Ultra-High-Speed Imaging in light-starved conditions.

The release of Teledyne DALSA's next-generation Linea™ HS2 8k backside illuminated (BSI) 1 MHz Time Delay Integration (TDI) camera has been announced. Designed for ultra-high-speed imaging in light-starved conditions, the Linea HS2 8k camera joins the existing 16k models, delivering exceptional image quality with 5 µm resolution and an industry-leading maximum line rate of 1 MHz.

The Linea HS2 family features a highly sensitive multi-array charge-domain Teledyne DALSA CMOS BSI TDI sensor, available in 8k and 16k resolutions with optimized quantum efficiency to meet the rigorous demands of current and future machine vision applications. The multi-array TDI sensor architecture allows the camera to be configured for superior image quality with maximized line rate, dynamic range, or full well capacity, depending on application requirements. This results in unsurpassed signal-to-noise performance and dynamic range for the most discriminating inspections.

This flexibility makes the Linea HS2 8k particularly well-suited for inspecting semiconductor wafers, high-density interconnects, genomics flow cells, or any other high-speed inspection applications. On-chip binning further enables higher web speeds to boost system throughput. The camera is equipped with Camera Link HS CX4 connectors for Active Optical Cables, providing complete EMI immunity.

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@TeledyneDALSA  #PAuto

High-Precision automated alignment for PIC manufacture.

Laser Components now offers an automated solution for the high-precision alignment of photonic components in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) with their OctaPad from 3SAE. This compact, task-oriented microrobot removes a critical bottleneck in high-volume manufacturing. Its integrated high-frequency dither unit with embedded control electronics compensates in real time for thermal drift, polymerisation forces, and other disturbances. The result is highly reproducible alignment with deviations of less than 0.02 dB, even during continuous operation.

“With the OctaPod, we offer an ideal solution for companies looking to make photonic alignment processes more efficient, compact, and robust,” says Christian Fassbender, Product Manager at Laser Components. “The system is specifically designed for industrial manufacturing. It does not require fan cooling and is suitable for cleanroom environments.”

These capabilities are especially valuable for the alignment of fiber arrays, where multichannel setups demand the highest level of precision. The OctaPod’s integrated real-time optimisation ensures stable, accurate coupling even under challenging production conditions. This makes the system a space-saving, scalable solution for fast and repeatable processes in both testing and manufacturing.

Unlike conventional positioning systems, the OctaPod does more than execute motion commands. It can independently carry out defined alignment tasks. Even complex alignment routines can be integrated directly into production software through task-based “Do This” commands. As a result, the system is particularly well suited for applications that require high repeatability, short cycle times, and scalable automation.

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@LaserComponents @lasercomp_uk @UnnGmbh @PresseBox #Manufacturing #Pauto

Innovators honoured.

Company honours the people behind its pioneering achievements.

Endress+Hauser has honoured the company’s inventors at the 2026 Innovators’ Meeting in Basel (CH). 294 initial applications were filed with patent offices worldwide last year, 41 new products and R&D expenditure of €281.4 millions underscore the company’s innovative strength. In total, more than 9,400 active patents and patent applications protect the company’s intellectual property.

Dr Mirko Lehmann, Chief Technology Officer and Dr Christine Koslowski, Director of Intellectual Property Rights, Endress+Hauser.  

Developers from across the Group who have been involved in patent applications come together to exchange ideas and present their most notable inventions. “The Innovators’ Meeting highlights just how much expertise, creativity, teamwork and perseverance go into our products,” says Dr Mirko Lehmann, Chief Technology Officer of the Endress+Hauser Group.

25 years of the Innovators’ Meeting: continuity and new momentum.
The first Innovators’ Meeting took place in July 2001. Following a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, it was held for the 25th time in 2026. Of the 101 innovators from the first meeting, 35 are still active in the company today. Fifteen of them filed patents again in 2025. At the same time, 89 inventors from Endress+Hauser were involved in a patent application for the first time.

“Our innovative strength thrives on the collaboration between experienced and new inventors. Endress+Hauser’s long-term focus and values-based culture create an environment where experience is passed on and new ideas can flourish,” says Dr Christine Koslowski, Director of Intellectual Property Rights at Endress+Hauser.

Significant investment in research and development.
Last year, Endress+Hauser invested 281.4 million euros in research and development, 2.1 percent more than in the previous year. This represents 7.0 percent of sales. The slight decrease in this ratio compared with last year is attributable to accounting effects related to the acquisition of the gas instrumentation business from Endress+Hauser SICK. More than 1,300 employees at Endress+Hauser work exclusively in research and development, developing new solutions for customers across various industries.

Innovation for greater sustainability.
Endress+Hauser’s innovation efforts are aimed at making industrial processes more efficient and sustainable. In addition to product development, this includes improvements in production, logistics, IT and administration. The internal Ecodesign & Circularity Award, introduced in 2025, recognises solutions that combine environmental considerations, resource efficiency and technical benefits.

With the digitalisation of measurement technology, the importance of firmware, connectivity and the instruments’ integration capabilities is becoming more significant. In addition, the company develops software-based solutions and services, including cloud applications and artificial intelligence-based approaches. Another key focus of the innovation efforts is the analysis and measurement of material properties. 

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@Endress_Hauser @Endress_UK @Endress_US #PAuto 

Combustible gas detection capabilities.

Lower explosive limit monitoring over WirelessHART, for greater hazard visibility without added power or signal wiring

The capabilities of Emerson's Rosemount™ 928 Wireless Gas Monitor have been expanded by adding combustible gas detection, enabling percent lower explosive limit (%LEL) monitoring over the secure WirelessHART® platform. The update helps users monitor combustible hazards in remote or hard‑to‑wire locations without the need for additional power or costly signal wiring.

“Adding combustible gas detection to the Rosemount 928 gives customers more flexibility as safety requirements evolve,” said Dave Ruhland, global flame and gas product manager for Emerson’s measurement instrumentation business. “Facilities can extend their wireless gas detection strategy to include combustible hazards on existing WirelessHART platforms – simplifying installation and supporting reliable monitoring in more hard-to-reach areas across their facilities.”

The updated Rosemount 928 device supports measurements from 0% to 100% LEL, which gives users early warning and complete visibility into combustible gas hazards, helping them detect risks sooner and respond more effectively as conditions escalate.

The combustible sensing technology is also designed to help reduce maintenance over time. Because the sensor does not rely on consumable elements, such as catalytic beads, that can degrade with repeated gas exposure, it can support longer service intervals and reduce the need for frequent recalibration.

Secure WirelessHART communication transmits combustible gas data in real time, enabling deployment with no added power or signal wiring in hard-to-reach areas. The update is intended to complement existing gas detection programmes by helping teams add monitoring points in locations that may be logistically impractical or too costly to hardwire.

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@EmersonExchange  @EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #Safety

Simplify secure connectivity.

A unified industrial connectivity platform that combines plug-and-play edge gateways with a cloud-based subscription service to deliver simple, secure remote access from day one.

The solution offered by New Ewon Edge & Cloud from HMS Networks, enables machine builders and end users to get started quickly and progressively expand into data services, advanced analytics, and fleet management, providing deeper insights into machine performance as their digitalisation needs and business models evolve.

Shift toward service-driven industrial models.
Industrial connectivity has become crucial in driving performance and securing a competitive edge.

Market data* clearly reflects this shift:

• Aftermarket services are growing more than 10% annually, outpacing new equipment sales
• Service gross margins can be up to 2x higher than those of new machine sales
• For complex equipment, service EBIT margins can be almost 4x higher
• Only 4% of machine builders generate recurring revenue from digital services

At the same time, expectations among machine operators continue to evolve. They need instant remote support, real-time visibility of machine performance, and long-term, service-oriented relationships rather than one-off transactions.

The growing disconnect between market expectations and industrial capabilities highlights the need for secure, scalable connectivity as a critical foundation for modernisation. In this environment, user experience is becoming an increasingly important factor in technology adoption.

To address these evolving needs, HMS Networks introduces a scalable platform that simplifies secure remote access and lays the foundation for future digital services and industrial applications.

New generation of industrial remote access.
Industrial companies face increasing pressure to maintain uptime, manage complex machine fleets, and comply with stricter cybersecurity requirements, including IEC 62443, NIS2, and ISO 27001.

The new Ewon Edge & Cloud platform addresses these challenges with:

• Secure, IT-aligned remote access with VPN, SSO (Single Sign-On), MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication), and comprehensive audit logs
• High-speed remote access delivering up to three times faster performance than the previous generation
• Centralised access governance for internal teams and external partners
• Standardised connectivity across machines, production lines, and sites
• Scalable deployment from a single machine to global operations
• Seamless edge‑to‑cloud integration for future analytics and digital services

“Industrial companies need remote access that is secure, simple, and built for real operational environments,” said Marco Bulacher, Strategic Product Manager - Access at HMS Networks. “With Ewon Edge & Cloud, we are delivering a platform that aligns with IT expectations while remaining true to the realities of OT.”

Designed for Machine Builders - Trusted by End Users Ewon Edge & Cloud has been engineered to meet the needs of both machine builders and industrial end users. 

For machine builders.
Faster troubleshooting and reduced service costs
Secure, controlled access for service teams
A scalable platform that grows with evolving machine builder needs
A unified architecture that eliminates fragmented tools

For end users.

• Full control over third‑party access
• Standardised connectivity across multi‑vendor environments
• Improved uptime through faster diagnostics
• Compliance support for modern cybersecurity frameworks
• A user-centric platform that provides full control over user access and permissions

“Machine builders want a reliable service tool. End users want control and security. The new Ewon platform finally brings both together,” added Marco Bulacher.

A future‑ready foundation.
The Ewon Edge & Cloud platform is designed to evolve alongside customers’ digitalisation journeys.

Organisations can start with secure remote access and expand toward:

• Advanced edge computing
• Machine data collection
• Predictive maintenance
• Integration with IIoT platforms
• Fleet‑wide machine performance insights

This modular approach ensures organisations can scale without replacing their existing systems.

20+ Years of industrial expertise
With more than 600,000 Ewon gateways deployed worldwide, HMS Networks brings decades of expertise in industrial connectivity and secure remote access. Supported by more than 23 offices worldwide and a global industrial support network, HMS delivers local expertise with international reach. 

A unified Edge & Cloud architecture

• Industrial‑grade hardware designed for harsh environments
• Development processes backed by HMS Networks, certified to ISO 27001
• Structured security lifecycle management
• Long-term product and cloud support
• Continuous platform evolution

The result is a secure and scalable platform that is robust enough for OT, aligned with IT, and ready for the next generation of industrial digitalisation.

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* Source BGC : Aftermarket Services: Industrial Manufacturer Growth | BCG
* Source McKinsey: How digital can grow revenue from aftermarket services | McKinsey

@hmsnetworks @ewonrouters @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Cybersecurity

Top marks for "Hidden Gem" in automation publications.

Many years ago when this writer was Publications VP for The International Society of Automation (ISA), the leading professional society for automation — ISA Transactions was highlighted by me as the great hidden gem of the Society Publications. This news confirms the great work still being done by this unique publication.

The ISA Transactions journal achieved the top CiteScore in its category from Elsevier, publishers of ScienceDirect.

ScienceDirect is a full-text scientific database of articles and book chapters from more than 2,500 peer-reviewed journals and more than 11,000 books. Elsevier’s CiteScore for ISA Transactions this year is 13.9, compared to 12.3 in the previous year, and its Impact Factor is 6.5.

The Impact Factor measures the average number of citations received in a particular year by papers published in the journal during the two preceding years. The CiteScore measures the average citations received per peer-reviewed document published in ISA Transactions. The chart below depicts the ISA Transactions Citescore for the last two years compared with other competing journals in the same/similar domain.

ISA Transactions, a bimonthly publication, publishes advances and state-of-the-art in the science and engineering of measurement and automation. It provides value to leading-edge industrial practitioners and applied researchers. Its intended audience is research and development personnel from academia and industry in the fields of control systems, process instrumentation, systems and automation.

CiteScore measures the average number of citations received by a journal in a single year to documents published in the previous four years. This chart depicts the ISA Transactions Citescore for the last two years compared to other competing journals in the same/similar domain.

Recent topics covered.
Editor-in-Chief Dr. Ahmad Rad and the volunteer editors and editorial board members of ISA Transactions seek to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Automation professionals throughout the world rely on ISA Transactions for its scholarly value and quality, and for the credibility and usefulness of its peer-reviewed content.

Articles published recently on digital twins, for example, include:

• Digital twin-assisted self-supervised contrastive learning: A novel framework for electromechanical equipment fault diagnosis
• Digital twin-based fault tolerance approach for Cyber–Physical Production System
• A novel quantitative diagnosis method for rolling bearing faults based on digital twin model
• A faulty simulation model guided Ramanujan Digital twin architecture for rotating machine health monitoring
• Straddle-type monorail train gearbox fault diagnosis based on digital twin and domain adaptation

A search of recently published articles shows the range of content covered:   Design of the GPPI controller for stability and performance of unstable plant models with long dead times, by Alejandro Rojas and Daniel Sbarbaro Observer-based output-feedback stabilization of nonlinear systems with periodically event-triggered sampled-output-data by Xueling Li, Min Wang and Xiangze Lin Adaptive distribution transformation for enhanced bearing fault detection in independent cart systems, by Abdul Jabbar, Marco Cocconcelli and Gianluca D’Elia Deep learning-enhanced prescribed-time cooperative guidance with switching topologies under time-varying velocity by Heng Li, Zheng Guo, Xiwang Dong High-resolution sound source localization via non-synchronous measurements based on symmetric sparse planar array in the differential domain by Dong Lv, Guojin Feng, Fengshou Gu Scaled containment control for first/Second-order multi-agent systems in a noisy environment by Chongyang Wang, Shuzhi Sam Ge, Yingxue Du Successive ridge detection framework: A novel method for valve stiction detection by Xun Lang, Songhua Liu and Bingfei Dong Active disturbance rejection control with neural network-based ESO for gas turbine control system by fractional fuzzy-PSO optimization by Sara Majidi Shilsar, Alireza Khosravi and Hamed Mojallali.

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@ISA_Automation @Sciencedirect @automation_com #Pauto #Research

Stainless steel shaft couplings for pharma.

Meet hygiene requirements, corrosion-resistant, easy to clean, and highly hygienic.

Stainless steel shaft couplings are used in the food, pharmaceutical, and medical technology sectors because they are corrosion-resistant, easy to clean, and hygienic. Their smooth, stainless surface prevents the accumulation of dirt and germs, meeting stringent hygiene requirements.

Jakob Antriebstechnik GmbH now offers various stainless steel couplings as standard product series: the KG-VA, KGH-VA, and MKG-VA metal bellows couplings; the WD-VA and WDB spacer coupling series; the EKM-VA elastomer coupling; and the SKVA-N and SKVA-K safety couplings (including variants).

It is particularly worth noting that both the KGH-VA metal bellows coupling and the WD-VA series feature a split-hub design that facilitates easy installation. This construction allows for simple mounting and dismounting, even in confined spaces. The fixed hub halves are simply placed onto the shaft and bolted to the loose split-hub sections. This saves time—especially with fixed shaft ends—by eliminating the need for the complex disassembly of drive or output units. Thanks to their stainless steel construction, these couplings are also ideally suited for use in the food industry.

Various series for diverse applications.
The KG-VA series is suitable for temperatures up to 350°C and is designed for shaft diameters ranging from 10 to 90 mm and torques from 30 to 1000 Nm. The KGH-VA series is wear-free and maintenance-free; it is also rated for temperatures up to 350°C and covers shaft diameters from 7 to 85 mm and torques from 10 to 1200 Nm. It is available in variable overall lengths with either 2- or 4-convolution bellows. The MKG-VA is a miniature metal bellows coupling featuring a clamping hub; available with either a two- or four-convolution bellows, it can transmit up to 15 Nm of torque and operate at temperatures up to 350°C.

A new addition to the product range is the EKM-VA elastomer coupling, capable of transmitting torques up to 500 Nm and operating at temperatures up to 90°C. It features an easy-to-install clamping hub.

The WD-VA spacer coupling is available in variable lengths of up to 3 meters and ensures backlash-free torque transmission. It is also suitable for temperatures up to 350°C and accommodates shaft diameters ranging from 7 to 85 mm, with torque capacities between 10 and 1200 Nm.

The SKVA-N and SKVA-K series safety couplings are designed for indirect drives, while the SKVA-EK and SKVA-KG series are intended for direct drives. They are suitable for use in the food processing and medical technology sectors, where exceptionally high hygiene standards are required. The non-elastomer series offer superior heat resistance, making them ideal for applications in ovens or refrigeration systems.

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@UnnGmbh @PresseBox #jakobantriebstechnik #Pharma #Pauto