EPN Industrial Automation Blog

Packaging and robots

While the Scandinavian industrial markets in themselves are more or less negligible, they nevertheless are very interesting as they are considered stepping stones for the North-East European markets. This might be the driving motive behind the acquisiotion of the Finnish company Trimaster Oy by German packaging specialist Multivac.

Siemens and Samba

Strange times: traditionally Hardware-oriented companies are currently looking towards Software. For some, this may be a mistake, but in the area of industrial automation, a fitting software solution might just smoothly top off the portfolio.

Rubber for China, business for Europe

A rather good indicator for a booming electronics industry is the need for casings, housings, seals and many other things made of plastic and rubber. It is no surprise that China has a huge demand for these kinds of materials, but Central Europe is profiting from the situation.

Death of the living dead

Fieldbuses have been dead for a few years now even though not everyone in the industry noticed that. Everything’s Ethernet now and even the toughest defenders of the old ways have to admit now that the Fieldbus times are over.

Cooperation for miniaturization

Even in factory and process automation, systems have to become smaller in order to meet the demands of today’s field infrastructure. A recently announced co-operation among two Swiss/German companies is supposed to provide an impulse for miniaturized field devices.

Japan: News from Distributors

European and international distributors offer online information about the delivery and supply situation regarding their Japanese linecards.

Can you touch a cloud?

What’s more preferable to visit: CeBIT or embedded world 2011? That may have been a relevant question last week, since both trade shows took place quite at the same time last week. Well, that’s somehow hard to decide: It goes without saying that everything at CeBIT 2011 (1 to 5 March) revolves primarily around bits, bytes and innovative technologies, such as new smartphones and tablet computers.

More Panel-PCs for the UK

After a rather long dry spell, the British industry is receiving interest again from foreign suppliers and producers. Germany-based input specialist Hoffmann+Krippner expands its UK operations with a new company in order to deliver customizable Panel-PCs.

SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2010: Leaving on a high note

Just as the trade show SPS/IPC/DRIVES celebrates the post-crisis success of the automation industry, its chairman of the advisory board retires after 12 years.

SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2010: Optimism for the whole sector

It’s no exaggeration to say that the trade fair SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2010 is one of the most important shows of the huge Automation Industry. Companies present their full range of electric automation technologies to an international trade audience. When this international show starts next week (November 23rd through 25th), more than 1,300 exhibitors will present their latest products and innovations in Nuremberg on 90,000 sqm.