Partnership connects control and Intelligence.

Helping manufacturers turn control loop diagnostics into faster operational decisions.

A strategic technology partnership with Dimension Software, a leading provider of industrial operations management platforms has been announced by Control Station. The collaboration connects Control Station’s PlantESP™ control loop performance monitoring (CLPM) platform with Dimension Software’s Asset Intellect™ operations intelligence environment, enabling manufacturers to operationalise control performance insights across their organisations.

Industry studies suggest that 30–40 percent of industrial control loops operate below optimal performance, contributing to lost production throughput, increased energy consumption, and inconsistent product quality. While modern analytics tools can identify these issues, many organisations struggle to translate diagnostic insights into coordinated operational improvements. The partnership between Control Station and Dimension Software addresses this challenge by aligning complementary technologies that help engineering and operations teams move more quickly from issue identification to corrective action.

Control Station’s PlantESP platform leverages a production facility’s existing historical process data to proactively identify poorly performing control loops, oscillations, valve issues, and tuning deficiencies that undermine regulatory control. These issues frequently contribute to process instability and production inefficiencies across continuous and batch manufacturing environments. In complimentary fashion, Dimension Software’s Asset Intellect platform provides a unified, browser-based operations management environment that aggregates, integrates, contextualises, and visualises operational and business data in real time. It enables organisations to create a centralised “single source of truth” for operations by integrating data from enterprise systems such as AVEVA PI, SAP/Maximo, Power BI, and other operational technologies such as process alarms, IIoT, and geo-spatial systems. Through the collaboration, PlantESP diagnostics identifying poorly performing control loops can be surfaced within Asset Intellect dashboards alongside production, maintenance, and operational data. Engineering and operations teams can then evaluate control performance issues within their broader operational context and initiate corrective workflows directly from the Asset Intellect environment.

“By partnering with Dimension Software, we are expanding our ecosystem of world-class technology partners while making it easier for manufacturers to translate control performance insights into operational improvements,” stated Damien Munroe, Vice President of Partner Development at Control Station. “The collaboration aligns with our ongoing mission of making process optimisation simpler and more accessible for industrial organisations.”

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in New Zealand, Dimension Software develops operational intelligence platforms that help industrial organisations unlock value from their existing data infrastructure. The company proudly supports over 15,000 enterprise users, spanning key process industries including chemicals, mining, oil & gas, and pulp & paper and empowering global organisations such as Abbott, BHP, and Enbridge. The company originally formed to deliver expanded capabilities within the AVEVA PI ecosystem, and has since introduced industry-leading platforms including Asset Intellect. Asset Intellect is modular, vendor-agnostic, and low-code configurable, allowing organisations to rapidly deploy operational intelligence solutions without extensive custom development. The platform enables operations teams to visualise performance metrics, manage operational workflows, and coordinate responses to emerging operational issues.

“We have first-hand experience with control loop performance monitoring and recognise both the importance of optimising regulatory control and the complexity involved in analysing process data,” said Yong The, Director of Business Development and Global Sales at Dimension Software. “Through our partnership with Control Station, we are able to offer customers a fully integrated and market-leading CLPM capability while continuing our mission of unlocking operational value from existing data and systems.”

PlantESP remains the industry’s leading CLPM solution, leveraging existing process data to uncover performance issues that degrade production throughput and product quality. By detecting oscillations, valve stiction, and poorly tuned loops, the platform helps manufacturers improve process stability and sustain high-performance regulatory control. By combining PlantESP’s controller diagnostics with Asset Intellect’s operational intelligence environment, the partnership enables manufacturers to connect control performance insights with enterprise decision workflows—helping operations teams reduce process variability, improve throughput, and sustain operational excellence.

The companies will introduce the collaboration to the industry through a joint webinar scheduled for April 2026, where engineering and operations leaders will learn how the integrated technologies help operationalise benchmarking and control loop performance insights. In June of this year, Control Station will participate in Dimension Software’s inaugural user conference where both organisations will showcase how the partnership supports data-driven manufacturing operations.

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@Control_Station  @DimensionSW #Pauto

A secure Linux edge platform.

Kvaser Edge is an open, secure Linux‑based edge computing platform that transforms how automotive and industrial teams collect, process, and act on data. Designed for harsh environments and real‑time performance, Kvaser Edge runs analytics directly where data is generated: on the vehicle, test bench, or machine.

Traditional machine‑test workflows depend on PC connections and large data logs. Kvaser Edge introduces a new model for logging and edge computing applications across industries: a secure Linux-based system that processes data in real‑time, with optional cloud or desktop analysis layers for deeper processing and collaboration. Test engineers or fleet managers capture only the data that matters, accelerating development and reducing unnecessary logging across automotive, off‑highway, and industrial use cases, including:

• Real‑time and remote diagnostics
• Predictive maintenance
• Intelligent filtering and event‑based logging
• Fleet monitoring
• Off-highway telematics

Intelligence at the point of measurement.
Modern vehicles and machines generate huge data volumes, but most teams need smarter data, not more of it. Kvaser Edge delivers a full Linux environment that is compact enough to mount anywhere. It supports real‑time filtering, data aggregation, and anomaly detection at the source, enabling faster insights and iteration during testing.

Secure, reliable remote access.
At its core is a powerful ARM‑based Linux computer with an NXP SE051C2 Secure Element, designed to support CRA and RED cybersecurity requirements. Hardware based security protects collected data and intellectual property, making Kvaser Edge suitable for prototyping and large-scale deployments. Teams can use the Kvaser Edge to monitor and troubleshoot units remotely. Integrated GPS support* adds optional location awareness for improved fleet visibility and security.

Containerised applications and a dedicated OS.
The platform runs Kvaser Edge OS (KEOS), a Linux operating system designed for data acquisition and edge analytics. KEOS allows developers and test engineers to build secure, isolated Linux‑based environments using containers that run on top of the OS. Each container offers a clean, reproducible workspace where teams can install their preferred distribution and tools, run multiple versions in parallel, and update them independently of the base system.

This containerised approach enables consistent deployments across vehicles or test rigs, with processed data easily routed to cloud or local servers. KEOS is designed for automotive‑grade power conditions and resilience against sudden shutdowns, supporting rapid prototyping while keeping sensitive work protected.

A platform for software developers, integrators, and early adopters.
Early adopters, including software partners such as Alkit, are already demonstrating how Kvaser Edge accelerates development and unlocks new test workflows. Kvaser is building a growing developer ecosystem with documentation, SDKs, and example projects that make it straightforward to build and package applications for Edge users. This enables software partners to bring specialised tools directly to automotive and industrial teams.

Building on decades of trusted CAN and LIN expertise, Kvaser Edge introduces a new category of intelligent, secure, in‑vehicle and in‑machine edge computing. Together with KEOS, it provides a scalable path for modernising data workflows.

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*external antenna not included

@KvaserAB @mepaxIntPR #Automotive #Pauto #TandM

Major OT-Cybersecurity event programme.

Prague conference to include two breakfast forums and an expo, as well as many speaker sessions and training opportunities.

ISA's fourth annual OT Cybersecurity Summit
Prague (CZ) on 16-18 June 2026.

The ISA OT-Cybersecurity Summit will draw hundreds of experts in operational technology (OT) cybersecurity at the management level or higher in the energy, manufacturing, water/wastewater, oil and gas and maritime/transportation industries. This two-track, multi-day event will be organised around two major topics: threat intelligence in supply chain security and cyber-physical safety risk management. The keynote address will offer perspectives on transatlantic cyber cooperation from Berta Jarosova, cyber attachée to the United States and Canada for Czechia and co-founder of Women4Cyber Czechia.

Two breakfast forums — a new offering this year — will include thoughtful discussion panels with top cybersecurity experts. Those who attend these forums can expect to leave with practical insights on bridging IT and OT and turning cyber directives into actionable plans.

The Cyber Empowerment Forum features:

• Megan Samford, VP, chief security officer, U.S. National Security Agreements and U.S. Federal Business, Schneider Electric
• Berta Jarošová, cyber attachée to the United States and Canada, Embassy of the Czech Republic and co-founder of Women4Cyber Czechia
• Dr. Marina Krotofil, independent expert evaluator and reviewer, European Commission
• Cheri Caddy, senior cybersecurity advisor, Savannah River National Laboratory
• Tatyana Bolton, principal, head of cyber practice, Monument Advocacy

The Countdown to Compliance Forum features:

• Steve Mustard, president, au2mation
• Ilja David, co-founder, IT/OT cybersecurity manager and architect, Iron OT
• Gustav Martin Bartel, senior expert, cybersecurity industrial IT, Robert Bosch GmbH
• Lukasz Kister, Ph.D., Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) Expert Group member, European Commission
• Petr Kopřiva, senior consultant, BDO Consulting s.r.o.

This conference will continue to demonstrate how consensus standards and conformity assessment can meet the critical needs arising from current events and new regulation, including the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). ISA sets many of the technical standards used in industrial automation, including ISA/IEC 62443, the world’s only consensus-based automation and control systems cybersecurity standards. In addition to developing and maintaining these standards, the organisation offers training and credentialing on cybersecurity; certifies products, processes and systems through its ISASecure® certification; and raises awareness about the importance of OT cybersecurity through its membership consortium, the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA).

“The ISA community brings together many of the world’s top industrial cybersecurity experts, and we are proud to have developed ISA/IEC 62443, the standards that set the most secure operational technologies,” said Claire Fallon, CEO of ISA. “What sets apart the ISA OT Cybersecurity Summit is its focus on sharing real-world insight into ISA/IEC 62443 and effective approaches for putting those standards into practice.”

In addition to a robust technical program, the 2026 OT Cybersecurity Summit will offer multiple additional workshops, special events and industry-leading training opportunities for attendees:

• Training: Using the ISA/IEC 62443 Standards to Secure Your Control Systems (IC32) and IACS Cybersecurity Design and Implementation (IC34)
• Incident Command Systems for Industrial Control Systems (ICS4ICS) workshop: A tutorial for ICS4ICS, which combines OT/ICS, incident command and cybersecurity work into one framework to improve cyber incident response capabilities at companies and organisations.

Early-bird registration for the 2026 OT Cybersecurity Summit in Prague is now open at a reduced price until 17 April 2026, at which point standard pricing will take effect. Early-bird tickets to the breakfast forums and expo start at $125,00US (€108,00) Early-bird tickets to the conference — including the breakfast forums and expo in addition to networking receptions and program stages — start at $940,00US (€810,00) for ISA members.

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@ISA_Automation @DigitalEU  @automation_com #CRA #PAuto #Europe

Ai reshapes performance in Energy.

Delaying adoption will drive up operating costs, as the sector races to manage inflation and a retiring workforce.

New research highlighting a powerful combination of pressures pushing autonomous operations to the top of the agenda for the energies and chemicals sector has just been published by Schneider Electric. The study of 400 senior energy and chemicals executives across 12 countries shows a sharp rise in urgency around autonomy. A third of executives (31.5%) say advancing autonomy is a ‘critical’ priority in the next five years, rising to 44% over a ten-year horizon. Fewer than 5% globally view it as a low priority. Leaders cite strong commercial pressures. They warn that delaying adoption risks higher operating costs (59%), worsening talent shortages (52%), and declining competitiveness (48%). Yet adoption is not without obstacles. Key barriers include high upfront costs (34%), legacy systems (30%), organisational resistance (27%), cybersecurity concerns (26%), and regulatory uncertainty (25%).

Schneider Electric’s Global Autonomous Maturity Report shows the sector at a critical point of transformation as electrification, automation, and digitalisation converge. Surging AI demand, driven predominantly by hyperscale cloud and data center growth, is placing unprecedented pressure on global energy systems. Electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 1,000 TWh by 2030, intensifying the need for flexible, efficient, and resilient operations.

Within this emerging Ai energy nexus, 49% of executives identify Ai as the single biggest enabler of autonomous acceleration, followed by cybersecurity advancements, cloud and edge computing, digital twins, advanced process control, and open, software-defined automation. “Globally, organisations already report operating at 70% autonomy, with plans to hit 80% by 2030,” said Gwenaelle Avice Huet, Executive Vice President, Schneider Electric. “Autonomy is rapidly becoming the new operating model of industry. As AI advances and energy systems come under growing pressure, autonomous operations are proving essential for resilience and competitiveness. And this shift isn’t about replacing people, it’s about empowering them to focus on higher value work, strengthening safety, and elevating skills. Those who scale now will shape the next era of industrial performance.”

Industry analysts agree the shift is further along than expected. “The report finds the adoption of autonomy in the sector to be more advanced than expected, with open, software-defined automation essentially leading the next phase of energy innovation”, added Gaurav Sharma, Independent Energy Market Analyst and contributor to the research. “In a sector where reliability, safety, and carbon reduction are now non‑negotiable, these technologies are emerging as the most effective way for operators to deliver ‘more with less’ and run more resilient and competitive operations.”

The momentum is clear, but progress uneven, with the data highlighting regional differences in readiness levels. While GCC countries and Asia currently lead in maturity, North America is set for the fastest acceleration in adoption over the next five years, powered by its scale in energy production and consumption, and its rapidly expanding data‑center footprint. Europe maintains steady progress but faces the slowest adoption trajectory.

“Autonomous operations are redefining how energy and chemicals companies run their entire facilities, and Schneider Electric and AVEVA are at the forefront of that shift, supporting customers such as Shell, European Energy, ADNOC and Baosteel on real‑world deployments,” said Devan Pillay, President of Schneider’s Heavy Industries Segment. “By integrating Schneider Electric’s process control and power management with AVEVA’s digital technologies and industrial intelligence, we deliver integrated software-defined architectures that provide real-time visibility and enable AI driven digital twins that can predict, adapt and self-optimise with minimal intervention.”

Recent deployments showcase this shift. At Shell’s Scotford Refinery in Canada, Schneider Electric is helping modernise operations through open, software‑defined automation, supporting more flexible, autonomous operations. At European Energy’s Kassø Power‑to‑X facility, the world’s first commercially viable e‑methanol plant, Schneider Electric and AVEVA are together enabling Ai‑supported, self‑optimising clean‑fuel operations with resilient remote monitoring.

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• The research was commissioned in partnership with Censuswide and Development Economics, supported by insights from Independent Energy Market Analyst, Gaurav Sharma. It captures insights from 400 senior energy executives across 12 countries in four key regions — North America, Europe, Asia, and the GCC — supported by desk research and conversations with industry stakeholders and commentators across the global energy and chemicals sector

• The framework used in the study is the Autonomous Operations Maturity Model (AOMM) developed by ARC Advisory Group, which outlines a five-step hierarchy for adoption of autonomous technology, with Level 5 representing full autonomy.

@SchneiderElec @censuswide @SteveDevtEcons @arc_advisory #PAuto 

Motion control and PLC.

The new Trio Motion-PLC series, availablle from Mclennan, offers a powerful solution as an EtherCAT servo controller for synchronised motion with PLC integrated machine control. As a perfect fit for Mclennan’s motion system design and build service the new Motion-PLC is offered in three model configurations with feature enabled codes (FECs) that competitively address low- to medium-axis count requirements for applications from simple point-to-point positioning systems to complex, tightly synchronised multi-axis stand-alone machines. An integrated slice interface and dedicated expandable digital and analogue I/O slice modules complete the system with programming via IEC61131-3 or TrioBASIC and Trio’s Function Blocks software.

Trio’s Motion-PLC range combines MCS series motion controllers and MS series I/O slice modules. The MCS-30 offers up to 4 motion axes with simple control for point-to-point positioning whilst the MCS 40, along with the higher-performance MCS 50, are 'Flexible Machine Controllers' that will address more complex axis-and machine-synchronised tasks. With the capability for rapid machine development, all MCS series servo controllers feature a slice interface that facilitates seamless integration of Trio’s MS I/O system which supports up to 16 variously configured slice modules of 16 digital inputs or outputs, or blocks of 4 analogue inputs or outputs. Trio’s MS I/O slice modules can also connect to an EtherCAT coupler for flexible integration. The DIN-rail front mounted system features spring clamp connectors with push-button removal that make wiring fast, facilitating quick and flexible machine set-up.

MCS series motion controllers are based on the ARM Cortex A55 processor with a 600MHz clock frequency and 64-bit position register precision for exceptional motion and machine synchronisation, and motion cycle times to 1 ms. The multitasking operating system includes a comprehensive motion library, offering capabilities such as electronic gearbox, axis to axis interpolation, mathematical functions and I/O interaction. Programming is efficiently accomplished using the TrioBASIC motion language or IEC61131 standards. Setup and diagnostics are facilitated through Trio’s Motion Perfect software. The MCS-40 and -50 also supports Uniplay, Modbus TCP, PROFINET IO, and Ethernet/IP protocols. Software tools are available for cam profile generation, robotic kinematic transformations and CAD path conversion, further supporting minimum application development timescales.

This versatile motion control system ensures seamless integration with Trio’s DX series distributed servo drives covering power ranges from 50W to 7.5kW in a choice of three model variants. Complete standalone machine operation can also be realised with Trio’s UNIPLAY HMI 7” and 10” colour touch screen displays.

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@TrioTech @mepaxIntPR #McLennon #PAuto 

Appointment at major distributor.

Maintaining customer interaction with real people who can respond pro-actively to their needs.

Callon O'Keeffe has been appointed to the role of Business Development Administrator (BDA) with Lane Electronics. The appointment is in response to continued business growth and Lane Electronics’ key strategy of bringing new talented staff on board to maintain customer interaction with real people who can respond pro-actively to their needs

Callon is qualified in General Engineering, including electronics, with diplomas from Chichester college. A team player, Callon is responsive to customer’s needs and provides a reliable source of information. He is interested in emerging and evolving technology, enjoys problem solving and values creativity while working collaboratively and building strong relationships. Outside of work he enjoys the countryside and has a passion for travelling and experiencing different cultures

Nick Wheeler, Sales Director of Lane Electronics, says, “As a business development administrator, Callon’s primary objective is following up and assisting with quotations and working alongside our internal and external sales teams. Continuing to build direct relationships with our customers he will be able to help integrate our wide range of products and high levels of customer service and supply adaptability, adding value to our customer’s supply chains."

Lane Electronics have been supplying connectivity solutions for over 50 years; their RF and Fibre-Optic connector and cable assemblies are widely used in defence and security applications. The company is a franchised distributor for many of the industry’s leading electrical and electronic connector manufacturers including EATON Souriau, CINCH Fibreco, HUBER+SUHNER, HellermannTyton, Positronic, Nicomatic and LEMO.

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@FC_Lane @proactivefleet  #PAuto #Electrical

Standard for distributed workflow system integration.

The International Society of Automation (ISA) has issued a call for participants to join the new ISA113 Standard Committee, a strategic initiative focused on defining a specification for integrating distributed workflow systems across multiple vendor platforms.*

The ISA113 Standard Committee is being formed to address a growing need for improved interoperability across workflow systems used in industrial organisations. Many teams face a significant burden from bespoke, one-off integration projects required to connect workflow systems. ISA113 aims to create a standard that bridges workflow styles, decouples workflow logic from where work happens, establishes action-based integration for operational technology (OT)/IT workflows and builds a foundation for multi-system orchestration.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is to publish the official call for ISA113 committee members today (20 March 2026)

. The call for interested parties will remain open for 30 days following this publication date. Individuals with relevant expertise and interest in contributing to this effort are encouraged to participate.

One particular area of emphasis for the committee’s work will be enabling interoperability between orchestrated workflows and choreographed workflows. Orchestrated workflows, such as ISA-88-style hierarchical procedures and phases, are widely used in industrial automation and batch control environments. Choreographed workflows, which are common in Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), manufacturing execution systems (MES) and broader business process environments, support more distributed and event-driven process coordination. As organisations undergo digital transformation, they increasingly rely on both styles, and the need for seamless integration between them has become more urgent.

“The goal of initiating the ISA113 Standard Committee is to help bridge OT/IT workflow styles,” said Steve Ferguson (right), managing director of standards and technical activities at ISA. “This work has the potential to help organisations improve efficiency, reduce integration risk and support more scalable digital transformation initiatives. A vendor-neutral standard can also foster greater collaboration across suppliers, end users, integrators and software providers.”

ISA welcomes participation from end users, automation suppliers, software vendors, system integrators, consultants and other stakeholders with expertise in workflow systems, industrial automation, MES, BPMN and standards development. Broad representation will be essential to ensuring the resulting standard reflects diverse industry needs and delivers practical value.

Those interested in helping shape the future of distributed workflow interoperability are encouraged to respond during the 30-day ANSI call period.

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* For additional information or to express interest, contact standards@isa.org.

@ISA_Automation @ansidotorg @ISAIreland @automation_com #PAuto #ISA113 #Standards