News » World News Siemens to cut around 2,500 Drives and Process jobs
Siemens has announced plans to cut around 2,500 jobs from its Large Drives and Process Solutions businesses worldwide, in response to the downturn in the oil and gas, metals and mining sectors.
Industrial Internet and Industry 4.0 groups collaborate
Two groups working on future industrial architectures – the Industrial Internet Consortium and Germany’s Plattform Industrie 4.0 consortium – have agreed to work together to align their efforts more closely.
Global motion control shipments ‘fell by 3.9% in 2015’
Global shipments of motion control products fell by 3.9% last year to $2.9bn, according to statistics released by the US-based trade group, the Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA).
Global industrial robot sales ‘will reach 1.3 million by 2018’
By 2018, around 1.3 million industrial robots will be entering service in factories around the world, according to the latest forecast from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). Revenues are soaring and the global market for robotic systems is already worth around $32bn. Between 2013 and 2014, sales to the high-revenue automotive sector grew by a record-breaking 43%, the IFR reports.
Sales of industrial Ethernet surge, but fieldbuses still lead
Sales of industrial Ethernet technologies are growing faster than ever before and now account for 38% of the global market for industrial networks, according to the latest annual analysis by the Swedish industrial networking specialist, HMS.
ISO issues guidance on using collaborative robots safely
The ISO (International Standards Organisation) has published its long-awaited standard that gives guidance on ensuring the safety of humans working with collaborative robots. ISO/TS 15066:2016 – Robots and robotic devices – Collaborative robots specifies safety requirements for collaborative industrial robot systems and the work environment, and supplements the requirements and guidance given in ISO 10218-1 and ISO 10218-2, published in 2011. The 33-page document will help integrators of robotic cells to conduct risk assessments when installing collaborative robots.
Rockwell buys linear motion developer MagneMotion
Rockwell Automation is buying MagneMotion, the US manufacturer of intelligent conveying systems, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will complement Rockwell’s existing iTrak linear transport system – which it acquired when it bought Jacobs Automation in 2013 – to create what Rockwell calls “the broadest portfolio of independent cart solutions” in this emerging technology area.
Sweden’s HMS Networks is buying Belgium’s eWon for €30m
The Swedish industrial communications company, HMS Industrial Networks – a subsidiary of HMS Networks – is buying eWon, the Belgian specialist in IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and intelligent Internet-based remote access routers, for €30m. HMS says the deal will make it a market-leader in remote access and monitoring technologies for industrial communications.
Tests show gearbox efficiency ratings are out by up to 25%
A series of tests of industrial gearbox efficiencies conducted by a team of Belgian researchers have cast doubt on the accuracy of efficiency figures given in gearbox manufacturers' catalogues. The researchers, from the University of Ghent, tested more than a dozen gearboxes and found that the measured efficiencies ranged from 25% worse to 11% better than those given by the manufacturers in their catalogues.
RS turns the spotlight on its own-label products
RS Components has announced plans to place a greater emphasis on its own-label products and has launched a new brand, RS Pro, to identify its range of more than 40,000 own-label industrial and electronics products. It also plans to extend the range and to back them with an RS Seal of Approval, “representing leading industry standards for audit, inspection, test and certification”.
Industry 4.0 will be a factor in 5m job losses in next five years
The Fourth Industrial Revolution – also known as Industry 4.0 – combined with other socio-economic and demographic changes, will transform labour markets in the next five years, leading to a net loss of more than five million jobs in 15 major developed and emerging economies, according to new research published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) at its meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this week.
Global electric motors market heads above $140bn
The global market for electric motors will expand from just under $100bn in 2014 to reach more than $140bn by 2022, according to a new report from Grand View Research. It says that advances in technology and regulatory policies aimed at improving energy efficiency will be vital factors in driving this growth, which represents a CAGR of 4.5% from 2015 to 2022.
Password vulnerability found in Schneider PLCs
Schneider Electric is issuing firmware updates for more than a dozen Ethernet communications modules and CPUs in its Modicon M340 PLC family after a vulnerability was found that could be exploited to stop a device or execute code on it remotely.
Allied Motion buys German motor-maker Heidrive for €20m
The US motion control specialist Allied Motion Technologies is buying the German motors and servodrives manufacturer, Heidrive, for €20m (about $22m). Allied says that the acquisition will broaden its geographical reach and expand its product and technical capabilities.
Minebea and Mitsumi plan to merge their businesses
The Japanese bearings-maker Minebea is merging its business with that of the electronics parts manufacturer Mitsumi Electric, whose wide-ranging portfolio includes DC motors, stepper motors and sensors. The aim of the deal – which takes the form of a share swap which will turn Mitsumi into a wholly owned subsidiary of a new business called Minebea Mitsumi – is to combine Minebea’s expertise in metal processing with Mitsumi’s electronics know-how to produce tiny, high-performance components that meet the needs of the Internet of Things (IoT).
