Gary Mintchell

MAY 1, 2025

Acquisitions power large companies when that becomes easier than innovating on their own. Company founders find it the way to cash out. This news exemplifies large automation companies seeing software as a means of growthand serving customers. Last night I thought on this news and several other items Ive received over the past year, and I arrived at a questionwhat do all these companies mean by digital transformation (aka DX).

Bill of Materials 130

Bill of Materials Assembly Line Automation Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

APRIL 30, 2025

These financial results from Beckhoff Automation reflect what Ive long suspectedthe market for automation and manufacturing has been weak not only in Germany but also globally. The company has announced 2024 fiscal year revenues of 1.17 billion, a sharp decline of 33% compared to the 2023 annual result of 1.75 billion. The companys explanation: However, this decline in revenue had been expected due to the huge boom trend observed over previous years.

Automation 130

Automation Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

APRIL 22, 2025

Keeping track of the many changes within the cybersecurity solution ecosystem takes more time than I can devote. Im glad my old colleague Greg Hale made that his focus. Rubrik first came to my attention just a couple of months ago. They did get a mention in a post several years ago as an executive invested in a company that never crossed my path again.

Automation 130

Automation Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

APRIL 22, 2025

People used to (actually, still do) respond to my answer about what I cover as automation, Oh, robots. And Id say, Yes, that, too. The robot market was pretty stagnant for quite a time until the cobot flurry from Denmark. Then, quiet again for the most part. Something interesting does come my way at times. The current topic seems to be expansion of software control to make robotics easier to use and with expanded repertoire.

Robotics 130

Robotics Robotics Automation Process control 130

Gary Mintchell

APRIL 21, 2025

The Open Group Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) provides annual updates at a forum in Orlando in February. I missed that meeting, however recently receiving an update from Aneil Ali, The Open Group OPAF Director. OPAF members have worked diligently for years developing a standard of standards in order to break the proprietary grip of specific process automation suppliershence the word Open in the name.

Automation 130

Automation Process control Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

APRIL 18, 2025

The Aras ACE2025 Community Event in Boston closed two weeks ago. It has taken me that long to wrap my head around everything I learned. Normally there are many really important-sounding words that sound so enlightening at the time, yet when I sit to write I find no substance. In this case, there was so much substance that I have trouble filtering to the most important themes.

Bill of Materials 130

Bill of Materials Supply Chain Sourcing Fit 130

Gary Mintchell

APRIL 14, 2025

Many years ago in a galaxy far away, I actually sold an MRO software solution to one of my clients. Fortunately, I left that position to become a senior editor at Control Engineering magazine never learning how it all worked out. This news concerns a partnership between an MRO software supplier and a services provider said to deliver technology technology-drive solutions.

Supply Chain 130

Supply Chain Artificial Intelligence Lead Time Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

APRIL 8, 2025

Im not talking about the Johnny Rivers theme for a late Sixties Saturday afternoon spy TV show. Were talking software agents. Some may be secret, but none are men. I once had an annual meeting with the CTO of a large automation company where I shared (non-privileged) information Id gathered about the market while trying to learn what technologies I should be watching for.

Artificial Intelligence 130

Artificial Intelligence Automation Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

APRIL 1, 2025

Some final thoughts from the ODVA meetings in March in Florida. Ive been thinking for some time about complexity. Sometimes we get into the weeds with our technologies, building routine atop routines, solving a multitude of problems through creating others. The thinking began with considering my reporting from the March 2022 ODVA meetings. Paul Maurath, Technical DirectorProcess Automation from Procter & Gambles Central Engineering, presented the users view of automation.

Automation 130

Automation Function Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 31, 2025

ODVA have generated still more newsI have some wrap up from a couple of weeks ago when I attended their meeting plus some news this morning from Hannover Messe. (No, I wish I were in Hannover, but Im still in Illinois.) The leadership for ODVAs 24th term was elected and announced at the 23rd Annual Meeting of Members in Clearwater, Florida, USA on March 20, 2025.

Artificial Intelligence 130

Artificial Intelligence Automation Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 31, 2025

The first news from Hannover this morning concerns additions to EtherNet/IP device profiles. Delegates discussed continued updates for process devices at the annual meeting a couple of weeks ago. ODVA announced that level sensors are the latest option for process device profiles to be added to The EtherNet/IP Specification. Process device profiles help users to reduce complexity and to more quickly install new devices in the event of an unplanned replacement.

Electronics 130

Electronics Automation Process control Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 28, 2025

I have four items from Siemens shortly before Hannover Messe. An acquisition, Copilot, Xcelerator, and this oneto use their euphemism Siemens to strengthen competitiveness in automation business and in electric vehicle charging business. These are the highlights: Automation business: focus on growth markets and stronger customer orientation Electric vehicle charging business: concentration on fast-charging infrastructure for depots and fleets and for en-route charging Capacity adjustments worldw

Automation 130

Automation Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 28, 2025

This is the second of four Siemens news items. In the vein of everyone in industrial software is Microsofts best friend, Copilot headlines this news. And no news today is complete without mentioning generative AI. The Siemens Industrial Copilot , a generative AI-based assistant, is empowering customers across the entire value chain from design and planning to engineering, operations, and services Siemens expands its Industrial Copilot offering with extended capabilities for Senseye Predictive M

Value chain 130

Value chain Function Process manufacturing Automation 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 28, 2025

The third of Siemens pre-Hannover news releases concerns Xcelerator Edge with Microsoft Azure IoT Operations. Siemens Industrial Edge works seamlessly with Microsoft Azure IoT Operations, making OT and IT data planes fully interoperable for manufacturing Edge and cloud data integration enables adaptive production through AI- and digital-twin-powered solutions Industrial customers benefit from improved machine performance, product quality and reduced machine maintenance Siemens announces an exten

Manufacturing 130

Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 28, 2025

The last of four news items this week from Siemens concerns a large software acquisition. A high level Siemens executive told me years ago that the company had learned from earlier mistakes in order to more successfully integrate acquisitions. Events have proved him correct. This acquisition should be very interesting for their customers. Siemens extends leadership in simulation and industrial AI as it closes acquisition of Altair Engineering Inc.

Artificial Intelligence 130

Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 25, 2025

5G and private 5G cellular networks were all the rage a few years ago. They hype cycle has progressed. Ive seen some examples of real-world applications. It remains more promise than use at this time. However, some news continues to flow through my system. This one is a partnership of sorts between Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE) and Celona. This new turnkey solution integrates with ALEs OmniVista, OmniSwitch, and OmniAccess Stellar networking portfolio, enabling secure and high quality connecti

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Industry 4.0 Industry 4.0 Logistics Robotics 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 18, 2025

Teredyne is a conglomerate that has been snarfing up collaborative robotic assets. Many are based on Universal Robotics technology. This news expands AI-powered applications. Of course, AI is the entry point phrase for any new technology currently. Thats OK, it is an advancement in usability. And thats a good thing. Teradyne Robotics and its partners are set to unveil a suite of advanced, AI-driven robotics solutions at NVIDIA GTC 2025 March 17-21.

Robotics 130

Robotics Robotics Logistics Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 17, 2025

Heres a partnership of two companies who like to all caps their names so that they jump out at you on the page. This news concerns extension of EdgeAI ZEDEDA has unveiled expanded support for NVIDIA’s edge AI platform, introducing enhanced integration with NVIDIA Jetson systems, NGC catalog and the TAO toolkit. This comprehensive integration provides enterprises with a complete workflow for deploying, securing and managing AI models at the edge, enabling faster innovation while ensuring op

Automation 130

Automation Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 17, 2025

Festo never ceases to amaze me with their pneumatics advances. Here introducing digital closed-loop control. Festo introduces Controlled Pneumatics, a digital closed-loop control strategy for delivering energy efficiency, high dynamic response, and precision movement. Controlled Pneumatics is an ideal solution for web tensioning; welding; surface processing; flexible gripping, including vacuum gripping; dispensing and pumping; PET bottle blowing; and diaphragm pump control.

Control Algorithm 130

Control Algorithm Beverage Function Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 17, 2025

Just in from The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) about a timely new conference. Im not sure I can make it to Seattle for this conference, but it looks like a good place to explore timely topics. The Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the leading voice in automation and robotics, today announced the launch of a new industry event, FOCUS: Intelligent Vision & Industrial AI Conference.

Logistics 100

Logistics Aerospace Automation Robotics 100

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 14, 2025

Ive had a soft spot for visual systems ever since my introduction to the technology in the mid-1980s. Trends of more powerful video sensors plus AI have combined to form a number of interesting new products. This news comes from a company called Cybord (that I previously wrote about here ), who bills itself as the leading provider of advanced AI-powered electronic component analytics.

Electronics 147

Electronics Assembly Line Compliance Form 147

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 11, 2025

The development of collaborative robots in the Odense, Denmark area led to important increases in the development of end-of-arm effectors. OnRobot became a leading developer of these tools. This new release marks OnRobot’s highest payload gripper to date, with intelligent control and seamless integration for palletizing and handling. OnRobots new VGP30 vacuum gripper robust at 30 kg (66 lbs.) payload is designed to excel at palletizing boxes and handling irregular shapes and porous surface

Automation 130

Automation Robotics Robotics Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 11, 2025

Rubrik has announced new capabilities to its cyber resilience offerings across cloud, SaaS, and hypervisors including Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, RedHat OpenShift, and more. Its new Identity Recovery for Active Directory and Entra ID addresses the key vulnerability to business operational recovery. The innovations aim to provide customers with even more ability to anticipate breaches, detect potential threats, and recover with speed and efficiency no matter where their data lives.

Automation 130

Automation Compliance Sourcing Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 7, 2025

Something Ive been observing. This administration is the most PR and media oriented administration weve had. Everything seems to be a media play. Note the lineup of big companies announcing, ahem, $100 billion investments over some period of time in the US. This, of course, helps keep these companies out of the crosshairs of media sniping by the administration.

Supply Chain 147

Supply Chain Manufacturing 147

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 5, 2025

HighByte seems to be making more of a splash lately with its DataOps plus Universal Namespace developments. Several years ago I spotted DataOps as an important technology application. Usage still grows. This news from HighByte concern the ability to build custom APIs. HighByte released HighByte Intelligence Hub version 4.1 with Callable Pipelines, enabling users to build custom APIs for their operations and industrial data sources.

Sourcing 130

Sourcing Function Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 4, 2025

News on the cybersecurity front. This component can now be deployed in Class 1 Div 2 environments. ] OPSWAT announced its MetaDefender Optical Diode Din Rail version has achieved Class 1 Division 2 (C1D2) certification. The MetaDefender Optical Diode offers unidirectional data flow, ensuring that sensitive networks remain isolated from potential threats originating from less secure, lower-level networks.

Manufacturing 130

Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

MARCH 4, 2025

AI Assistants comprise the new entry ticket for software developers. A tech writer Ive followed for years recently posted a worry that Microsoft might bring back Clippy in AI guise. Im glad to see Honeywell joining the trend. Theyve been quiet for some time in all their various divisions. With the announcement of breaking the company into parts makes this news both poignant and essential.

Automation 130

Automation Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

I missed the last industry conference. There are several interviews in queue for me to finish writing and a couple of interviews pending. But here is one conference I will be attending. If you are in Boston April 1-2, let me know. Aras invited me to their conference last year. The speakers and interviews taught me much about whats important and coming in the world of manufacturing software.

Manufacturing 130

Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Foxit develops PDF and eSignature products and services. Ever since they signed on a PR person who knows me, Ive been fed a steady stream of updates. Im using Foxit as my main PDF reader/editor. So far, Im happy using it. I like the interface and speed. The upgraded Software Development Kits (SDKs) are said to save developer time, reduce frustration, and enable creation of more efficient, compliant, and tailored PDF solutions.

Compliance 147

Compliance Function Form Manufacturing 147

Gary Mintchell

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

Even though I have worked in this industry a long time and have configured, programmed, installed many software applications and devices, sometimes I have trouble reading though a press release and determining just what the company has done. In this case, the email message included a sentence by the guy who runs the ProveIt! conference that this product will be the talk of the show.

Sourcing 130

Sourcing Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

The last real-time operating system briefing for me had to have been more than a decade ago. Im passing this along as an interesting take. RTOSX develops real-time operating systems (RTOS) and middleware. It bills its RTOSX Kernel as the industrial grade alternative to Eclipse Thread X. RTOSX has achieved certification for functional safety. In brief: Certification accelerates compliance with IEC 61508, IEC 62304, ISO 26262, and EN 50128 functional safety standards for automotive, industrial, an

Function 130

Function Automotive Compliance Sourcing 130

Gary Mintchell

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

Manufacturing and process automation news has become sparse. News from the warehouse and fulfillment sector continues to grow. These items typically combine software, autonomous mobile robots, communications devices for connected workers, and (of course) a dollop of AI. This news comes from Zebra Technologies. This companys acquisitions has rendered it as a completely different company from the one whose products I recommended and sold earlier in my career.

Robotics 130

Robotics Robotics Logistics Function 130

Gary Mintchell

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

You call it Visual AI; I call it AI-powered vision systems. Which I find interesting since industrial vision systems have had embedded AI ever since I played with them in the mid-90s. Technology does advance, and AI means something different today. Plus, it, like partnerships, are all the rage right now. This news reveals a partnership between Fuji America and Cybord to provide vision inspection systems at a new level for surface-mount technology printed circuit board manufacturing.

Assembly Line 130

Assembly Line Electronics Supply Chain Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

AI contributes at least 50% of the content of news in my area of interest. No surprise that Yokogawa has harnessed some AI expertise for its Asset Performance Management. Yokogawa Electric and UptimeAI announced a strategic agreement aimed at enhancing asset performance management in industrial plants. The agreement is underscored by a capital investment in UptimeAI by Yokogawa.

Automation 130

Automation Manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

JANUARY 31, 2025

Ive been watching developments of robotics and peripherals with anticipation. Engineers continually get closer to mechanisms that can make life so much better for handicapped or aged people. Not to mention extensive use cases in manufacturing. This news concerns a company emerging from stealth with a hand exoskeleton with exciting sensory input along with a its operating system (Alan KayPeople who are really serious about software should build their hardware.).

Prototype  130

Prototype  Fit Robotics Robotics 130

Gary Mintchell

JANUARY 17, 2025

While competitors seem to be either retrenching or maintaining the status quo, Siemens used a large presence at the CES show in Las Vegas to promote its invigorated presence. Siemens brings Industrial AI to the Edge of the factory floor for secure access to large language models Aviation startup JetZero chooses Siemens Xcelerator platform to enable development of groundbreaking blended wing aircraft New “Siemens for Startups” program and collaboration with Amazon Web Services AWS to

Automation 130

Automation Value chain Manufacturing Process manufacturing 130

Gary Mintchell

JANUARY 16, 2025

I have written several times over the past decade about how the Industrial Internet of Things and such hardware advancements as the Edge have blown up the Purdue Pyramid Model of industrial Architecture. Especially as an information model. Rather than a static hierarchy, information can flow from source to consumer bypassing layers as required. However, the Purdue Model (and ISA95) certainly do describe different types of functions of a manufacturing enterprise.

Fit 130

Fit Function Sourcing Automation 130