•  SKF is making further cutbacks to adapt its capacity to market conditions, with the industrial division bearing the brunt of the reductions, with 300 jobs being lost. In all, about 450 jobs will be axed, mainly in Germany, Italy and Sweden. The total cost will be around SEK400m (£34m).

•  Pilz has become the exclusive supplier of IP20-protected distributed I/O systems for BMW plants worldwide. The deal follows a two-year collaborative period during which Pilz developed a new head module with a Profinet interface for its PSSuniversal I/O system. The first installations will be in BMW plants in Regensburg, Munich and Leipzig.

•  The global market for automation components used in photovoltaic manufacturing equipment will grow from $450m in 2008 to more than $1.2bn by 2013, according to a new forecast from IMS Research. Most of the growth will come in Asia, which is expected to account for more than half of the market.

•  Wago has taken a 25.1% stake in the German automation supplier elrest Automationssysteme, which specialises in operating and monitoring systems. Elrest will continue to operate under its own name. 

•  The 2010 Hannover Fair will include a new show called CoilTechnica aimed at manufacturers of motors, coils and transformers. The show will take place every two years.
 
•   Yaskawa is transferring its shares in the Yaskawa Siemens Numerical Control joint venture, to its partner, Siemens KK. The JV was founded in 2000 to supply drives and controls to Japanese machine tool builders.