Talking safety - celebrating 25 years.

Safety Symposium to mark the 25years in Benelux.

HIMA Group celebrated 25 years of HIMA’s presence in the Benelux market at the Functional Safety Symposium 2024, held on November 28 in Dordrecht. More than 150 attendees explored the latest solutions for the digitalisation of functional safety.

HIMA operated in Benelux through representatives and partners from the early 1980s; opened an office in the Netherlands in 1999 and founded HIMA Benelux in 2008. Today, HIMA Benelux offers sales, services, consulting, and engineering for the integration of HIMA solutions for process and railway industries.

The event featured a dynamic mix of presentations, live demos, and networking opportunities, offering insights into the future of safety automation while reflecting on HIMA’s rich history and strategic vision. 

 A remarkable journey of growth.
The symposium began with a special address by Steffen Philipp, shareholder of HIMA Group, who reflected on HIMA Group’s historic development and 25 years of success in the Benelux market, emphasizing the company’s dedication to innovation and excellence. “This remarkable journey reflects HIMA’s unwavering commitment to safety, innovation, and customer service across the Benelux region.” 

Jörg de la Motte, CEO of HIMA Group, delivered a forward-looking presentation on HIMA’s strategy and vision, connecting the company’s foundational strengths with future innovations, including the digitalization of functional safety, OT security, and lifecycle optimization.

“Benelux is significant for our target markets, the process and rail industries. We will further strengthen our local presence in the region and extend our customer partnerships,” de la Motte emphasized.

A day of knowledge and collaboration.
The Functional Safety Symposium 2024 reinforces HIMA’s commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation in the process and rail industries. Attendees explored a packed agenda of presentations and interactive sessions, with topics including:

• Safety Lifecycle Digitalization
• Smart Testing with HART
• HIPS-Solutions
• Cybersecurity in DCS & Safety Systems
• Safe HMI for the (Petro)Chemical Industry
• Burner Management Systems
• Leak Detection and Turbo Machinery Solutions

Industry-leading partners, including genua, Deuta, Valmet, Krohne, EPSC, Rivada Space Network, and Mokveld, shared their expertise through presentations and hands-on demonstrations creating an interactive experience for attendees.

"Thanks to the active contribution by our valued partners as well as by the new HIMA companies Origo Solutions and Sella Controls, this Safety Symposium did provide a complete overview of the latest safety and security solutions,“ added Josse Brys, Vice President Region Europe.

Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with participants praising the high-quality presentations and the event’s emphasis on collaboration and future-focused discussions:

Perry Jaspers, Yara emphasised: "What I really liked was the practical approach; the discussions were immediately applicable to our work. A very interesting and useful event."

"The entire day was fascinating, from HIMA’s family and management to their roadmap and new technologies. It’s impressive to see how HIMA collaborates with other companies to strengthen safety globally", added Hans Musters, ACTA.

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#HIMA #PAuto #Safety #Benelux

Robotics power production and logistics efficiency.

An agreement for a state-of-the-art installation of 10 atlas pallet shuttles, 3 elevators and 4 escala bin shuttles at Knorr-Bremse’s plant in Lisieux (F) has been announced bu Movu Robotics.

Knorr-Bremse, founded in 1905, is a leading German manufacturer specializing in braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles. With over a century of experience, it stands as one of the world’s largest and most influential companies in its field. Movu's automation solutions are tailored to enhance Knorr-Bremse's production efficiency by optimizing warehouse automation processes for greater flexibility and responsiveness. Positioned directly upstream of the production lines, these solutions enable real-time parts replenishment, ensuring seamless workflow and minimal downtime.

Delta+ Consulting facilitated this project in close collaboration with Knorr-Bremse and Movu Robotics, underscoring the commitment to innovation and operational excellence shared by all partners involved. The project's go-live for the installation is scheduled for early 2026.

In a recent visit to Movu Robotics’ Experience Center in Lokeren, Belgium, Stéphane Devulder, Managing Director of Knorr-Bremse France, expressed his enthusiasm for the project. “At Knorr-Bremse," he said,  “we are always innovating to keep our manufacturing and logistic processes efficient and reliable, especially in the automotive industry, where precision is key. This advanced installation will feature two powerful systems working together: the Movu atlas, with space for 5,000 pallets managed by 10 shuttles and 3 elevators, and the Movu escala, handling up to 2,500 bins with 4 shuttles.”

Benjamin Letarouilly, Managing Director at Delta+ Consulting, emphasized the collaborative design approach, “With the Movu atlas and Movu escala systems working together, we have designed an integrated, modular solution to meet Knorr-Bremse's needs. This configuration will handle small parts as well as large volumes, ensuring continuous, real-time supply to production lines. Our priority is efficiency and reactivity to meet industrial challenges.

“We're proud to be able to contribute to this project and to this wonderful collaboration between Movu Robotics and Knorr-Bremse. Two companies with very different backgrounds but with a shared vision of the future. Knorr Bremse, by exploiting one of the latest cutting-edge technologies in intralogistics, is aiming to increase its operational efficiency through easier automation.”

Francisco Vinals, Sales Director at Movu Robotics, highlighted the adaptability and reliability of Movu’s solutions, “We’re excited to bring the Movu atlas and escala systems together for Knorr-Bremse. These solutions are designed to operate seamlessly, meeting their demand for reliable low-volume and high-volume part handling. This project is a perfect example of automation driving efficiency, precision, and flexibility. Movu Robotics stands behind its philosophy: 'No Warehouse Left Behind.' This project reinforces our dedication to bringing cutting-edge transformative solutions to the industrial world.”

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@stow_Group @KnorrBremseAG #Movu #Automation #Robotics #France

Among best in sustainable growth.

Vaisala has been recognized in the 2025 edition of TIME's "World’s Best Companies* – Sustainable Growth" study. The study, conducted by TIME Magazine in collaboration with Statista, globally identifies companies that have shown outstanding performance in sustainable growth. This high global ranking underscores Vaisala’s dedication to being both profitable and good for the planet. Vaisala has been ranked 38th   in the study.

“As the climate is in an alarming state, it is our responsibility towards our stakeholders – owners, customers, colleagues, and the planet alike – to be a growing tech leader enabling climate action. For us, caring for the climate and driving sustainable growth go hand in hand, and it is a true honor to be recognized by TIME for precisely this combination," says Vaisala’s President and CEO Kai Öistämö (right).

The analyst team at TIME and Statista commented on Vaisala’s performance:

“With solid growth and very high marks in our financial stability metrics, Vaisala was high up in our rankings even before we included environmental data. However, driven by near-total green energy use, Vaisala received among the highest scores of any company in our ranking among our three measures of Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions absolute amount, carbon intensity, and carbon intensity compared to others in the industry.”

“Overall, Vaisala not only placed first in sustainability (as well as overall score) among the Finnish companies we evaluated, but also among the top 3% of companies in its sustainability score – an impressive accomplishment, especially for a manufacturing company.” the analysts concluded.

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* The methodology for the study is based on three key dimensions: revenue growth, financial stability, and environmental impact. Companies were evaluated on their revenue growth from 2021 to 2023, financial health using metrics like long-term profitability, the Piotroski F-Score and Altman Z-Score, and key performance indicators in environmental impact, including carbon emissions (scopes 1, 2, and 3), energy and water usage, and waste management. 

@VaisalaGroup @TIME @_Enviro_News #PAuto #Sustainability

Connectors for bulkhead applications .

Amphenol franchised distributor Inelco Hunter is pleased to confirm immediate availability of the Sine Systems’ ARB Series™ Connectors.They are IP68 and IP69K rated (in mated condition), with heavy-duty, rectangular, thermoplastic, environmentally sealed housings.

ARB Series™ connectors are designed for applications where a high pin-count is required in situations with controlled and/or uncontrolled environmental conditions, such as bulkhead applications. The connectors are available in 48 and 102 positions. Applications include transportation, off-road heavy equipment, agricultural, automotive, alternate energy, marine, and other demanding interconnect environments.

The interface flange has a receptacle retaining clip, a jackscrew plug and a threaded insert receptacle to ensure a secure mated assembly. The connectors have been developed to be compatible with all existing products utilising industry-standard A Series™ contacts.

The ARB connectors are available in A, B, C and D Keying Options. The Maximum Voltage Rating (AC/DC) is 250V AC/DC and the Current Rating Range is #20: 7.5A; #16: 13A; #12: 25A; #8: 60A; #4: 100A.

The Operating Temperature is -55°C to +125°C and the Mating Cycle Durability is 100 matings. The range of cable sizes that can be accepted is considerable: 6-22AWG (16.0-0.35mm²). ARB Series™ connectors are RoHS compliant and all materials meet the requirements of the European Directive. A wide range of accessories, cable options and modifications are available.

Inelco Hunter's in-depth engineering support ensures rapid implementation, speeding up the customer’s time-to-market, and Inelco Hunter's engineers will work with the SME engineers. This added-value support is at the core of Inelco Hunter’s philosophy, and has been for the last 30 years, setting them apart from the "stock and ship" distributors.

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@InelcoHunter @amphenol #PAuto #Industry