Generational change in ownership.

The HAIMER Group has completed the generational change in its ownership structure. The company shares has been transferred to the second generation so that siblings Andreas and Kathrin Haimer now assume responsibility as Managing Directors and Shareholders. This puts the internationally active family-owned company’s long-term, owner-managed orientation on a clear path for the future.

Within the HAIMER Group – a globally leading manufacturer of shrink fit and balancing technology, tool holders and presetting machines, as well as a complete system provider for tool management solutions around the machine tool – the generational transition will be completed as of August 1, 2026. As part of a succession plan that has been prepared over many years, the shares of the HAIMER Group will be transferred to the founders’ children, Andreas and Kathrin Haimer.

Claudia and Franz Haimer, who founded the company in 1977 and built it up over the past decades to a hidden champion and global player, will remain operationally active in the management team until December 31, 2027. During this period, they will oversee the handover process to ensure a smooth and carefully prepared transition to the second generation. In addition, they will continue to support the company in the long term with their experience and network as members of a newly established Advisory Board.

"For us, this step is a very emotional moment as we place our life’s work in the hands of our children. At the same time, the handover is an important milestone in the development of our family business," explains Claudia Haimer. "Andreas and Kathrin are closely connected to HAIMER for many years and have already successfully assumed responsibility in the management team. This ensures the continuity of our values, our technological expertise and our long-term strategy."

By transferring the shares to Andreas and Kathrin Haimer, HAIMER strengthens its position as an independent, owner-managed family business that offers its customers the “Tool Room of the Future” as a holistic tool room concept providing greater efficiency, digitisation and automation.

With this approach, HAIMER addresses the challenges faced by manufacturing companies which are increasingly under cost pressure while confronted with a shortage of skilled workers as well as the need to digitise and automate. HAIMER enables customers worldwide to machine more precisely, reliably and productively.

With HAIMER solutions, the shop floor can be digitised, and the tool assembly area can be automated. The generational change is therefore also a clear commitment to further strengthening this system expertise which is in line with the company philosophy of ‘Quality Wins’.

Despite rapidly changing and turbulent times in the metal working industry, this hidden champion remains 100% in German family ownership. This allows customers, partners and employees to continue to rely on long-term, sustainable decision-making.

Andreas and Kathrin Haimer have been working in various management positions in the company for many years and today form the management team of the HAIMER Group together with the founding couple. In their new role as Managing Partners, they will continue the established growth course while setting new innovations in the areas of digitisation, automation and sustainability – for example, through the further expansion of digital products, networked tool room solutions and automated cells for shrinking, presetting and balancing.

In view of the many challenges in global markets, Kathrin Haimer particularly emphasizes the company’s responsibility towards people and employees: “As a family-owned company, we bear responsibility – for the future of our business, for our employees, for the education of young people as apprentices, and for our local communities. Our task is to combine the values that HAIMER has stood for over decades with innovative strength and cutting-edge technology. In this way, we aim to actively shape the future of our company – as a reliable partner for our customers and an attractive employer.”

Andreas Haimer adds that from a technological and strategic perspective: "We are a manufacturing company ourselves, with more than 200 machine tools and an annual metal-cutting volume of around 5,000 tons – so we know from our own experience just how crucial stable, productive processes and well-thought-out tool management are. That is precisely why we are consistently investing in digitization and automation: from AI-capable shrink fit, balancing and presetting machines through our ‘Tool Room of the Future’ concept to global cooperation with machine tool builders where our networked solutions are deployed in their plants worldwide. The generational change gives us the entrepreneurial freedom to further expand this long-term strategy and to strengthen our role as a technology leader in the periphery around the machine tool and in the networking of the shop floor."

Looking back on the joint achievements of the past decades, Franz Haimer states: “The success of HAIMER is inseparably linked to the commitment of our team around the world. The fact that we can now place our Group in the hands of our children and at the same time see a strong team carrying the company is, for us, the best foundation for a successful future for HAIMER. As a family-owned company that can act independently of corporate groups and in a sustainable manner for the benefit of our customers, we are currently seeing very strong demand from the semi-conductor, aerospace, space, defense and energy industries for our integrated tool room solutions. With these solutions, companies that want – and need – to prepare for the future can turn a previously unorganized tool assembly as a black box into a transparent, data-driven tool setup and presetting process, enabling production to run 24/7 at the highest levels of automation.”

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@HAIMERUSA @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Manufacturing

Ready for EU sustainability rules.

OMRON Electronic Components Europe is scaling product carbon footprint (PCF) reporting across its portfolio, including popular relay and switch lines. The data helps customers strengthen their supply-chain auditing and prepare for forthcoming EU Digital Product Passports.

PCF data is available for a growing number of products, including the G9KB, G6DN, and G9KC relays, and B3SL surface-mount tactile switches, as OMRON continues to calculate data for more products in the portfolio. The rollout strategically prioritises the most popular lines, to maximise early support for customers working towards the EU DPP initiative and other regulations.

The reporting program is one result of the wider DMS Green Project, begun by the OMRON Device & Module Solutions Company (DMS) in Japan to cut environmental impact and CO² emissions. With the goal of turning sustainability obligations into opportunities to share with partners and customers, the project encompasses energy consumption, product design, manufacturing, and supply chain.

Within the DMS Green Project, OMRON built its own PCF calculator leveraging the principles of ISO 14067, the international standard for carbon-footprint quantification. This calculator is now independently approved, and OMRON is making the tool available to supply-chain partners, assisting industry-wide expansion of product-level carbon reporting and reduction. Depending on the product family, OMRON’s PCF results are either third‑party verified or self‑declared based on ISO 14067 to accelerate data availability.

Among the board-mount relays for which PCF data is now available, the G6DN slim power relays pack 5A switching capability in a 5mm-wide package, featuring ultra-reliable crossbar twin contacts. The G9KB series provides bidirectional switching up to 50A at 600V, while the G9KB-E high-capacity variant handles up to 100A at 800V DC. The G9KC is a 4-pole high-power relay rated for 480V AC at 40A, featuring low contact resistance and a 4.0mm contact gap. Finally, the B3SL series surface-mount tactile switches feature an IP67-rated sealed structure with a rubber plunger, designed for a crisp click feeling with a middle stroke.

These products are in full production and target a wide range of applications, including industrial controls and automation, energy storage systems (ESS), domestic appliances, heat pumps and HVAC systems, EV charging stations, smart buildings, and energy infrastructure. To support customers, either third-party verified PCF data or self-declared, a report for each model is available upon request.

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@OmronEurope @OmronComponents @EUPublications @napierPR  #PAuto

Supporting Europe’s Digital Product Passport vision.

Open, interoperable standards for scalable and trusted data exchange.

A Liaison Agreement with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) has been announced by The OPC Foundation. This marks an important step forward in the standardisation of Digital Product Passport (DPP) solutions in Europe.*

Through this liaison, the OPC Foundation will actively contribute to the work of CEN/CENELEC JTC 24 – Digital Product Passport – Framework and System, providing technical expertise and input through direct participation in the relevant working groups. The cooperation focuses on aligning data modeling technologies and fostering interoperable, system-agnostic and open-source DPP solutions that scale seamlessly from embedded devices to cloud and enterprise environments.

The collaboration supports the development of interoperable DPP solutions that ensure trusted, semantic rich data exchange, regulatory compliance, and scalable deployments across sector-specific data spaces. By combining the European standardisation framework with OPC UA’s proven interoperability technologies, the liaison contributes to a harmonised and future-proof approach to Digital Product Passports.

Although OPC UA is widely known for secure information transport in automation, its true strength lies in its rich, semantic information modeling capabilities. Through the liaison with CEN/CENELEC JTC 24, OPC UA will be used and extended with standardised Digital Product Passport data models and interfaces, supporting system-agnostic and interoperable DPP implementations.

Commenting on the cooperation, Bmstr. Ing. Otto Handle, Convenor of CEN/CENELEC/JTC 24 WG4 – Digital Product Passport – Interoperability, stated: “One aim of the standardisation work of JTC 24 is interoperability beyond all system borders. The standardisation request of the European Commission clearly states that the DPP shall be system agnostic and vendor independent. Integration and Interoperability with the full DPP system shall be possible for any software and any system according to these standards. Therefore, we highly appreciate and welcome OPC Foundation in the Liaison and look forward to the modelling of DPPs with OPC UA and integration of the specified JTC24 API and data models, as well as shop floor integration with OPC UA-enabled embedded systems as DPP data sources.”

Erich Barnstedt, Microsoft, liaison officer for the OPC Foundation “This liaison ensures that Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are built on truly open, standardised, and interoperable foundations. By contributing the very successful OPC UA modelling capabilities to DPPs, including an open-source reference implementation, we help enable seamless integration of DPP data across vendors, platforms, and system layers. What is remarkable is the timeline in which this was possible: From initial concepts to finished implementation, the OPC Foundation only took 2 weeks.”

The Liaison Agreement is established for an unlimited period, contingent on the OPC Foundation’s continued participation in the work of JTC 24. It reflects a shared ambition to advance open, interoperable, and internationally aligned standards that support the European Union’s digital transformation and sustainability goals.

By working together, CEN, CENELEC, and the OPC Foundation reaffirm their commitment to ensuring that Digital Product Passports are built on robust, open standards — enabling innovation, interoperability, and long-term value across industries.

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* CEN strengthens Digital Product Passport standardisation through cooperation with the OPC Foundation  (CEN-CENELEC)

@OPCFoundation  @Standards4EU #PAuto #Europe

Global consulting flagship launched.

The launch of SE Advisory Services, Schneider Electric's flagship global consulting brand has been launched at their Innovation Summit in Copenhagen. This provides a broad range of solutions tailored to help organisations and individuals solve complex challenges in energy efficiency, sustainability, and technology through electrification, automation, and digitalisation*.

As global electricity demand is projected to grow by more than 3% annually through 2030, the path to decarbonisation is adding new layers of complexity to business operations. At the same time, the global trading landscape and increasingly intricate supply chains are placing additional pressure on organisations. These converging challenges call for a more holistic, integrated approach to strategy and execution. It is this market need that led to the creation of SE Advisory Services.

Frédéric Godemel

“Times of uncertainty require one thing above all, clarity and knowledge of what you can control. As such, we have taken our world-class consulting capabilities from across Schneider Electric and combined them to enable our clients to move with greater speed and confidence, and unlock capabilities to solve pressing energy, sustainability, and technology challenges,” said Frédéric Godemel, Executive Vice President, Energy Management, Schneider Electric. “Consulting services are not new at Schneider Electric and have proven invaluable to clients in the past. Today, we’re evolving that offering to give clients clarity and a clear path toward net zero.”

Redefining the consulting experience.
SE Advisory Services represents a strategic evolution in Schneider Electric’s consulting capabilities, expanding beyond traditional advisory to include software and project implementation. This end-to-end approach brings together a growing portfolio of high-demand consulting offers, helping organisations future-proof operations through agile, intelligent, and integrated services that accelerate energy and technology transitions.

SE Advisory Services supports both enterprise-wide initiatives and site-level operations across four core domains:

• Sustainable Business & Industrial Transformation: Guiding transition planning through digital transformation, process electrification, decarbonisation, renewable energy, low-carbon infrastructure, circularity, and nature-based solutions and carbon offsetting to transform both energy processes and core industrial operations.
• Risk Management & Resilience: Protecting organisations from energy volatility, cybersecurity threats, climate risk, and system disruptions to reduce downtime, harden connected systems, and build operational resilience.
• Resource & Asset Performance: Evaluating resources and systems strategically to improve reliability, reduce waste, and unlock resources to invest in growth.
• Intelligent Software: Providing specialised software products embedded with native AI capabilities and built on deep advisory expertise to connect fragmented workflows and turn insights into action.

Gwenaelle Avice Huet

A comprehensive approach to energy technology.
Schneider Electric’s advisory practices work together to ensure performance across an organisation’s entire enterprise, addressing key factors ranging from decarbonisation and circularity, to cybersecurity and assets, to systems and process transformation, to organisational governance for infrastructure modernisation efforts. This comprehensive approach has been a key factor in helping Schneider Electric’s clients progress from ambition to impact.

“Energy, technology, and software are now inseparable drivers of industrial progress,” said Gwenaelle Avice Huet, EVP, Industrial Automation, Schneider Electric. “Our consulting approach helps customers identify the critical levers for transformation, unlocking the full potential of electrification, accelerating automation, embedding digitalisation, and strengthening cybersecurity. With software at the core, we enable resilient, future-ready operations that adapt to market shifts and deliver long-term value.”

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*Schneider Electric’s comprehensive approach to energy transition management led to the company being named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape Worldwide Energy Transition Professional Services 2025 Vendor Assessment in August.

@SchneiderElec @SchneiderNA #PAuto #Environment

Wireless in buildings digitisation.

Interest group teams up with wireless experts and setting new benchmarks for buildings with large-scale digitisation.

Global leaders in smart building technology, Legrand, Schneider Electric and Siemens Smart Infrastructure have announced the formation of a strategic interest group to tackle critical challenges in providing ultra-resilient and interoperable wireless connectivity everywhere in buildings using the new NR+ technology standard. Supported by wireless industry experts such as last mile semiconductor, Nordic Semiconductor ASA, DSR Corporation and Wirepas, and embedded security expert Kudelski IoT, these companies aim to establish NR+, the new technology standard purpose-built for IoT, as the interoperable connectivity for digital buildings. 

This sets a new global standard for long range wireless infrastructure in smart buildings. Recognising the limitations of current siloed building management systems, the group will collaborate under the hosting of the DECT Forum.

“DECT Forum is proud to host the NR+ interest group, which represents a groundbreaking step toward addressing the connectivity challenges in buildings. NR+ is purpose-built for large-scale, dense sensor networks, capable of adapting to various systems while meeting high standards for scalability, cost and reliability. Bringing together global leaders in technology and wireless innovation confirms the potential of NR+ to set a new standard in buildings,” said Andreas Zipp, Chairman of the DECT Forum. This is the worldwide association of companies and organisations in the DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) wireless industry. Dedicated to the advancement of DECT and related wireless standards, the DECT Forum promotes innovation, interoperability, and the development of future-proof wireless communication solutions.

Today, 75% of buildings are not energy efficient; they account for 30% of global energy consumption and are responsible for much of the inefficiency within the built environment. The NR+ interest group sees an urgent need for robust connectivity solutions like NR+ that enable cost-efficient, scalable, and reliable digital transformation. The demand for wireless devices in buildings is expected to grow to hundreds of millions annually in the coming years. By implementing NR+ as a global standard, the group seeks to facilitate a transformation toward more sustainable, more energy-efficient buildings capable of adapting to user needs in real-time.

The NR+ interest group will be working closely with silicon vendors, stack vendors, access point providers and smart building standards organizations as well as advocating regulatory adoption to bring the NR+ standard to the forefront of the smart building sector. By aligning technology development with the needs of smart buildings, this initiative will drive a new level of digital transformation for building owners, operators and system integrators.

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@DECT_Forum @Wirepas #Wireless #5G #BAS

Leadership change to drive IT strategy.

Peieter de Koning (L) with Oliver Blum

Oliver Blum is taking over the management of the group-wide IT service provider Endress+Hauser is driving digitalization forward – in its products, in customer interaction and in internal collaboration. Endress+Hauser InfoServe, the Group's IT service provider, plays a key role in this. Oliver Blum will take over as the new managing director on 1 January 2025. He was previously Corporate Director Supply Chain at Endress+Hauser.

Pieter de Koning (63), who has headed Endress+Hauser InfoServe since 2012, will now focus entirely on his role as Chief Information Officer on the Group's Executive Board. His initiatives there include the further development of the global IT strategy and cyber crisis management as well as the development of concepts for artificial intelligence and data management.

Strengthening the business perspective.
Oliver Blum (47), who has been working for Endress+Hauser since 2005, brings with him almost 20 years of experience working at the interface between business and information technology. After studying business administration, he started as a project manager in information technology; further positions followed in the areas of logistics, trade compliance, purchasing, business process and quality management. As the new managing director of Endress+Hauser InfoServe, Blum wants to further strengthen the business perspective in IT.

Endress+Hauser InfoServe supports the business activities of the Endress+Hauser Group at over 160 locations worldwide. The aim of the work is to create a comprehensive and uniform IT landscape for customers, employees and partners. The IT service provider's global team comprises more than 400 experts. The largest locations are in Weil am Rhein and Freiburg in Germany. There are other locations in the USA, India, China and Japan.

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@Endress_US @Endress_Hauser @Endress_UK #PAuto

Smart sensing for future power grids.

There has been a surge in the digitalization and integration of renewable energy resources into electric power grids to enable efficient and intelligent energy management. However, existing power systems face increased vulnerabilities to challenges such as more frequent and severe weather conditions and evolving cyber attacks.

The report, "Smart sensing for future power grids", developed by the IEC Market Strategy Board (MSB), establishes that making power grids smart by implementing advanced sensors and intelligent control systems is one of the answers for a more stable, reliable and resilient future of electric power grids.

It also notes that such a robust power grid with efficient monitoring is a crucial facilitator in realizing a cleaner future.

The report discusses the challenges and opportunities related to smart power grid sensing and looks at the immense potential of sensors in diverse applications like power generation, transmission and measurement of carbon emission.

It further presents a vision of the future power grid architecture built upon smart sensors and potential technology roadmaps. Several key technologies have been emphasized, such as sensor placement optimization, sensor calibration, edge computing, AI data analysis, and cyber security.

Finally, the report analyzes the standardization efforts in this domain, which it deems vital in promoting the technologies’ widespread adoption.

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@IECStandards #Power #Energy

Innovation beginning with Building Automation

Digital connectivity technologies in building management systems to help reduce cost, waste, and downtime

Honeywell and Analog Devices have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the digitization of commercial buildings by upgrading to digital connectivity technologies without replacing existing wiring, which will help reduce cost, waste, and downtime. The strategic alliance would bring this new technology to building management systems for the first time.

Many of the commercial buildings in the United States are outdated and inefficient and, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the majority of them were built before the year 2000. Additionally, organizations are relying on networking technology to transmit ever-greater volumes of data, causing a surge in demand for cloud storage and processing speed. Digitizing building management systems will allow managers to reduce energy consumption through real-time decisions, while it will upgrade a building’s network performance and security to current Internet-protocol networks without extensive costs and remodeling.

“For more than a decade, ADI and Honeywell have collaborated on driving the next waves of innovation,” said Martin Cotter, senior vice president, Industrial and Multi Markets and president of ADI EMEA region. “In this next phase of our work together, we are thrilled to see these ADI technologies move beyond factory automation and into Honeywell’s building management system to help customers reduce building energy consumption, which can save money, improve resiliency, and help meet emissions reductions goals.”

"Honeywell is revolutionizing building management systems to help building owners tackle today’s biggest challenges,” said Suresh Venkatarayalu, Honeywell’s chief technology officer. “This collaboration with ADI would offer building owners the ability to upgrade and enhance their wiring without a significant upfront investment, and with less labor and environmental impact.”

Honeywell plans to adopt ADI’s single-pair Ethernet (T1L) and software configurable input/output (SWIO) solutions in its building management systems. ADI’s single-pair Ethernet enables long-reach Ethernet connectivity with the possibility of reusing a building’s existing wiring, reducing installation time and cost, and reducing waste. Single-pair Ethernet complements existing Ethernet connectivity in building management systems, bringing enhanced connectivity from the edge to the cloud, helping eliminate data islands and better utilizing assets.

ADI’s offering would also reduce product complexities by enabling Honeywell to build a single version of the product for different needs, allowing more future-proofed control and automation for when a building is remodeled, or requirements change. This helps increase the speed of product installation, reduces inventory needs, and enables easier and more affordable changes.

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@honeywell @HWusers @ADI_News #BMS #Digitization

The start of digital transformation!

The technology that revolutionized gas analysis and emissions monitoring in chemical plants and refineries, the pulp, paper and metal industries, power generation, cement, and others.

URAS was created by German engineers Erwin Lehrer and Karl Friedrich Luft. In 1988, the technology was further improved by adding gas-filled calibration cells. Because it no longer needed high-pressure test gas cylinders, the cost of operation dropped significantly and increased the ease of use.

When launched 85 years ago, 1938, URAS was known as the first “ultra red absorption recorder” (in German, Ultra Rot Absorptions Schreiber), a continuous gas analyzer capable of instantly measuring the concentration of more than 100 gases through infrared spectroscopy (light absorption technology).

“This technology was truly revolutionary from the day it was invented. Today, it is a benchmark for uncompromising environmental compliance. With URAS, numerous industrial companies around the world are able to monitor emissions and safeguard the environment,” said Ben Goossens, ABB Measurement & Analytics.

URAS is used by industrial companies around the world as a key solution for ensuring environmental compliance. With its unrivaled monitoring uptime, this technology is used in the continuous monitoring of gases that come out of industrial chimneys. It also measures emissions from marine vessels, helping shipping companies comply with environmental regulations.

As a continuous gas analyzer, URAS has a wide range of applications beyond the industrial segments – from helping save lives in hospitals by measuring the CO2 levels in diagnostic breath tests to supporting the process of ripening of bananas during shipment by analyzing the concentration of ethylene.

In 1996, URAS was used as a foundation in ABB’s groundbreaking Advance Optima modular analyzer, which unified the operation for all types of gas analyzers in one single design. With this, URAS became the first network analyzer with its own IP address. This was the beginning of the digitalization of analyzer technology.

“Decades before the Internet of Things, URAS communicated digitally. Today, it’s all about the digital transformation and this is where it all started,” said Ben Goossens.

@ABBgroupnews @ABBMeasurement @abb_automation #PAuto #Gas

Ethernet and future technologies.

The second Harting Industrial Ethernet Week takes place between the 21st and 23rd February 2023. Featuring technical experts and IIoT pioneers from a range of global brands, participants will discover solutions for driving industrial transformation via insightful user cases, discussions, talks and tech sessions.

Day one focuses on smart industrial applications and infrastructure. Highlights include a demonstration from Microsoft of new application areas in the manufacturing value chain and how companies can use them to drive efficiencies, followed by an example of production line predictive maintenance from IoT Use Case. The day concludes with a panel discussion about digitising industrial processes using the IIoT.

February 22nd will feature a spotlight on factory installation. Fluke Networks will demonstrate how to identify and resolve common issues with Industrial Ethernet cabling in industrial installations, whilst Harting present sessions focusing on field attachable connectors, ethernet connectivity from modular connectors and a guide to engineering data for installation technology.

The week wraps up with an in-depth examination of Single Pair Ethernet and device design. Our experts look at the technical challenges of providing power over SPE and SparkFun introduce their SparkFun MicroMod Single Pair Ethernet Kit. Delegated will learn about robust PCB connectivity from Harting, including har-modular®, which allowes users to configure and create your own PCB connector.

Sessions run from 8:30am until 11:30am each day and all are welcome to join all the events or selected talks. Every session will also be available as a recording afterwards. 

@HARTING_Group @HARTING #PAuto #IIot

Digitalization strategy.

As a sponsor of this year's NAMUR Annual General Meeting, HIMA presented an overall concept for the digitalization of functional safety with added value.

In the process industry, the safety concept and the regular proof of safety are prerequisites for the operating license of a plant. The obligations of operators in the planning and operation of safety devices are correspondingly extensive. To support the skilled workers, HIMA presented a comprehensive digitalization strategy at the User Meeting of Process Automation Specialists (NAMUR) in Neuss (D - November 10th and 11th, 2022).

The functional safety regulations are extensive, and the required processes for testing, verification and documentation are complex. This is partly due to the fact that trained specialists have to process different data sources. After all, the safety systems in the process industry still mostly consist of isolated solutions that only a few specialists take care of. And so it is hardly surprising that many plant operators see challenges to implement the requirements of the complex set of rules.

In the sponsor of the NAMUR Annual General Meeting 2022’s keynote speech , it became clear that on one hand the requirements continue to increase, but on the other solutions are also available. "Functional safety systems are moving from a marginal position further and further into the center of plant automation," explained Jörg de la Motte, CEO of HIMA: "In the past, safety systems were in place, occasionally shut down plants and provided sparse information about the 'why' due to meager data transmitted via simple interfaces. We see that this is changing due to the trend towards digitalization." Security systems are increasingly becoming data hubs that need to process and distribute additional data in addition to performing the actual safety functions.

Security needs more than just certification.
To ensure that the original safety function is not impaired, security measures are extremely important. Peter Sieber, Vice President Strategic Marketing at HIMA, showed that security is not only a task in the development of safety systems, but must also be lived in the operating phase: "A security certification of the products alone creates neither safety nor security! Products must be designed to be robust in order to withstand security attacks."  Around half of all certified products have security gaps and are vulnerable.

Manufacturers must therefore create an appropriate security environment in addition to security certification. At HIMA, this includes the development of software according to defensive design principles and the encapsulation of safety systems in a "security environment" whose boundaries are secured by firewalls. Within the security environment, physically separate interfaces are used for different tasks.

In order to simplify the life cycle management of safety equipment, HIMA, together with its strategic partner Mangan Software Solutions, has developed a solution (Safety Lifecycle Manager, SLM®) that replaces tasks relating to safety equipment that were previously manually performed with automatic data collection and automated evaluations. This facilitates standards-compliant operation and increases efficiency. Recurring tasks for functional safety are defined once and their temporal and content-related implementation is then automatically monitored. This allows specialist personnel to concentrate on important process steps, resulting in cost savings in the region of 70% in practice.

Digitalization awakens the appetite.
With the increasing degree of digitalization in the process industry, the demands on systems in safety technology are also growing. In order to keep pace here, HIMA is extending its range of plug-ins in its SILworX programming system, with which its own tools, and also those from other providers, are to be made easy to use. "The big developments are currently happening within the software. The software is the driver of digitalization," explained Sergej Arent, Director Applications at HIMA: "With plug-ins, we can react faster and more flexibly to customer requirements without compromising SILworX certification." The security experts are not lacking in ideas: For example, a digital inventory manager is conceivable, with which information about hardware and software versions in the security system can be exported to an ERP system.

"In 2030, functional safety will have to be largely digital in order to meet all operator requirements ," summarized HIMA CEO Jörg de la Motte.

@NicolePringal #HIMA #NAMUR #Safety #Digitisation #PAuto

Melt shop productivity, savings & safety enhanced.

ABB has launched ABB Ability™ Smart Melt Shop, the first smart factory digital application of its kind for the metals industry. It is designed to increase melt shop productivity, save energy and improve employee safety, with payback within six months.

Benefits include: Productivity • 4-5 percent increased casting speed due to better superheat compliance • Reduced tapping delays, in EAF or converter due to more efficient scheduling of cranes for ladle movement • Better ladle management and maintenance planning thanks to access to historical data on all movements • Increased manpower productivity since no manual intervention or acknowledgement is required Energy efficiency • 5 degrees Celsius less arcing per heat (batch) in ladle furnace using thermal models to accurately predict target lift temperature • Improved decision-making thanks to forecasting of ladle movements and crane schedules Safety • Increased safety with less footfall in hot zones which would otherwise be needed to manage ladle and crane movement

Based on advanced digital algorithms, the new solution is unique in that it offers not only powerful real-time ladle tracking but also automated crane scheduling and a predictive thermal modelling engine. The tracking engine follows ladle movement via cranes and transfer cars in real time. Radar and laser positioning technologies provide accurate visualization while reducing hardware footprint and maintenance needs compared to radio-frequency identification (RFID) solutions. The automated crane scheduling includes job forecasting, route planning and automatic acknowledgement of jobs.

This will enable steelmakers to move towards autonomous operations by eliminating manual co-ordinations, with increased safety in hot zones due to lower footfall.

The thermal engine function uses ladle thermal history from the tracking engine and forecasted heat movement from scheduling engines to predict the thermal loss during ladle transfer and predicts the correct lift temperature at ladle furnace. This results in better superheat compliance at the caster, eliminating caster slowdowns, hence increasing productivity.

Steelmakers can expect ABB Ability™ Smart Melt Shop to help increase superheat compliance to enable 4-5 percent higher casting speeds to improve productivity and reduce arcing by 5 degrees Celsius per heat in ladle furnaces for increased energy and cost efficiency.

ABB Ability™ Smart Melt Shop has already been installed by JSW Steel Ltd, India’s leading steel company, where it has been integrated into a wider expansion at Dolvi Works plant in Maharashtra state. It is expected to increase the company’s EBITDA profit by around $2million per annum through 4 percent higher casting speeds, time savings of one working day per month and additional output equating to 24,000 tons a year.

“We’re proud to launch ABB Ability™ Smart Melt Shop – the first of its kind in the metals industry, enabling steelmakers to digitally connect all processes and moving equipment in the melt shop, achieving synchronized operations and removing bottlenecks in production capacity,” said Tarun Mathur, Global Product Manager, Metals Digital, ABB. “The digitalization of core processes will drive new levels of productivity, safety and sustainability outcomes for the metals sector.”

This application uses all standard communications protocols, employs ABB’s multi-layered defense-in-depth approach to cyber security and is compatible with both ABB and third-party systems.

@ABB @abb_automation @ABBmetals #PAuto #Digitisation

Live smart manufacturing.

With the resumption of in-person trade fairs, in November 2021 SPS returns to its traditional venue of the Nuremberg exhibition centre. Analog Devices (ADI) will be there to showcase and discuss its comprehensive, industry-leading sensing and connectivity solutions that are driving the transformation to Digital Industry and enable increased productivity and enhanced efficiency for more sustainable and smart manufacturing – matching the SPS event’s tag line of“Smart Production Solutions”.*

Complete Ethernet Solutions for the Digitisation of Process Automation

A featured demonstration on ADI’s stand at SPS will focus on 10BASE-T1L connectivity. Digitisation of the process industry is reliant on seamless access to data from edge devices in hazardous locations, driving productivity increases and optimisation of raw material usage. ADI Chronous can give access to new insights, reduce system deployment time, and increase asset utilisation with real time configurability and direct IP addressability of each node. The demo will show a process automation network based on 10BASE-T1L connectivity, with multiple field instruments and sensor nodes connected to a fully featured field switch, with multiprotocol support. By interacting with diagnostics features live, visitors can experience how ADI’s solution can reduce system downtime and support optimised traffic management with its low power long reach connectivity spanning more than 1km.

Precision Magnetic Angle Sensing
Magnetic technologies have been progressively challenging the role of the optical encoder in detection of linear and rotary motion. ADI now demonstrates its latest AMR (anisotropic magneto-resistive) -based technology which makes that transition conclusive. Examples shown on the ADI stand will illustrate the simplicity, robustness, accuracy, and ease of deployment of this generation of angle-sensing capability, including meeting the needs of the most safety-critical applications.

Time-of-Flight Position Sensing
The fundamentals of ToF sensing are simple; nanosecond-duration light pulses are reflected from an object, and the round-trip time from emitter to detector yields a distance measurement. ADI has been at the forefront of transforming this “optical echo” approach into a practical proposition that is simple to apply and which delivers accurate depth/distance information. This demonstration will showcase ADI’s latest ToF offering, using a 1 Mpixel CMOS image sensor that can be combined with machine-vision systems for location of assets, verification of position in production flows, and in in-line quality inspection.

Vibration Analysis/Condition Monitoring
Another demo on the ADI booth will focus on condition monitoring featuring the company’s Galileo platform. Condition-based monitoring of assets reduces unplanned downtime, increases asset utilisation and lifetime, thereby significantly increasing productivity. The Galileo platform enables seamless Ethernet access to asset health data in a compact form factor mechanical enclosure for easy mounting to assets. The platform uses a MEMS vibration sensor for high performance, low noise, low power vibration sensing that is combined with ultra-low power processing and 10BASE-T1L single pair Ethernet connectivity supporting distances up to 1km, providing both accurate vibration data and power over two wires. The smart sensor can be deployed in remote, harsh industrial applications including intrinsically safe zone 0 applications.

Advanced Predictive Maintenance Solutions for Electric Motors
Combining leading sensing technologies with advanced analytics is enabling improved solutions for monitoring and diagnosing of electric motor health. ADI will demonstrate its OtoSense Smart Motor Sensor, a comprehensive hardware and software solution that enables predictive maintenance of electric motors by providing detailed tracking of motor health characteristics. Regular tasks required for reliable operation of industrial electric motors – such as bearing replacement – can be carried out on a planned basis rather than waiting for failure. These capabilities enable operators to forecast and schedule corrective maintenance to minimise disruption in production processes, increase machinery productivity, reduce downtime and maintenance costs, and extend asset lifecycles. Once again, ADI’s range of technologies encompasses the complete task, from physical sensing, though networking, signal processing, analysis and the machine learning, adding a significant new level of utility.

* See also "Face to face automation highlight returns." (4/8/2021)

@ADI_News @spsmesse @Mesago #Automation #PAuto #Sensors 

Projects from the cloud!

The digital transformation of engineering continues advancing. As part of its cloud services, Eplan prsents a new service for cross-project collaboration – Eplan eManage – letting users upload Eplan Platform projects into the cloud environment and share and work on them there. The free version was launched in mid-March – an expanded, paid version will follow next August (2021).

Innovative cloud services and the systems of the EPLAN Platform are now become increasingly integrated. As a first step, the new software solution EPLAN eManage Free was launched. This free, cloud-based software enables the easy uploading of projects from the EPLAN Platform and web browsers into the secure ePulse cloud environment. A fee-based version of the software will be released later this year to offer expanded functionality.

Cross-project collaboration
EPLAN eManage makes it easy to upload, manage and share projects in the cloud. Since today’s ecosystem of industrial automation is characterised by many media discontinuities when processing and transferring docu-mentation, the advantages of this system are clear: the EPLAN Platform systems in connection with this new cloud service will network control cabinet manufacturers and panel builders, OEMs and system integrators as well as machine and plant system operators. They all work together in a central project that can be synchronised on the EPLAN Platform via eManage in roundtrip engineer-ing. Clear access rights and role assignments ensure data security and provide flexibility for project access. Users of EPLAN Electric P8 and EPLAN Pro Panel are already benefitting from these integrated processes whereby they can easily upload their projects into the cloud and transfer them back to the EPLAN Platform for further processing.

Direct data transfer to EPLAN eView
Users also need just one click to publish their project data directly in EPLAN eView. This allows defined stakehold-ers the opportunity to look and comment on entire projects. It further enables cross-company review processes to be digitally implemented. And thanks to this clear, central availability in the cloud, eManage supports project participants in quickly searching for specific content.

Synchronised, current data
EPLAN eManage means that the EPLAN Project is synchronised for all project participants and stakeholders. Changes in the project are visible to all participants and the project documentation is always current – across the entire project life cycle and even into operations and service scenarios.

@EPLAN_global @mepaxIntPR #PAuto 

In the clouds!

Emerson Exchange, the Emerson User Group on-line conference continued for a second day and we managed to attend one or two of the presentations!

Peter Zornio addresses the EMREX EMEA'21 from deep within the Emerson Control Centre somewhere deep in the heart of in Texas! 

Perhaps a disadvantage in these on-line conferences is distractions. It is so easy in these days of working from home to walk away or miss a talk because of something else happening that "must" be seen to. Physical presence at these conferences perhaps ensures a more concentrated application to the business in hand. The other thing missing is of course the professional relationships continued, fostered and established at such gatherings facilitating the exchanging of experiences and ideas. This COVID-19 has a lot to answer for!

Bader Al-Attar, Deputy CEO Planning Finance at Kuwait Oil Company discussed “The need for improved digitization in the Oil Gas Business.” Major oil & gas entities are impacted severely not only by pandemic and currency crises but also now by the effect of sustainability policies and need to reduce carbon emissions. Digitisation is an important, indeed essential, help in confronting these challenges.

What should go and what should stay!

Peter Zornio, Chief Technology Officer at Emerson talked about “Cloud, cloud, cloud – but for Plant Operations?” and focussed on the developments in usage of the Cloud which sometimes appears, particularly in the IT world as the answer to a maiden's prayer. It does have many benefits of course like universal access, little or no capital investment etc.

But we should be careful. While these maybe useful in the IT world it is not as completely useful in the OT world. Certainly there are useful aspects of cloud technology like analysis and historian. It is important however to maintain "hands on" on the core control of a process and be careful in deciding what should stay and what should go into the cloud! NAMUR recognises that most customers want (need) base operations to function without the cloud.

These and other of the sessions are available on the website for delegates to see at a later date on the site - it's free!

• Here are our impressions from Day 1: From defence to reimagining the new era! (29/3/2021)

• Impressions from Emerson User Group Conferences through the years.

@Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @KocOfficial @HHC_Lewis #EMrex #Pauto #EMEA 

Poll topper goes west!

Leading market research company IPSOS/MRBI is to establish a presence in gteic@Béal an Mhuirthead and especially in the gteic digital hub network. Two full time jobs will be created in gteic@Béal an Mhuirthead initially and IPSOS have announced that they are looking to recruit 30 people for a mixture of part- and full-time positions from the Iorras and northwest Mayo areas.

• This story in Irish!

“It is a vote of confidence for the gteic network that an international company of IPSOS’ standing is establishing a presence in the gteic network and grasping the business opportunities that remote working provides in Gaeltacht areas. The gteic network eliminates any perceived obstacles to living in the picturesque rural areas of Ireland and connecting with people and businesses worldwide.” said Mícheál Ó hÉanaigh, CEO Údarás na Gaeltachta.

 

A primary call centre is currently being fitted in gteic@Béal an Mhuirthead for the company but it is envisaged that future IPSOS employees will be able to use any of the new gteic hubs being developed at the moment, namely gteic@An Eachléim and gteic@An Corrán Buí, as the company develops and when COVID-19 restrictions ease.

“We are delighted to be establishing a new presence in Béal an Mhuirthead with the support of Údarás na Gaeltachta and look forward to exploring the many opportunities the gteic network will provide our business in the years ahead." said Aoife O Connor, CATI Manager. "It is fantastic for our staff to have the opportunity to benefit from the wonderful work life balance that the Mayo Gaeltacht has to offer.”

 

IPSOS employs 18,000 people globally and provide market research services to companies online, through one on one interviews, by mail and through phone calls.

The nature of market research services leans towards part-time employment in order to enable the business to cover various work shifts during and outside of normal office hours.

IPSOS have begun the process of recruiting 30 people in a mixture of part-time and full-time contracts in the Iorras (Erris) area and training courses (Customer Service - QQI 1 -Level 6) are being provided on a partnership basis by Údarás na Gaeltachta and Mayo North East Leader Partnership Company, Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP)  as preparatory courses for people in the area interested in the employment opportunities being offered by the company.

 

Anna Ní Ghallachair, Cathaoirleach of the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta welcomed the IPSOS announcement: “In welcoming IPSOS to the Mayo Gaeltacht we wish them every success in this new aspect of their business. This represents a significant step for the gteic network in Mayo and embodies the opportunity that exists for companies to locate in the Gaeltacht and for their employees to operate seamlessly from multiple locations in gteic hubs throughout the Gaeltacht.”

@IpsosMRBI @UdarasnaG #Ireland