News » World News Ocado buys two robotics companies for $287m
The British online supermarket and technology group Ocado is buying two North American robotics companies – Kindred Systems and Haddington Dynamics – for a total of $287m to enhance its robotic manipulation capabilities and to accelerate the delivery of robotic picking technologies to its Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) customers. Ocado has also acquired a minority stake in materials-handling robotics start-up called Myrmex, which has operations in the US and Greece.
Siemens sells Flender gears business to Carlyle for €2bn
Siemens is selling its Flender mechanical and electrical drives business to the global investment firm, The Carlyle Group, for €2.02bn. Further details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
VW orders more than 2,200 robots in bid to become EV leader
Volkswagen has ordered more than 2,200 industrial robots from two different suppliers, to be installed at plants in Germany and the US. The Japanese robot manufacturer Fanuc will supply more than 1,400 machines for VW production facilities at Chattanooga in the US and Emden in Germany, while ABB will provide a further 800 for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ factory in Hanover, which is being modernised to manufacture the new ID. Buzz electric van due to enter production in 2022.
WEG completes multimillion Euro expansion in Austria
WEG has completed a multimillion Euro expansion of its Centre of Excellence for Drive Development at its Watt Drive geared motor subsidiary in Austria. Watt Drive now has more than 10,000m2 of floor space, with 60% more space than before devoted to CNC production and 20% more to storage. A further six-figure investment is planned for the site’s machine pool in the period to 2023.
Rockwell reverses pay cuts and restores retirement matches
Rockwell Automation has announced that the temporary salary reductions that it implemented on its US employees in May in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be reversed at the end of November 2020. It will also reinstate its match for US employees participating in 401(k) retirement savings plans at the same time.
Schneider calls for an automation revolution
Schneider Electric is calling for a revolution in automation technologies, based on open standards, that, it says, will “unleash innovation and boost efficiency, resilience, productivity, agility and sustainability”. It has unveiled what it describes as “the world’s first software-centric automation system” and says the time is right for a bold move in industrial automation. It is urging industrial users, vendors, OEMs, systems integrators to embrace what it calls “universal automation”.
Rockwell and Microsoft expand partnership
Rockwell Automation and Microsoft have announced a five-year expansion of their existing partnership, aimed at empowering manufacturers with the agility, intelligence, and scale to deliver digital transformation initiatives from the cloud to the edge.
Lika’s acquisition of encoder-maker Bogen is made to measure
The Italian optical and magnetic measurement specialist Lika Electronic has acquired the German encoder manufacturer, Bogen Electronic, for an undisclosed sum.
Rockwell buys Spanish cybersecurity firm, Oylo
Rockwell Automation has acquired the Spanish industrial cybersecurity services provider, Oylo, saying that the acquisition will accelerate its global delivery capability in this rapidly developing market and expand the cybersecurity services that it offers to the industrial market. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
HMS takes 70% stake in Dutch networking firm Procentec
The Swedish industrial communications specialist HMS Industrial Networks has acquired a 70% stake in the Dutch business Procentec, which specialises in diagnostics and monitoring of industrial networks.
ABB buys Codian to expand into hygienic delta robots
ABB has acquired the Dutch delta robot manufacturer Codian Robotics, whose products includes a hygienic line, suitable for food and beverage and pharmaceuticals applications. The deal accelerates ABB’s involvement in the expanding field of delta robots, which are used mainly for precision pick-and-place duties. Both have parties agreed not to disclose any details regarding the purchase price.
Emerson buys Italy’s Progea to boost its software portfolio
Emerson has bought the Italian industrial software developer, the Progea Group, for an undisclosed sum. Progea supplies IIoT (industrial internet of things), plant analytics, HMI (human machine interface) and Scada (supervisory control and data acquisition) software.
Atlas Copco adds Perceptron to Isra to boost vision division
Atlas Copco is buying the US automated metrology supplier Perceptron for $68.9m in cash and plans to add it to its newly created machine vision division, which it formed after buying the German machine vision specialist Isra Vision for $1.19bn earlier this year.
Automatica show will become a 'compact' event in mid-2021
Automatica, the German robotics and automation exhibition, originally due to take place in June this year, before being rescheduled to December, will now become “a compact in-person event” taking place in mid-2021. The next full-scale Automatica will be held in June 2022. The show’s organiser, Messe München, is also planning to expand its digital activities.
Motion controls firm is awarded ISO 4001 certification
The motion controls manufacturer Elmo Motion Control has been certified to the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems, providing assurance that it complies with regulations and laws relating to environmental protection and emergency preparedness.
