typhoon group maintained access to a major power and water company near Boston, for nearly a year. The breach at Littleton Electric Light & Water Department occurred between February and late November 2023, when the FBI notified the utility of the intrusion. (Control Engineering)

Predictive maintenance solutions resource. - Mouser Electronics has introduced its new Predictive Maintenance Solutions online resource, dedicated to providing leading-edge technology and information directly to engineers of all skill levels. The new site explores the opportunities and benefits of predictive maintenance, supporting readers through their design journey.

Control system has increased operational agility. - Emerson's DeltaV™ Automation Platform is being expanded with the DeltaV version 15 Feature Pack 3 update for its distributed control system. New capabilities in Feature Pack 3 help users improve the availability of Ethernet-based field device networks through PROFINET system redundancy. Feature pack enhancements improve users’ ability to track changes and produce validation reports for version control both internally and for regulating authorities. In addition, new simulation enhancements continue to improve training options to upskill workforces more easily.

Servo motors with smart feedback device. - The new SFD-M (Smart Feedback Device, Multi-Turn) has been introduced by Kollmorgen. It allows machine builders to achieve high-resolution multi-turn feedback with absolute positioning information available at system startup.

Differential pressure sensor. - Synetica has launched the enLink Status-DP. This next-generation LoRaWAN differential pressure sensor redefines industry standards with unmatched accuracy, flexible range, and advanced wireless capabilities. Specifically engineered for HVAC, air quality monitoring, and industrial applications, the enLink Status-DP integrates Superior Sensor Technology’s HV210 differential pressure sensor, setting a new benchmark for precision and performance.

Android operated touch display. - BASDISP-AND is 10.1’’ Industrial Touch Display with Android operating system from Contemporary Controls. It is designed to optimizse display graphics by webpage from BASpi-Edge, BASview3 or any other HTML-based controller (for example Innotech Omni, Trend IQX, Cylon, Distech, Tridium, CentraLine, iSMA, DEOS, EasyIO). It offers an option to install an application Kiosk Mode (“Kiosk Browser Lockdown” available in Google “Play Store”) which is a perfect solution to fine tune what your display’s end-users will be able to do. The whole setup can be done with just a couple of taps.

Cybersecurity, IT/OT Collaboration and AI Efficiency Driving Decision-Making for Industrial Networks - Cybersecurity continues to be a top challenge for manufacturers running industrial facilities, but IT/OT collaboration can improve cybersecurity. Despite this, only 19% of firms have collaborative IT/OT teams. Currently, cybersecurity and AI top the charts of planned investments for the next one to two years, according to a Cisco’s 2024 Report (Automation.com)

Circular connectors & sockets. - The brand-new range of Amphenol CONEC M8 circular connectors and sockets with rapid, safe and secure snap or screw/snap terminations is now available from Inalco Hunter. In order to save time and provide ease of maintenance, the connectors can be quickly and easily plugged onto sockets, sensors and actuators without any further work or tools needed.

Data portal progress. - Data isn’t just the driver for project planning and design. The Eplan Data Portal offers users access to high-quality product catalogues from a continually growing pool of renowned component manufacturers. The portal has now passed the mark of more than two-million sets of static device data from around five hundred manufacturers! By using integrated configurators, users have far more than four million data sets at their fingertips. It’s a nearly limitless and ever-increasing variety of components that can quickly and easily be integrated into projects – and the data quality is naturally top notch.

Contour measurement. - The new Leuze ROD 300 series of laser scanners for accurate contour measurement and ROD 500 for precise AGV navigation have been introduced. These laser scanners in the ROD 300 series for contour measurement and the ROD 500 series as a high-resolution variant for navigation tasks are characterised by high scanning rates with simultaneously high angular resolution.

BAC Certification secured. - The EnOcean SmartServer has been successfully certified by the BACnet Testing Laboratories (BTL). This milestone underscores the company´s commitment to delivering open, interoperable building automation solutions that meet global standards, expanding possibilities for customers worldwide.

High-voltage contactors for Europe. - TTI IP&E – Europe is now stocking the ECP series of high-voltage contactors from TE Connectivity, a world leader in connectors and sensors. The ECP150B, ECP250B, and ECP350B are hermetically sealed and allow bi-directional flow. The ECP series contactors come with a continuous current capacity of up to 500A and a maximum switch voltage of 1500VDC at 1000A in 30ms or less, meeting the safety robustness needs of high-voltage applications, including battery energy storage systems, solar inverters, and EV charging applications.

Smart Safety Test saves time and promotes efficiency. - BASF’s largest new construction project in China, the Zhanjiang Verbund Site Project (ZVSP), requires high personnel and time expenditures for tests, especially Factory Acceptance Test (FAT), Integration Factory Acceptance Test (IFAT) and loop tests. To reduce these efforts, BASF has opted for the HIMA Smart Safety Test, integral part of SILworX®, HIMA’s engineering, diagnostics and test tool which enables a flexible, automated test concept over the entire life cycle of a safety system.

Air leak detection. - The Si1-LD, an industrial acoustic imaging camera that brings faster and more accurate compressed air leak detection to those operating on a modest condition monitoring budget has been introduced by FLIR. The Si1-LD offers improved detection and quantification capabilities in comparison with the existing FLIR Si124-LD Plus, along with a higher upper limit frequency range.

Minor investments in sensor quality protect major assets. - Sensor specification is an important consideration when choosing process monitoring and control equipment. However, in the following article, Juhani Lehto from Vaisala explains why the quality of a sensor can be difficult to determine from a spec sheet alone. The cost of high-end sensors can be negligible in comparison with the processes and assets that they help to manage and protect. Process managers should therefore invest in measurement technologies that have been proven to deliver stable, accurate reliable measurements in the long-term.

Magnus Hell, Christian Schlegel and Holger Zeltwanger have been re-elected as Directors of CiA (Can in Automation).

Reliable and inexpensive bellows couplings. - The KM Metal bellows coupling from Jakob Antriebstechnik, has proven itself on the market for decades as a reliable and inexpensive standard series of metal bellows couplings. Like all metal bellows couplings, it is rotationally rigid, but axial, angular and radial flexible. Despite the similarities, metal bellows couplings sometimes differ greatly from one another. The technical differences lie, for example, in the choice of bellows or the type of connection between bellows and hub or bellows and shaft.

Supporting practical space projects. - The WOBBLE2 project of the Berlin Experimental Astronautics Research Student e.V. (BEARS e.V.) is being supported by Sensirion with the high-precision SLF3S-4000B sensor. The dedicated team of students from the Technical University of Berlin has qualified for the 15th cycle of the REXUS/BEXUS program, which allows them to test their experiments on sounding rockets.

Keeping up with growing bandwidth and power requirements. - Antaira Technologies is helping industrial enterprises build the 10G network of the future by launching its new LMP-2804G-4XS and LMP-2812G-4X83 managed gigabit switches. These new high-density 1U rackmount switches are embedded with four 10G SFP+ fiber slots for connecting to an industrial backbone or high-capacity servers, along with the scalability of either 16 or 24 1G RJ45 Ethernet ports equipped with PoE+ supplying 30W per port to connected cameras, sensors, WAPs and other devices.

On-machine LED indicators. - The Allen‑Bradley 852C and 852D On-Machine LED Indicators, a powerful and compact solution for indicating machine status has been unveiled by Rockwell Automation. Maximising machine uptime requires a clear understanding of equipment and processes, and when critical conditions arise, effective communication is essential to address issues swiftly and avoid costly downtime.

Automation partner at ethylene complex. - ABB has signed a Leveraged Procurement Agreement (LPA) to support as the automation partner for Dow’s Path2Zero project at Fort Saskatchewan in Alberta, (CDN). According to Dow, the project, which is currently under construction, will create the world’s first net-zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions ethylene and derivatives complex1, producing essential building blocks needed for many of the materials and products on which society relies.

Growth Forecast for Global Manufacturing in 2025. - The longer-term growth trajectory appears to be steady, with calculations suggesting year-on-year growth in global manufacturing output between 2025 and 2029 of 3% to 5%. Regarding Asia, some emerging economies within the region are experiencing strong growth. Simultaneously, China’s growth appears slower compared with recent history, as it becomes a much more developed economy. Europe is set to witness growth, albeit slower-paced due to deindustrialisation in some of its larger states and economic stagnation. In contrast, the trajectory for the Americas region fluctuates more but is also stronger and more robust, while the forecast for manufacturing industry output growth in the region is almost double that for Europe. (Automation.com)

Robust connector system for demanding environments. - The LMR Series of rack and panel connectors from Weald Electronics provide a form, fit and function alternative to the ITW McMurdo Connectors RED Range which was made obsolete in 2024. Most residual stock of this widely used connector family has now been consumed but specialist connector distributor Lane Electronics is able to maintain supply to existing and new customers with a direct alternative from its sister company, Weald Electronics.

Camera family for cost-sensitive applications. - The new Tetra™ line scan camera family has been launched by Teledyne DALSA. Designed for a wide range of machine vision applications, Tetra leverages Teledyne’s latest multiline CMOS image sensor technology and builds on the success of the original Linea™ series of high-value line scan cameras.

Free pipette! - INTEGRA Biosciences is giving away the chance to win a MINI 96 portable electronic pipette in its latest prize draw. The MINI 96 is a compact and portable electronic pipette designed to revolutionize how laboratories fill 96 and 384 well plates.

Routing and network diagnosis. - The Portable BASrouter from Contemporary Controls, provides stand-alone routing and network diagnostics in an easy-to carry-compact case, making it ideal for commissioning and troubleshooting BACnet networks. Like all routers in our BASrouter series, this BACnet multi-network router delivers versatile routing between BACnet/IP, BACnet Ethernet (ISO 8802-3), and BACnet MS/TP, thereby allowing systems integrators to mix BACnet network technologies within a single BACnet internetwork.

High temperature relay. - Omron Electronic Components Europe has launched the G3VM S-VSON(L) MOS FET relay, designed for use in semiconductor test equipment, communication equipment, and test and measurement equipment. The relay is capable of operating at ambient temperatures of up to 125°C, improving on previous iterations which were limited to ambient temperatures of 110°C. As a MOS FET relay, the device is voltage-driven, removing the need for input side resistor selection, while freeing up additional board space.

Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, recipient of the 2025 imec Innovation Award.

Top spot for wireless charging system. - The PULS-Wiferion CW1000 autonomous mobile robot wireless charging system, which enables uninterrupted supply of power for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and mobile robots (AMRs) has been voted Product of the Year 2025 in the Automation, Digitalisation, and Connectivity category by readers of INDUSTRIAL Production magazine.

Platform certified for MES. - The first partner in the newly established PAS-X Data Access category of the Körber Ecosystem Partner program has been named. This partnership, with eschbach, empowers pharmaceutical manufacturers to leverage PAS-X MES data in Shiftconnector for real-time transparency across teams and departments to increase operational efficiency and excellence.

Sensors and analysers. - The new Mettler Toledo Process Analytics Catalogue for 2025 provides a comprehensive overview of solutions for analytical measurements in liquid process applications, pure water monitoring and gas-phase measurement.

Wireless testing advances. - The German engineering services and test company, EDAG, recently purchased Anritsu's Radio Communication Analyser MT8821C primarily for DUT maximum output power and receiver sensitivity testing. The Anritsu MT8821C offers EDAG a variety of benefits that include quick and simple OTA (Over The Air) connection with a DUT, an easy to use and train GUI and the ability to quickly find and configure key parameters for establishing an OTA connection such as input/output levels and SIM card criteria.

Passing the chain! - Mr Patrick Corbett was elected as President of the very active Ireland Section of the International Society of Automation (ISA) at the recent AGM held in Cork. He succeeds Patrick Bonner who held the office for the past few years.

Configurator pecision lead screws. - A significant upgrade to Thomson Industries' online lead screw selector tool with enhanced configuration capabilities for its miniature models has been announced. Available in diameters of 2, 3 and 4 mm, Thomson miniature lead screws are engineered for applications that demand compact, precise motion – catering specifically to the medical, robotics and automation markets.

Connector for the most demanding environments. - Stäubli’s modular connector CombiTac uniq is suitable for the most demanding environments. With up to 100,000 mating cycles and a variety of different contacts, this connector offers the ideal customisable and durable solution. The portfolio of available contacts is constantly being expanded and therefore offers even more flexibility for your applications. The new 12 mm power module complements this portfolio and is suitable for high-current applications thanks to its conductor cross section of 120 mm².

Digital transformation in life science manufacturing. - Körber has officially certified HighByte Intelligence Hub for seamless integration with PAS-X MES as part of the Körber Ecosytem Partner Program. HighByte has achieved the “PAS-X MSI Plug & Produce” certification. This partnership empowers life sciences manufacturers to fast-track their digital transformation, enabling improved data visibility, enhanced operational agility, and increased manufacturing efficiency.