March 2019

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION HAS acquired Emulate3D, a UK engineering software developer whose products simulate and emulate industrial automation systems digitally. By using accurate simulations to improve systems planning and decision-making, followed by emulation trials that test the control system before installation, Emulate3D’s software allows customers to test machine and system designs virtually before incurring manufacturing and automation costs and committing to a final design. The financial details of the transaction have not been released. “We are excited about the opportunities that Emulate3D’s software offers our customers,”says Fran Wlodarczyk, senior vice-president of Rockwell’s architecture and software segment.“They will have the ability to improve their time-to-market and operational productivity through digital machine prototyping and virtual commissioning. It also marks another investment by Rockwell Automation to bring the Connected Enterprise to life.” “As a former Rockwell Automation Encompass partner, we established great working relationships with Rockwell Automation and its customers,” adds Ian McGregor, Emulate3D’s global sales and marketing director. “We look forward to building on those relationships under our new ownership.” Rockwell Automation will add Emulate3D’s technology to its digital design portfolio for use in automotive, logistics, materials-handling and other industrial applications. The software will be sold as Emulate3D by Rockwell Automation, as part of Rockwell’s FactoryTalk DesignSuite. Reading-based Emulate3D’s software integrates automation software with 3D CAD models. In 2014, the company received a Queens Award for Innovation. www.rockwellautomation.co.uk March 2019 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo Manchester, UK 10-11 April, 2019 Billed as the UK’s largest event for the 4th industrial revolution, the third edition of this event will includes talks by experts on the future of manufacturing. Visitors will have the opportunity to be updated about government policy, find out about support and access to finance, and hear about the latest business models and Industry 4.0 case studies. www.industry40summit.com Hannover Fair 2019 Hannover, Germany 1–5 April, 2019 The 2019 edition of the world’s largest industrial exhibition will be the second since themerger of the Industrial Automation show-within-a-showwith the biennial Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA) event to forma single entity called Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives (IAMD), which covers automation, power transmission and fluid power. www.hannovermesse.de Smart Industry Conference: Food&Drink National Conference Centre, Birmingham, UK 22 May, 2019 The first in a series of one-day, sector- specific conferences with the shared theme: How tomake the digitalisation transition.The aim is to provide a practical, jargon-free introduction to digital transformation, especially for SMEs, many of whomneed guidance in this area. Speakers with practical experience of implementing digitalisation strategies will illustrate their talks with real-life case studies.The conference is being organised by DFAMedia, the publisher of SmartMachines and Factories . www.smartmachinesandfactories.com 2019UKIVAMachineVision Conference and Exhibition Milton Keynes, UK 6 June, 2019 This will be the third year that the event has been run and it will follow a similar format to previous years, with a program of technical seminars supported by an exhibition featuring vision component manufacturers, vision component and systemdistributors and systems integrators.The 2019 conference will add a new theme, covering applications of vision in automation and robotics. www.machinevisionconference.co.uk Smart Industry Conference: Automotive National Conference Centre, Birmingham, UK 12 September, 2019 The second in a series of one-day, sector- specific conferences with the shared theme: How tomake the digitalisation transition.The aim is to provide a practical, jargon-free introduction to digital transformation, especially for SMEs, many of which need guidance in this area. Speakers with practical experience of implementing digitalisation strategies will illustrate their talks with real-life case studies.The conference is being organised by DFAMedia, the publisher of SmartMachines and Factories . www.smartmachinesandfactories.com n NEWS Emulate3D’s software integrates automation software with 3D CAD models, allowing users to test machine and system designs virtually Rockwell buys UK automation simulation developer THE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Centre (MTC) has developed an industrial-scale demonstrator to showmanufacturers how they can benefit by adopting smart production technologies and processes. Called the“Factory in a Box”, the demonstrator has been developed in collaboration with the Universities of Birmingham and Loughborough, and several industrial partners. The demonstrator showcases industrial digital technologies that can help manufacturers to speed up their routes to market and take advantage of new business models. The MTC’s chief engineer, Robin Thatcher, describes the demonstration as “a rapidly deployable, remotely-managed, modular manufacturing supply chain network enabled by the latest digital technologies. As well as demonstrating those technologies, it can be a solution in its own right, providing a rapid route to market for manufacturing innovations. Our Smart Manufacturing Accelerator technologists can assess manufacturing businesses and their supply chains to plan, design and implement innovative manufacturing solutions.” The demonstrator – which is part of the £60m Innovate UK-funded Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) programme – will be launched formally at the MTC in Coventry on 13 March. The Centre is inviting manufacturers to attend the free event, which will bring together industry leaders, academics and the MTC’s Smart Manufacturing Accelerator team, which uses digital technologies to help improve integrated manufacturing installations and supply chains. “Attendees will see live demonstrations of the Factory in a Box and judge if it is right for them,”says Thatcher.“They can also take part in interactive workshops, and listen to high level presentations from advanced manufacturing experts.” Although the event is free, places are limited, and registration is required at: www.smartmanufacturingaccelerator.co.uk/launch Factory in a Box demonstrates smart manufacturing concepts

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