Flowmeter for datacentres.

Flow device primed for security in data centre and OEM applications at various stages of the liquid cooling process.

A new OEM‑configured variant of the Picomag electromagnetic flowmeter for the US market has been announced by Endress+Hauser. Purpose‑built for liquid cooling applications in data centres and OEM cooling systems, this version provides customers with a factory‑configured option designed for environments where instrumentation without wireless connectivity is required.

Picomag is Endress+Hauser’s compact electromagnetic flowmeter designed for accurate measurement of conductive fluids in small‑diameter pipelines. It combines flow, temperature and conductivity measurement in a single device.

While the standard Picomag includes industry‑leading Bluetooth® technology that meets rigorous global cybersecurity standards, many data centres and OEM partners operate under policies that prohibit wireless communication of any kind. The OEM variant meets this operational preference by offering a Picomag model delivered with Bluetooth® deactivated from the factory, ensuring alignment with facility policies while maintaining all core Picomag performance capabilities. In this configuration, the device integrates seamlessly through IO‑Link or standard signal outputs — 4–20 mA current, pulse, switch or 2–10 V — offering a controlled starting point ideal for secure or regulated environments.

"Data centres operate under some of the most demanding security expectations in the world,” said Nathan Hedrick, Product Marketing Group Manager at Endress+Hauser. “This OEM Picomag gives cooling system designers a compact, reliable and secure measurement option tailored for environments where wireless features are not permitted without compromising on the functionality our customers expect.”

Purpose‑built for high‑security data centre environments.
The OEM Picomag variant is designed to integrate seamlessly into standardized cooling skids, secondary distribution loops and rack‑level cooling modules. Key characteristics include:

• Factory‑delivered with wireless connectivity deactivated to meet strict facility requirements
• Preconfigured display behavior, output settings and engineering units for consistent OEM deployment
• Available in 1” and 2” sizes, ideal for compact rack or subsystem cooling circuits

This version retains all Picomag’s hallmark advantages, including flow, temperature and conductivity measurement, a bright and auto‑rotating display, intuitive commissioning and built‑in diagnostic capabilities.

“This addition strengthens our ability to support every stage of a data centre facility’s cooling architecture,” said Lauton Rushford, Flow Product Marketing Manager at Endress+Hauser. “It ensures operators and OEMs can select instrumentation that aligns with their policies while benefiting from Picomag’s proven performance and simplicity.”

How does liquid cooling compare to traditional air cooling in data centres?
As data centres grow in density and power consumption, many operators are shifting from traditional air-cooling systems to liquid cooling architectures. Liquid cooling offers significantly greater heat‑removal efficiency, allowing facilities to manage higher thermal loads generated by modern CPUs and GPUs.

While air cooling relies on large volumes of conditioned airflow, liquid cooling absorbs and transports heat far more effectively, supporting higher rack densities, reducing energy use and enabling more compact system designs. This shift is especially pronounced in AI, hyperscale and high‑performance computing environments where equipment demands exceed what air cooling alone can accommodate.

Liquid cooling also supports more precise thermal management at the subsystem or rack level. This creates new measurement requirements for inline flow and temperature monitoring, which is where compact, secure devices like the OEM Picomag play a key role. 

What are the latest trends in data centre optimization technology?
As data centres adopt increasingly complex liquid‑cooling architectures driven by high‑density GPU workloads, AI clusters and expanding global capacity, operators need compact, accurate measurement at more distributed points throughout the cooling network.

The OEM Picomag complements Endress+Hauser’s broader flow portfolio, including Proline Promag W 300/500 (0xDN), enabling a complete, scalable measurement strategy spanning from large‑diameter primary loops to small‑diameter subsystem circuits.

Stable water quality is also essential for maintaining liquid cooling efficiency. Complementary technologies such as inline liquid analysis (e.g., pH, conductivity and turbidity) help operators prevent scaling, corrosion and fouling, further supporting uptime and thermal stability.

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@Endress_Hauser @Endress_UK @Endress_US #PAuto #USA

Four new intelligent pumps.

Four innovative diaphragm pump features for flow, pressure, and vacuum control as well as versatile dosing have been introduced by KNF. These solutions set a new benchmark for precision, reliability, and adaptability. These new intelligent liquid, gas and vacuum pumps feature integrated sensor technology offer advanced closed-loop control for achieving and maintaining flow, pressure or vacuum as well as precise dosages.

For liquid metering applications, KNF has developed the FMS-FC 1.400. This diaphragm pump with integrated Flow Control uses a precise flow sensor and ensures precise, accurate, and stable liquid delivery. It achieves a maximum flow rate of 3.4 l/min, a maximum pressure of 6 bar (rel.) and offers a maximum suction height of 3 mH2O.

Another intelligent liquid diaphragm pump innovation is the FD 1.200 with Versatile Dosing which delivers precise and repeatable volumes for demanding applications. For this, it uses advanced stepper motor technology and actively actuated valves. It offers a maximum flow rate of 40 ml/min, a maximum pressure of 6 bar (rel.), and a suction height of at least 4.5 mH₂O. Compact, chemically resistant, and customizable, it sets a new standard for accurate dosing.

The new MGP 75 diaphragm gas pump with intelligent Pressure Control maintains precise and consistent gas pressure even under changing conditions. Using the latest KNF motor technology, it achieves a maximum flow rate of 78 l/min, a maximum pressure of 1 bar (rel.), and a maximum vacuum down to 25 mbar (abs.).

Equipped with the intelligent feature Vacuum Control, the new micro vacuum pump NVC 830 maintains exact vacuum levels in demanding environments. This compact pump delivers a maximum flow rate of 4.7 l/min and a maximum vacuum down to 55 mbar (abs.). Intelligent features for maximum precision.
Each pump integrates modern sensor technology and proprietary motor control to maintain exact setpoints, even under dynamic conditions like changing pressure or media temperature. This integrated closed-loop control reduces engineering efforts to a minimum. It makes the potentially difficult integration of external sensor and development of new control logic from scratch obsolete.

Flexible connectivity and integration.
The pumps can operate autonomously or can be controlled via analog signals such as control voltage. For use in complex systems, the pumps also support modern communication protocols like UART, enabling seamless integration into smart environments.

Demanding applications.
Based on a modular design, the pumps can be customized quickly and cost-effectively. Options include material selection, electrical and line connections, and digital settings such as output setpoint, ramp-up speed or maximum motor speed limits, depending on the pump. This flexibility makes the pumps an ideal choice for critical applications in industries including medical technology, analytical systems, and industrial processes.

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#KNF #PAuto @mepaxIntPR

Closing the gap from virtual training to real-world deployment.

NVIDIA Omniverse libraries is being integrated into ABB Robotics’ RobotStudio® to help manufacturers deploy physical AI in real world robotics applications.

The collaboration focuses on combining ABB Robotics’ software programming, design and simulation suite, RobotStudio, with the physically accurate simulation power of NVIDIA Om-niverse libraries to close technology's long-standing 'sim-to-real’ gap. Developers can simulate robots in digi-tal twins and generate synthetic data to train their physical AI models, enabling businesses of all types and sizes to deploy AI-driven robotics for various industrial workflows.

“Today, using NVIDIA accelerated computing and simulation technologies, we have removed the last barriers to making industrial and physical AI a reality at a global scale by closing the sim-to-real gap,” said Marc Segura, President of ABB Robotics. “For more than 50 years, ABB Robotics has led the evolution of intelligent industrial automation, from pioneering the first generation of fully electric industrial robots to advancing digital twin simulation through RobotStudio® and shaping a new area of autonomous and versatile mobile robots. Today’s announcement with NVIDIA brings physical AI to industry at scale.”

Called RobotStudio HyperReality, the resulting physically accurate simulations and foundation models are endlessly optimised with real-world data feedback continuously improving the system. These models can be used to train any number of ABB robots, anywhere in the world, with the reliability and accuracy demanded by industry.  

“The industrial sector needs physically accurate simulation to bridge the gap between virtual training and the real-world deployment of AI-driven robotics at scale,” said Deepu Talla, vice president of robotics and edge AI at NVIDIA. “Integrating NVIDIA Omniverse libraries into RobotStudio brings advanced simulation and accelerated computing to ABB Robotics’ unique virtual controller technology, accelerating how manufac-turers of all sizes bring complex products to market.”   

Closing the ‘sim-to-real’ gap.
 The long-standing deficit between simulation accuracy and real-world lighting, materials and environments is known as the ‘sim-to-real’ gap. For decades, this gap has limited the ability of manufac-turers to design and develop advanced manufacturing processes in the virtual world.  

By integrating NVIDIA Omniverse libraries into RobotStudio, ABB Robotics will deliv-er unprecedented robotics simulation and synthetic data generation capabilities that will allow intelligent robots to bridge this gap with up to 99 percent accuracy. ABB is the only robot manufacturer with a virtual controller running the same firmware as the hardware, ensuring near perfect correlation between simula-tion and real world performance. Combined with ABB Robotics’ Absolute Accuracy technology, which reduces positioning errors from 8–15 mm to around 0.5 mm, ABB delivers unmatched precision in both virtual and physical environments, making it suited to high-precision industrial-grade applications.

This innovation enables manufacturers to design, test, and optimise production lines virtually, cutting setup and commissioning times by up to 80 percent, reducing costs by up to 40 percent by eliminating the need for physical prototypes, and accelerating time-to-market for complex products such as consumer electronics by 50 percent1.

ABB Robotics is also assessing the potential to integrate the NVIDIA Jetson edge computing platform into its Omnicore controller to achieve real-time AI inference at the edge for its extensive robot portfolio. Today’s announcement builds upon ABB Robotics’ long-standing work with NVIDIA, including the previous integration of NVIDIA Jetson into ABB Robotics’ VSLAM autonomous mobile robots as well as the development of gigawatt-scale AI data centers.

RobotStudio HyperReality will serve industrial clients at any scale, across a breadth of industries and applica-tions, with select customers already testing its capabilities ahead of a full release to ABB Robotics’ 60,000 RobotStudio customers worldwide in the second half of 2026.

Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer, is piloting the first joint use case in consumer electronics assembly. Automating the assembly of a tiny piece in consumer electronics is challenging, as multiple device variants require different production methods and the delicate metal structure requires precise pick-and-place and assembly control, as well as fine-tuned setup, often demanding additional debugging time and engineering resources. Using RobotStudio HyperReality, Foxconn’s assembly robots are trained virtually, using synthetic data to perfect multiple real-world production processes in various scenarios, before moving them to the production line with 99 percent accuracy. By optimising production lines virtually, Foxconn will reduce set-up times and costs by eliminating physical training and tests, and accelerate time-to-market for consumer electronics.

“Precision is everything in consumer electronics manufacturing and until now, this level of accuracy and fidelity just wasn’t possible in simulation and digital twins,” said Dr. Zhe Shi, Chief Digital Officer of Foxconn. “We’re incredibly excited by the potential of ABB Robotics and NVIDIA’s collaboration, which enables parallel engineering for better designs, faster production ramp‑up and greater product evolution through advanced AI inference and understanding.”

WORKR, a California based robotic workforce company that delivers robotic manufacturing solutions to in-dustry, is extending the reach of this technology to small and medium manufacturers across the United States. At NVIDIA GTC 2026 (March 16-19, San Jose, CA USA), WORKR is to demonstrate AI- powered robotic systems built on ABB technology, trained with synthetic data using NVIDIA Omniverse libraries, and deployed without operators needing to know any programming. By combining ABB's industrial grade robotics with its proprie-tary WorkrCore™ AI platform, the company is helping manufacturers address critical labor shortages with its robotic workforce that can learn new tasks in minutes and be operated by anyone.

"This collaboration is about making industrial AI deployable today,” said Ken Macken, CEO & Founder of WORKR. “Together with ABB and NVIDIA, we're proving that advanced automation can work for manufactur-ers of any size."

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@ABBRobotics @nvidia @ABBgroupnews @abb_automation @HonHai_Foxconn @workr_official #PAuto #Robotics  

 

Verifying high-speed interface IP.

Qualitas Semiconductor, a leading developer specialising in PHY IP solutions for high-speed interconnects, has adopted Anritsu’s ShockLine™ 4-Port Performance Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) MS46524B to enhance signal integrity verification for its high-speed interface IP development. Qualitas has significantly improved the quality and reliability of its IP solutions by establishing a verification environment that enables highly accurate, repeatable signal-integrity evaluations across the entire system, including PHY IP.

Qualitas develops high-speed interface IP solutions, including SerDes PHY IP, PCI Express® PHY IP,* UCIe interconnect solutions, and Ethernet PHY IP, and it collaborates with global customers across advanced semiconductor markets in fields such as AI, data centers, automotive, and mobile systems.

As semiconductor interface technologies continue to increase data transmission speeds, system-level verification that includes the characteristics of the entire interconnect channel, such as the PCB, package, and socket, has become increasingly important, rather than just the performance of the chips. In high-speed signal environments, factors such as transmission loss, reflection, and crosstalk affect signal integrity, making precise measurement-based verification environments essential.

To address these requirements, Qualitas has adopted Anritsu’s ShockLine™ MS46524B to analyse the characteristics of high-speed interconnect channels and quantitatively verify signal integrity, based on differential S-parameter analysis and time-domain reflectometry (TDR) measurements.

The ShockLine™ MS46524B provides high-frequency measurement stability, support for mixed probe and coaxial cable environments, and high-resolution TDR measurement capabilities, enabling precise analysis of subtle impedance variations occurring in the package and PCB structures. Through this approach, Qualitas has established a verification environment that is close to the conditions of real systems, enabling it to provide the reliability required in the PHY IP development process.

Anritsu highlights the importance of signal integrity verification solutions and measurement technologies that are required in next-generation interface technology environments, and it plans to support semiconductor and high-speed interface development companies in building more efficient verification environments.

This case study, "The Forefront of Ultra-High-Speed Interconnect Development Test Solutions Supporting Advanced Technologies," with Dr. Jaeyoung Kim, the executive director of the R&D Center at Qualitas, the verification strategies to strengthen competitiveness in the global semiconductor market, the technical challenges encountered during the development of high-speed interface verification environments, and the solutions implemented are discussed.

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*PCI-SIG®, PCIe®, and PCI Express® are registered trademarks of PCI-SIG.

@Anritsu @AnritsuEMEA @NapierPR  #TandM #Pauto

Next-generation industrial vision systems collaboration.

Building on a proven existing joint development and successful commercial track record, IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH (IDS) and Prophesee SA, inventor of the world’s most advanced neuromorphic vision systems, have announced an expanded collaboration to develop next-generation industrial cameras integrating Prophesee’s Metavision® event-based vision technology.

Expanded partnership with newly signed agreement will explore new sensing architectures combining conventional imaging with Prophesee’s Metavision® event-based vision for developing faster, more accurate and power-efficient machine vision systems.

“Over the past years, our collaboration with Prophesee has demonstrated the powerful benefits of event-based vision for industrial machine vision,” said Jan Hartmann, CEO of IDS Imaging Development Systems. “Neuromorphic sensing is key to the future of industrial vision. Working closely with Prophesee enables us to advance this technology faster and more consistently. Our collaboration is built on trust, shared goals and a clear technological direction.”

The two organisations have signed a Letter of Intent to jointly pursue the development of next-generation industrial vision systems integrating event-based sensing, combining Prophesee’s expertise in event-based hardware and software with IDS’s strengths in camera integration, multi-sensor system design, and industrial manufacturing. The collaboration will explore several technology directions and builds on the successful commercialisation of IDS uEye EVS cameras incorporating Prophesee’s event-based sensing technology, marking the next phase of cooperation between the companies.

Jan Hartmann, IDS & Jean Ferré, Prophesee
signing the letter of intent

“The new initiative combines conventional imaging with event‑based sensing to enable new capabilities in machine vision, such as high‑speed motion analysis and emerging sensing technologies. In parallel, the companies intend to strengthen their joint commercial engagement, coordinating business development activities and approaching selected customers together with complementary solutions — IDS providing camera hardware and integrated systems, and Prophesee delivering its sensors, development tools, and event-based vision software stack. ”

“Our partnership with IDS shows how event-based sensing can bring a new level of performance to industrial machine vision,” says Jean Ferré, CEO of Prophesee. “Through the open, flexible and accessible nature of our Metavision technology platform and recent enhancements to our sensor products, we can advance this by working together to explore next-generation sensing architectures and machine vision systems incorporating event-based technology. This further pushes the boundaries of what machine vision can achieve, delivering faster detection, higher accuracy, and significantly improved power efficiency for demanding real-world applications.”

The companies plan to work closely with shared customers and partners to explore new machine vision solutions across industries including industrial automation, robotics, logistics, transportation, and intelligent systems.

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@IDS_Imaging @Prophesee_ai @mepaxIntPR #Pauto  

Fibres for high temperature.

Laser Components is expanding its portfolio of high-performance and infrared fibres with two new product lines: metal-coated silica fibres and polycrystalline infrared fibres (PIR fibres). Both fibre types set new standards for demanding technical environments and applications such as industrial processing, sensor technology, spectroscopy, and medical systems. They offer outstanding performance, high mechanical robustness, and broad infrared transmission ranges.

PIR fibres are made from a specially engineered polycrystalline material with exceptionally high transparency. Their low attenuation enables excellent transmission even in the mid-infrared range. Metal-coated fibres, in contrast, are designed for environments where heat, cold, moisture, vacuum, or chemical exposure push conventional fibres to their limits.

"With these new fibre technologies, we are reaching an important milestone for applications that require the highest precision and maximum reliability," says Florian Tächl, Product Manager at Laser Components. :"Our customers benefit from robust, durable solutions that deliver consistently strong performance even under extreme conditions."

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@LaserComponents @lasercomp_uk @UnnGmbh @PresseBox #PAuto

Developing smart manufacturing talent.

Rockwell have expanded their long-standing partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey (MX), supporting closer connections and learning on advanced manufacturing technologies. Mexico’s top-ranked university and member of the International Association of Learning Factories uses Rockwell technologies and curriculum input to create the smart manufacturing environment in a college learning setting. Tec de Monterrey shares the experiences of this environment at the Conference of Learning Factories every year.

In July, a team from Tec de Monterrey met with instructors and administrators in Cleveland State University’s Rockwell Automation Connected Enterprise Laboratory. The Tec team also forged relationships and found new synergies at Rockwell’s 2025 Automation Fair® in Chicago (USA).

In October, Tec’s mechatronics community, Rockwell experts, and manufacturers delved into digital engineering together at an international conference hosted at the university’s Toluca and Monterrey campuses, with more industry collaboration in Monterrey. “Manufacturers are looking for specialized talent in digital twin software,” said Oscar Lopez Suarez, Rockwell solution consultant lead. “We’re working with Tec de Monterrey to cover this gap and prepare students for smart manufacturing jobs in their region.”

Each semester, Tec engineering students participate in challenge-based learning. “Our objective is for students to develop not only technical skills, but also knowledge and ability in critical thinking, project management, safety, and international manufacturing standards,” said Dr. Raquel Tejada, a Department of Mechatronics professor in Tec’s School of Engineering and Sciences. “We want them to integrate all of these, to have the whole picture, so they are ready for real-world success.”

Developing digital twin talent.
Demand for digital twin skills is skyrocketing as manufacturers adopt 3D emulation technology, which saves time and resources during automation systems design and implementation. At Tec de Monterrey, engineering students built cutting-edge 3D emulation skills in their final project when they integrated technologies from Rockwell Automation, Endress+Hauser Group, and our partner NVIDIA in emulations that connected virtual design with physical plant control systems and instrumentation, and created immersive virtual reality tours. Through the collaborative learning experience with Tec de Monterrey professors and industry experts, the students developed the tools and confidence to launch their careers in Industry 4.0.

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@ROKAutomation @TecdeMonterrey @ROKAutoEMEA #PAuto #Mexico