Fieldbus modular remote I/O.

Removes barriers for delivering smart factory integration.

The North American availability of Dinkle's iO-GRID X modular remote I/O family has been announced. The iO-GRID X series is a modular and adaptable platform for original equipment manufacturers and factory automation integrators to incorporate digitalisation into machines and systems.

Remote input/output (I/O) solutions reduce wiring labor, minimise control panel space requirements, lower material costs, and offer improved control system scalability. Remote I/O is a leading technique for connecting field devices such as sensors, actuators, and other monitoring/control devices with minimal wiring, and it requires only a single network connection and power circuit to each station location. Almost any application and industry can benefit from remote I/O, including machinery, automated manufacturing and logistics, building automation, and more.

By choosing the capable iO-GRID X platform, designers can realise benefits of mixing-and-matching modular slice-type I/O to support various field requirements, while using their preferred micro controller, PLC, or other host system.

The iO-GRID X fieldbus coupler modules support major industrial Ethernet communications protocols at up to 100Mbps, including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, and CC-Link IE Field Basic. Each interface module includes two RJ45 interface plugs and an integrated two-port Ethernet switch for convenient station expansion using daisy-chain cabling. LED indicators provide clear operational status information, and the module accepts firmware upgrades using a standard USB Type C connection.

Over 20 types of I/O modules are available, accommodating varying I/O counts and signal types, with integrated indicator lights for easy identification of channel status. 

Key specifications include:

• Discrete input and output modules are available in 16- or 32-channel sinking or sourcing versions, with either push-in connections or 34-pole IDC connectors.
• Analog input and output modules are available in 4- or 8-channel voltage or milliamp current versions, with 12- or 16-bit resolution.
• Resistance temperature device (RTD), thermocouple (TC), serial communication, high-speed counter (HSC), and pulse output modules are also available to cover the needs for most any application.

Modules operate throughout a wide ambient temperature range of -10 to +60DegC, and they mount securely to DIN rails with a reliable mechanical and grounding connection, while gold-plated spring-loaded connectors ensure positive module-to-module connectivity. Two power supply sizes are available to handle varying I/O counts, both accepting standard 24 VDC. All models are CE and UL certified.

Detachable terminal blocks and convenient push-in design ensure quick module replacements without rewiring, along with easy expansion of existing installations. Push-in terminal blocks require no tools for wiring completion, and large wire entries ease installations. IDC connectors provide a high-density wiring option.

Daudin remote I/O solutions, including iO-GRID X, help systems integrators and equipment builders create more efficient and flexible control systems. Standard products address most applications, and Daudin also offers customisation options via extensive hardware, firmware, software, labeling, branding, and application-specific design capabilities. Daudin is committed to collaborating with end users to create innovative solutions for intelligent and connected power, networking, and communications designs.

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#DinkleInternational #PAuto #Connectors, #NorthAmerica

Regional centre for Scandinavia marks digital platform development.

HIMA Group, the global leader in safety-related automation solutions for the process and rail industries celebrated the grand opening of the new regional center for Scandinavia: Origo Solutions’ head office in Kristiansand (N). The inauguration ceremony was held in May 2026.

With its strong local roots and long-standing role as a trusted partner to major operators and EPC contractors, Origo Solutions head office relocated to new, state-of-the-art premises at Kjøita Energy Park in central Kristiansand, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth.

The inauguration began with opening remarks from the shareholder of HIMA Group. “Origo and HIMA have worked closely together for decades, with Origo Solutions representing HIMA in Norway for more than 20 years before becoming part of the HIMA Group. I’m proud to see us taking the next step together and creating even more value for our customers in Scandinavia and strengthening HIMA Group’s digital offering worldwide,” said Steffen Philipp, shareholder of the HIMA Group.

Guests were then guided through the new head office and experienced live demonstrations of innovative Functional Safety and OT Security solutions. The introduction of the ‘HIMA Digital Unit’ highlighted new solutions and their customer values, before the evening concluded with dinner for networking and celebration.

Successful integration into HIMA Group.
Origo Solutions has been HIMA’s exclusive representative in Norway since 1998 and became part of the HIMA Group in 2024 and regional center for Scandinavia, supporting industries such as oil and gas, process, energy, and renewables. The head office is located in Kristiansand, complemented by branch offices in Arendal and Stavanger. Customers in Norway, Sweden and Denmark benefit from a locally anchored organization backed by the full capabilities of the HIMA Group.

The successful integration of Origo Solutions into the HIMA Group created a strong foundation for expanding the Group’s presence across the Scandinavian market while evolving into a digital solution provider for process safety. The expansion reflects HIMA Group’s long-term commitment to Scandinavia – particularly Norway as a key European energy hub – and posi-tioned the company to address major industry trends such as digitalization, energy transition, and the convergence of functional safety and OT Security.

Accelerating digital growth.
A key milestone in this journey is the launch of the new HIMA Digital unit, built on Origo Solutions’ digital platform development including SCADA+™ combined with HIMA’s long-term safety expertise. As competence center for digital development, HIMA Digital plays a central role in expending HIMA Group’s value-driven digital solutions for customers worldwide and marks the next step in HIMA’s strategic initiative #safetygoesdigital.

“The successful integration of Origo Solutions strengthens our presence in Scandinavia and supports our evolution into a digital solutions provider for process safety,” said Jörg de la Motte, CEO of the HIMA Group. “Expanding our regional center marks the next step. With HIMA Digital, we are advancing our #safetygoesdigital strategy to deliver real, value-driven solutions for customers worldwide.”

New facilities designed for growth and innovation.
Located in the heart of Kristiansand’s energy hub, the new head office offers modern, flexible workspaces alongside dedicated areas for engineering, training, and hands-on technical work, including a fully equipped workshop and expanded testing capabilities. It also includes advanced environments for customer interaction and co-development, such as the HIMA Experience Room, and provides sufficient space for future team and portfolio expansion.

“Moving into Kjøita Energy Park is more than a change of address – it marks a defining moment in the story of our company,” said Bjørn-Tore Lenes, CEO of Origo Solutions. “From our origins in 1978, through 40 years as the leading safety and automation specialist in Norway, to our formal establishment as HIMA Scandinavia: this is where that journey takes its next step. We know what it takes to get it right – and we have the people, the technology, and now the facilities to prove it.”  

Outlook: continued growth in a transforming market.
As demand for safety and automation solutions continues to grow – driven by both traditional energy markets and the rapid expansion of renewables – the company is well positioned to support customers with innovative, integrated, and future-ready solutions. Bjørn-Tore Lenes, CEO of Origo Solutions, concludes: “By combining a strong local footprint with the global capabilities of the HIMA Group, Origo Solutions aims to play a leading role in helping customers modernize legacy safety systems, implement digital lifecycle solutions and realize sustainable, safe and cyber-secure operations across the Scandinavian energy sector.”

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#Hima #Safety #SCADA #Scandinavia

Quick coupling system.

For secure, leakage-free separation and connection of diaphragm seal systems.

REconnect is a new quick coupling system from Krohne, designed for the simple and safe separation and connection of diaphragm seal systems with capillaries.

The system is installed between a pressure or differential pressure transmitter and the process connection and enables maintenance, repair or verification of the transmitter without interrupting the process. REconnect enables fast, safe and leak-free disconnection of the capillary tubes without loss of filling fluid and without contamination, e.g. due to air ingress – even at pressurised measuring points.

The design is based on a two piece ball valve: when closed, both sides are hydraulically connected and locked; when opened, both sides remain pressure-tight and can be separated axially. This makes it especially suitable for applications where pressure transmitters and diaphragm seals are connected via capillary tubes. Unlike conventional hydraulic connectors, the design prevents displacement of the oil volume and ingress of air, which can otherwise cause drift and false readings.

The quick coupling system is compatible with a wide range of OPTIBAR pressure transmitters and diaphragm seals and is suitable for Ex and SIL applications. It offers clear advantages in hygienic processes in the food and beverage industry, in applications involving toxic or sensitive media in the pharmaceutical sector, and in large or complex plants in the chemical industry.

REconnect also helps to reduce installation time and staffing requirements: many tasks can be performed by a single technician, and maintenance or replacement of flange connections can be carried out without complete reinstallation or recalibration. Regular calibration intervals can be completed without interrupting the process, minimising downtime and increasing the efficiency of service and maintenance teams.

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@KROHNE_USA #PAuto #DWN

Support for European student group space rocket mission.

Elara Aerospace, an academically led initiative founded at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), is being supported by Thomson, with precision linear motion technology for its liquid-fuelled Methalox rocket. The Elara team is seeking to become the first student group worldwide to develop a liquid-propelled rocket capable of exceeding 100 kilometers in altitude while being fully reusable and have space for up to 100 kg of scientific experiments. As part of a joint partnership with its Regal Rexnord sister brands Boston Gear and Kollmorgen, Thomson is providing key actuation components that will support active engine positioning and critical flight control functions.

28kN Methalox Engine

The system will use two Thomson PC Series precision linear actuators integrated with Kollmorgen AKM13D servo motors and dual-axis drive systems, along with Boston Gear Micron NemaTRUE™ planetary gearheads. Together, the components form a coordinated motion solution tailored to the application’s performance requirements.

In the Elara rocket, the actuators will support engine gimbaling, enabling controlled movement within a narrow ±5 degree operating range. The PC Series actuators were selected for their compact design, ball screw-based construction and ability to deliver accurate, repeatable motion in space-constrained applications.

“Rocket control applications leave very little room for uncertainty. Every commanded movement must be predictable, measurable and easy to verify,” said Anders Karlsson, Business Development Manager for Regal Rexnord’s Linear Motion Division. “For us, the value of this partnership is not only in supplying components but in helping Elara build confidence in the actuation approach before the system moves into flight use. Working closely with the team helped us ensure the motion package fits cleanly within the overall engine control architecture.”

The actuators were supplied as individual components, giving the Elara Aerospace team flexibility in system design and testing. The motion system is currently being validated on development platforms for use in the rocket’s engine control system.

“For an academically led team working on active engine control, it was important for us to use components that were not only technically capable but also practical to work with,” said Tom Luca Reinhardt, Founder and CEO of Elara Aerospace. “Thomson’s guidance gave us a clear path for the thrust vector control design without adding unnecessary complexity.”

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@Thomson_Ind @RegalRexnord @Elara_Aerospace #Aerospace #PAuto 

Update to lift control spec.

The four-part CiA 417 application profile specification for lift control systems has been revised. CiA has released a new version, which introduces a power supply unit. Other units have been functionally extended, adding new parameters and specifying additional PDOs (process data objects). All four parts of the CANopen Lift specification have been editorially improved. This includes clarifications, improvements regarding understandability, and restructuring of subclauses.

CANopen Lift is a widely used application profile by the CiA (CAN in Automation) association with more than 700 members. It specifies control functions as well as CANopen interfaces for sensors (e.g., input panels) and actuators (e.g., car drives and door units) used in elevators, including freight lifts. The first version was released in 2003, and the version 2.0.0 was published in 2011 (can be downloaded free of charge from the CiA website). The currently updated draft specification proposals (DSPs version 2.4.0) are available only for CiA members.

“CANopen Lift is an application profile, which enables the development of interoperable products,” explained Holger Zeltwanger, CiA Managing Director. “This unburdens the system developer from complex programming and configuration tasks; some configuration is required for optional functions.” CANopen Lift devices are offered by more than 60 CiA member companies.

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@CANopen  #PAuto #Communications

Ai vision beyond pilots - goes global.

Customers report faster deployment, improved throughput, and new levels of collaboration.

Just announced is the general availability of OneVision™, Cognex collaborative Ai vision development environment designed to simplify and scale AI-powered inspection across manufacturing operations.

Since its beta launch in June 2025, more than 100 customers worldwide have used OneVision to accelerate AI-powered vision development and deployment, with many progressing from single-line applications to multi-site rollouts in days instead of months. This momentum reflects a broader shift as manufacturers move beyond isolated Ai pilots toward connected, enterprise-wide inspection strategies.

"AI vision has long delivered value, but scaling it across operations has remained a barrier,” said Matt Moschner, President and CEO of Cognex. "Manufacturers encounter recurring challenges—from fragmented workflows to models that don’t adapt across environments. OneVision addresses this by unifying the simplicity of the edge with the scalability of the cloud, helping organisations move from isolated pilots to consistent, enterprise-wide deployment."

Cloud-to-edge architecture for scalable Ai vision.
OneVision addresses a persistent challenge in industrial Ai: deploying advanced vision applications at enterprise scale without adding complexity or slowing production. This introduces a cloud-to-edge architecture, where Ai models are trained, managed, and governed in the cloud, while inspection runs at the edge on Cognex vision systems for real-time, reliable execution. Customers can now centrally manage the entire Ai lifecycle—from collecting and labeling production images to refining models—and deploy updates consistently across global fleets of devices. OneVision is optimised to work with Cognex’s latest systems, including the In-Sight® 3900 and In-Sight® 6900.

“While OneVision leverages the cloud for development and management, runtime inspection remains fully edge-based,” said Reto Wyss, Vice President of Vision Engineering at Cognex. “Once a model is deployed, no connectivity to the cloud is required. Production images stay local and latency is a non-issue.”

By centralising model development and management, OneVision helps manufacturers:

• Standardise inspection processes across sites.
• Reduce duplication of work across teams.
• Reduce scaling costs by up to 50%.
• Maintain version control and consistency across deployments.

Customer success: From pilots to global scale.
Across industries including automotive, electronics, food and beverage, and healthcare, customers are seeing faster Ai application development, improved throughput, and more consistent inspection results—while reducing reliance on specialised expertise and scaling deployments globally.

Essity – Ai inspection development: from one year to one day.

• “With our previous approach, developing a reliable sealing inspection application took more than a year of iteration and tuning, and quality issues could lead to full batch returns and significant material waste,” said Amin Tajeddine, Operational Technology and Digitisation Manager. “Using OneVision, we were able to build and demonstrate a viable solution in less than a day. OneVision’s simplicity and ease of use significantly reduced development effort and gives us confidence in how quickly AI vision applications can be scaled across our operations.”

Schneider Electric – Standardising AI inspection for global scale.

• “OneVision allowed us to develop and validate AI inspection standards centrally and then deploy those same models across our worldwide operations,” said Christophe Ernis, Smart Operation Manager, Product Power Division. “That approach helped us double yield, dramatically reduce false rejects, and reduce our dependence on specialised vision expertise. Most importantly, it gives us a repeatable way to scale best practices reliably across our factories.”

3M – Improving speed and collaboration in AI vision development.

• “With OneVision, our engineers can quickly label real production images, build models, and deploy them to cameras with far less effort,” said Scott Daniels, Senior Manufacturing Technology Engineer. 

With general availability now underway, Cognex expects momentum for OneVision to accelerate as manufacturers demand scalable AI vision to drive operational efficiency across global production networks.

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@Cognex_Corp @mepaxIntPR #Pauto #Ai

Chain hoist Testing.

Testing of electrical overload protection systems and friction clutches.

The FRKPS chain hoist test set from WIKA, enables measurement of force on friction clutches and electrical overload protection systems in industrial environments. It includes a force transducer with chain adapters and an easy-to-use indication unit in a new, modern design. To test a chain hoist, users hook the force transducer with the appropriate adapters into the chain. The transducer is then pulled upwards with the chain against the bottom of the chain hoist, where it blocks the chain and triggers the friction clutch or overload protection. Users can read the force at which the chain was blocked directly on the indication instrument.

If required, the measured values can also be stored and transmitted to the WIKA software included in the scope of delivery. Users can then create an automatically generated test log on the PC. Thereby the annual inspection required by the EU Machinery Directive (to be replaced by the EU Machinery Regulation from January 2027) can be carried out easily and without the need for test weights.

The FRKPS can be used for load ranges of 40 ... 3,500 kg and measures with a high accuracy of < ±0.5 %. The force transducer is designed as a shear load cell providing the greatest possible insensitivity to parasitic forces and moments. It transmits the course of the measured values to the battery-operated hand-held indicator via a cable. The indicator is characterised by intuitive operation, a high sampling rate, 13 hours of battery runtime and a memory of 30 x 1,000,000 measuring points.

Thanks to centring sleeves in several sizes and chain adapters for chain sizes ranging from 3 x 9 … 11 x 31 mm per DIN ISO 606, the FRKPS is highly versatile. The set is delivered in a modern transport case.

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@WIKANews @UnnGmbh @PresseBox  #PAuto #TandM