News » World News Siemens separates off mechanical drives business
Siemens is setting up its Mechanical Drives (MD) business as a separate company, in a move that could lead to its eventual sell-off. Siemens says that the new setup that will enable the business to operate more efficiently and flexibly in implementing its growth plans in a competitive environment.
ABB acquires Spanish 3D inspection pioneer, NUB3D
ABB has acquired a Spanish start-up company called NUB3D, which specialises in white-light 3D sensor technologies, which use digital scanning to optimise inspection and quality assurance in manufacturing. The sensors are said to detect defects in manufactured parts with high levels of accuracy.
Midea takes control of Israeli motion firm, Servotronix
The Chinese appliances giant Midea has taken control of the Israeli motion control specialist Servotronix Motion Control in a transaction that is reported to value Servotronix at $170m. The deal comes shortly after Midea acquired the German robot-maker, Kuka, for €4.5m, and a week after another Chinese company, Estun Automation, bought the UK motion control specialist, Trio Motion Technology, for £15.5m.
The factory of the future could cut costs by up to 40%
Manufacturers who start to implement the factory of the future today will save up to 40% of their conversion costs in ten years. This is the conclusion of a US-German study that quizzed more than 750 production managers in leading industrial companies around the world.
Nidec completes $1.2bn takeover of Emerson units
UPDATED: The Japanese motor manufacturer Nidec has completed its $1.2bn purchase of Emerson Electric’s motors, drives and power generation businesses – principally, the Welsh drives-maker Control Techniques and the French motor manufacturer, Leroy-Somer. Nidec predicts that the deal will accelerate its growth and help it to meet a mid-term goal of achieving two trillion yen ($17.6bn) in sales by the year ending March 2021.
Minimum motor efficiencies in EU now extend down to 750W
The latest phase of the EU’s motor efficiency regulations came into force last month, requiring most new single-speed, three-phase induction motors from 750W up to 375kW either to have an IE3 (“premium efficiency”) efficiency rating, or to be IE2 (“high efficiency”) and used with a variable-speed drive.
Italy’s ESA Automation buys drive-maker Selema
Italy’s ESA Automation has acquired the drives-maker Selema for an undisclosed sum. Selema, founded in 1978 and based near Bologna, produces drives with current ratings from 0.5–60A, to control brushless, linear and torque motors, among others.
€17.5m distribution centre will accelerate bearings deliveries
The bearings manufacturer NSK is investing almost €17.5m to build a new European Distribution Centre (EDC), 4km from its existing site at Tilburg in the Netherlands. It says that the 17,357m² facility, due to be completed by July, will allow it to stock more, to operate more efficiently, and to make faster deliveries to customers.
A return to growth in 2017 is one of top 7 automation trends
Following two years of contraction, the global automation market will return to growth this year, according to the market analyst, IHS Markit, which has published a list of what it thinks will be the top seven manufacturing trends during 2017.
PI acquires 80% of Israeli motion control specialist, ACS
The motion control and nanopositioning systems specialist PI (Physik Instrumente) has acquired 80% of ACS Motion Control, the Israeli developer and manufacturer of controllers and drives for multi-axis systems. The financial terms have not been disclosed.
Yaskawa invests €25m to expand its European activities
The Japanese automation and robotics manufacturer Yaskawa is investing around €25m to expand its production facilities in Europe and to open a new robot manufacturing plant and European robotics development centre in Slovenia, creating around 200 jobs in the process.
US invests $25m in advanced motor technologies
The US Department of Energy has announced nearly $25m of funding for 13 projects aimed at advancing technologies for high-efficiency electric motors. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Next Generation Electric Machines projects will address the limitations of traditional materials and designs by enhancing their efficiency, improving their performance, and reducing their weight.
Industrial automation market ‘will exceed $250bn by 2024’
A new report from Transparency Market Research predicts that the global market for industrial automation equipment will expand from $183bn in 2015 to reach $352bn by the end of 2024 – a CAGR of 6.6% over the period. Part of this growth will be driven by manufacturing industry revolutionising the way that it operates. Another driving factor is said to be a strong growth in demand for CNC technologies.
Dana buys Brevini's power transmission and fluid power activities
The US vehicle technologies supplier Dana Incorporated is acquiring the power transmission and fluid power businesses of the Italian Brevini Group in a deal that values the group at €325m, including the assumption of about €100m of debt. Dana plans initially to buy an 80% share in the Brevini businesses, with an option to acquire the remaining 20% by 2020.
Schaeffler buys Compact Dynamics to boost drives activities
The automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler is buying a 51% stake in Compact Dynamcs, the German manufacturer of high-performance motors currently owned by the power semiconductor specialist, Semikron. Under the deal, which gives Schaeffler the option of acquiring the remaining shares in 2018, it will also cooperate with Semikron in the development of power electronic systems and the integration of power electronic components. Financial details have not been released.
