News » World News Fanuc opens $110m automation campus in the US
The Japanese robotics and automation giant Fanuc has opened a $110m facility in the US which will provide advanced manufacturing and customised automation systems, and includes warehouse space for more than 6,000 quick-delivery robots and tens of thousands of parts. The 650,000ft2 (60,390m2) West Campus facility, in Auburn Hills, Michigan, plus other infrastructure projects now underway, will take the Japanese robot-maker’s investment in North America to more than $250m.
Coding errors cause shutdowns that can cost $126m
Industrial coding errors are resulting in manufacturing shutdowns that last 30 hours on average, cost $4.2m per hour, and $126m per shutdown, according to a new survey by US-based Copia Automation. It reports that half of all downtime is caused by industrial code changes, code confusion, lack of visibility into industrial code, and issues with PLCs.
Surging OT cybersecurity sales could outstrip IT
The global market to provide cybersecurity for industrial systems will more than double from US$12.75bn in 2023 to around US$21.6bn by 2028 – a CAGR of 9.2% – according to a new report from ABI Research. It suggests that spending on cyber-protection for OT (operational technology) and IoT (Internet of Things) applications could overtake spending on IT security because, while the number of laptops, tablets and other IT-related devices has hit a plateau, OT applications are continuing to grow.
MVTec accuses lens-maker of using its products illegally
The German machine vision software developer MVTec Software claims that Largan, the world’s largest supplier of camera lenses for smartphones, has been using its products illegally. MVTec has initiated criminal proceedings in Taiwan against Largan and its employees. Largan’s customers include Apple and Samsung.
Danfoss Drives and Honeywell explore integrated platforms
Danfoss Drives and Honeywell have signed an agreement to explore possible collaboration on automation systems with integrated architectures, with the aim of cutting downtime and engineering costs. They plan to address the limitations of traditional automation systems, which often force operators to choose between highly integrated, closed architectures that lack flexibility, and open architectures that provide flexibility but suffer from limited data integration and interoperability.
German motor-maker opens new headquarters near Berlin
The German electric motor manufacturer Menzel Elektromotoren has opened new headquarters in Hennigsdor, near Berlin, where it will be able to build motors with outputs to 25MW and above. The new site, which includes 6,416m² of manufacturing floorspace and 2,096m² of office space, currently employs almost 100 people (with a combined 933 years of experience at the company), and has the capacity to expand to 150 employees.
Industrial Ethernet maintains its relentless rise
More than seven in ten (71%) of all industrial networking nodes installed around the world last year used industrial Ethernet protocols, according to the latest analysis by the industrial networking supplier, HMS Networks. As the industrial communications market expanded in 2023, the number of industrial Ethernet nodes installed grew by 12% compared to 2022. In 2022, industrial Ethernet nodes represented 68% of the total comms market.
First speed-controlled MV motor is ‘new way of creating motion’
ABB has announced what it describes as the world’s first speed-controlled medium-voltage motor, claiming that it represents “a new way of converting electricity into motion”. The system – called MV Titanium – combines a 1-5MW MV motor with a frequency converter in one package. It is designed to power loads such as pumps, compressors and fans, reducing the need for equipment such as transformers, switchgear and MV motor cables, and cutting infrastructure costs. It is aimed at both retrofit and new applications, and could cut energy use by up to 40%, paying for itself in less than a year in some applications.
More than 500,000 robots shipped in 2023 as prices fell
More than 500,000 industrial robots were shipped globally in 2023, according to a new report from Interact Analysis. This was a similar level to 2022, but the average price of industrial robots dropped last year, following two years of rising prices.
Siemens, Rockwell and others adopt AI technologies
The chip-maker Nvidia has announced a series of tie-ups with industrial automation suppliers including Siemens, Rockwell Automation, Teradyne Robotics (which owns Universal Robots and MiR), the Chinese industrial giant and car-maker BYD, and Intrinsic, the software and AI robotics subsidiary of Alphabet/Google. Nvidia says that the collaborations could lead to tens of millions of AI-powered autonomous machines being deployed around the world.
Cobot sales hit $1bn and will grow faster than 20%
Global revenues from sales of collaborative robots (cobots) exceeded $1bn during 2023, despite demand recovering more slowly than expected after the Covid pandemic, according to new data from Interact Analysis. It predicts the market will see a 22% increase in shipments during 2024 and expects growth rates to exceed 20% every year in the period to 2028.
USB devices pose a major cyberthreat to OT systems
Cyberattacks targeting industrial sites are getting more advanced and more frequent according to the latest edition of Honeywell’s annual USB Threat Report. It also shows that more than half (51%) of malware attacks on OT (operational technology) systems are designed to be injected via removable media such as USB memory sticks. The report reveals that the number of targeted attacks via USB devices has increased nearly six-fold from the 9% it recorded in 2019.
Rockwell warns users to check ICS Internet links ‘immediately’
Rockwell Automation has issued a security notice urging all of its customers to take “IMMEDIATE” action to assess whether they have industrial control devices facing the public Internet and, if so, to remove that connectivity “urgently” for devices not specifically designed for public Internet connectivity. It says it is issuing the advice “due to heightened geopolitical tensions and adversarial cyberactivity globally”.
Battery Ventures buys sensor and safety switch maker, steute
Battery Ventures, a technology-focused investment firm, is buying steute Technologies, the German manufacturer of switches, sensors and other products for automation and safety applications. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Siemens sells Innomotics to KPS for €3.5bn
Siemens is selling its Innomotics electric motors and large drives business to the venture capital firm, KPS Capital Partners, for €3.5bn. The sale is expected to close in the first half of fiscal 2025, subject to the foreign-investment and merger control approvals.
