News » World News China heads for 40% of global demand for electric motors
China will account for almost 40% of the global market for electric motors by 2017, with motor sales in China outstripping those of Western Europe, North America and Japan combined. This prediction is made in a new report from the Freedonia Group which forecasts that global demand for electric motors will grow by 6.5% per year in the period to 2017, when the global market will be worth $122.5bn.
Vulnerability is found in wireless automation software
The US information security specialist IOActive says it has discovered a vulnerability in ProSoft Technology’s RadioLinx ControlScape application. The software is used to configure and install radios in frequency-hopping networks and to monitor the performance of the devices, mainly in Rockwell Automation and Schneider Electric systems used in industries such as water and wastewater, oil and gas, and electric utilities.
Japan-China joint ventures will target HV drives market
The Japanese inverter manufacturer Fuji Electric is forming two joint ventures in China with the Shanghai Electric Group (SEC) to produce and sell high-voltage inverters. They will target the Chinese market for HV (3kV and higher) inverters which is expanding at about 15% a year, due to growing demand from sectors such as such as power generation and petrochemicals.
SEW aims to be global leader in industrial gearboxes
The German industrial motion giant SEW-Eurodrive has set itself the goal of becoming the global market-leader in large industrial gearboxes within ten years. It currently lies in second place behind Siemens/Flender and expects to double its existing market share to capture pole position.
Siemens abandons regional cluster structure
Joe Kaeser, Siemens’ recently appointed president and CEO, has decided to axe the regional cluster organisation implemented by his predecessor and to return more power to country managers around the world. The move is intended to “intensify” Siemens' access to its customers, and to expand its regional activities.
Industrial Internet could boost global GDP by $10–15 trillion
The industrial Internet, predictive analytics and machine-human collaboration in the workplace, could save up to $20bn a year and create new jobs, and skills, according to a new report released by GE. The Industrial Internet at Work suggests that these developments could boost productivity, minimise unplanned downtime, and reduce the time taken to service complex machines by more than 300 million man-hours a year, saving industries around the world up to $20bn.
Yaskawa forms strategic cooperation with The Switch
The Japanese motion control and robotics supplier Yaskawa has entered a strategic cooperation with The Switch, a Finnish-based supplier of megawatt-scale permanent magnet generator and converter packages for wind power and other applications.
ABB sells Baldor generator-set business to Generac
ABB is selling Baldor’s generator-set business to the US-based generator manufacturer, Generac Holdings, because of “limited synergies with ABB’s core portfolio and because Generac is in a better position to create additional value from the business”. ABB acquired the Wisconsin-based business, which accounts for about 3% of Baldor’s total sales, when it bought Baldor Electric in 2011. The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Bosch Rexroth sells its pneumatics business to Triton
Bosch Rexroth is selling its global pneumatics business, Rexroth Pneumatics, to the German-Scandinavian investor Triton, subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
EU manufacturing can be strong, but jobs won’t return
The decline in European manufacturing has slowed down, but the European Commission’s goal of raising manufacturing’s share of EU GDP from 16% to 20% is unlikely to be met, according to a new analysis of the future of manufacturing in Europe, published by the Bruegel economic think tank.
September growth ends Eurozone manufacturing recession
The Eurozone manufacturing sector expanded for the third straight month in September, maintaining its third-quarter growth and lifting the sector out of its long-running recession.
Siemens and Kuka join forces on machine tool robotics
Siemens Drive Technologies and Kuka Robots have announced a cooperation agreement centred on the integration of Kuka robots with Siemens CNC systems for machine tool applications.
Exports sustain European machine tool growth
Sales by Europe’s machine tool manufacturers grew by 8% in 2012 to reach a total of €22.6bn, according to figures released by Cecimo, the European Association of Machine Tool Industries. This growth was driven by a 14% surge in exports (which were worth €18.8bn), masking a stagnant domestic market.
Joint project aims to develop cyber-security certification
A group of almost 20 automation suppliers and users, including ABB, BP, Emerson, Phoenix Contact, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric and Yokogawa, have joined forces to develop a vendor-neutral cyber-security certification system for workers in critical industries.
The Fieldbus and Hart foundations get the urge to merge
The Fieldbus Foundation and the Hart Communication Foundation are discussing a possible merger to form a single body dedicated to intelligent device communications in process automation.
