Drives and Controls January 2023

THE TALKING INDUSTRY series of Webinars is joining forces with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to organise a free one-day event including panel discussions, workshops and an exhibition covering topics such as robotics, automation, digital manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Called Talking Industry Live, the event will take place at the MTC’s Coventry site on 25 April, 2023. Attendees will be provided with a free breakfast and lunch and will be able to tailor their programme for the day by picking which discussions, workshops and seminars they wish to attend. They will also be able to join tours of the MTC’s facilities. There will be five streams running in parallel, including 45- minute panel discussions on topics including: robotics and automation; digital manufacturing; and industrial data and AI. Audience participation will be encouraged and the panels of experts will take questions. There will also be workshop sessions on topics including collaborative automation, mobile robotics, additive manufacturing, smart panel- building, and managing equipment safety and cyber- security in the modern factory. You can register to attend Talking Industry Live via a dedicated Web site, where you can also find details of the latest additions to the programme. Early booking is advised as the event will be limited to a maximum of 400 delegates. Each in-depth workshop will be limited to 40 participants. https://talkingindustry.org/ talking-industry-live n NEWS January 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 Free event will bring you up-to-date on the latest automation tech p Schneider Electric and SAP have agreed to collaborate on IT/OT integration applications. They plan to explore opportunities to enhance innovation and digital transformation, drive open standards, and foster closer integration of IT and OT technologies. The companies want to explore opportunities for preconfigured and tested systems. Two examples are: simplified OT/IT integration based on common standards and lifecycle management of assets as digital twins; and closed-loop asset and field service management using virtual and augmented reality technologies. p Novotek , the Swedish- headquartered industrial IT and automation company, has acquired the Staffordshire-based industrial IT and IoT systems integrator, Astec IT Solutions . The move expands both companies’ abilities to deliver smart manufacturing systems. Astec has changed its name to Novotek Solutions UK & Ireland . Astec has been a UK partner for Novotek since the 2000s, delivering systems based on GE Digital software. SIs with whom Novotek already works will not be affected. p The Japanese motor-maker Nidec is buying the Italian machine-tool manufacturer Pama for around $108m. Pama, founded in 1926, employs around 430 people, and had sales last year of €118m. Nidec entered the machine tools market in 2021 when it bought Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machine Tool , since renamed Nidec Machine Tool . Nidec wants to develop machine tools as its second biggest growth sector after EV drive systems. It aims to quintuple its machine tool sales from the current 100 billion yen by 2025, mainly through acquisitions. p The Harting Technology Group has exceeded €1bn in revenues for the first time. Despite adverse conditions, its turnover has jumped by 21.8% (€190m) to €1,059m. It has also boosted its number of employees by 256 to 6,446, mainly by expanding plants in Mexico, Romania and the US. It says its main growth drivers have been industrial transformation, digitalisation and the development of energy-efficient production technologies and products. NEWS BRIEFS Talking Industry Live will use the MTCs advanced presentation facilities AUTOMATION UK, the new exhibition launched last year by trade groups including Bara (the British Automation & Robot Association) and Ukiva (the UK Industrial Vision Association), will make its debut at the CBS Arena in Coventry from 20–21 June this year. Its organisers – members of PPMA (the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association) – describe Automation UK as “the largest annual event in the UK showcasing leading automation, robotic and machine vision suppliers”, and report that it is gathering momentum after securing support from some big names in the sector, including ABB, Fanuc and Kuka. Automation UK will highlight the latest industrial products and services, including robotic systems, automation parts and systems, sensors, machine safety technologies and system integration services. It will run alongside Ukiva’s existing Machine Vision Conference (MVC) and exhibition. “Automation UK is intended to be the national automation and robotics show,” says Mark Stepney, managing director of Schubert UK, and a PPMA board member. “As a content-led event, it offers UK audiences the latest automation and robotics solutions available, all under one roof.” A Web site has been launched containing information about the event, including who is exhibiting and news about the event. www.automation-uk.co.uk New UK automation show attracts big-name backers