Supporting Texas' energy needs.

Expanded collaboration with state’s largest electric delivery company focuses on future-proofing the grid, supporting safe and reliable energy delivery

Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) has selected AspenTech Digital Grid Management (DGM) solutions to optimise real-time grid operations and strengthen its digital foundation to safely and reliably deliver energy to a growing number of Texas customers and continue to support the state’s economic growth.

“Innovation is essential to how Oncor prepares for the evolving energy needs of a rapidly growing Texas,” said Malia Hodges, senior vice president and chief information officer at Oncor. “We are investing in advanced operational technologies that enable greater visibility, faster response and long‑term resilience across our system. Emerson’s commitment to innovation aligns closely with our strategy as we enhance grid resiliency and continue to support Texas’s growth and increasing energy demands.”

Oncor is expanding its multi-year relationship with Emerson through its recent selection of the AspenTech OSI Advanced Distribution Management System™ (ADMS) to improve visibility and automation of Oncor’s distribution grid and gain advanced capabilities to scale outage management and workforce coordination.

Oncor has also selected AspenTech Cimphony Network Model Management™ for its transmission environment to enhance Oncor’s grid data modelling, validation and synchronisation, including data exchanges and interoperability between Oncor and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). 

 “Emerson and Oncor have a strong history of collaboration,” said Stuart Harris, general manager, digital grid management at Emerson’s Aspen Technology business. “Oncor is at the forefront of applying advanced technology and work processes to modernise its grid. Our digital grid management solutions will help enable Oncor’s approach, positioning Oncor to support Texas’s growth and increasing energy demand while enhancing grid resiliency.”

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The right industrial Ethernet switch.

Antaira Technologies, a global leader in industrial networking solutions, presents this engineering guide to help plant managers, systems integrators, and OT engineers specify, deploy, and operate industrial Ethernet switches with confidence.

When a network failure means halted production or compromised safety, "good enough" connectivity is not an option. Industrial Ethernet switches keep critical networking infrastructure online across environments that would destroy commercial hardware in days.

Ten Capabilities that define an industrial Ethernet Switch.

01. Interconnectivity of Devices and Networks - At its core, an industrial Ethernet switch bridges every device on the plant floor — PLCs, sensors, cameras, HMIs — into a unified, communicating network. Multi-port architectures support simultaneous connections at scale, and managed variants enable remote configuration so operators can monitor and adjust without stepping foot on the floor.

02. Long-Distance Operation - Where commercial switches top out at 100 meters, fiber-optic-enabled industrial switches extend connectivity to several miles. Remote assets, outlying substations, and geographically distributed facilities can be unified into a single manageable network without signal degradation or repeater chains.

03. Noise Immunity and EMI Resistance - Variable-frequency drives, motors, and high-voltage lines generate electromagnetic interference that corrupts data on copper runs. Industrial switches feature hardened EMI shielding and support fiber optic cabling, an inherently immune medium, ensuring clean, error-free data transmission in the noisiest environments.

04. Extreme Temperature Operation - Standard commercial hardware fails below 0°C or above 50°C. Antaira industrial switches operate reliably across -10°C to 70°C standard ranges, with extended-temperature models rated from -40°C to 75°C, engineered for foundries, cold-storage logistics, outdoor substations, and arctic deployments alike.

05. Corrosion Protection - Chemical plants, wastewater treatment facilities, and marine installations expose equipment to corrosive agents that eat through standard enclosures. Antaira switches are available with IPC-A-610-compliant conformal coating, sealing internal circuitry against moisture, salt fog, and chemical exposure before corrosion can cause downtime.

06. Vibration and Shock Resistance - Heavy machinery, compressors, and transportation platforms generate constant mechanical stress. Antaira switches are designed to MIL-STD vibration and shock specifications, with DIN-rail mountings and solid-state construction that maintain secure connections and uninterrupted data flow in high-vibration environments.

07. IP-Rated Rugged Housing - Dust ingress and moisture infiltration destroy unprotected electronics. Industrial switches are housed in hardened metal enclosures rated to IP30, IP40, or IP67 depending on the application, keeping internal components clean and dry whether deployed in a dusty quarry, a humid greenhouse, or an outdoor junction box.

08. Power over Ethernet (PoE) Capability - PoE-capable switches deliver both data and power over a single Ethernet cable, eliminating separate power runs to IP cameras, wireless access points, VoIP phones, and smart sensors. The result: faster deployment, reduced cabling costs, and centralised power management with per-port control from the switch.

09. Unmanaged Switches: Plug-and-Play Simplicity - For straightforward point-to-point connectivity where traffic management is not required, unmanaged industrial switches offer immediate, zero-configuration operation. Cost-effective and field-proven, they are the right tool for isolated machine networks, legacy equipment integration, and budget-conscious deployments that still demand industrial-grade durability.

10. Managed Switches: Full Network Control - Managed industrial Ethernet switches deliver VLAN segmentation, QoS prioritisation, SNMP monitoring, RSTP/ring redundancy, and remote CLI or web-GUI configuration. Purpose-built for complex OT architectures, they allow engineers to isolate traffic, enforce security policies, and achieve sub-50ms network recovery, all from a central console.

Industrial Ethernet switches are not a commodity — they are load-bearing infrastructure.

Specifying the wrong switch for your environment means corrosion, thermal failure, signal loss, and unplanned downtime. Antaira Technologies engineers every product in its switching portfolio to exceed the demands of the world's harshest industrial environments, from oil refineries to offshore platforms to smart-factory automation cells.

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Compact controller integrates visualisation and SCADA.

The Digi Z45 Industrial Controller from Digi International for remote monitoring, edge automation and industrial connectivityhas been added to the portfolio of Bressner Technology. This is a compact and rugged solution for industrial automation, communication and remote management applications. The controller combines PLC-like control functions, SCADA-style visualization and secure data communication in one integrated system.

The web-based Automation Control application enables monitoring and control processes to be configured directly on the controller. Its no-code toolset allows users to quickly implement alarm settings, reports and control logic without conventional programming. As a result, sensor and process data can be processed at the edge and integrated more quickly into existing automation or SCADA environments.

A key focus is remote monitoring and centralized management via Digi Axess. The platform provides insight into network, platform and application data, supports individually configurable dashboards, reports and alarms, and enables notifications via email or SMS. In addition, the Digi Axess app allows mobile management of devices and assets.

For industrial applications, the Digi Z45 offers numerous interfaces and protocols. These include analog and digital inputs and outputs, Modbus RTU and TCP, 10/100 Ethernet, RS-232, RS-485, USB, as well as cellular connectivity via LTE with 3G fallback. Dual-SIM failover and automatic carrier provisioning increase availability in distributed or hard-to-access installations.

The controller supports an input voltage of 9 to 24 VDC, operates in a temperature range from -30 °C to 70 °C and features a compact enclosure with a weight of around 0.29 kg. For demanding environments, an RMS version with a rugged NEMA enclosure and IP65/IP66 ratings is also available.

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Pan European component distribution agreement.

Anglia Components has signed a Pan European authorised distribution agreement with Same Sky, the established manufacturer of an ever-expanding range of product technologies, including audio, interconnect, motion and control, relay, sensor, switch, and thermal management solutions. Same Sky was formerly known as CUI Devices.

Commented David Pearson, Anglia’s technical director: “This partnership significantly enhances our audio portfolio and expands the breadth of innovative technologies we can offer. Same Sky also brings a rapidly developing range of interconnect solutions and an extensive selection of thermal management products, including Fans and Peltier devices. We are looking forward to bringing these innovative components to our UK and EU customer base through our online platform.”

For Same Sky, EMEA Sales Director Neil Whittington added: “We value Anglia’s blend of modern e‑commerce capability and traditional people-centric service. Anglia is renowned for carrying a broad and deep inventory, which is particularly important to the many SMEs that make up a large portion of our European customer base”

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Complementary robotics, control, and software capabilities partnership.

Collaboration to accelerate advanced industrial automation across high-growth manufacturing sectors. 

A strategic collaboration agreement has been signed by Comau and Omron Robotics (Omron) aimed at accelerating the adoption and deployment of advanced industrial automation solutions for manufacturers worldwide. The collaboration will focus on high-growth sectors including electronics, semiconductors, medical manufacturing and light industrial intralogistics – markets that continue to see strong demand for flexible, easily deployable automation.

The partnership responds to rising customer needs for scalable and adaptable automation solutions that integrate seamlessly into both existing production lines and next-generation manufacturing environments. By leveraging the complementary portfolios, technological capabilities, and business models of both companies, the agreement enables a broader and more accessible offering for global customers.

Looking ahead, both companies view this partnership as a platform for future joint initiatives. Together, the companies aim to unlock new levels of operational efficiency, flexibility, and performance for their customers by integrating robotics hardware, advanced control technologies, and software-driven automation tailored to diverse manufacturing environments around the world.

“This initiative is fully aligned with our strategy to expand Comau’s solution portfolio through high-impact partnerships,” said Pietro Gorlier, CEO of Comau. “Omron is an ideal partner, sharing our vision of open innovation and customer-centric value creation. By combining Comau’s robotics expertise with Omron’s complementary technologies and software capabilities, we enable the delivery of solutions that are easier to deploy, highly adaptable, and future-ready. This collaboration also strengthens Comau’s presence in high-growth sectors and new geographies, helping customers effectively manage increasing industrial complexity through reliable, safe, and scalable automation.”

“Through this collaboration, we are bringing together two complementary portfolios with a shared focus on customer success,” said Olivier Welker, CEO of Omron Robotics. “By aligning our expertise in robotics, applications, advanced control, and intelligent automation technologies, we can help manufacturers respond faster to changing market demands. Together, this new collaboration will allow us to deliver more flexible, connected, and sustainable production systems that support long-term growth for our customers.”

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Industrial Ai platform.

Enables customers to act faster, develop more informed strategies, improve operational reliability.

The AspenTech AVA™ AI platform, just introduced by Emerson, is specifically designed for industrial companies to accelerate Ai adoption across the enterprise for measurable business impact. Offering agentic, domain-aware Ai capabilities, AVA delivers the agility, efficiency and autonomy companies need to respond faster to operating conditions, continuously improve performance using trusted domain context, and act with greater confidence through Ai-assisted recommendations embedded directly in operations.

While Ai technologies continue to evolve rapidly, industrial organisations require practical ways to apply them safely and effectively in real operating conditions. AVA embeds decades of Emerson industrial expertise and first-principles models directly into its operational skills and workflows while leveraging large language models. In doing so, AVA enables companies to deploy the power of generative Ai as a trusted operational capability and to build an enterprise operations platform that connects data, context and decision‑making across the organisation.

“AVA provides a practical way to accelerate AI adoption to deliver repeatable, scalable operational impact,” said Claudio Fayad, chief technology officer at Emerson’s Aspen Technology business. “By orchestrating AI across operations, AVA enables teams to act faster, develop more informed strategies and improve reliability – without disrupting proven processes. This is how we help customers accelerate their AI capabilities and enterprise operations platform journey.”

Designed to be data‑source agnostic and built upon existing automation infrastructure, AVA leverages the AspenTech Inmation™ Data Platform that organises and contextualises fragmented OT data across cloud, edge and on‑premise environments. The Inmation Data Platform ensures AVA has reliable, real‑time visibility into operations, while the company’s proven first‑principles models and decades of industrial expertise provide the intelligence needed to interpret conditions, evaluate options and support better decisions in real operating environments.

Beyond improving operational decision-making, AVA supports the next generation of digital-native professionals stepping into operation roles, providing consistent, expert-informed guidance. By embedding Ai-assisted decision support directly into operational workflows, AVA delivers a more intuitive, responsive and autonomous user experience that aligns with how today’s workforce expects to interact with technology, while ensuring reliable execution across the enterprise at scale.

AVA is available with four high‑value operational optimisation and decision‑support advisors. To help industrial companies explore how AVA’s agentic workflows can be applied within their own operating environments, Emerson offers AspenTech.ai, a web-based interactive experience where industry professionals can engage directly with AVA, examine Ai‑assisted decision‑support use cases, and access Emerson’s AspenTech solution resources relevant to their operations.

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Digital anti-coating pH/ORP sensor.

Maximises sensor life while simplifying Modbus* integration and speeding device changeout.

The new Rosemount™ 396A Anti-Coating pH Sensor for measuring pH and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) in dirty, abrasive, and high-solids applications has been launched. The device includes a robust anti-coating reference design and Modbus* digital output, minimising sensor maintenance and ensuring a steady pH/ORP signal even when the sensor is coated.

“In high-solids applications, teams need pH and ORP measurements they can trust without constant sensor maintenance,” said Rachel Jang, global product manager, liquid analysis, Emerson. “The Rosemount 396A combines an anti-coating design with digital connectivity to simplify installation and speed up sensor changeout in challenging service situations.”

The digital Rosemount 396A is a drop-in replacement for legacy Rosemount 396P and 396PVP anti-coating sensors, enabling customers to transition to digital technology without changing existing installations or accessories.

It is particularly ideal for difficult processes in chemical manufacturing, oil and gas refining, water and wastewater, and pulp and paper operations where coating and fouling can affect the reliability of pH and ORP measurements.

With digital Modbus* protocol output, the Rosemount 396A supports simplified installation and setup with compatible Rosemount liquid analysis transmitters. Calibration data is stored in the sensor for bench calibration and replacement without field recalibration—helping to reduce commissioning time and service effort.

The Rosemount 396A is rated IP67 and IP68 for protection against water and dust ingress, including submersion, for wet and washdown environments. It includes a through-wall reference junction with increased surface area at the junction for fouling applications.

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* Modbus is a registered trademark of Schneider Electric USA, Inc.

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