Redefining the Industrial PC: From HMI to Embedded Systems
Industrial PCs (IPCs) have shifted from niche PLC adjuncts to mainstream panel PCs that combine a touchscreen HMI with full computer capabilities. Modern panel PCs offer Ethernet, USB, and sometimes serial ports, turning them into versatile operators rather than dedicated black‑box interfaces. The rise of web‑browser‑based embedded development software eliminates costly, separate programming tools, streamlining deployment. This evolution means many engineers are already using IPCs daily without recognizing the transition from classic HMIs to embedded systems.
Universal Robots and Scale AI Unveil UR AI Trainer at GTC
Universal Robots announced the UR AI Trainer, a joint solution with Scale AI, at NVIDIA’s GTC 2026. The system uses a leader‑follower robot configuration to record high‑fidelity motion, force and visual data for training vision‑language‑action models. Integrated with UR’s AI...
From Acoustic Detection and Ranging to Ceiling Cobots
The LogiMat 2026 Best Product awards honored three breakthrough solutions: Sonair’s Acoustic Detection and Ranging (ADAR) sensor, CeiliX Technology’s SkyBot ceiling‑mounted cobot, and Erhardt Partner Group’s EPG Aura Observer AI video‑analytics platform. ADAR equips autonomous robots with a 180°×180° ultrasonic 3‑D field...
Readying Industrial Connectivity for Cybersecurity Requirements
Cyber attacks on industrial operations have highlighted the lag in OT cybersecurity compared with IT. The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), effective from December 2024, forces manufacturers to report vulnerabilities and obtain CE marking for new digital products by December 2027. Standards...
Syncore and Sereact Plan to Roll Out More than 100 AI-Powered Robotic Systems
Syncore and AI‑robotics specialist Sereact announced a letter of intent at LogiMat to roll out more than 100 AI‑powered robotic systems across Europe in the coming years. The collaboration builds on existing pick‑and‑place units and inventory‑monitoring vision, and now adds...
$16 Million Awarded for Breakthrough Metal-Recovery Innovations
The NSF‑backed Tech Metal Transformation Challenge, run through Stride Ventures, awarded roughly $16 million to eight winning teams for metal‑recovery technologies. Each winner receives up to $2 million in the first 10‑month stage, with potential follow‑on funding of $2.5 million and $3 million for...
Software-Defined Automation Ushers in IT-Like Engineering
Industrial automation is shifting toward software-defined automation (SDA), a paradigm that separates control logic from hardware using containerized, virtualized environments. By adopting IT‑like engineering practices such as DevOps, modular code, and version control, manufacturers can achieve rapid scaling, easier updates,...
AI Data-Center Power Density Could Inspire Standardized IEC Infrastructures
Siemens and Rittal have announced a strategic partnership to create standardized, modular power‑distribution solutions for AI‑focused data centers. The collaboration targets the rapidly rising power densities that now exceed 100 kW per rack and could surpass 1 MW by 2030, introducing a...
Legacy PLC Maintenance Prevents Memory Loss Due to Battery Failure
A wastewater plant suffered a 15‑hour shutdown after a dead battery erased the program from an older PLC’s volatile RAM. The incident highlights how legacy controllers still rely on battery backups, making routine battery replacement and health monitoring essential. Maintaining...
3 Finalists Announced for 2026 Hermes Award
The 2026 Hermes Award finalists are Festo, Schaeffler and Ziehl‑Abegg, each showcasing breakthrough automation technology. Festo presents integrated fluid‑handling manifolds with embedded sensors, Schaeffler offers compact high‑torque actuators for humanoid robots, and Ziehl‑Abegg delivers a rare‑earth‑free synchronous elevator motor. The...
What Is Functional Safety?
Functional safety shifts machine protection from an all‑or‑nothing shutdown to engineered, controlled behavior under fault conditions. By using standards such as IEC 61508, manufacturers perform risk assessments to assign a Safety Integrity Level (SIL) and implement functions like safe speed, safe...
Women in Robotics 2026 Awarded by International Federation of Robotics
The International Federation of Robotics announced the 2026 Women in Robotics award, honoring 11 women from Asia, Europe and the Americas for pioneering work in robotics and AI. The award comes as global industrial robot installations are forecast to exceed...
EOSYS' Chase Davis Explains Optimized Motion System Footprints
EOSYS director of technology Chase Davis explains that decentralized drives relocate motor controllers onto the machine, dramatically cutting wiring length and control‑panel footprint. Pre‑fabricated cordsets and daisy‑chained networking enable faster installation, modular expansion, and rapid component replacement. Modern frequency inverters...
Pepperl+Fuchs and Everphone Launch Partnership for Industrial Mobility
Pepperl+Fuchs and Everphone have teamed up to deliver the German maker’s explosion‑protected smartphones and tablets through Everphone’s device‑as‑a‑service (DaaS) platform. The offering bundles 5G, NFC, GPS, dual‑SIM and MIL‑STD‑810H ruggedness with intrinsic safety features for hazardous environments. Customers can rent,...
E-Stops, Safety Controllers and Sensors Require Planning and Coordination
The article stresses that emergency stops, safety controllers, and sensors must be designed with coordinated planning rather than ad‑hoc additions. Dual‑channel redundancy and low‑voltage signaling ensure a single failure triggers a safe halt, while over‑specifying safety can provoke workarounds that...
TUM RoboGym Will Begin Robot Training Midyear
Neura Robotics and the Technical University of Munich have launched the TUM RoboGym, a 2,300 m² physical AI training centre at the Munich Airport Convergence Center. The facility will host a large fleet of humanoid robots for real‑world training starting mid‑2026. Joint...
How EU CRA and IEC 62443 Impact CANopen Device Manufacturers
The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) now mandates that all non‑exempt CAN‑connectable products meet cybersecurity requirements by December 11 2027. Because CAN protocols lack built‑in security, manufacturers must perform system‑level risk assessments and adopt IEC 62443 security levels, ranging from physical‑access controls for...
Nefab Opens Advanced Packaging Engineering Center
Nefab has inaugurated a 32,300‑sq‑ft advanced packaging engineering center in Guadalajara, Mexico, consolidating design, testing, prototyping and production on a single campus. The facility targets high‑value sectors such as digital infrastructure, semiconductors, healthcare and automotive across Mexico and the broader...
Cybersecurity without Overengineering
Industrial cybersecurity must prioritize data integrity and deterministic operation over blanket confidentiality. Regulations such as the EU Cyber Resilience Act and IEC 62443 mandate risk‑based, proportionate measures, warning against costly overengineering. EtherCAT’s hardware‑centric design—operating at the Ethernet layer without IP—naturally limits...
Why TSN Is Automation’s New Baseline
Time‑sensitive networking (TSN) is emerging as the new baseline for industrial automation by delivering guaranteed, deterministic packet delivery across shared Ethernet links. Built on IEEE 802.1 standards, TSN separates high‑priority control traffic from lower‑priority data such as video, preventing network‑induced delays...
Fundamentals of Position Feedback
Automation has shifted from simple limit switches to dynamic position‑feedback devices such as encoders and LVDTs, delivering continuous data across varying speeds. Encoders dominate motion‑to‑electrical conversion, with absolute models preserving position after power loss and incremental models tracking relative movement....
Integrated Safety Vs. Standalone Safety Controllers
Integrated safety controllers using industrial Ethernet dominate complex automation, offering reduced wiring, scalable diagnostics, and deterministic communication. However, standalone safety controllers remain preferable for simple machines, multi‑vendor environments, and retrofit projects due to their independence and ease of validation. Dedicated...
CAN Networks Can Meet EU CRA Requirements, but Security Levels Matter
The CAN in Automation (CiA) group warns that all CAN‑based products sold in the EU now fall under the European Union Cyber Resilience Act (EU CRA) unless covered by sector‑specific rules. Compliance hinges on achieving the appropriate IEC 62443 security level (SL),...
How Is the PLC Being Redefined?
Yokogawa introduced the OpreX Intelligent Edge Controller A8, a Linux‑based device that fuses traditional PLC functions with industrial‑PC and edge‑computing capabilities. The controller supports real‑time deterministic control while offering native connectivity to Profinet, EtherCAT, MQTT and OPC‑UA, positioning it for...
When Is It Time to Upgrade Your Control System?
Control system upgrades are back on plant executives' agendas as new capital budgets roll out for the year. The article highlights three primary risks of aging automation: hardware failure, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the erosion of tribal knowledge. It urges decision‑makers...
When Is It Time to Upgrade Your Control System?
Plant managers face pressure to refresh aging control systems as new capital budgets roll out. Older PLCs and DCS platforms expose facilities to hardware failures, heightened cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and loss of tribal knowledge. Experts recommend a ten‑year upgrade cadence to...
How to Make Automation and Process Control Ideas Work
Huffman Engineering, a 40‑year‑old system integrator, delivers end‑to‑end automation for highly regulated sectors by designing, building, and validating UL‑certified panels in‑house. The firm completes roughly 100 full‑scale projects each year, emphasizing custom, full‑process solutions over simple machine integration. By merging...
Human-Machine Interfaces Redefine SCADA and Cloud Integration
Human‑machine interfaces (HMIs) have shifted from proprietary, real‑time screens to versatile edge devices that can log data, communicate via open Ethernet protocols, and push information to the cloud. The adoption of standards such as OPC UA and MQTT enables seamless...
Wittenstein Acquires STXI Motion
Wittenstein, a leader in custom gearboxes and cybertronic drives, announced the acquisition of Israel‑based STXI Motion. The deal, expected to close on April 1 pending antitrust approval, adds STXI’s standardized motor and software portfolio aimed at mobile robotics and intralogistics. By...
