AMRs and AGVs will push ULV drives sales to $3.1bn by 2027
Global sales of ultra-low voltage (under 60V) drives are set to soar from $753m in 2021 to $3.1bn by 2027 – a CAGR of 25.9% – according to Interact Analysis. The growth is being driven by the rapid take-up of battery-powered AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) and AGVs (automated guided vehicles).
Siemens links up with Microsoft and IBM to deliver its vision
At the recent Hannover Messe, Siemens announced partnerships with several key players in the OT/IT world, including IBM and Microsoft, aimed at promoting its vision of the future of manufacturing.
Rexroth wins Hermes award for giving robots a human touch
The winner of this year’s Hermes technology award at the Hannover Messe is Bosch Rexroth for its Smart Flex effector compensation module that gives industrial robots a sense of touch similar to that of the human hand. The 2023 Hermes award for start-ups has gone to a Dutch company, MantiSpectra, for its ChipSense product – a near-infrared sensor-on-a-chip, claimed to be the smallest on the market, which can spot production-line defects as soon as they occur, allowing savings to be made through immediate quality control.
Industrial AI and IT portfolio includes ‘first virtual PLC’
At this month’s Hannover Messe, Siemens is unveiling an open portfolio for automating and operating industrial production. Called Industrial Operations X, the interoperable portfolio brings cutting-edge IT and AI technologies to industrial automation. It is part of Siemens’ Xcelerator digital business platform, which brings together software, hardware, an ecosystem of partners, as well as a marketplace.
Global manufacturing turndown will arrive two years early
Updated research by Interact Analysis indicates that the current economic turbulence will continue to have a dampening effect on the global manufacturing industry. Just three months ago, the analyst had been predicting a global slowdown in manufacturing in 2026, but now thinks that this will occur in 2024, two years sooner than originally expected.
Emerson buys NI for $8.2bn to expand into T&M automation
Emerson is buying and National Instruments in a transaction that values NI at $8.2bn. The aim is to expand its activities to include test and measurement automation and to target high-growth markets.
Wago is first to adopt Bosch Rexroth’s open real-time OS
Bosch Rexroth’s ambition for its ctrlX OS operating system to be adopted by other automation suppliers has been given a boost by the German automation and connection technology specialist Wago deciding to use the real-time Linux-based OS for its future mid- and high-performance controllers.
nVent buys US electricals supplier ECM, for $1.1bn
The electrical connection and protection systems supplier nVent Electric is buying ECM Investors – which owns the US-based connectors, tools, test instruments, and cable management specialist ECM Industries – for $1.1bn.
Regal Rexnord buys Altra Industrial Motion for $4.95bn
Regal Rexnord has bought Altra Industrial Motion, closing a deal that was signed in October 2022 and values Altra at $4.95bn. Regal Rexnord says that the merger will transform it into a global automation supplier with more than 70% of its sales in expanding markets, as well as combining the companies’ “complementary” power transmission portfolios. It is aiming for revenues of around $8.3bn by 2025 and expects costs synergies worth $160m within four years.
BMW runs new plant virtually, two years before it opens
The German car-maker BMW has started to “operate” a new plant virtually, more than two years before the real factory begins production. In what it calls a “revolution in factory planning,” virtual manufacturing is already underway for its Debrecen factory in Hungary, which is due to start producing BMW’s next generation of all-electric models, the Neue Klasse, in 2025.
ABB offers refunds if large motors don’t hit efficiency targets
ABB has launched an initiative to encourage the specification of higher-efficiency large motors by guaranteeing to refund operating costs if the machines do not meet promised efficiency criteria. The Top Industrial Efficiency (Tie) scheme is an attempt by the motor-maker to overcome the tendency to specify the lowest-cost machine that meets an application’s specifications. This is a particular problem with motors that are specified by OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) who will not have to pay the motor’s running costs and therefore specify the lowest-cost option rather than the most efficient.
Technology and skills shortages are holding back manufacturers
A survey of 1,350 manufacturers in 13 countries has revealed that more than 40% of them are struggling to outpace their competitors due to a lack of technology and suitably skilled workforces.
Car-makers doubt EV targets: is automation the answer?
A survey of nearly 600 automotive industry leaders around the world has revealed that more than half (59%) do not think that EV (electric vehicle) adoption targets are achievable within government-set deadlines. The Automotive Manufacturing Outlook survey, commissioned by ABB Robotics and the publication Automotive Manufacturing Solutions, reveals worries over the high levels of investment needed, shortages of raw materials, poor charging infrastructures, insufficient grid capacity, and challenges in adapting to new battery supply chains.
Schaeffler buys French condition-monitoring specialist
Schaeffler is buying the French condition-monitoring specialist Eco-Adapt SAS to strengthen its position in the field of digital predictive maintenance and to expand its industrial portfolio. The terms of the deal have not been released.
Rockwell buys India’s Knowledge Lens to boost its AI services
Rockwell Automation has bought Knowledge Lens, an Indian company that combines digital technologies with deep data science, AI (artificial intelligence) and engineering expertise to provide insights from enterprise data. The Bengaluru-based business will join Kalypso, Rockwell’s digital services business, to help manufacturers around the world to accelerate their digital transformations. Details of the transaction have not been revealed.