Partnership
Assembly Line
ROHM and Toshiba Agree to Collaborate in Manufacturing Power Devices
A plan by ROHM Co., Ltd. (“ROHM”) and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (“Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage”) to collaborate in the manufacture and increased volume production of power devices has been recognized and will be supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as a measure supporting the Japanese Government’s target of secure and stable semiconductor supply. ROHM and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage will respectively make intensive investments in silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) power devices, effectively enhance their supply capabilities, and complementally utilize other party’s production capacity.
ROHM has already announced its participation in the privatization of Toshiba, but this investment did not serve as the starting point for manufacturing collaboration between the two companies. Under intensifying international competition in the semiconductor industry, ROHM and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage have been considering collaboration in the power device business for some time, and that resulted in the joint application.
JGC and Yokogawa Team up to Develop Lunar Plant Control System That Will Support Ultra-remote Communications
JGC Corporation and Yokogawa Electric Corporation announce the signing of an agreement on November 15 to jointly develop a control system that will support the ultra-remote communications required for the operation of plants on the lunar surface.
The construction of such a system, which will be located at a ground station and integrate the communications, process control, and operation monitoring for a plant on the lunar surface, will need to take into account constraints such as the communication delay between the earth and the moon. This joint development will make use of JGC’s know-how of energy plant control/operations and knowledge gained through the conduct of lunar plant studies, and Yokogawa’s remote monitoring and control technology. The two companies plan to quickly move ahead with the design and construction of experimental equipment that can simulate these delays, then complete by the end of 2024 a study that will identify an optimal solution for a control system that will be capable of handling ultra-remote communications.
Siemens and Intel to collaborate on advanced semiconductor manufacturing
Siemens AG, a leading technology company, and Intel Corporation, one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on driving digitalization and sustainability of microelectronics manufacturing. The companies will focus on advancing future manufacturing efforts, evolving factory operations and cybersecurity, and supporting a resilient global industry ecosystem.
The MoU identifies key areas of collaboration to explore a variety of initiatives, including optimizing energy management and addressing carbon footprints across the value chain. For instance, the collaboration will explore use of “digital twins” of complex, highly capital-intensive manufacturing facilities to standardize solutions where every percentage of efficiency gained is meaningful.
The collaboration will also explore minimizing energy use through advanced modeling of natural resources and environmental footprints across the value chain. To gain more information on product-related emissions, Intel will explore product and supply chain related modeling solutions with Siemens that drive data-based insights and help the industry accelerate progress in reducing its collective footprint.
UVeye Partners with Hypertec to Mass-produce AI Vehicle Inspection Systems in North America
UVeye, a leading technology company specializing in computer vision and artificial intelligence for the development of automated drive-through inspection systems for vehicles, is pleased to announce its strategic partnership with Hypertec, a global leader in state-of-the-art sustainable technology solutions.
This collaborative effort will kickstart mass production of UVeye’s innovative systems in response to the growing demand from a diverse range of automotive industry players, including car dealerships, car auctions, and fleets. Production will take place at Hypertec’s facilities located in Plainfield, Indiana, and Montréal, Canada, solidifying the alignment between cutting-edge technology and sustainable innovation.
Japan's TDK Corp to manufacture iPhone battery cells in India
Japanese electronic parts maker TDK Corp will manufacture lithium ion (li-ion) battery cells for Apple iPhones in India. TDK will set up a manufacturing facility in the northern state of Haryana, creating several thousand new jobs, Deputy Minister for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on social media platform X. Cells manufactured at the facility will be supplied to Apple’s li-ion battery assembler Sunwoda Electronics, the report added.
Yokogawa and FPT Software Ink Global Partnership to Advance DX Solution Offerings
Specifically, FPT Software will strengthen Yokogawa’s IT capabilities by providing support in the areas of application development, system maintenance, infrastructure deployment, infrastructure operation, and the offering of software as a service. Yokogawa will leverage its solid foundation of OT know-how and experience to support FPT Software in applying its technologies to the field, while continuously enhancing its own DX-related solutions and services. As a result, the customers of both companies will be able to experience a broader array of enhanced and differentiated DX services that make combined use of OT and IT.
RICOH 3D for Healthcare partners with Materialise to broaden access to 3D-printed patient-specific solutions
Ricoh USA, Inc. today announced at the RSNA Assembly and Annual Meeting, a partnership with Materialise that will provide software solutions to support RICOH 3D for Healthcare, a HIPAA-compliant, ISO 13485 certified 3D medical manufacturing center for the development, design and production of 3D-printed anatomic models in both their centralized medical device manufacturing facility, as well as in Ricoh’s Point of Care facilities. Through the partnership, Ricoh will now be able to drive more personalized healthcare solutions and make it simple to create or expand on-site Point of Care centers.
Kraft Heinz introduces first 100% recyclable ketchup cap with help from Berry Global
The launch by Kraft Heinz Company of its first 100% recyclable cap for its famous squeezy ketchup bottle demonstrates the collaborative achievement utilizing the innovative design and manufacturing capabilities of Berry Global in supporting retail brands with a move towards more sustainable packaging solutions.
The project has been eight years, 45 prototypes and more than 185,000 hours in development, to ensure the optimum balance between functionality and sustainability. Berry was involved through the design and production process, from concept to the creation of the series tools in Berry’s in-house tool shop, as well as the development of the assembly equipment for industrial production.
Supernal and Korean Air Announce Strategic Partnership to Spur Development of Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles and Operational Ecosystem
Supernal LLC – Hyundai Motor Group’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company – announced today a strategic partnership with Korean Air to help accelerate the design of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle and the development of the AAM ecosystem in Korea. The collaboration adds to a growing list of Supernal partnerships that are advancing its mission to make AAM an efficient and reliable option for everyday transportation needs.
The companies will engage in a variety of activities as part of the partnership, including exchanging technical data and jointly participating in workshops and programs to help develop an AAM ecosystem that will support safe eVTOL operations. As part of the agreement, Korean Air will provide insights about Korean-market requirements and AAM aircraft specifications, informing Supernal’s product and market development strategies. The companies will also explore ways to effectively test the operation of Supernal’s eVTOL vehicle and AAM infrastructure networks.
Rapidus and Tenstorrent Partner to Accelerate Development of AI Edge Device Domain Based on 2nm Logic
Rapidus Corporation, a company involved in the research, development, design, manufacture, and sales of advanced logic semiconductors, today announced an agreement with Tenstorrent Inc., a next-generation computing company building computers for AI, to jointly develop semiconductor IP (design assets) in the field of AI edge devices based on 2nm logic semiconductors.
In addition to its AI processors and servers, Tenstorrent built and owns the world’s most performant RISC-V CPU IP and licenses that technology to its customers around the world. Through this technological partnership with Rapidus, Tenstorrent will accelerate the development of cutting-edge devices to meet the needs of the ever-evolving digital society.
Rapidus, University of Tokyo plan 1-nm chip tech with French partner
Japanese chipmaker Rapidus and the University of Tokyo are partnering with French research institute Leti to jointly develop basic technology for designing chips using technology in the 1-nanometer range, Nikkei has learned. The partners will begin actively exchanging staff and sharing technology as early as next year. Leti will contribute its expertise in chip components to build an infrastructure for supplying 1-nm products.
Dyndrite Partners with AMFG to Streamline Production with Automated Nesting.
Dyndrite is partnering with AMFG to leverage our award-winning automated workflow software to enable the automated 3D nesting of CAD files, streamlining their pre-production process. Commenting on the successful integration of the project, Sven Hinrichs, Head of Technology Consulting, AMFG, stated; “As a leading automation solution, we recognize the transformative power of Dyndrite’s automated nesting and build preparation capabilities for additive manufacturing. The efficiency gains brought about by Dyndrite’s cutting-edge technology have revolutionized our workflow, allowing our customers to optimize material usage, reduce production time, and ultimately deliver superior results to our clients. Dyndrite’s commitment to advancing the additive manufacturing landscape aligns seamlessly with our goal of providing innovative and cost-effective solutions. Together, we’re shaping the future of manufacturing by harnessing the full potential of automation in the additive process.”
Toyota and Redwood Materials Agree to Battery Recycling, Materials Procurement
Progressing closer to the goal of battery ecosystem circularity, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and Redwood Materials announce an expanded recycling agreement that aims to create pathways for automotive batteries used in Toyota’s electrified vehicles that have reached the end of their life. The plan also includes an agreement for Toyota to source Cathode Active Material (CAM) and Anode copper foil from Redwood’s recycling activities for Toyota’s future, new automotive battery production. The agreement builds on the collaboration with Redwood announced last year for battery collection and recycling of Toyota’s hybrid and battery electric vehicle batteries.
Toyota’s automotive battery recycling needs are expected to grow substantially in the coming years as more of its electrified vehicles, such as first-generation Prius models introduced more than 20 years ago, reach the end of their lifecycle. With a large amount of Toyota’s retiring fleet of electrified vehicles being in California, Redwood’s Nevada recycling facility will support Toyota’s North American supply chain, which will improve sustainability, and help to enhance operational improvements across the TMNA enterprise for a closed-loop battery ecosystem. Toyota’s battery lifecycle ecosystem is forecast to include the recycling, remanufacturing and repurposing of the nearly five million operating units, building toward Toyota’s ultimate goals of carbon neutrality for its global operations by 2035 and carbon neutrality for its vehicles by 2050.
Why CP Kelco chose to partner with Tractian
Center For Deep Learning In Electronics Manufacturing: Bringing Deep Learning To Production For Photomask Manufacturing
Five years later, CDLe has completed its mission by graduating more than 20 students from the alliance members and completing 30 DL projects, many of which are headed to or already in production. This contrasts with the opinion of industry luminaries in the 2023 annual eBeam Initiative survey in which only 22% of respondents thought that DL would be used in production in any stage of production mask making by 2023. CDLe and its participants have had more success with DL than the industry at large because of their approach: using digital twins to bridge the data gap that keeps DL prototypes from moving to production use and following a “recipe for DL success” that includes executive commitment, dedicated computing resources, and DL and domain experts.
Schneider Electric partners with ArcelorMittal on low-carbon steel to reduce the environmental impact of its products
ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company, and Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, announced today a partnership whereby ArcelorMittal will supply Schneider Electric with XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel for its electrical cabinets and enclosures.
Produced at ArcelorMittal’s site in Sestao, Spain, XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel is made using a very high proportion of recycled steel in an electric arc furnace, powered with 100% renewable electricity. This results in CO₂ emissions which are close to 70% lower than the same product made without XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel.
ArcelorMittal’s XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel will be used by Schneider Electric to manufacture the new PanelSeT SFN floor-standing enclosures built to protect large electrical panels for industrial automation, power distribution and electronic applications. As these enclosures are built to withstand tough operating environments, the XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel is also coated with Magnelis®, a metallic coating offering high corrosion protection.
Simulation Helps Rockwell Automation Accelerate Digital Transformation
LG's robot to be used in facility diagnosis of POSCO's steel mill
LG Electronics’ AI-based self-driving robots can be widely used for facility diagnosis at hazardous worksites in the future, the company said Wednesday, after completing a two-day demonstration of unmanned facility management using its robot at POSCO’s Gwangyang steel plant. LG said the robot completed its facility management mission in the electrical room of the steel plant in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, on Monday and Tuesday.
This demonstration project was carried out as part of a business agreement between LG Electronics and POSCO Holdings. In May, the two companies signed a business agreement for the development of technologies in the fields of robots, AI and 5G networks, and conducted the first stage of a demonstration in July to control the driving of a semi-autonomous robot.
“We equipped the robot with cameras and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors. The robot uses the information acquired from the sensors to recognize its surroundings more accurately,” LG said. “It has a high recognition rate even in low-light environments such as basements or places where safety fences are installed around equipment. If it detects abnormal temperatures in various equipment in the electrical room using the temperature information obtained from its thermal imaging camera, it will take a picture and send an alert to the control room.”
Aveva and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
ABB Case Study SUS Japan 2023
Flexxbotics Delivers Robot Compatibility with Haas Automation CNC Machines and Equipment
Flexxbotics, delivering workcell digitalization for robot-driven manufacturing, today announced robot machine tending connectivity compatible with the full range of Haas Automation machine tools including vertical machining centers, horizontal machining centers, CNC lathes, and rotary tables, as well as, five-axis and specialty machines. With Flexxbotics, next generation machining environments running robotics with Haas Automation equipment achieve greater throughput, higher yields and increased profit per part.
Flexxbotics’ patent-pending FlexxCORE technology enables robots to securely connect and communicate with Haas Automation equipment in the smart factory to provide more powerful, flexible and open connectivity than previously possible. Flexxbotics compatibility includes the Haas Next Generation Control, as well as, Haas Serial and I/O for interfacing to both current and older models.
Autodesk & Cadence: Partnering to Unlock Smarter Product Design and Fuel Innovation
Traditionally, printed circuit board (PCB) designers using Cadence Design Systems tools operated in a silo, isolated from the mechanical design team working with tools like Autodesk Fusion. Teams would play a game of digital ping-pong, tossing files over the virtual wall, hoping everything gets noticed in the right place, at the right time, and by the right people.
This week at Autodesk University, we were excited to announce our new partnership with Cadence Design Systems, the leader in electronic systems design tools, which aims to bridge this gap between electronic and mechanical design teams. The integration connects specialized Cadence PCB technologies directly with Autodesk Fusion, advancing its powerful CAD, CAM, and PCB design capabilities to streamline ECAD to MCAD workflows and transform smart product design.
Together, the partnership brings cloud-based integration between Fusion and Cadence Allegro X and OrCAD X. The integrated solution is another example of Autodesk’s commitment to an open ecosystem and to improve collaboration across electronics and mechanical design teams.
AI for industry: Schaeffler and Siemens bring Industrial Copilot to shopfloor
To support engineers with various automation tasks, the AI-powered assistant is connected to Siemens’ engineering framework Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal via the open API TIA Portal Openness. The Industrial Copilot helps Schaeffler’s automation engineers to generate code faster for programmable logic controllers (PLC), the devices that control most machines throughout the world’s factories. Engineering teams can significantly reduce time, effort, and the probability of errors by generating PLC code through natural language inputs.
Siemens Industrial Copilot has access to all relevant documentation, guidelines and manuals to assist shopfloor workers with identifying possible errors. These capabilities enable maintenance teams to identify errors and generate step-by-step solutions more quickly. This will help to significantly reduce machine downtime, make industrial companies more efficient and thus support sustainability efforts.
“They listened to everything we asked for.” – How Toyota helped shape the Stratasys F3300 FDM 3D printer
In the building of the F3300, Stratasys started from scratch rather than riff off the architecture of past FDM systems, integrating a tool changer that allows the user to deploy one of four extruders at a time. Tools can be changed within around 14 seconds, giving the user more flexibility in scenarios of extruder redundancy – one extruder can pick up the slack of another that has broken down – while also allowing them to print multiple colours in one part and even incorporate two different resolutions too. That latter feature was one Stratasys had been looking to achieve from the very beginning.
Stratasys went to the industrial leader in tool changer manufacture, ATI, and commissioned the company to build a custom product for the F3300. Since Stratasys expects users to do multiple tool changes in a build, they needed repeatability, reliability, and accuracy in the XY dimensions.
Per Martin, Stratasys’ tool changer is delivering on the promise. Martin works in Toyota’s TILT Lab and is responsible for delivering tooling, jigs, and fixture applications to his colleagues on the production lines. Around 5,000 cars come off these production lines every day, with Toyota harnessing FDM technology to produce manufacturing aids in materials such as PA12 CF and ULTEM 9085. Martin estimates the F3300 to be between 46-50% faster while maintaining the same resolution and accuracy as the F900.
Schneider Electric and Compass Datacenters Expand Partnership with $3 Billion Multi-Year Data Center Technology Agreement
Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced at its Capital Markets Day meeting with investors a $3 billion multi-year agreement with Compass Datacenters. The agreement extends the companies’ existing relationship that integrates their respective supply chains to manufacture and deliver prefabricated modular data center solutions.
Since the inception of the initial agreement between the companies, Schneider Electric has manufactured and delivered about 150 modular data center solutions to Compass from its West Chester, OH operation. As demand for more data center solutions increase, the 110,000 square-foot Red Oak, TX operation—which the companies jointly announced in the summer—will also be used to support projected growth.
Xometry Leverages Google Cloud To Accelerate The Digitization Of Manufacturing Globally
Xometry, the global AI-powered marketplace connecting enterprise buyers with suppliers of manufacturing services, today announced a partnership with Google Cloud to leverage Vertex AI to help accelerate the deployment of new auto-quote methods and models within Xometry’s AI-powered Instant Quoting Engine. Using Vertex AI, Xometry will accelerate the deployment of its instant-quoting and fulfillment capabilities to encompass the broadest and most comprehensive set of manufacturing technologies. As a result, Vertex AI will help Xometry expand the markets it serves for custom manufacturing and further advance the digitization of manufacturing globally.
Nokia Bell Labs and Aramco announce R&D collaboration to support priority industries
Nokia’s research arm, Nokia Bell Labs and Aramco, the world’s largest energy company, have signed a non-binding R&D collaboration agreement to support Industry 4.0/4IR digital use-case creation and proof of concept development for priority industrial sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Building on the vision of the recently launched Aramco Digital Company, this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is envisioned to accelerate digital transformation within the Kingdom, the Middle East, and North Africa (MENA) region and globally. The collaboration seeks to leverage cutting-edge research and technologies from both companies to advance digital use-cases for a diverse range of industries, including oil and gas, utilities, mining, manufacturing and logistics.
China Unicom and Huawei Help Exquisite Automotive Deploy a Commercial 5G-Advanced Flexible Production Line
Recently, China Unicom and Huawei began to help the Baoding Automation Technology Branch of Exquisite Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (“EA”) deploy a commercial 5G-Advanced flexible production line that features ultra-high reliability and ultra-low latency.
At Great Wall Motor’s factory in Baoding, Hebei, 5G-Advanced equipment is being used in the car roof production line. Traditional industrial control relies on wired networks to realize the serial connection and control of terminal equipment. However, after a certain period of operations, wire abrasion in mobile application scenarios, such as robot arms, slide units, and swiveling tables, often results in production interruptions, causing an average of about 60 hours of downtime a year.
HP and Materialise Partner to Drive Volume 3D Printing
As an HP preferred partner, Materialise will provide the industry with an end-to-end manufacturing solution that is integrated with an additive technology that is designed for productivity and scale — MJF and Metal Jet systems. As part of this partnership, HP will help customers identify meaningful use cases for the software platform, as well as showcase the solution at HP demo facilities and public events.
The seamless connectivity between HP AM technology and Materialise CO-AM enables users to create workflows that improve traceability, quality control, and machine utilization. Optimized 3D print job management allows production leads to track planned and actual printer activities and optimize machine time. To ensure continuous production, real-time machine monitoring provides operators and engineers with critical process data, including build status, material usage, and machine sensor data. This data can be collected and stored in log files of 3D-printed jobs to enhance traceability and quality control. In addition to their 3D printers, Metal Jet users can connect process-relevant HP machinery to the CO-AM platform, such as the Powder Management Station, Curing Station, and Powder Removal Station. This integration allows Metal Jet users to streamline the post-processing of metal parts within the manufacturing process.
HP partners with Elnik, GKN and Sandvik on Metal Jet
HP is focusing on further advancing and developing all aspects of its Metal Jet technology and, ahead of the Formnext show in Frankfurt, where the AM industry as a whole comes together to set the stage for the coming year, the company is presenting deals that are expected to improve various key aspects of the end-to-end metal binder jetting process. These include three key partnerships. The first is with Sandvik, one of the first companies to embrace metal binder jetting through partnerships with both ExOne (Desktop Metal) and GE Additive, on material development. Another one is with GKN Additive, a leading metal AM service that has been working with HP on Metal Jet from the get-go, on tooling and also material innovation (as GKN is also a provider of metal powders). And the third one is with Elnik, a leading manufacturer of furnaces for part sintering, to fine-tune this key aspect of metal binder jetting post-processing.
Mitsubishi Electric and Visual Components Form JV for 3D Simulators
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced today that it will partner with Visual Components headquartered in Espoo, Finland in a joint venture company, named ME Industrial Simulation Software Corporation, to develop and sell 3D simulators for manufacturing applications. Mitsubishi Electric and Visual Components will hold 70% and 30% stakes respectively in the company, which will begin operating on November 1.
Through the new company, Mitsubishi Electric plans to enhance its digital twin platform for circular digital-engineering business solutions. Visual Components’ software is compatible with Mitsubishi Electric’s factory-automation (FA) products thanks to standard functions for connecting with PLCs and robots as well as interfaces for expanding the functionality of 3D simulators. By combining Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced control technology and manufacturing expertise with Visual Components’ technology, the JV is expected to further strengthen the functionality and services of Mitsubishi Electric’s “MELSOFT Gemini” 3D simulator, which customers use to overcome labor shortages, improve productivity and upgrade the quality of their manufacturing.
The JV’s development base in Finland will enable it to fully leverage Visual Components’ development expertise in order to verify device control using 3D simulators, upgrade design efficiencies through control-logic generation, and improve productivity through the utilization of extensive manufacturing data. Furthermore, the customized-solution capabilities of Visual Components’ sales engineers will enable Mitsubishi Electric’s FA Systems business to better meet the diverse manufacturing needs of customers, particularly in Japan and other Asian markets where Mitsubishi Electric’s presence is particularly strong.
Solugen and ADM Announce Strategic Partnership
Solugen, a rapidly scaling climate technology company that is reimagining the chemistry of everyday life, and ADM (NYSE:ADM), a global leader in sustainable solutions, today announced a strategic partnership to scale a range of innovative, plant-based specialty chemicals and bio-based building block molecules in a new manufacturing facility in Marshall, Minnesota.
Under the terms of the agreement, Solugen will build a new 500,000-square-foot biomanufacturing facility adjacent to ADM’s existing corn complex in Marshall. The facility will utilize ADM-provided dextrose to scale its current line of lower-carbon organic acids and develop new, innovative molecules to replace existing fossil fuel-based materials.
Rockwell Automation and Microsoft Expand Partnership to Leverage Generative AI Capabilities for Enhanced Productivity and Faster Time-to-Market
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced an extension of their longstanding relationship to accelerate industrial automation design and development through generative artificial intelligence (AI). The companies are combining technologies to empower the workforce and accelerate time-to-market for customers building industrial automation systems. The first outcome of this collaboration will add Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service into FactoryTalk® Design Studio™ to deliver industry-first capabilities accelerating time-to-market for their customers building industrial automation systems.
Fluor Awarded FEED Contract for World’s First Industrial-Scale Sodium-Ion Battery Production Facility
Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announced today that its Advanced Technologies & Life Sciences business line has been selected by Altris AB to provide front-end engineering and design (FEED) services for the world’s first industrial-scale sodium-ion battery production facility in Sandviken, Sweden. Fluor recognized the undisclosed contract value in the third quarter of 2023.
Altris is a Swedish sodium-ion battery maker that develops cathodes, electrolytes, battery cells and the industrialization process for these products. Sodium-ion batteries are inherently safe and easy to recycle because they are mainly comprised of salt, wood, iron and air.
CESMII welcomes FactoryEye, a division of Magic Software
The Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) welcomed FactoryEye, a division of Magic Software, into its membership. CESMII is a government funded non-profit organization dedicated to supporting small and mid-sized manufacturing facilities to create a more competitive manufacturing environment in the United States. CESMII has recognized FactoryEye as an important addition to its mission to increase manufacturing productivity, global competitiveness and reinvestment.
Fanuc and Volvo Cars sign deal to transform automotive manufacturing with sustainable robotics
Fanuc, the world’s leading manufacturer of industrial robots, has entered into a global contract with Volvo Cars, in a move to boost sustainability in the automotive manufacturing sector, according to Fanuc. The partnership outlines an extensive robot supply program, aimed at optimising production processes in Volvo’s manufacturing facilities worldwide. The collaboration further plays a crucial role in supporting Volvo’s ambitious sustainability goals.
Sasol Chemicals and Solugen will evaluate effectiveness of sustainable ingredients in care chemicals applications
Sasol Chemicals will evaluate the effectiveness of Solugen’s proprietary products, blends and derivatives in its household, personal care, and industrial and institutional cleaning surfactant formulations, initially focusing on chelating agents.
Solugen’s bio-based ingredients are high-performing and cost-competitive materials used in detergents, cleaning products, and personal care products. Solugen manufactures these ingredients at its Bioforge facility in Houston, which uses a first-of-its-kind chemienzymatic process to convert plant-derived substances into essential materials that traditionally relied on fossil fuels – all with no or low emissions and waste.
NVIDIA Partners With Foxconn to Build Factories and Systems for the AI Industrial Revolution
Foxconn will integrate NVIDIA technology to develop a new class of data centers powering a wide range of applications — including digitalization of manufacturing and inspection workflows, development of AI-powered electric vehicle and robotics platforms, and a growing number of language-based generative AI services.
Working closely with NVIDIA, Foxconn is expected to build a large number of systems based on NVIDIA CPUs, GPUs and networking for its global customer base, which is looking to create and operate their own AI factories, optimized with NVIDIA AI Enterprise software. Among the key NVIDIA technologies Foxconn is using to create these custom designs are NVIDIA HGX™ reference designs featuring eight NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs per system, NVIDIA GH200 Superchips, NVIDIA OVX™ reference designs and NVIDIA networking. With these systems, Foxconn customers can leverage NVIDIA accelerated computing to deliver generative AI services as well as use simulation to speed up the training of autonomous machines, including industrial robots and self-driving cars.
Titomic wins aerospace 3D spray printing repair and coating contract
Additive manufacturer Titomic has won an order from aircraft maker Airbus Group to supply cold spray additive manufacturing, repairs and maintenance equipment. The cold spray additive manufacturing process – also known as cold spray 3D printing – will allow Airbus to fabricate freestanding parts or to build features on to existing aircraft components, The $645,000 contract sees cold spray systems for unique coatings and repairs installed on Airbus’ sites, while another system will be installed at Titomic’s European facility.
NavVis and Siemens Smart Infrastructure bring spatial digital twin capabilities to Siemens Building X
NavVis, an innovator in reality capture and digital factory solutions, and Siemens Smart Infrastructure have collaborated to integrate accurate as-is 3D data and an immersive 3D experience to Siemens’ latest scalable digital building platform Building X™. “We are excited to enable the Siemens Building X open platform with NavVis technology. We firmly believe that accurate as-is 3D data at scale and immersive interaction with this data is critically important to make the vision of smart buildings a reality,” says Dr. Felix Reinshagen, CEO and Co-Founder at NavVis.
Industrial AI-Enabled Machine Tool Spindle Health Prognostics Has Been Transformed To Commercialized Value In Partnership With Mazak In Florence, KY.
In a significant collaboration with Mazak, based in Florence, KY, the AI-driven prognostics for machine tool spindle health developed at the Industrial AI center has transitioned from a research concept to a commercial asset. This partnership not only underscores the practical applications of the center’s research but also emphasizes the transformative potential of AI in the industrial domain.
Idemitsu and Toyota Announce Beginning of Cooperation toward Mass Production of All-Solid-State Batteries for BEVs
Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. (Idemitsu) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced today that they have entered into an agreement to work together in developing mass production technology of solid electrolytes, improving productivity and establishment a supply chain, to achieve the mass production of all-solid-state batteries for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Through this collaboration, the two companies, which lead the world in the fields including material development relating to all-solid-state batteries, seek to ensure the successful commercialization of all-solid-state batteries in 2027-28―as announced at the Toyota Technical Workshop in June 2023―followed by full-scale mass production.
Novelis signs an agreement to extend collaboration with Airbus
Novelis, a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, announced today that it has renewed its contract with Airbus. The contract extends a successful, cooperative relationship spanning more than 30 years. Novelis will supply Airbus with plates and sheets, as well as wingskins especially for the A320 aircraft family. Wingskins are particularly demanding products that require pre-machining for long components and special alloys to accommodate the most demanding aircraft industry standards.
Highly automated manufacturing environment to enhance the customer’s production efficiency
Comau has implemented a high-performance turnkey solution to automate manufacturing of NIO’s next-generation electric drive systems. The multi-faceted project also ensures fast and reliable co-line production for the electric vehicle manufacturer’s third-gen induction and permanent magnet motors, both of which are integral parts of its proprietary electric drive systems (EDS). The comprehensive solution includes primary lines such as e-motor assembly lines, gearbox manufacturing and inverter assembly lines, as well as EOL (End of Line) testing processes. It is designed to support a large-scale annual production capacity of 1 million units, to be used within NIO’s electric sedans, coupes and SUVs, as well as select models of its sub-brand ALPS.
Flexxbotics Partners with Applied Automation to Expand Presence in North America
Flexxbotics, delivering workcell digitalization for robot-driven manufacturing, today announced it has expanded its partner network with Applied Automation, a leading value-added distributor and technical solutions provider.
Flexxbotics workcell digitalization is the backbone of the Smart Factory delivering autonomous process control for next generation machining environments utilizing robotics. The SaaS/hybrid solutions are specifically designed to enable robot-driven manufacturing at scale. Flexxbotics breakthrough innovation, the unique FlexxCORE™ technology, seamlessly connects and coordinates robots with existing automation equipment, IT systems and people.
ABB and Altilium sign agreement to work on battery industry recycling projects
ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with UK-based clean technology group Altilium to jointly explore how the integration of automation, electrification and digital technologies in plants across Europe can support the scaling up of battery materials recycling. Altilium is developing green processing technologies and building infrastructure at scale for the recycling of metals and electric vehicle (EV) battery waste, with the aim of ensuring a domestic supply chain of low-carbon battery materials for the automotive industry.
thyssenkrupp selects Samotics to increase reliability of its steel manufacturing process
thyssenkrupp Steel installed Samotics’ SAM4 Health solution as part of a proof-of-value pilot, initially monitoring 100 critical conveyor rolls at its Duisburg plant in Germany—Europe’s biggest steelmaking site. In the first few months of the pilot, the system detected multiple critical faults at an early stage including mechanical unbalance and bearing degradation. This enabled thyssenkrupp Steel to replace the affected machines before they failed, preventing significant unplanned downtime and its associated costs. After the initial success of the pilot project, thyssenkrupp extended the use of the SAM4 Health system and integrated it into its maintenance process.
John Deere and Yara partner to increase fertilization efficiency
John Deere and Yara have joined forces to launch a partnership that will combine Yara’s agronomic expertise with John Deere’s precision technology and advanced machinery. The partnership will enable farmers to increase yields and optimize fertilizer use, helping them contribute to the ambition of the European Union’s Farm to Fork Strategy.
AI camera steers ships away from collisions in fog and darkness
Japanese trading company Marubeni is partnering with Israeli startup Orca AI to equip ships with artificial intelligence cameras that aid visibility in fog or darkness to reduce collisions. Orca AI’s camera system, dubbed SeaPod, has accumulated over 20 million nautical miles worth of marine visual data – equivalent to 4,200 transpacific trips between Japan and Los Angeles. The AI analyzes the big data from the footage, as well as from other parameters such as weather-related delays, to improve situational awareness of potential collisions.
Rockwell Automation Partners with Everactive, Increasing Customer Productivity and Sustainability
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, is pleased to announce its partnership with Santa Clara, California-based Everactive, a leader in wireless and batteryless condition-monitoring solutions for industrial customers.
Everactive’s solutions will complement Rockwell Automation’s Dynamix product line, which will be ideal for Rockwell customers seeking actionable insights from their rotating equipment assets, without the concern of interruption from having to replace batteries in the process. The integrated system will provide data to Rockwell’s FactoryTalk® MaintenanceSuite for asset monitoring, condition-based monitoring, and predictive maintenance programs, enabling maintenance teams to reduce asset-related downtime, decrease production cost and lower labor costs.
LS ELECTRIC and Sight Machine Collaborate to Build AI-Based Big Data Analytics Platform for Manufacturing and Energy
LS ELECTRIC announced on September 18 that it has signed an MOU with Sight Machine to build an AI-based intelligent manufacturing and energy big data analysis platform at LS ELECTRIC Cheongju, Chungbuk, Korea. With this MOU, the two companies plan to conduct extensive collaboration in the field of integrated platforms aimed at the ESG market, including verification and analysis of manufacturing-energy big data connectivity using Sight Machine’s Manufacturing Data Platform, prediction of AI-based manufacturing process equipment control values, and construction of big data analysis platforms to help companies achieve smart manufacturing and power efficiency in the production process.
Toray and Honda Start Jointly Validating Chemical Nylon 6 Recycling for Automotive Applications
Toray Industries, Inc., announced today it signed an agreement with Honda Motor Co., Ltd., to jointly develop a chemical recycling technology for glass-fiber reinforced nylon 6 parts recovered from end-of-life vehicles. The two have begun verifying this technology, which entails depolymerizing with subcritical water (see note) and regenerating the materials as caprolactam, a raw monomer.
Partnership between BASF and Nanotech Energy will enable production of lithium-ion batteries
BASF, a globally leading battery materials producer, and Nanotech Energy, a worldwide leader in the field of graphene-based energy storage products, have agreed to partner to significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of Nanotech’s lithium-ion batteries for the North American market. The agreement aims to close the loop for lithium-ion batteries in North America, with BASF producing cathode active materials from recycled metals in Battle Creek, Michigan, for the usage in lithium-ion battery cells produced by Nanotech Energy. Feeding recycled metals into the production of new lithium-ion batteries can reduce the CO2 impact of batteries by about 25 percent compared to the use of primary metals from mines.
H2 Green Steel collaborates with Volvo Group for supply of near zero emissions steel
As commercial vehicles increasingly run on electrified solutions, reducing the emissions when the product is in use, the environmental footprint from the supply network and production becomes increasingly important. Since steel is one of the main input materials in the manufacturing of trucks, buses and construction machines, a shift towards green steel is a vital element for Volvo Group’s continued journey towards decarbonization. The long-term supply agreement placed from Volvo Group is for green steel from H2 Green Steel’s new plant in Boden in Northern Sweden. Start of production is planned for end of 2025. Deliveries to Volvo Group will start mid-2026.
🦾 Fabric teams with Maersk on Dallas robotic warehouse
Israeli robotics warehouse developer Fabric and logistics giant A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) are setting up a 3,500-square-meter automated-fulfillment center in Dallas, Texas. The new facility, which will be powered by Fabric’s advanced robotic and software technology, features an AI-driven, automated e-commerce fulfillment solution in an urban environment that maximizes warehouse productivity while minimizing real estate footprint requirements.
OSARO and FANUC America Collaborate to Enhance Capabilities of Robotic Warehouse Automation Solutions
OSARO®, a global leader in machine-learning-enabled robotics for e-commerce, is partnering with FANUC America, the leading supplier of CNCs, robotics and ROBOMACHINEs, to expand the capabilities of FANUC’s robotic automation solutions optimized for warehousing and e-commerce fulfillment. The two companies will collaborate on go-to-market strategies, commencing with the installation of an advanced piece-picking demonstration robot at FANUC’s Innovation Center in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
OSARO and FANUC America Collaborate to Enhance Capabilities of Robotic Warehouse Automation Solutions
OSARO®, a global leader in machine-learning-enabled robotics for e-commerce, is partnering with FANUC America, the leading supplier of CNCs, robotics and ROBOMACHINEs, to expand the capabilities of FANUC’s robotic automation solutions optimized for warehousing and e-commerce fulfillment. The two companies will collaborate on go-to-market strategies, commencing with the installation of an advanced piece-picking demonstration robot at FANUC’s Innovation Center in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
Honeywell And Arbin Instruments Team Up To Revolutionize Large Scale Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing
Honeywell today enhanced its Battery Manufacturing Excellence Platform (MXP) for lithium-ion battery manufacturers and gigafactories through a collaboration with Arbin Instruments to integrate an advanced autonomous formation system. This solution addresses battery manufacturers’ need to increase throughput of battery cells while reducing floor space and saving energy costs.
Accelera by Cummins, Daimler Truck and PACCAR form a joint venture to advance battery cell production in the United States
Accelera by Cummins, the zero-emissions business unit of Cummins Inc. , Daimler Trucks & Buses and PACCAR are partnering to accelerate and localize battery cell production and the battery supply chain in the United States. The planned joint venture will manufacture battery cells for electric commercial vehicles and industrial applications, creating highly desirable U.S. manufacturing jobs in the growing clean technology sector. Total investment is expected to be in the range of $2-3 billion for the 21-gigawatt hour (GWh) factory.
Intel Foundry Services and Tower Semiconductor Announce New US Foundry Agreement
Intel Foundry Services (IFS) and Tower Semiconductor (Nasdaq: TSEM), a leading foundry for analog semiconductor solutions, today announced an agreement where Intel will provide foundry services and 300mm manufacturing capacity to help Tower serve its customers globally. Under the agreement, Tower will utilize Intel’s advanced manufacturing facility in New Mexico. Tower will invest up to $300 million to acquire and own equipment and other fixed assets to be installed in the New Mexico facility, providing a new capacity corridor of over 600,000 photo layers per month for Tower’s future growth, enabling capacity to support forecasted customer demand for 300mm advanced analog processing.
🧠🚜 Driverless in the field: Agriculture companies Krone and Lemken rely on software from Apex.AI for autonomous farming machines
Apex.AI, a company that develops safety-certified software for mobility and autonomous applications, announced today a joint product development project for commercial-ready autonomous farming systems with Krone, a manufacturer of agricultural machinery and precision agricultural technology, and Lemken, a company that manufactures innovative machines for tillage, sowing and sustainable plant care. The ‘Combined Powers’ concept vehicle, which was developed by Krone and Lemken, is an autonomous drive unit that acts as a smart system that can plow, cultivate, sow, mow, turn and swath. The companies are now transitioning the concept carrier vehicle from the prototype stage to series production by leveraging Apex.AI’s Software Development Kit (SDK), consisting of Apex.Grace and Apex.Ida.
Broadcom’s transformation journey with Google Cloud
Since the migration to Google Cloud, we’ve eliminated 165 software test labs and saved 50% on costs by hosting most of our work on the cloud instead of relying on dedicated hardware running in Broadcom data centers.
Our collaboration with Google Cloud has also enabled Broadcom to deliver new product features faster while keeping products up to date and free of technical debt. This is a major competitive boon. Adopting Google Cloud as a scalable platform for product development, we now deliver rapid elasticity when catering to increased spikes in requests for products that can reach up to a million requests per second. Equally important, it’s helped us keep the platform secure to protect our customers’ workload and data.
Prior to migrating, Broadcom operated 50-plus data centers globally. The plan was to replace all 50-plus data centers in six months—which we did. It was crucial that we got this right because the workloads were time-sensitive and customer-sensitive, and any glitch could have a huge impact on customers.
📊 Simplify and Accelerate IoT Data-Driven Innovation
Databricks is thrilled to announce strategic partnerships to deliver specialized expertise and unparalleled value to the industry. These partnerships allow companies to simplify access to complex datasets, generate actionable insights and accelerate the time to value with the Lakehouse platform.
Seeq, a global leader in advanced analytics for the process manufacturing industries, delivers self-service, enterprise SaaS solutions to accelerate critical insights and action from historically unused data. Sight Machine enables real-time data-driven operations for manufacturers to achieve breakthrough performance by continuously improving profitability, productivity, and sustainability. Kobai delivers unparalleled semantic capabilities to unify operational and enterprise data and empowers all users to make better decisions and drive operational excellence. Companies across the Fortune 500 leverage Plotly’s powerful interactive analytics and visualization tools to build and scale production-grade data apps quickly and easily.
Cognex Brings Scanning Expertise to OSARO Partners Alliance
OSARO®, a global leader in machine-learning-enabled robotics for e-commerce, has welcomed Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX), the leader in industrial machine vision, into the OSARO Partners Alliance, an ecosystem of expertise aimed at delivering optimal automation solutions to customers. By integrating Cognex DataMan fixed-mount, image-based barcode readers into the OSARO Robotic Bagging System, OSARO solved a difficult technical challenge for Zenni Optical.
The system demonstrated compelling ROI for one of the world’s top eyeglass retailers by solving an ongoing challenge. Zenni’s signature translucent blue eyeglass cases had stymied scanners from several OEMs that were unable to read barcodes through the plastic cases. OSARO vetted several suppliers before selecting Cognex DataMan readers, which achieved 99% accuracy and read rates, while increasing throughput by 80%.
Novo hires Thermo Fisher as second manufacturer for Wegovy weight-loss drug
Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) has hired Thermo Fisher (TMO.N) as its second contract manufacturer for its hugely popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Thermo is doing the filling of the Wegovy injection pens at its factory in Greenville, North Carolina, the source said, declining to be named because the information is confidential.
🖨️ EOS North America and 3YOURMIND Launch Rapid Part Identifier Program
EOS North America’s Additive Minds team and 3YOURMIND have partnered to accelerate additive manufacturing (AM) adoption through their Rapid Part Identifier program. Now, organizations can benefit from the rapid part screening of 2D and 3D files, augmented by AM engineering expertise to create a holistic industrial 3D printing strategy. This new partnership agreement helps quickly scale part identification for AM, supported by the strategy and engineering required to achieve successful production.
🦾 Doosan Robotics to develop GPT-based collaborative robots
Doosan Robotics, a subsidiary of South Korea’s Doosan Group specializing in robot solutions, is venturing into the development of collaborative robot solutions using AI-based GPT (generative pre-trained transformer) technology to enhance its software capabilities.
Doosan Robotics announced it has entered into a business agreement with Microsoft and Doosan Digital Innovation to develop a GPT-based robot control system” utilizing Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI service. Azure OpenAI provides cloud services that include cutting-edge open AI systems, including GPT.
Doosan Robotics plans to apply GPT to its collaborative robots, enabling them to autonomously correct errors and perform tasks. Once the solution is developed, programming time will be reduced, leading to improved operational efficiency and utility.
🖥️ ABB invests in edge-to-cloud platform innovator Pratexo
ABB is investing in a strategic partnership with Pratexo, an edge-to-cloud acceleration platform company. The partnership involves a minority investment in Pratexo through ABB’s venture capital unit, ABB Technology Ventures (ATV). Financial details of the investment were not disclosed.
The collaboration with Pratexo will help ABB’s customers deploy edge-based networks and solution architectures that provide real time insights, with the added benefits of reduced cloud data transfer volumes, improved data privacy and security, and the ability to run even when not connected to the internet.
Petrobras, Japanese partner work on carbon capture at offshore rigs
Japanese chemicals company Kureha will partner with Brazilian state energy group Petrobras to develop a new way to capture carbon dioxide from offshore oil fields. Kureha will start developing a new catalyst to be used in a carbon capturing device this fiscal year at its research facility in northeastern Japan, in a joint effort with the Hokkaido-based Kitami Institute of Technology. It plans to build a small-scale prototype of the device in fiscal 2024.
Kureha is looking to capture carbon from the methane and turn it into a powder that is easily shipped. The powder can be used to produce carbon nanotubes, a material used in lithium-ion batteries, electronic devices and auto parts.
BYD and Huawei build smart factories together
BYD has chosen Huawei to help it build a 10Gbps network based on Huawei’s High-Quality 10 Gbps CloudCampus solution. This network features ultra-fast access, superb experience, simplified architecture, and simplified O&M.
In production scenarios, an increasing number of BYD’s R&D and production systems rely on high-bandwidth networks. For example, R&D simulation generates huge HD rendering workloads, which requires transmission of huge volumes of data between cloud servers and local terminals. In addition, simulation and rendering synchronization raises requirements for low network latency.
ABB and Samsung Engineering to collaborate on gas analyzers for Saudi Arabia’s energy industries
ABB has signed a framework agreement with Samsung Engineering in Saudi Arabia to collaborate in engineering and procurement activities in the Kingdom. With this agreement, ABB becomes a single-source vendor for gas analyzer system integration for Samsung in Saudi Arabia.
Together, the two companies plan to explore business opportunities and provide complete analytical solutions to the Saudi oil & gas market. Effective measurement of gas quality is key to safety and reliability, decreasing the environmental footprint and increasing profitability of the production process. ABB’s solutions support the most demanding applications.
ABB expands partnership with Northvolt to electrify the world’s largest battery recycling facility
ABB and Northvolt are further strengthening their long-standing collaboration in the field of green batteries, an increasingly critical part in the ongoing energy transition. Since 2017, ABB has already delivered key electrification and automation equipment to power Northvolt Ett gigafactory for lithium-ion batteries in Sweden. This partnership is now being expanded to include battery recycling with ABB providing process electrification to power the world’s largest battery recycling facility, Revolt Ett, being established by Northvolt in Skellefteå, northern Sweden. Financial details were not disclosed. The order was booked in the first quarter of 2023.
IBM Consulting Collaborates with Microsoft to Help Companies Accelerate Adoption of Generative AI
IBM (NYSE: IBM) is expanding its collaboration with Microsoft to help joint clients accelerate the deployment of generative AI - and deliver a new offering that will provide clients with the expertise and technology they need to innovate their business processes and scale generative AI effectively. IBM Consulting, in collaboration with Microsoft, will focus on helping clients to implement and scale Azure OpenAI Service. The new IBM Consulting Azure OpenAI Service offering, which is available on Azure Marketplace, is a fully managed AI service that allows developers and data scientists to apply powerful large language models, including their GPT and Codex series. It aims to help businesses define an adoption strategy and an initial set of specific and value-add generative AI use cases.
🔋 Mitra Chem Announces First Close of $60 Million Series B Round Led by GM
Mitra Future Technologies Inc. (“Mitra Chem”), a leading innovator in North American production of lithium-ion battery materials, announced the completion of a $40 million first close of $60 million Series B funding round led by GM. The investment will fuel Mitra Chem’s mission to develop, deploy and commercialize U.S.-made iron-based cathode materials in an effort to enable mass-market electrification for electric vehicles, energy storage solutions, and beyond.
As part of the partnership with GM, Mitra Chem will develop iron-based cathode active materials (CAM) like lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) to power affordable and accessible EV batteries compatible with GM’s EV propulsion architecture, the Ultium Platform. GM’s funding will enable Mitra Chem to scale its current R&D and pilot operations to expedite bringing their battery materials to market.
Top aluminum producer and recycler Novelis to increase uptime following ABB modernization
Novelis Inc., a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, is working with ABB to upgrade its third-party drives and controls system as part of a brownfield modernization project at its hot rolling mill in Oswego, New York, USA.
To futureproof the mill, ABB is replacing obsolete and outdated equipment with new switchgears, transformers, medium voltage drives, medium voltage synchronous motors, motor control centers and auxiliary controls, all integrated with the facility’s existing non-ABB control system. This will support Novelis’ ambitions for increased power capacity and reliability. Commissioning of the upgrade is expected by the end of 2023.
Heidelberg Materials North America and MHI Are Working Toward First Full-Scale Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Solution for Cement Industry
Heidelberg Materials announced today that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has delivered and installed a compact CO2 pilot capture system “CO2MPACTTM” at its cement plant in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Through a partnership between Heidelberg Materials, the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta, the facility is expected to become the first full-scale carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) solution for the cement industry globally. The new facility, which Heidelberg Materials anticipates being operational by late 2026, will capture more than 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually from its Edmonton cement plant and the combined heat and power facility that is integrated with the capture process.
Intel and Synopsys Expand Partnership to Enable Leading IP on Intel Advanced Process Nodes
Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Synopsys (Nasdaq: SNPS) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to expand the companies’ long-standing IP (intellectual property) and EDA (electronic design automation) strategic partnership with the development of a portfolio of IP on Intel 3 and Intel 18A for Intel’s foundry customers. The availability of key IP on Intel advanced process nodes will create a more robust offering for new and existing Intel Foundry Services (IFS) customers.
As part of the transaction, Synopsys will enable a range of its standardized interface IP portfolio on Intel’s leading-edge process technologies. As a result, Intel’s foundry customers will gain access to industry-leading IPs built on Intel advanced process technologies and be able to accelerate design execution and project schedules for system-on-chips (SoCs).
Geely and Baidu partnered to establish new EV company JIDU in 2021.
On August 9, Chinese automaker Geely and tech giant Baidu jointly established an automotive technology company with a registered capital of RMB 10 million ($1.38 million). Geely and Baidu’s wholly-owned subsidiaries hold 65% and 35% stakes in the new company, respectively. Currently, neither Geely nor Baidu has disclosed the development direction of their new joint venture, but the newly established company’s business scope comprises sales of new energy vehicles, operations of EV charging infrastructure, and sales of batteries and digital technology services according to the publicly available information on corporate data site Tianyancha
♻️ Amcor, Mondelēz International and Licella partner to promote circular economy
Leaders in the packaging value chain have today joined forces to further advance a circular economy for plastic packaging in Australia. Amcor (NYSE: AMCR, ASX: AMC), a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, and Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ), the company with iconic snack brands Cadbury, The Natural Confectionery Company, Pascall and others, are investing in advanced recycling technology pioneer Licella in an important step towards ending plastic waste.
The investments announced today will help Licella progress construction of one of the first advanced recycling facilities in Australia. Licella will use its innovative Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR™) technology to recycle end-of-life plastic back into a crude oil substitute suitable to produce new food-grade plastic packaging.
H2 Green Steel in 1.5 billion Euro agreement with ZF
H2 Green Steel has signed a 7-year binding agreement with ZF, one of the biggest suppliers to the automotive industry globally. Deliveries of near zero emissions steel are set to begin in 2026. ZF directly and indirectly processes around 2.5 million tonnes of steel per year worldwide. This agreement covers a significant share of ZF’s yearly steel volumes, making it strategically important in the company’s efforts to decarbonize its operations.
H2 Green Steel signs agreements with Rio Tinto for direct reduction iron ore pellets and hot briquetted iron
H2 Green Steel is partnering with Rio Tinto, a leading global metals and mining company, for the supply of direct reduction iron ore pellet for its green steel production in Sweden. The two companies have signed a multi-year supply agreement for direct reduction iron ore pellets (DR Pellets) from Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) which will account for a significant part of the iron ore supply to H2 Green Steel’s flagship plant in Boden, Sweden. Additionally, the companies have signed an agreement whereby Rio Tinto will purchase and on-sell a part of the surplus low-carbon hot briquetted iron (HBI) produced by H2 Green Steel during the ramp-up of its steelmaking capacity.
H2 Green Steel and Vale in agreement for the supply of direct reduction iron ore pellets
In a multi-year agreement, Vale will supply H2 Green Steel with iron ore pellets as input material for its steel mill in Boden. Vale is a Brazilian mining company and the world’s largest supplier of direct reduction pellets. Iron ore in pelletized form is, along with green hydrogen from H2 Green Steel’s own electrolyzer facility, critical input materials for the green direct reduced iron (DRI) production which will be used to make near-zero emissions steel in the steel plant in Boden. The process of direct reduction of iron ore using green hydrogen and a fully electrified process achieves a CO2 reduction of up to 95 percent compared to the conventional steel making process using coal and coke in a blast furnace.
EnergyHub and Tesla to support the Northeast's largest battery virtual power plant
Tesla, Inc. and EnergyHub, the industry’s most experienced provider of distributed energy management systems (DERMS), have collaborated to enable ConnectedSolutions program enrollment via the Tesla app. The new in-app experience makes joining utility programs frictionless for electricity customers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island who enroll in ConnectedSolutions, EnergyHub’s largest bring-your-own-battery demand response program. The program links batteries to create a virtual power plant (VPP) that can be used to curb peak demand for electricity and to provide additional grid services.
Tesla Powerwall owners who participate in the ConnectedSolutions program can earn for every kilowatt of benefit they provide to the grid—up to $1,500 per year depending on the size of the battery and the state where they live. Using the new in-app experience, customers can easily enroll in the program and see the entire event including how much energy they are providing, and understand how that results in earnings from their utility.
Spirit AeroSystems, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Create Strategic Partnership
Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. today announced a strategic agreement with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, which is managed by University of Tennessee Battelle, for the development of applications hypersonic travel and aircraft of tomorrow.
Spirit and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will jointly focus on scalable, efficient manufacturing of advanced material solutions in the commercial, defense and space aerostructure markets. They will collaboratively explore advances in high temperature in-situ process monitoring techniques and predictive modeling capability for microstructure-based performance and certification of carbon and ceramic composites as well as additively manufactured alloys. In addition, research teams will study various processing techniques for materials that can withstand extreme heat and harsh environments, including the scaling up of a thermal protection system for aerospace platforms.
🧫 Ginkgo Bioworks Announces Collaboration with Merck to Improve Biologic Manufacturing
Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, today announced a new collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, focused on improving biologic manufacturing.
Ginkgo will apply its expertise and capabilities in cell engineering, ultra high-throughput multiplexed screening, protein characterization and process optimization to improve production efficiency and increase yields. Under the terms of the collaboration, Ginkgo is eligible to receive, in aggregate, up to $490 million in upfront research fees, research milestone fees, option license payments and commercial milestone payments.
Toshiba Digital Solutions Partners with Aras to Accelerate Digital Transformation in Manufacturing
Aras, which provides the most powerful low-code application platform to design, build and operate complex products, announced its partnership with Toshiba Digital Solutions, a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Toshiba Digital Solutions will distribute Aras Innovator to other Toshiba group companies and customers. This announcement aligns with the partner agreement announced by Toshiba Digital Solutions on April 20, 2023. Aras Innovator will integrate with Toshiba’s Meister, an IoT solution for the manufacturing sector that’s used to collect data and connect with factories to help companies reap the benefits of digital twin technology.
o9 Solutions Announces Partnership with MangoGem S.A. to Optimize Supply Chain Planning and Scheduling
o9 Solutions, a leading enterprise AI software platform provider for transforming planning and decision-making, today announced a new business alliance with MangoGem S.A., a software company for real-time automated advanced optimization of operations through AI-powered planning and scheduling. The partnership enables o9 clients to benefit from a single solution that drives integrated business planning and scheduling processes directly on the o9 platform, ultimately optimizing their operations and decision-making capabilities.
MangoGem offers AI-powered optimization software with highly sophisticated and innovative algorithms for production planning and scheduling for manufacturers. Through this partnership, the MangoGem versatile enterprise modeling with innovative solvers will be fully integrated into o9‘s AI-powered Digital Brain platform’, creating a unique opportunity for manufacturers across industries for supply chain and operations optimization.
Advantech Partners with Leading Robotics Engine Platform MOV.AI to Accelerate Autonomous Mobile Robot Development
Advantech, a leading provider of industrial computing platforms, is pleased to announce its partnership with MOV.AI, a mobile robotics software solutions provider. The goal of this collaboration is to streamline the creation of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) by providing robot manufacturers and integrators access to both cutting-edge industrial computing technology and a powerful software platform for building, deploying, and running intelligent robots.
Advantech’s rugged hardware can be integrated with MOV.AI’s Robotics Engine Platform™, making it easier to develop and deploy Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) for businesses. This collaboration provides a solution to address the growing need for faster time-to-value, flexibility, improved efficiency, and higher productivity in manufacturing and logistics.
SLM Solutions Announces Strategic Channel Partnership with Walter Meier in Switzerland
This new partnership aims to leverage the innovative potential of additive manufacturing, further broadening the horizons of parts production within Switzerland’s robust manufacturing sector. Walter Meier’s extensive experience in the industry, coupled with SLM Solutions’ cutting-edge 3D printing technology, will unlock new applications and design possibilities across a range of sectors, including watchmaking, medical technology, aerospace, mechanical engineering, and the automotive industry.
SoftBank Group and Symbotic Establish New Warehouse-as-a-Service Joint Venture
SoftBank Group Corp. (TSE: 9984, “SoftBank”) and Symbotic Inc. (Nasdaq: SYM), a leader in A.I.-powered automation technology for the supply chain, today announced the establishment of GreenBox Systems LLC (“GreenBox”), a new joint venture to address the more than $5001 billion annual warehouse-as-a-service market opportunity. Concurrently, Symbotic also announced an approximately $7.5 billion new customer contract with GreenBox, who will be the exclusive provider of Symbotic systems in the warehouse-as-a-service market, and will make supply chain services available to customers.
SoftBank and Symbotic own 65% and 35% of GreenBox, respectively, with the joint venture established today. GreenBox will initially be funded with $100 million of capital contributed pro rata by Symbotic and SoftBank to fund operating expenses and initial system purchases. After Symbotic’s initial $35 million pro rata capital contribution, the contract is expected to be accretive to Symbotic’s annual free cash flow (net of capital contributions).
Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing: Tackling data accessibility in manufacturing alongside partners
I’m very excited about all the updates being shared at Microsoft Inspire 2023, particularly about the announcement of the new AI Cloud Partner Program (MACPP) and the additional offerings and benefits this brings for partners. Under the MACPP, I’m thrilled to announce that we will be including manufacturing partner solutions through new independent software vendor (ISV) designations.
This designation represents our commitment to bringing the best partner solutions to our customers and provides a way for customers to identify proven partner solutions aligned with the Microsoft Cloud and our industry clouds. The designation validates that our partners’ solutions meet the high standards of data accessibility specific to the manufacturing industry.
onsemi and BorgWarner Expand Strategic Collaboration for Silicon Carbide Worth Over $1 Billion in Lifetime Value
onsemi (Nasdaq: ON), a leader in intelligent power and sensing technologies, and BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA), a global product leader in delivering innovative and sustainable mobility solutions, today announced the two companies are expanding their strategic collaboration for silicon carbide (SiC), making the total agreement worth over $1 billion in lifetime value. BorgWarner plans to integrate onsemi EliteSiC 1200 V and 750 V power devices into its VIPER power modules. The EliteSiC devices join a broad portfolio of onsemi products that are part of the long-standing strategic relationship between the two companies.
Expanded Partnership To Develop Functional Chemicals with Sumitomo Chemical
A new program with Sumitomo Chemical to develop functional chemicals with synthetic biology and expand upon our existing biomanufacturing partnership.
As part of this latest project, we plan to utilize our strain design technology to develop a microbial strain and related fermentation process to produce the target molecule. Sumitomo Chemical will develop the manufacturing process and its scale-up for commercialization. By mass-producing the functional chemicals through microbial fermentation instead of traditional fossil fuel-based chemical synthesis, together we aim to provide products with a lower carbon footprint that contribute toward a carbon-neutral society.
o9 Solutions Expands Partnership with Genpact to Deliver Planning-as-a-Service Leveraging Generative AI
Genpact (NYSE: G), a global professional services firm focused on delivering outcomes that transform businesses, today announced it is expanding its partnership with o9 Solutions, a leading enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) software platform provider for transforming planning and decision-making, to help companies navigate ongoing supply chain disruptions by leveraging generative AI.
This service harnesses the power of o9’s Digital Brain platform as well as its advanced network planning modelling capabilities. Offered as a subscription, the planning-as-a-service offering provides a flexible engagement model that enhances a company’s return on investment in its digital transformation initiatives. This is particularly beneficial as enterprises navigate the challenges of volatile macroeconomic pressures in today’s market.
3D Systems & Oerlikon Enter Collaboration Agreement to Scale, Accelerate Metal Additive Manufacturing
3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) and Oerlikon AM announced the companies have entered a collaboration agreement to further scale metal additive manufacturing. Combining both organizations’ deep process and applications expertise with 3D Systems’ Direct Metal Printing platform and Oerlikon AM’s surface engineering capabilities will enable a faster path to market for applications in high-criticality industries such as semiconductor and aerospace. As part of this agreement, Oerlikon AM is acquiring its fourth 3D Systems DMP Factory 500 system, the first Oerlikon AM is adding in the U.S., to be part of the manufacturing workflow in its North Carolina facility. This will help expand Oerlikon’s end-to-end supply chain solution for high-precision, complex aluminum components for the U.S. market.
Schneider Electric Partners with Intel and Applied Materials to Help Decarbonize the Semiconductor Value Chain with New Catalyze Program
Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today launched Catalyze, a new partnership program aimed at accelerating access to renewable energy across the global semiconductor value chain.
Unveiled during SEMICON West 2023, Catalyze is a first-of-its kind program of collaboration among key semiconductor and technology industry leaders to address the supply chain emissions within their industry. The program joins other Schneider Electric supply chain partnership initiatives that seek to leverage the power of supply chain cohorts, including the Energize program for the pharmaceutical industry, and Walmart’s Gigaton PPA program.
proteanTecs and Teradyne Partner to Bring Machine Learning-driven Telemetry to SoC Testing
proteanTecs, a global leader of deep data analytics for advanced electronics, and Teradyne (NASDAQ:TER), a leading supplier of automated test solutions, announced their strategic partnership to enhance semiconductor test and debug processes for advanced system-on-chips (SoCs). By connecting proteanTecs’ on-chip agent data and analytics software with Teradyne’s test programs, customers benefit from a new level of device visibility where they need it most — on the tester, for inline and real-time decisions.
Athinia™ expands partnerships to include Tokyo Electron for real-time collaborative analytics of semiconductor fab equipment performance
Athinia™ announced that its industry-wide many-to-many data ecosystem to accelerate digital transformation and further enable cutting-edge AI is being adopted by more organizations globally. Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL;TYO:8035), a leading capital equipment manufacturer of cutting-edge semiconductor production equipment and technical service will use Athinia™ as a key solution to accelerate its digital and cloud transformation.
By granting access to limitless analytics capabilities, including sophisticated AI and machine learning frameworks, the Athinia™ platform enables the participants in the semiconductor industry to differentiate based on quality, performance, and time to market. Feedback is provided in real time. Powered by Palantir, the platform allows users to structure and analyze data from disparate sources, generate powerful insights, and support operational decisions, all while helping to ensure that sensitive data is processed in accordance with applicable data privacy rules, regulations, and norms.
Renesas and Wolfspeed Sign 10 Year Silicon Carbide Wafer Supply Agreement
Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723, “Renesas”), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, and Wolfspeed, Inc. (NYSE: WOLF, “Wolfspeed”), the global leader in silicon carbide technology, today announced the execution of a wafer supply agreement and $2 billion (USD) deposit by Renesas to secure a 10 year supply commitment of silicon carbide bare and epitaxial wafers from Wolfspeed. The supply of high-quality silicon carbide wafers from Wolfspeed will pave the way for Renesas to scale production of silicon carbide power semiconductors starting in 2025. The signing ceremony of the agreement was held at Renesas’ headquarters in Tokyo between Hidetoshi Shibata, President and CEO of Renesas, and Gregg Lowe, President and CEO of Wolfspeed.
Avery Dennison and Texaid Collaborate on Textile Recycling Ahead of EU Rule Changes
Getting a jump on changes in the European Union’s textile waste regulations, digital identification specialist Avery Dennison has announced a collaboration with Texaid, specialists in collecting, sorting, repairing, reselling and recycling used textiles.
The two companies aim to improve traceability of garments through sorting and recycling using Avery Dennison’s Atma.io connected product cloud platform. It carries vital fiber information that will facilitate Texaid’s processing of the apparel into the appropriate resale or recycling channels.
SLB and Quorum Software Introduce Digital Solution to Optimize and Accelerate Field Development Planning
SLB (NYSE: SLB) and Quorum Software have introduced a joint digital planning solution, which leverages Quorum’s Planning Space business planning and petroleum economics offering within the FDPlan™ agile field development planning solution from SLB.
The integrated solution enables automatic evaluation of project economics and enhances collaboration to cut the time required for field development planning by up to 50%. This allows customers to analyze a broader range of development scenarios and make better global investment decisions, faster.
Imec and ASML sign Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support semiconductor research and sustainable innovation in Europe
Imec, a leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, and ASML Holding N.V. (ASML), a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry, today announce that they intend to intensify their collaboration in the next phase of developing a state-of-the-art high-numerical aperture (High-NA) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography pilot line at imec.
The pilot line is intended to help the industries using semiconductor technologies to understand the opportunities that advanced semiconductor technology can bring and have access to a prototyping platform that will support their innovations. The collaboration between imec, ASML and other partners will enable the exploration of novel semiconductor applications, the potential development of sustainable, leading-edge manufacturing solutions for chip makers and end users, as well as the development of advanced holistic patterning flows in collaboration with the equipment and material ecosystem.
Comau and Fincantieri present MR4WELD
Comau and Fincantieri, two Italian world leaders in their respective markets, present the first result of their joint collaboration at Automatica: MR4Weld (Mobile Robot for Welding) mobile robot, an innovative outdoor automation solution to improve quality, performance and well-being during labor-intensive welding activities.
The companies have also renewed their strategic agreement to apply technology, digitalization, and innovation within cutting-edge, mobile robotic solutions that will increase production speed and worker well-being, by automating traditionally manual processes.
Considered a new paradigm in bringing automation beyond the factory floor, the MR4Weld mobile robot is being tested and will be subsequently used within Fincantieri shipyards to autonomously weld steel structures, with a possible 3-fold increase compared to a manual process. It features a high-payload, 6-axis articulated robot fitted with a welding torch that is installed on a tracked undercarriage and equipped with an integrated vision system to autonomously identify welding joints. More importantly, it guarantees better welding quality while reducing ergonomic risks, helping the transformation of the shipbuilding production process by ensuring greater flexibility and improved safety in addition to lower overall costs.
Micropsi Industries’ AI-Powered Robot Controller Is Now Hardware Agnostic
Micropsi Industries’ artificial intelligence-powered robot control software MIRAI, which helps automate complex tasks too difficult or costly to automate with traditional programming, will soon be accessible for all robot users. Previously compatible exclusively with Universal Robots and FANUC robots, MIRAI will be available for KUKA robots in early Q4, followed by other collaborative robots (cobots) and industrial robots as requested.
Using AI, MIRAI generates robot movements directly and in real time. Robot skills (or specific tasks) are trained, not programmed, in a few days through human demonstration, without users needing programming or AI knowledge. To start, the robot is repeatedly shown both a task and the environment with the help of a camera that is typically mounted on the robot’s wrist. The recorded movements are then transformed into a skill capable of handling variances and dynamic environmental conditions.
🧠🦾 Intrinsic and Siemens collaborate to accelerate the integration of AI-based robotics and automation technology
Intrinsic, an Alphabet company, and Siemens have teamed up to explore integrations and interfaces between Intrinsic’s robotics software, which is designed for easy use of AI-based capabilities, and Siemens Digital Industries with their open and interoperable portfolio for automating and operating industrial production.
Currently, the development and runtime environments for AI-based robotics and automation components differ significantly in their development paradigms and make integration cumbersome. For example, deploying advanced robotic capabilities such as pose estimation, robot manipulation or automated path planning are complex processes that typically require teams of domain experts to operationalize. The two companies intend to investigate new methods to seamlessly bridge the gaps between robotics, automation engineering and IT development.
L&T Technology Services extends relationship with PTC to offer digital manufacturing solutions for aerospace and defense sector
L&T Technology Services Limited (BSE: 540115, NSE: LTTS), India’s leading pure-play engineering services company, today announced an extension of its relationship with PTC to engineer future ready solutions for the aerospace, defense and transportation sectors. The parties will leverage PTC’s Windchill® product lifecycle management and product data management (PLM/PDM) application to cater to players in Aerospace & Defense segments and support them with a digital thread from the design to the manufacturing stages.
Celanese and Mitsui Sign Definitive Agreement to Form Nutrinova, a Food Ingredients Joint Venture
Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE), a global chemical and specialty materials company, and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to form a Food Ingredients joint venture under the name Nutrinova. Celanese will contribute the assets, technology and employees of its Food Ingredients business while retaining a 30 percent stake in the joint venture. Mitsui will acquire the remaining 70 percent stake at a purchase price of $472.5 million, representing an enterprise valuation of approximately 15 times 2022 EBITDA. The parties expect to close the transaction in the second half of 2023, pending regulatory approvals.
The Nutrinova joint venture builds upon the existing long-term strategic partnership between the two companies. The agreement combines the technology, product portfolio and backward integration of the Celanese Food Ingredients business with Mitsui’s long-standing positions across the food value chain in Asia and other regions. Additionally, Celanese will continue to meet the full acetyls raw material needs of the Nutrinova JV under a long-term supply agreement.
Intrinsic and Siemens collaborate to accelerate the integration of AI-based robotics and automation technology
Intrinsic, an Alphabet company, and Siemens have teamed up to explore integrations and interfaces between Intrinsic’s robotics software, which is designed for easy use of AI-based capabilities, and Siemens Digital Industries with their open and interoperable portfolio for automating and operating industrial production.
Airbus and STMicroelectronics collaborate on power electronics for aircraft electrification
Airbus, a global pioneer in the aerospace industry, and STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, have signed an agreement to cooperate on power electronics Research & Development to support more efficient and lighter power electronics, essential for future hybrid-powered aircraft and full-electric urban air vehicles.
The collaboration builds on evaluations already conducted by both companies to explore the benefits of wide bandgap semiconductor materials for aircraft electrification. Wide bandgap semiconductors like Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) have superior electrical properties compared with traditional semiconductors like silicon. They enable the development of smaller, lighter and more efficient high-performance electronic devices and systems, particularly in applications requiring high power, high frequency, or high-temperature operations.
umati has new partner Yaskawa Europe GmbH
It is in Yaskawa’s DNA to focus on partnership. In robotics, this is completely normal and has been practised for a long time. After all, a robot always works together with other devices. And the better an interface works, the easier it is to set up and the more precise or reliable it is, the better the overall result and thus customer satisfaction. For us, umati is an opportunity to be at the forefront of establishing standard interfaces and to make it easier for all partners or users of umati to use our robots.
Cargill and H2 Green Steel sign multi-year offtake contract to supply near zero-emission steel
Cargill (Cargill Metals) has entered into a multi-year agreement with Swedish industrial startup H2 Green Steel for the supply of green steel. The agreement aims to accelerate global ferrous supply chain decarbonization. Cargill Metals connects different parts of the ferrous supply chain, from iron ore mining to steel mills around the world. The company is committed to delivering on its sustainability goals through a variety of initiatives, including partnerships that develop cleaner products with lower CO2-footprint. The agreement with H2 Green Steel is an example of such a partnership where Cargill will help its customers meet sustainability and climate goals with a sustainable and responsible supply of products.
🤝 Anduril Industries and Hadrian Announce Strategic Partnership
Defense technology company Anduril Industries and Hadrian, a leader in advanced manufacturing, have announced a strategic partnership in which Hadrian will supply and manufacture precision parts for Anduril’s suite of autonomous systems.
Through the Anduril-Hadrian strategic partnership, Anduril will accelerate its production of key components and precision parts at scale, leveraging Hadrian’s proprietary design excellence and manufacturing competencies to reduce cost and lead time. Hadrian’s automated, software-first approach will provide Anduril with higher flexibility and improved scalability not seen with traditional defense manufacturing.
ABB and China Telecom unveil joint digitalization and industrial IoT lab
ABB and China Telecom unveil a joint digitalization and industrial IoT laboratory in Hangzhou, China. The collaboration between ABB Measurement & Analytics China Technology Center and China Telecom’s Internet of Things subsidiary E Surfing IoT will focus on developing end-to-end industrial IoT solutions for industrial companies based in China.
As part of the collaboration, ABB and E Surfing IoT will explore avenues for technology integration and industrial application of new technologies as well as new directions for next-generation industrial IoT solutions. The two teams will focus on comprehensive digital solutions that incorporate ABB sensor technology, China Telecom’s 5G network, industrial IoT and connectivity technology, as well as cloud computing.
Eaton collaborates with FMX to enable smart predictive electrical maintenance for commercial, industrial customers
Intelligent power management company Eaton is collaborating with leading facilities and maintenance management solutions provider FMX to help industrial customers implement preventive maintenance programs in their facilities. The Eaton and FMX smart maintenance solution enables customers to automatically react to predictive maintenance data from electrical equipment to simplify maintenance and boost productivity. The solution supports power system health by combining intelligent equipment monitoring and analytics with automated scheduling, management and reporting.
The Eaton and FMX smart maintenance solution is in early deployment at Eaton’s manufacturing facility in Beaver, Pennsylvania, and is yielding valuable maintenance insights that save time and reduce costs.
Hexagon collaborates with NVIDIA to transform industrial digital twin solutions
Hexagon AB, the global leader in digital reality solutions combining sensor, software and autonomous solutions technologies, announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to enable industrial digital twin solutions that unite reality capture, manufacturing twins, AI, simulation and visualisation to deliver real-time comparison to real-world models.
As part of the collaboration, Hexagon’s HxDR reality capture platform and Nexus manufacturing platform will be connected to NVIDIA Omniverse, a platform for developing and operating industrial metaverse applications, based on the Universal Scene Description (USD) framework. The connected platforms provide complementary technologies that enable customers to advance manufacturing for digital factories and accelerate the power of digital twins for intelligent cities, construction and infrastructure.
🤝 Hexagon collaborates with NVIDIA to transform industrial digital twin solution
Hexagon AB, the global leader in digital reality solutions combining sensor, software and autonomous solutions technologies, announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to enable industrial digital twin solutions that unite reality capture, manufacturing twins, AI, simulation and visualisation to deliver real-time comparison to real-world models.
The collaboration will connect industry-leading technologies from Hexagon and NVIDIA to enable seamless, multi-user workflows through a unified view for factory planning and design, as well as process quality optimisation and operations. As part of the collaboration, Hexagon’s HxDR reality capture platform and Nexus manufacturing platform will be connected to NVIDIA Omniverse, a platform for developing and operating industrial metaverse applications, based on the Universal Scene Description (USD) framework. The connected platforms provide complementary technologies that enable customers to advance manufacturing for digital factories and accelerate the power of digital twins for intelligent cities, construction and infrastructure.
🤝 Samsung Electronics Signs Net Zero Home Cooperation Partnership With SolarEdge
Samsung Electronics today announced that it has signed a partnership with SolarEdge, the global leader in residential solar and storage solutions, to expand its coverage of the Net Zero Home ecosystem.
Integrating with SolarEdge Home, SolarEdge’s smart energy ecosystem, SmartThings Energy offers users new ways to optimize energy consumption and lower their home’s energy bills. It provides one-stop support, from monitoring a household’s photovoltaic (PV) generation and battery status at a glance to optimize energy consumption and save energy with its AI Energy Mode. The SolarEdge ecosystem has expanded to include Samsung’s wide range of smart energy technologies, including heat pumps to power more devices with clean solar energy, together providing visibility on appliances’ impact on household energy consumption.
Lockheed Martin And GlobalFoundries Collaborate To Advance Innovation And Resiliency Of Chips For National Security
Lockheed Martin (NYSE LMT) and GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq GFS) (GF) announced a strategic collaboration to advance U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and innovation and to increase the security, reliability and resiliency of domestic supply chains for national security systems. This collaboration will enable Lockheed Martin to more quickly and affordably produce secure solutions that increase the competitiveness and national security of the United States.
The companies will leverage GF’s differentiated technology and trusted manufacturing practices to increase anti-fragility in microelectronics systems and supply chains. The collaboration will explore critical needs in semiconductor innovation and secure manufacturing across a range of advanced and next-generation chip technologies, including 3D heterogeneous integration for optimized chip packaging that improves performance; silicon photonics for low-power and high-speed data transport; and gallium nitride on silicon to help chips work at higher temperatures. The companies will also work to develop a chiplet ecosystem to produce chips more rapidly and affordably.
The collaboration between Lockheed Martin and GF directly supports the CHIPS and Science Act’s objectives of increasing traceability, provenance, and onshore production of critical semiconductor technologies to strengthen national and economic security and domestic supply chains.
✈️ GE nears deal with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics to co-manufacture fighter jet engines
General Electric is in final discussions to cement a partnership with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. to co-manufacture jet engines in the country, CNBC has learned. The engines would be used utilized in fighter jets for India, the people said.
The deal, expected to be signed either before or during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington, D.C., later this month, would give the Indian aerospace company access to GE’s highly coveted F414 engine, according to two people familiar with the deal who requested anonymity to discuss not-yet-public details.
🚙🔌 General Motors Doubles Down on Commitment to a Unified Charging Standard and Expands Charging Access to Tesla Supercharger Network
General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) announced today a collaboration with Tesla to integrate the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector design into its EVs beginning in 2025. Additionally, the collaboration will expand access to charging for GM EV drivers at 12,000 Tesla Superchargers, and growing, throughout North America. This agreement complements GM’s ongoing investments in charging, reinforcing the company’s focus on expanding charging access across home, workplace, and public spaces and builds on the more than 134,000 chargers available to GM EV drivers today through the company’s Ultium Charge 360 initiative and mobile apps.
The Tesla Supercharger Network will be open to GM EV drivers starting in 2024 and will initially require the use of an adapter. Beginning in 2025, the first GM EVs will be built with a NACS inlet for direct access to Tesla Superchargers without an adapter. In the future, GM will make adapters available for drivers of NACS-enabled vehicles to allow charging on CCS-capable fast charge stations.
🤝 PTC and Rockwell Automation Extend Relationship with Focus on IoT and Augmented Reality for Manufacturing
PTC (NASDAQ PTC) and Rockwell Automation (NYSE ROK) today announced an extension of their relationship, focused on the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR) software by manufacturing companies. Rockwell Automation will continue to resell PTC’s ThingWorx® IoT software, including the Digital Performance Management (DPM)™ manufacturing solution, and Vuforia® AR software to new and existing customers across discrete and process manufacturing verticals. Customers will continue to benefit from both companies’ resources, technologies, and industry expertise.
🔋🏭 Palantir and Panasonic Energy of North America sign multi-year agreement
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE PLTR) (“Palantir”) and Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., a Panasonic Group Company, a global leader in high-quality lithium-ion batteries, today announced a multi-year partnership to deliver an operations “Smart Factory” for the Panasonic Energy of North America (“PENA”) facility in Sparks, Nevada. The company has selected Palantir’s Foundry to help integrate edge sensors across factory lines, introduce automated efficiencies and enable operational users on factory floors to leverage connected operations. The agreement expands Palantir’s signature platform including artificial intelligence and edge capabilities in the manufacturing space.
Driven by Foundry and informed by PENA’s expertise, the “Smart Factory” will be utilized across the entirety of the information technology and operational organization within PENA. Using Foundry, the system will guide operational decision-making in their existing Nevada factory as well as the new facility in De Soto, Kansas starting in 2025. This strategic partnership is intended to provide the battery leader with the ability to quickly generate meaningful cost savings and increase return on investment once implemented.
Mercedes-Benz and H2 Green Steel announce agreements in both Europe and North America
Mercedes-Benz and H2 Green Steel have signed a binding agreement for the delivery of about 50.000 tonnes of green steel to the car maker’s European production annually. In a pioneer move Mercedes-Benz has also signed a memorandum of understanding with H2 Green Steel for the potential supply of green steel produced in North America.
In addition to a sustainable production of green steel, Mercedes-Benz has a strong commitment to circularity and the two companies will create a closed-loop recycling of scrap steel to the Boden plant. The partnership also includes H2 Green Steel being able to leverage Mercedes-Benz extensive knowledge and expertise in supply chain human rights.
🦾 Xaba and Rolleri Partner to Develop a Cognitive Autonomous Cobot Workcell
Xaba, developers of xCognition, the first AI-driven robotics and CNC machine controller, today announced a collaboration with Rolleri Holding SpA focused on the development of a cognitive, autonomous collaborative robot (cobot) workcell for welding operations in manufacturing. The collaboration enables the integration of xCognition with Rolleri Robotic cobots.
To showcase the benefits of xCognition, Xaba and Rolleri recently completed ISO 9283 tests in Xaba’s robotic lab. A FARO Vantage Laser Tracker System was used to acquire all data needed to train the xCognition machine learning model and to validate trajectory accuracy improvements. The successfully completed tests showed 10 times performance improvements in absolute positioning and trajectory accuracy, and five times improvements in relative positioning and trajectory accuracy. As a follow up to the initial tests, Xaba and Rolleri will be undertaking Tig and Laser welding tests to further validate welding quality improvements such as improved accuracy and repeatability.
🧠 Terrot Adds AI-Upgrade to New Machines with Smartex
Terrot and Smartex.ai are pleased to announce a first-of-its-kind, strategic partnership in which German textile engineering meets proven Artificial Intelligence. As the industry moves towards smart machines that both produce a wide variety of fabrics quickly as well as automate previously manual tasks, such as quality control and data collection, Terrot has strategically adapted its machine production process to ensure all new Terrot and Pilotelli Open-Width machines will be “Smartex-ready”. Smartex-ready means that new Terrot and Pilotelli machine customers can now easily upgrade their machines to add Smartex CORE to take advantage of AI-enabled, automated quality control and gain real-time insights into their machine performance.
Yaskawa Partners with US Based Start-Up Oishii on Plant Factory Automation
Yaskawa announced today that it reached a capital and business alliance with Oishii Farm Corporation on May 30. The purpose of this partnership is to become a global leader in automation in the agricultural and food fields by providing Oishii plant factories with automation systems based on the solution concept “i³-Mechatronics” promoted by Yaskawa, and to contribute toward realizing a sustainable society through the stable food supply.
On the other hand, one of the main strategies of Yaskawa’s new mid-term business plan, Realize 25, focuses on expanding business in the applicable field of mechatronics, and we are intensifying initiatives to apply the factory automation expertise in the agricultural and food fields. The Group company, FAMS Corporation, also develops and distributes the plant factory system called Agrine, which applies these technologies.
Accelerating the future of smart manufacturing with Deloitte and Siemens
Jacobs and Palantir Expand Partnership
Jacobs (NYSE: J) and Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR) (“Palantir”) today announced an expansion of their partnership, focused on leveraging Palantir’s AI capabilities to commercialize new AI solutions spanning critical infrastructure, advanced facilities, supply chain management and more.
Building on Jacobs’ use of domain-specific algorithms with Foundry in its water sector, the company is now incorporating Palantir AIP to unlock unprecedented speed, greater efficiency and more informed decision-making for their clients – with security, control and auditability at the forefront.
🧪 XtalPi Announces Collaboration with Lilly, Using AI + Robotics to Uncover First-in-class Therapeutics
XtalPi Inc., a pioneering pharmaceutical technology company powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, announced an AI drug discovery collaboration of up to $250 million in upfront and milestone payments with Eli Lilly and Company. The collaboration will leverage XtalPi’s integrated AI capabilities and robotics platform to de novo design and deliver drug candidates for an undisclosed target.
🖨️ Materialise and Vuzix Announce Collaboration to Bring Smart Eyewear to Consumers
Vuzix® Corporation (NASDAQ VUZI), a leading supplier of smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) technology and products, and Materialise NV (NASDAQ MTLS), a 3D printing pioneer, have announced a collaborative effort to accelerate the design and production of smart eyewear using 3D printing technology. By integrating 3D printing into the manufacturing process, Vuzix and Materialise aim to accelerate the development of new innovations for enterprise applications, from warehouses to operating rooms. Moreover, the collaboration will enable third-party technology, sports, and entertainment brands to rapidly introduce functional, fashionable, and affordable smart eyewear to consumers, reducing the average manufacturing cycle from 18 months to just 3.
POSCO, LG Electronics to jointly build smart factory
POSCO Holdings Inc. and LG Electronics Inc. announced on Wednesday that they will collaborate to upgrade POSCO’s smart factory technology. The initiative will involve the integration of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and wireless communication technologies.
Under the agreement, both companies will jointly develop technology to conduct safety inspections and manage facilities in steel mills. This initiative will employ autonomous robots integrated with AI, enabling operations in areas that are challenging for human accessibility.
🖨️ SLM Solutions and Assembrix: Pioneering Secure Remote Printing and Forging Ahead in Their Collaborative Journey
SLM Solutions, a trailblazer in additive manufacturing technology, and Assembrix, a leading provider of 3D printing software, celebrate remarkable progress in secure remote printing. Building upon the successful integration of Assembrix VMS™ software into SLM Solutions’ machines, both companies are now embarking on the next phase to ensure enhanced safety and full protection of customers’ intellectual property (IP). This is made possible through the utilization of state-of-the-art blockchain and encryption technologies. Together, they are committed to further strengthening their integrated solution, aiming for industrial-scale availability. Notably, Nanyang Polytechnic’s Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre has already embraced this technology, allowing learners to gain hands-on experience developing innovative solutions for the industry.
🧠 SparkCognition and Shell Announce a Technology Collaboration Aimed at Accelerating the Pace of Exploration Through the Use of Generative AI
SparkCognition, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) software solutions perfected for business, today announced a technology collaboration with Shell to accelerate the pace of imaging and exploration of subsurface structures using generative AI technology. By using advanced AI algorithms to process large amounts of data and automate the analysis, we aim to improve the efficiency and speed of exploration workflows, leading to potentially increased production and higher success rates.
🧠 GE, Waygate Partner On AI-Powered Engine Inspections
GE Aerospace and non-destructive testing specialist Waygate Technologies are partnering to advance engine inspection methods. The companies have signed a joint technology development agreement to develop software and hardware inspection solutions for commercial aircraft engines.
The agreement is aimed at improving the efficiency, accuracy and quality of video borescope inspections, while also minimizing costs for MRO providers. The companies will also explore the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) within borescope inspections, which could improve reliability, cycle time and consistency of inspections.
Instrumental joins Siemens Dynamo Program and will complement Siemens’ Teamcenter Quality offering with AI Capabilities
Instrumental, the leading AI-powered manufacturing quality platform, is excited to announce its official collaboration with Siemens through the Siemens Dynamo program, an open innovation program serving as a commercialization vehicle for start-up companies with Siemens, its customers and partners.
In the scope of the collaboration, Instrumental will integrate its cloud-based manufacturing AI platform with Siemens’ Teamcenter® Quality software from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. This combination will enable engineers leveraging Instrumental’s AI-powered insights to streamline problem-solving processes in Teamcenter Quality (e.g., 8D, Corrective and preventive action – CAPA). The Siemens closed loop quality approach, empowered by AI capabilities, extends the conventional quality cycle by connecting all data along the product lifecycle.
🚙🔌 Ford EV Customers To Gain Access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers; Company to Add North American Charging Standard Port in Future EVs
Starting early next year, Ford EV customers will have access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada, in addition to the over 10,000 DC fast-chargers that are already part of the BlueOval Charge Network. This will give Ford EV customers unprecedented access to fast-charging. In 2025, Ford will offer next-generation electric vehicles with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector built-in, eliminating the need for an adapter to access Tesla Superchargers
Bota Systems and Kinova partner for easy installation of force torque sensors
Bota Systems, a pioneer in multi-axis force-torque sensors, announces it is working with Kinova, and has developed the Bota Kinova Kit to make it quick and easy to mount the Bota SensONE force torque sensor on a Kinova Gen3 robot arm.
Redefining the consumer experience: Diageo partners with SAP and IBM on global digital transformation
Today, we are thrilled to announce an exciting collaboration between Diageo, IBM and SAP that aims to modernize Diageo’s operations on a global scale and set new benchmarks for the industry. Diageo will implement RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, streamlining their IT infrastructure and providing unified support across the 180 countries in which they operate.
IBM Consulting will bring our decades of expertise in helping consumer product organizations successfully navigate digital transformations. We are bringing together a diverse team of consultants to lead the strategy and help implement RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud across Diageo’s global business. This collaboration underscores IBM’s unwavering dedication to delivering exceptional value and driving transformative change for consumer goods companies across the globe.
Apple announces multibillion-dollar deal with Broadcom for components made in the USA
Today Apple announced a new multiyear, multibillion-dollar agreement with Broadcom, a leading U.S. technology and advanced manufacturing company. Through this collaboration, Broadcom will develop 5G radio frequency components — including FBAR filters — and cutting-edge wireless connectivity components. The FBAR filters will be designed and built in several key American manufacturing and technology hubs, including Fort Collins, Colorado, where Broadcom has a major facility.
Celanese Announces Collaboration with nScrypt to Advance Printed Electronics Space
Celanese today announced a new strategic partnership between its Micromax™ Electronic Inks and Pastes and nScrypt, which designs and manufactures high-precision microdispensing and direct digital manufacturing (3D printing) equipment for various industrial applications.
🏢 Honeywell And Arcadis Join Forces To Help Commercial Building Owners Accelerate Their Efforts To Reduce Energy And Carbon Impact
Honeywell (NASDAQ HON) and Arcadis (EURONEXT ARCAD) have today announced a collaboration to provide tools and services that help optimize energy use and carbon emissions in commercial buildings worldwide. With an initial focus on five projects in various locations worldwide, the companies will jointly offer a range of end-to-end solutions to help clients and customers expedite progress toward their carbon-reduction goals.
For Arcadis and Honeywell, this relationship strengthens the efforts that both organizations are making to help clients that are committed to improving outcomes related to ESG. The relationship is not exclusive, and both companies expect to add additional collaborations to enhance their offerings in this space.
3M and Svante announce joint development agreement to develop and produce carbon dioxide removal products
3M (NYSE: MMM) is expanding its ongoing commitment to materials science-based climate tech solutions by working with Svante Technologies, Inc. (Svante) to develop material that can trap carbon dioxide (CO2) found in the atmosphere and permanently remove it. 3M Ventures, the venture capital arm of 3M, recently participated in Svante’s Series E fundraising round, which raised $318 million to accelerate the manufacturing of Svante’s carbon capture and removal technology.
Comau unveiled as Intrinsic’s first industrial and innovation partner
Comau, a worldwide leader in delivering advanced industrial automation products and systems, was unveiled as the first industry partner of Intrinsic, which is on a mission to make industrial robotics accessible and usable for millions more businesses, entrepreneurs, and developers. On stage, Pietro Gorlier, Comau’s CEO, demonstrated how the company has recently used Intrinsic’s new Flowstate developer product and underlying platform to create a modular solution to enable the assembly of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) supermodule – just one of many possibilities for new applications made possible through the platform. As the longest standing innovation partner of Intrinsic, Comau has contributed on all levels – providing their expertise and talent to test and validate the technology
SAP and Google Cloud Expand Partnership to Build the Future of Open Data and AI for Enterprises
SAP SE (NYSE SAP) and Google Cloud announced an extensive expansion of their partnership, introducing a comprehensive open data offering designed to simplify data landscapes and unleash the power of business data.
The offering enables customers to build an end-to-end data cloud that brings data from across the enterprise landscape using the SAP Datasphere solution together with Google’s data cloud, so businesses can view their entire data estates in real time and maximize value from their Google Cloud and SAP software investments.
Here's what Phillips 66 expects from partnering with Fastenal
Mercedes-Benz Cars Operations partners with NavVis to boost digital transformation with virtual plants
Mercedes-Benz Group AG partners with NavVis, a leading provider of reality capture and digital factory solutions, to further advance the process of digitization of the production network and to be able to interact worldwide under the best possible conditions. The aim of the partnership is to make all factories virtually accessible in Plant View.
Aetina to Enable Next-Generation Industrial Inspection Using NVIDIA Metropolis for Factories
Aetina has launched an AI solution specifically designed to enhance productivity in existing automated optical inspection (AOI) systems in manufacturing. The solution involves NVIDIA Metropolis for Factories and Aetina’s SuperEdge AI platforms, enabling users to reduce the workload of reinspecting the false rejects. Aetina and its parent company Innodisk are now collaborating with NVIDIA to deploy the solution in Innodisk’s factories for advanced electronics manufacturing.
Advantech and Altizon Partnership Accelerates Industry 4.0 Transformation for Sustainable, Efficient Digital Factory Operations
Advantech, a leading provider of industrial Internet of Things (IoT) hardware and automation technology, and Altizon, a global software provider of Industrial IoT platform, Datonis Digital Factory, are proud to announce the launch of their joint solution designed for ease of transformation to a smart factory.
The solution bundle includes specially selected Advantech edge hardware and Altizon’s Datonis Digital Factory platform, pre-validated and pre-installed to ensure smooth deployment. Altizon’s platform provides a ready-made suite of applications that digitize critical operational functions, such as production, maintenance, quality, energy and sustainability.
Joby and Toyota Expand Partnership with Long-Term Supply Agreement for Key Powertrain and Actuation Components
The agreement builds on the long-standing partnership between Joby and Toyota, which has seen the two companies collaborate on a wide variety of projects to support the production and assembly of the Joby aircraft, including advising on the design of Joby’s pilot production line in Marina, CA. Toyota is also Joby’s largest external shareholder, having invested around $400 million in the Company.
General Motors and Samsung SDI Plan to Invest More than $3 Billion to Expand U.S. Battery Cell Manufacturing
General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and Samsung SDI announced today they plan to invest more than $3 billion to build a new battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States that is targeted to begin operations in 2026. The plant will have more than 30 GWh of capacity and will bring GM’s total U.S. battery cell capacity to about 160 GWh when it is at full production. The companies plan to jointly operate the facility, and it is projected to have production lines to build nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells.
Japanese manufacturing leader Musashi Seimitsu and Israeli AI innovation powerhouse SIXAI partner for global launch of Industry 4.0 solutions
634AI, the Israeli developer of an integrated solution combining an autonomous mobile robot (MAESTRO Autonomous Mobile Robot) and related AI control systems (MAESTRO Floor manager, MAESTRO Guard, MAESTRO Intelligence), and Musashi AI, a Japan-based software designer of visual inspection robots for industry, will work together to deploy their proven solutions to customers globally.
634AI and Musashi AI are joint ventures between Musashi Seimitsu Industry, a global tier-1 auto part manufacturer, and SIXAI, an Israeli innovation specialist in integrating deep tech and AI into traditional mobility, logistics and manufacturing industries through creating JVs with established industry leaders.
🦾 Rockwell Automation and Doosan Unite to Form Partnership
Rockwell Automation announced signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Seoul-based Doosan Robotics (along with parent company Doosan Corporation), focusing on integrating the companies’ controllers and robots.
Under the agreement, Rockwell and Doosan also aim to innovate and create advanced technologies for smart factory establishment, automation facilities, and other customer-focused application areas. In addition to the Rockwell-Doosan MoU, 23 other MoUs were signed between South Korean and U.S. entities.
LS Electric, Microsoft to jointly develop smart factory
LS Electric Co., South Korean manufacturer of power and industrial automation equipment, has signed a partnership agreement with Microsoft to develop intelligent and autonomous factory solutions.
Both companies will focus on improving data connectivity in intelligent factories, generating data insights for production facilities, and conducting power efficiency analysis in production lines. LS Electric and MS will also explore the use of Azure Synapse Analytics and Azure Machine Learning services for advanced manufacturing environments and the development of new business models based on smart energy and power data. The collaboration will extend beyond smart factories to encompass digital transformation (DX) businesses.
Last year, LS Electric worked with Microsoft to enhance inspection and noise analysis in the production line of the Cheongju plant, which was recognized as a “lighthouse factory” by the World Economic Forum. The partnership resulted in reduced defect rates and increased productivity through the use of deep learning technology on the Azure platform.
Comau Key Player for the Production of Hycan Electric Vehicles
Comau has supplied Hycan Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. (Hycan) with a highly intelligent welding solution for its framing line. The innovative system ensures multi-model manufacturing of new energy vehicles, high JPH (Jobs per Hour) and a concrete reduction in production losses. Deployed at the Hycan Hangzhou manufacturing base, the flexible automated production system can randomly switch between four different platforms, is fully compatible with the existing manufacturing platforms and is mass producing the brand’s smart, pure electric A06 sedan and stylish, intelligent-driving, pure electric SUV Z03 at a cycle efficiency of 60 JPH.
Rotzinger Develops Innovative Adaptive Packaging Machine Enabled by CoreTigo’s IO-Link Wireless Solution
Rotzinger, a leading provider of packaging & cosmetics machinery solutions, and CoreTigo, a provider of Industrial Wireless Automation solutions, are excited to announce their partnership and collaboration. CoreTigo’s IO-Link Wireless products and technology have been integrated into Rotzinger’s advanced packaging machinery, resulting in new and advanced capabilities that are driving maximum flexibility, throughput and sustainability.
Element and HighByte Announce Partnership, Launch Solution Based on AWS’s Industrial Data Fabric Architecture
Element and HighByte, leading data management providers to global industrial companies, announced the launch of an integrated solution based on AWS’s Industrial Data Fabric offerings. The solution, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), allows information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) users to contextualize and normalize data into rich information for analytics and other business systems. The solution is designed to be maintained and scaled across the enterprise as the number of use cases that rely on industrial data grow exponentially.
BAE Systems and Microsoft join forces to equip defence programmes with innovative cloud technology
BAE Systems and Microsoft have signed a strategic agreement aiming to support faster and easier development, deployment and management of digital defence capabilities in an increasingly data centric world. The collaboration brings together BAE Systems’ knowledge of building complex digital systems for militaries and governments with Microsoft’s approach to developing applications using its Azure Cloud platform.
Since starting the collaboration, BAE Systems and Microsoft have worked on three successful initiatives, highlighting the benefits of modern cloud software in the defence sector. These projects included enhancing real-time tactical naval intelligence through access to more dynamic data sources; development of secure software to deliver real-time updates to air platforms; and the creation of a digital thread to support the maintenance of maritime platforms from concept to disposal.
UiPath Brings Data Integration to the Snowflake Manufacturing Data Cloud
UiPath (NYSE PATH), a leading enterprise automation software company, today announced the launch of the UiPath Business Automation Platform as a pre-built solution for the Manufacturing Data Cloud, launched by Snowflake, the Data Cloud company. The Manufacturing Data Cloud enables companies in automotive, technology, energy, and industrial sectors to unlock the value of their critical siloed industrial data by leveraging Snowflake’s data platform, Snowflake- and partner-delivered solutions, and industry-specific datasets.
Through their technology partnership, UiPath and Snowflake enable joint customers to design and build workflows based on 360-degree views of trusted and accessible data on Snowflake’s platform – representing customers’ needs for both data and business processes that should be fast, frictionless, and automated.
Siemens and Microsoft drive industrial productivity with generative artificial intelligence
Siemens and Microsoft are harnessing the collaborative power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to help industrial companies drive innovation and efficiency across the design, engineering, manufacturing and operational lifecycle of products. To enhance cross-functional collaboration, the companies are integrating Siemens’ Teamcenter® software for product lifecycle management (PLM) with Microsoft’s collaboration platform Teams and the language models in Azure OpenAI Service as well as other Azure AI capabilities. At Hannover Messe, the two technology leaders will demonstrate how generative AI can enhance factory automation and operations through AI-powered software development, problem reporting and visual quality inspection.
Nokia expands industrial edge applications to accelerate enterprises’ transition to Industry 4.0
Nokia launched four third-party applications for MX Industrial Edge (MXIE), which help enterprises connect, collect and analyze data from operational technology (OT) assets on a robust and secure on-premises edge. Asset-heavy industries can accelerate their digital transformation and benefit most from Nokia’s OT edge ecosystem-neutral approach, which taps into innovation from many top digitalization enablers. The new applications also leverage the GPU capability recently announced on Nokia MXIE, a powerful on-premises OT edge solution that helps process data closest to the source in real time while retaining data sovereignty.
Additions to the Nokia Industrial Application Catalog include Atos Computer Vision - Quality Inspector, Crosser, Litmus Edge, and Palo Alto Networks Next-Gen Firewall
Cadence Strengthens Tensilica Vision and AI Software Partner Ecosystem for Advanced Automotive, Mobile, Consumer and IoT Applications
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNS) today announced that it has welcomed Kudan and Visionary.ai to the Tensilica software partner ecosystem, bringing industry-leading simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) and AI image signal processor (ISP) solutions to Cadence® Tensilica® Vision DSPs and AI platforms. The broad Tensilica Vision and AI software ecosystem includes more than 50 partners developing solutions for these platforms, covering automotive, smartphone apps, IoT, software services, and many other segments.
Kudan is an industry leader in visual odometry and an early implementer of SLAM algorithms. Visionary.ai’s efficient AI-ISP enables customers to implement a camera pipeline with resolutions greater than full HD while operating at over 30fps on the Tensilica NNA110 accelerator.
Stratasys and CollPlant Unite Technologies to Transform Healthcare with Industrial-Scale Bioprinting of Tissues and Organs
Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq SSYS) and CollPlant Biotechnologies (Nasdaq CLGN) today announced a joint development and commercialization agreement to collaborate on the development of a solution to bio-fabricate human tissues and organs using Stratasys’ P3 technology-based bioprinter and CollPlant’s rh-Collagen-based bioinks. The first project focuses on the development of an industrial-scale solution for CollPlant’s regenerative breast implants program.
Sarcos Signs Manufacturing Services Agreement with Jabil to Advance Production Capabilities for Sarcos Robotic Systems
Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation (“Sarcos”) (NASDAQ: STRC and STRCW), a leader in the design, development and manufacture of advanced robotic systems that redefine human possibilities, is collaborating with Jabil Inc., a leading manufacturing solutions provider, to expand Sarcos’ production capacity for its robotic systems and sub-systems.
Under the terms of the agreement, Sarcos will utilize Jabil’s broad manufacturing services to produce a variety of leading-edge robotic systems and sub-systems. Sarcos also will be able to leverage Jabil’s global footprint, strategic supplier relationships, and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to accelerate volume production while benefiting from advanced supply chain, procurement, and component-sourcing solutions.
Kolon Industries to make 100% plant-based eco-friendly plastic
Kolon Industries Inc.’s Future Technology Institute announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with Stora Enso Oyj, a global biomaterials leader from Finland, to develop eco-friendly plastics.
The two companies will focus on creating polyethylene furanoate (PEF) products, which are next-generation bioplastics. Leveraging Kolon Industries’ polymer plastics manufacturing and processing technology and Stora Enso’s raw material development capabilities, they aim to produce 100% natural and environmentally friendly plastic. PEF is made from plant-based raw materials and boasts superior hardness, heat resistance and gas barrier properties compared to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common petrochemical plastic. It has the potential to replace existing beverage bottles and food packaging.
NVIDIA Expands Omniverse Cloud to Power Industrial Digitalization
NVIDIA today announced that NVIDIA Omniverse™ Cloud, a platform-as-a-service that enables companies to unify digitalization across their core product and business processes, is now available to select enterprises. NVIDIA has selected Microsoft Azure as the first cloud service provider for Omniverse Cloud, giving enterprises access to the full-stack suite of Omniverse software applications and NVIDIA OVX™ infrastructure, with the scale and security of Azure cloud services.
🖨️ 3D Systems Collaborates with TE Connectivity on Innovative Solution to Additively Manufacture Electrical Connectors
3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) today announced its collaboration with TE Connectivity, a world leader in connectors and sensors, to jointly develop an additive manufacturing solution to produce electrical connectors meeting stringent UL regulatory requirements. The solution comprising 3D Systems’ Figure 4® Modular, Figure 4 material, 3D Sprint® software, and services was designed to meet TE Connectivity’s unique requirements for material performance and high tolerance, reliable printing. The foundation of the solution is a newly developed photopolymer 3D Systems engineered specifically to meet TE Connectivity’s requirements.
🦾 Hai Robotics Partners with MITSUI&CO. MACHINE TECH (SHANGHAI) LTD.
Recently, Hai Robotics announced its strategic partnership with MITSUI&CO. MACHINE TECH (SHANGHAI) LTD. This alliance aims to offer top-notch warehouse automation solutions for clients in the manufacturing industry. It also signifies a deepening of cooperation between the two companies, as they have served several of the world’s leading zipper giants.
🖨️ 3D printing software developer Oqton and Baker Hughes form partnership
3D printing specialist Oqton and petroleum services company Baker Hughes enter into an agreement to use Oqton’s additive manufacturing software suite. The agreement will bring together the two companies’ engineering expertise and knowledge of manufacturing to develop an industrial digital ecosystem that will transform how manufacturers bring their products to market in highly regulated industries such as energy, aerospace, and healthcare. The solution is intended to accelerate the design and production of additively manufactured parts across the entire manufacturing workflow to increase efficiency and facilitate regulatory compliance.
PDF Solutions® and Voltaiq Announce Collaboration to Support Intelligent Battery Production
PDF Solutions (Nasdaq: PDFS) and Voltaiq today announced their collaboration to help battery manufacturers improve yield, reduce cost, and accelerate new factory ramp-ups. This collaboration combines PDF Solutions’ deep product and domain expertise for the analysis and control of semiconductor and electronics manufacturing with Voltaiq’s product and domain expertise in marshaling large-scale data from across the full battery product lifecycle to accelerate and optimize every part of battery development and production.
The typical Gigafactory is expected to take several years and billions in investment to ramp up before reaching profitability. The PDF Solutions and Voltaiq integrated solution combines PDF Solutions’ Exensio® Process Control and Manufacturing Analytics platform with Voltaiq’s Enterprise Battery Intelligence™ platform to enable customers to fully characterize battery quality earlier in the production process, and link those characteristics to key manufacturing parameters for control and improvement. The combined artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities from both companies provides best-in-class manufacturing and battery characterization analytics to accelerate production ramps and improve overall yield as well as mass production efficiency.
A Deeper Look Into How SAP Datasphere Enables a Business Data Fabric
SAP announced the SAP Datasphere solution, the next generation of its data management portfolio, which gives customers easy access to business-ready data across the data landscape. SAP also introduced strategic partnerships with industry-leading data and AI companies – Collibra NV, Confluent Inc., Databricks Inc. and DataRobot Inc. – to enrich SAP Datasphere and allow organizations to create a unified data architecture that securely combines SAP software data and non-SAP data.
SAP Datasphere, and its open data ecosystem, is the technology foundation that enables a business data fabric. This is a data management architecture that simplifies the delivery of an integrated, semantically rich data layer over underlying data landscapes to provide seamless and scalable access to data without duplication. It’s not a rip-and-replace model, but is intended to connect, rather than solely move, data using data and metadata. A business data fabric equips any organization to deliver meaningful data to every data consumer — with business context and logic intact. As organizations require accurate data that is quickly available and described with business-friendly terms, this approach enables data professionals to permeate the clarity that business semantics provide throughout every use case.
👷 3M and Guardhat announce collaboration on connected safety
Guardhat will bring 3M’s Safety Inspection Manager (SIM) into its Industrial Internet of People (IIoP) platform to accelerate product development.
This collaboration is expected to accelerate SIM enhancements while also evaluating new connected safety personal protection equipment (PPE) that aims to keep more frontline workers safe.
Deploying a Robotic Workforce: Universal Robots and Yaskawa Motoman Partner with RaaS Company
Universal Robots and Yaskawa Motoman partnered with the Robotics as a Service (RaaS) company Rapid Robotics earlier this month to deliver robotic automation to a greater market share.
Titomic & Boeing: Additive manufacturing partnership
Titomic Limited (ASX: TTT) (“Titomic” or “Company”) is pleased to announce it has received a purchase order from Boeing Space, Intelligence, and Weapons Systems (Boeing) for AUD 132,174 for the continuation of flight qualifications of Titomic Kinetic Fusion manufactured components, which were initiated in 2021. Further, the purchase order is a result of an agreement made between Titomic and Boeing in May 2019, which was centered around the production of additively manufactured test parts. Since then, both companies have made progress in their testing and development of Titomic Kinetic Fusion technology for various aerospace applications. The receipt of the purchase order is a positive development and marks the next step in the productive relationship between the two companies, as well as a step towards commercial manufacturing on a larger scale.
Microsoft and Rockwell Automation collaborate on digital solutions for manufacturers
Microsoft and Rockwell Automation believe well-designed digital solutions can address operational, system, workforce, and scale needs at the same time. That’s why we have partnered to build digital solutions that deliver transformational outcomes with immediate value and long-term scale, resilience, and agility. By working together, we can leverage our respective strengths and expertise to develop solutions that meet the needs of manufacturers.
Microsoft and Rockwell Automation are jointly delivering edge-to-cloud products that help you manage and make sense of the data in your factory. The result is actionable insights that can improve your business operations.
Uptake Enhances Its Predictive Maintenance Technology through Daimler Truck North America’s Data-as-a-Service Model
Uptake, a leader in predictive analytics software-as-a-service (SaaS), has entered into a commercial agreement with Daimler Truck North America LLC (DTNA), a leading manufacturer and provider of commercial vehicle products, services and technologies. The agreement will enable the use of innovative data-as-a-service (DaaS) technology to power Uptake Fleet, Uptake’s comprehensive predictive maintenance and work order analytics technology for the transportation industry.
U.S. Steel Signs Supply Agreement With General Motors For U.S.-Sourced Sustainable VerdeX Steel
United States Steel Corp. will supply General Motors \with its advanced and sustainable steel solution called verdeX steel. The steel is manufactured with up to 75 percent fewer emissions compared to traditional blast furnace production1, is made with up to 90 percent recycled content and is endlessly recyclable without degradation.
U.S. Steel’s verdeX steel will be manufactured at Big River Steel, a LEED Certified facility that also meets the ResponsibleSteel Standard site certification, along with a new advanced technology mill under construction in Osceola, Arkansas. The steel produced at the Big River Steel facility will begin shipping to GM manufacturing facilities starting this year.
Realtime Robotics Now Supplier for BMW Group
Realtime Robotics, the leader in collision-free autonomous motion planning for industrial robots, today announced that it has been named an official supplier for the BMW Group.
Bobcat Company Advances Innovation in Agriculture through Partnership with Agtonomy
Bobcat Company, a global compact equipment, innovation and worksite solutions brand, has partnered with Agtonomy, to advance productivity in the agriculture industry through collaboration in the areas of electrification, autonomous operation and digital technology. Through this partnership, Bobcat and Agtonomy, a Silicon Valley agtech software company, will collaborate to create new and innovative ways of enhancing Bobcat equipment for increased productivity and performance.
🖥️🚙 General Motors signs deal with GlobalFoundries for exclusive U.S. semiconductor production
The chip manufacturer will establish dedicated production capacity exclusively for key auto suppliers of the Detroit automaker at its semiconductor facility in upstate New York, according to the companies. Caulfield said the exclusive production for GM is expected to take two to three years to really ramp up.
💪📦 Berkshire Grey and FedEx expand their robotic automation solutions partnership
As part of the expansion of this relationship, Berkshire Grey and FedEx have entered into an agreement for new development activities that will provide broader AI robotic automation capabilities to help improve the safety and efficiency of FedEx package handling operations globally.
Additionally, Berkshire Grey has granted FedEx a warrant to purchase common stock which vests incrementally, subject to certain terms including the ordering of and payment for Berkshire Grey AI-enabled robotic automation goods and services at any time prior to December 31, 2025, with full vesting of all 25 million shares subject to the warrant upon the ordering of or payment for at least $200 million of such goods and services.
Ansys Expands Cloud-Based Simulation Solutions Through Extended Collaboration with Microsoft
Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS) is extending its long-term strategic collaboration with Microsoft to accelerate virtual product design through expanded cloud-based access to Ansys’ simulation solutions and computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools. As a next step, Ansys will develop a new offering that will enable customers to launch Ansys products using their Azure enrollment and connect third-party tools more easily.
Berkshire Grey and Locus Robotics Announce Partnership Offering Industry-First, Cross-Platform Robotic Automation
Berkshire Grey, Inc. (Nasdaq: BGRY), a leader in AI-enabled robotic solutions that automate supply chain processes, and Locus Robotics, the leader in Autonomous Mobile Robotics (AMR) for logistics and distribution warehouses, today announced their formal partnership with the unveiling of their combined solution that integrates the Berkshire Grey Robotic Shuttle Put Wall (BG RSPWi) with Locus Origin and Locus Vector bots. This innovative integrated solution deploys end-to-end robotic automation solutions for retail and eCommerce customers looking to maximize their supply chain productivity and throughput while addressing growing labor shortages.
Datanomix and Hexagon Announce Agreement to Bring Real-Time Factory Analytics to Industrial Manufacturers Worldwide
Datanomix, maker of the industry’s only Automated Production Intelligence™ software platform, announced a partnership with Hexagon to offer the Datanomix software solution to its global manufacturing customers. Datanomix is well known for its industry-changing No Operator Input™ approach to production monitoring, which removes the common challenges and complexities companies face when deploying production monitoring solutions. Precision manufacturers looking to improve production efficiency, increase utilization, optimize cycle times and increase part margins will benefit from the automated reports and insights that Datanomix provides.
Radial Selects Covariant to Automate eCommerce Fulfillment with AI-Powered Robotics
Radial, Inc., a bpost group company, the leader in eCommerce solutions, today announced a new partnership with Covariant, a leading global AI Robotics company, to automate sortation in their batch-picking operations through the installation of twelve Covariant Robotic Putwalls. The Robotic Putwalls sort a high variety of health and beauty items for one of the world’s leading retailers in Radial’s fulfillment center in Louisville, Kentucky.
The integration of Covariant’s Robotic Putwalls into the existing facility operations delivers more optimal eCommerce fulfillment performance and accuracy – providing high quality, reliable and consistent customer experience for Radial’s clients. With a more automated order sortation system, Radial can reduce worker strain and fill gaps in its workforce, while improving overall facility output and delivery times, specifically around high-demand periods.
BVG monitors battery of its electric buses with volytica diagnostics
volytica diagnostics, a German software provider for battery diagnostics, and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), extend their cooperation in monitoring their electric bus batteries. Using cloud-based evaluation of battery data, the aim is to prevent failures, ensure high availability and improve battery life.
To this end, the cloud-based software continuously evaluates the data from the batteries. Thanks to the analysis combined with continuous safety monitoring, classic fire protection is supplemented by preventive measures. For example, the software automatically warns of dangerous battery performance before it becomes critical. The software can be easily integrated into any application, as no additional hardware or laboratory tests are required.
raven SR, chevron and hyzon motors collaborate to produce hydrogen from green waste in northern california
Raven SR Inc. (Raven SR), a renewable fuels company, Chevron New Energies, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., and Hyzon Motors Inc. (NASDAQ: HYZN) today announced they are collaborating to commercialize operations of a green waste-to-hydrogen production facility in Richmond intended to supply hydrogen fuel to transportation markets in Northern California.
The facility will be owned by a newly formed company, Raven SR S1 LLC (Raven SR S1). Raven SR will be the operator of the facility, which is targeted to come online in the first quarter of 2024. Chevron holds a 50% equity stake in Raven SR 1. Raven SR holds a 30% stake and Hyzon owns the remaining 20%.
Continental and Ambarella Partner On Assisted and Automated Driving Systems With Full Software Stack
At CES 2023, technology company Continental and Ambarella, Inc., an edge AI semiconductor company, announced a strategic partnership. The two companies will jointly develop scalable, end-to-end hardware and software solutions based on artificial intelligence (AI), for assisted and automated driving (AD), on the way to autonomous mobility. The strategic collaboration builds on Continental’s announcement in November to integrate Ambarella’s energy-efficient System-on-Chip (SoC) family into its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Compared to other domain controller SoCs, Ambarella’s “CV3-AD” chip family provides higher performance to process sensor data faster and more comprehensively for greater environmental perception and safer mobility, at up to five times higher power efficiency. The partners are combining Continental’s software and hardware expertise and broad portfolio of automotive system solutions with Ambarella’s computer vision know-how, powerful SoCs and software modules. In addition to the development of camera-based perception solutions for ADAS, Continental and Ambarella are focusing on scalable full-stack systems for Level 2+ up to highly automated vehicles. These full-stack solutions take a multi-sensor approach, including Continental’s high-resolution cameras, radars and lidars, as well as the associated control units and the required software. Vehicle manufacturers will be able to flexibly integrate the joint system solutions into their latest vehicle generations. In electric vehicles, the energy-efficient solutions reduce power consumption and cooling demands, contributing to a lower battery weight of several kilograms (estimated 6 pounds). This results in an increased average range of about 5-10 kilometers (3-6 miles) with the same battery capacity, based on a typical configuration. To serve the growing market for assisted and automated driving, while paving the way for autonomous mobility, the partners aim to have these joint solutions ready for global series production in 2026.
ZEDEDA and Emerson Expand Relationship to Modernize the Industrial Edge
ZEDEDA, the leader in edge orchestration, today announced a strategic investment from Emerson Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Emerson (NYSE: EMR), a global technology, software and automation leader. The move extends the relationship between the two companies, as Emerson is also a ZEDEDA customer.
Emerson’s solution integrates ZEDEDA’s edge management and orchestration offer into its DeltaV™ automation system, enabling Emerson customers to extend DeltaV to the distributed edge. This expansion will deliver enhanced OT solutions while also continuing into the IT environment, providing software-defined automation and revolutionizing how customers can deploy and connect workloads within their distributed environments.
Battery production: Dürr provides CATL with innovative technology for electrode production
The Dürr Group continues its expansion in the new business field of battery production. The mechanical and plant engineering firm is delivering an innovative technology for the sustainable manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. This will be used in CATL’s plant that is currently being built in Arnstadt, situated in the German state of Thuringia. CATL highly focuses on resource reusability and sustainability. The order placed in early 2022 comprises several systems based on an eco-friendly process for solvent recovery in production. This prevents tens of thousands of tons of CO2 from being generated every year and enables the solvent to be reused multiple times. The CATL plant in Thuringia is the Chinese world market leader’s first production site in Europe. In the wake of electromobility, production capacities for lithium-ion batteries in Europe are expected to increase significantly over the coming years.
IBM and Rapidus Form Strategic Partnership to Build Advanced Semiconductor Technology and Ecosystem in Japan
IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Rapidus today announced a joint development partnership to advance logic scaling technology as part of Japan’s initiatives to become a global leader in semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing.
Rapidus Corporation researches, develops, designs, manufactures, and sells advanced logic semiconductors, and was established with the endorsement of major Japanese companies. As part of this agreement, Rapidus and IBM will further develop IBM’s breakthrough 2 nanometer (nm) node technology for implementation by Rapidus at its fab in Japan.
Ineos forms JV with Sinopec for Chinese petrochemicals complex
UK-based chemical and energy group Ineos has signed an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in the Tianjin Nangang Ethylene Project in China from Sinopec. The joint venture (JV ) agreement will allow Sinopec to leverage Ineos’s technological knowledge and operational expertise, and expand Ineos’ presence in China.
Imec and Rapidus sign Memorandum of Cooperation to collaborate on advanced semiconductor technologies
Rapidus plans to mass-produce chips with state-of-the-art 2-nanometer technology in Japan in the latter half of this decade. Such advanced chips can be used for 5G communications, quantum computing, data centers, self-driving vehicles, and digital smart cities. Imec intends to support Rapidus in the research and development of leading-edge technology. For this, Rapidus and imec express their intention to set up a strategic partnership, with Rapidus becoming a core partner in imec’s leading advanced nanoelectronics program. The MOC also contemplates collaboration with the nearly established Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center (LSTC), which will serve as a research and development hub for beyond 2-nanometer technologies in Japan. With the MOC, all parties subscribe to the importance of worldwide collaboration and regional strengthening of semiconductor ecosystems, in particular the ecosystem in Japan.
ThroughPut Inc. Announces Partnership with project44 to Unleash AI-Powered Supply Chain Capacity and Profitability
ThroughPut Inc., the industrial AI supply chain pioneer, today announced that it has entered into a technology partnership with project44, the global leader in supply chain visibility, to unlock supply chain profitability amid disruptions and global port congestion.
The partnership will empower mutual customers to not only plan logistics fulfillment effectively and efficiently, but also to forecast demand accurately with AI-powered insights and recommendations for rapid supply chain revenue rationalization. The joint solution will enable businesses to quickly leverage project44 platform’s purchase order and sales data to sense and predict demand at a local level, audit material flow to drive efficiencies and achieve On-Time, In-Full (OTIF) deliveries at a supplier and product level.
Tachyus announces additional deployment of Aqueon, its waterflood management and optimization solution to ConocoPhillips
Tachyus today announced the deployment of the cloud-based Aqueon Waterflood Management and Optimization solution for ConocoPhillips. ConocoPhillips will add Aqueon to its global reservoir engineering workflows to advance physics-driven data analytics solutions and support waterflood management and optimization.
Lockheed Martin, Microsoft announce landmark agreement on classified cloud, advanced technologies for Department of Defense
Lockheed Martin is the first defense industrial base member to use Microsoft’s newest National Industrial Security Program (NISP) framework for air-gapped clouds after a year-long pilot. Work on developing the classified and unclassified cloud environments is already underway, with expectations for the project to be operational in 2023.
Microsoft’s first-of-its-kind technology will allow Lockheed Martin to dynamically scale IT demands under authorized guidance and directly operate mission workloads inside Azure Government Secret, including highly restricted special programs.
Sustainable Wooden Turbine Blades for the Wind Energy Industry
Stora Enso and Voodin Blade Technology GmbH have signed a partnership agreement to develop sustainable wind turbine blades from wood. Under the agreement, the two companies are committed to developing sustainable alternatives for wind turbine blades and creating a competitive and reliable supply chain. They are currently producing and installing a 20 m blade for a 0.5 MW turbine and have plans for an 80 m blade.
Accenture and Siemens: Tackling industrial machinery challenges through Intelligent Service and Asset Lifecycle (ISAL)
The industrial machinery industry is being transformed by global supply chain disruptions, changes to equipment practices and a push for greater sustainability. Executives seeking to adapt to the shifting landscape need reliable partners and world-class solutions.
Accenture and Siemens can partner with industrial machinery manufacturers to help manage this period of transformation. This post discusses trends in the sector, the Intelligent Service and Asset Lifecycle (ISAL) solution and the role Accenture and Siemens play to support a new direction for industrial machinery companies.
LG, Altair build AI-powered validation platform for automotive parts
LG Electronics Inc., an industry frontrunner in applying artificial intelligence to home appliances, said on Wednesday it has joined forces with Altair Engineering Inc., a US tech firm, in developing an AI-powered validation platform for automotive parts.
Integrating AI technology into the vehicle component development process will provide LG’s clients with more reliable and high-quality solutions for products, including infotainment systems, LG said. The South Korean electronics company said the new platform leverages a machine learning algorithm to accurately predict and measure product performance from an early stage of the design validation process.
Dyndrite and SLM Solutions set to cooperate on full support for SLM Solutions metal 3D printing machines
Dyndrite has announced a collaboration with SLM Solutions to support the SLM file format within Dyndrite’s Application Development Kit (ADK). SLM says that through Dyndrite, its customers will be able to design parameters based on unique aspects, or their unique needs, developing new IP, protecting any know-how, and gaining competitive advantage.
Dyndrite’s ADK provides GPU-powered 3D CAD-to-print software development. The company also provides the software power for generating toolpaths and rasterizing 3D data for additive manufacturing processes, including photopolymers and laser powder bed. Also, through an integrated Python API, the company says it brings full automation of CAD-to-print data workflows at a speed that can meet challenging data requirements.
Einride Completes Historic Autonomous Vehicle Pilot on U.S. Public Road With GE Appliances
Freight mobility technology company Einride successfully completed a public road pilot of Einride’s autonomous, electric vehicle, in Selmer, Tennessee. After receiving the first U.S. approval for operations of this new type of vehicle from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) earlier this year, Einride completed this industry first by operating a fully autonomous, electric vehicle without a safety driver on board on U.S. public roads. The pilot, in partnership with GE Appliances, a Haier company, took place over the duration of two weeks as the vehicle supported real-time workflows and transported finished goods from GE Appliances’ facilities.
Working in close partnership with state and county officials and GE Appliances staff, the Einride autonomous vehicle conducted the safe movement of goods between GE Appliances’ manufacturing facility and warehouse. Einride also partnered with Ericsson, who provided a private connectivity network for seamless vehicle functionality and to enable a Remote Operator to remotely monitor the vehicle. GE Appliances’ Selmer, TN facility was chosen as the pilot launch site due to the nature of the environment for safe testing of operations while meeting the real demand for movement of goods.
Clean Connect AI Collaborates with Cognite to Provide Vision-Based Autonomous Operation and Emissions Applications
Clean Connect AI Inc, a Colorado-based hardware-enabled SaaS software company serving the energy and industrial automation industry, today announced a strategic partnership with Cognite, a global leader in industrial software, to provide vision-based autonomous operation and emissions applications that will optimize industrial operations and enable manage-by-exception efficiencies at scale.
Comau and Siemens collaborate to integrate robotics and artificial intelligence in the PLC
SIMATIC Robot Library and the “Comau Next Generation Programming Platform” use Profinet’s “Standard Robot Command Interface,” a growing industrial communication protocol. Thanks to this standard, manufacturing companies can quickly and easily program and manage Comau robots using Siemens software and control systems. As the integration and automation between the Siemens PLC and the robotic controller do not require prior knowledge in robotic programming the solution reduces work time and costs, increasing production efficiency.
Rockwell Automation and Cognite Form a Strategic Partnership to Develop a Unified, Edge-to-Cloud Industrial Data Hub Offering for the Manufacturing Industry
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, and Cognite, a global leader in industrial data software, today announced a strategic partnership to further unlock the value of manufacturing data and accelerate technological change for the industry. The partnership combines Rockwell’s FactoryTalk® software offering of next-generation edge connectivity to plant assets, operations management applications, and industry-tailored analytics with Cognite’s leading Industrial DataOps platform, Cognite Data Fusion®, to create an industrial data hub ready for enterprise-wide scaling.
With one of the largest footprints in industrial automation, Rockwell products create and process data worldwide. The partnership between Rockwell and Cognite will bring to market a unique, unified, edge-to-cloud industrial data hub that makes operational, engineering, enterprise, and visual data understandable and comparable for manufacturing across industries. The offering will transform raw data into high-impact applications for real-time decision making and improved workflows that ensure safe, productive, and sustainable operations. With Cognite’s proven success in the Energy industry, this partnership will further enhance the edge-to-enterprise capabilities from Sensia, Rockwell’s joint venture with Schlumberger.
Siemens, Gecko Robotics Develop Ultrasonic Maintenance Robots
Siemens has announced a three-year collaboration with Gecko Robotics to develop and roll out ultrasonic robotic inspection services across Europe. The partners say the inspections will be a game-changer for the future of infrastructure inspections and maintenance across a range of industries such as power generation and the oil and gas sector. Under the collaboration, Gecko Robotics will provide its remote-controlled robots fitted with ultrasonic transducers, localization sensors, lasers and H cameras. The spider-like robots adhere to the surface of different equipment types, moving horizontally or vertically across the equipment while scanning it for any signs of wear and tear, with managers able to monitor corrosion trends over time and predict necessary maintenance.
Siemens and Desktop Metal begin partnership with aim of accelerating sustainable additive manufacturing at scale
Siemens and Desktop Metal have announced a multi-faceted partnership aimed at accelerating the adoption of additive manufacturing for production applications with a focus on the world’s largest manufacturers.
The collaboration will touch multiple aspects of the Desktop Metal business. This includes increased integration of Siemens technology in Desktop Metal’s AM 2.0 systems, including operational technology, information technology and automation. Desktop Metal says its solutions will be fully integrated into Siemens simulation and planning tools for machine and factory design. Siemens Digital Twin tools will now be used for designing certain machines, and Siemens Advanta can simulate all levels of the binder jetting process and global plant planning, which Siemens says enables fast and reliable decisions for factory planning.
Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft collaborate to boost efficiency, resilience and sustainability in car production
Mercedes-Benz production staff gets access to the MO360 Data Platform via a self-service portal available on any company device including tablets, smartphones and laptops. Its visualization with Microsoft Power BI provides a what-you-see-is-what-you-get experience, allowing employees to become data workers with the ability to model and correlate data. The Teams Walkie Talkie app provides workers with an instant push-to-talk (PTT) communication on their business phones — no extra device needed.
With the MO360 Data Platform, teams at Factory 56 have shortened their daily shop floor meeting by 30%. In addition, they identify priority tasks to optimize production workflows within two minutes, which took up to four hours prior to the introduction of the platform. From team leads and process engineers to shop and plant managers, employees are encouraged to contribute new use cases to drive process innovation with Microsoft Power Platform.
Capgemini and Microsoft collaborate to offer Digital Twin Solutions
Capgemini today announced that it is collaborating with Microsoft to deliver a first-of-its kind, cloud-native, serverless Azure-based digital twin platform, called ReflectIoD. This secure, highly scalable platform will leverage best-in-class architecture and technological components from the Azure suite to help transform an organization’s operations and maintenance efficiency, enabling intelligent industry and driving sustainable business value. It will also enable enterprises to meet the ever-growing needs of standardized brownfields management[1] throughout their life cycle and across ecosystems.
Decarbonizing Heavy Industry: TotalEnergies and Holcim Join Forces to Study Solutions for First Carbon-Free Cement Plant in Belgium
TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) and Holcim in Belgium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together on the full decarbonization of a cement production facility being upgraded by Holcim in Obourg, Belgium. Various energies and technologies will be assessed for the efficient capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) of around 1.3 million metric tons of CO2 emitted by the facility every year.
Makersite partners with Autodesk to bring sustainability into product design
Exciting news for the product design world: In our new partnership with Autodesk, the leader in product design software, Makersite combines environmental impact and cost data with Autodesk Fusion 360’s product design data.
ABB partners with Samotics to expand its condition monitoring services
ABB and Samotics, a leading provider of ESA technology that is a high-growth scaleup company based in the Netherlands, have entered a strategic long-term partnership to provide enhanced condition monitoring services. The approach will leverage each company’s capabilities to deliver more insight into machine health and energy efficiency. As a first step, ABB will integrate Samotics’ plug-and-play monitoring solution into its digital portfolio. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Samotics’ technology is complementary to the well-established ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring service for powertrains, a sensor-based solution that analyzes the health and performance of rotating equipment. Samotics’ SAM4 technology, based on electrical signature analysis (ESA), will expand ABB’s application of asset health monitoring of motor-driven industrial equipment as it does not rely on mounting sensors in the field. This means that SAM4 can be deployed on machines in harsh and submerged environments.
Sustainable Buildings Made Possible by Cisco and Schneider Electric
Novo Nordisk and Microsoft collaborate to accelerate drug discovery and development using big data and artificial intelligence
Novo Nordisk and Microsoft have entered a new strategic collaboration to combine Microsoft’s computational services, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) with Novo Nordisk’s drug discovery, development and data science capabilities.
Through the partnership, Microsoft is providing AI technology, foundational science models and expertise and is working alongside Novo Nordisk’s data scientists and domain experts from early research and development areas to accelerate Novo Nordisk’s R&D.
Industrial robotics and generation change ahead
Realtime Robotics, a specialist in autonomous motion planning for industrial robots, has announced partnership with Kawasaki Robotics on a project that aims to automate the programming, deployment and control of its industrial robots.
The main benefits include an 80 to 90% reduction in robot programming time, freeing scarce robotic engineers to focus on automating the 90% of auto manufacturing that is still manual. The technology can establish a 100% reduction of line downtime and related costs due to robot collisions, and help optimize the work cell footprint, reduce electric consumption, and lower maintenance costs through reinforcement learning-based optimization software that can iterate hundreds of thousands of options to minimize these cost factors in only a few hours.
Bridge Investment Group Announces Expansion Into Solar Energy, Partnership With Lumen Energy
Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BRDG) (“Bridge” or the “Company”) today announced the launch of its newest strategy, Bridge Solar Energy Development (“Bridge Solar”), in partnership with Lumen Energy Inc. (“Lumen”).
Bridge believes that its national footprint and local expertise, combined with Lumen’s data-driven technology, will streamline the analysis and implementation of solar in a high-demand market that has been largely untapped. Only 4.5% of the approximately six million commercial properties in the United States currently have solar arrays, leaving more than 145 gigawatts of onsite solar potential.
This unique partnership enables Bridge Solar to evaluate thousands of new property addresses at once, and make decisions in minutes. Building on technology pioneered at U.S. National Labs, Lumen’s technology quantifies the economically ideal “clean energy stack” unique to each property, inclusive of financing and incentives, then automates the deployment process.
AM-Flow partners with Materialise as launching partner of Materialise’s CO-AM software platform
Dutch workflow automation company AM-Flow partners with Materialise to provide print users with fully integrated automated post-processing IT infrastructure to help scale AM factories.
Materialise has launched its software platform that allows AM-users to connect smoothly with various critical applications for workflow automation. AM-Flow, the current market leader in AM post-process workflow automation, is one of the launching partners on this platform allowing customers to plan, manage and optimize every stage of their AM operations. AM-Flow offers an open API-architecture connecting with multiple MES platforms, including the newly launched CO-AM.
🖨️ Lincoln Electric Works With Chevron to Accelerate Refinery Maintenance Using Lincoln Electric’s 3D Metal Printing Solution
Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq LECO) – Lincoln Electric utilized its proprietary large-scale, metal 3D printing solution to deliver just-in-time parts to Chevron USA, Inc. to help bring a refinery back online according to schedule. During a recent routine maintenance shutdown, extended lead times and supply chain delays on traditionally manufactured parts challenged Chevron’s planned restart schedule. Chevron’s Additive Engineering team worked with Lincoln Electric to get back on schedule using additive manufacturing to print critical replacement parts that would meet production and quality standards.
The two teams worked together, along with industry experts from Stress Engineering Services, Inc., to print eight nickel alloy replacement parts that averaged approximately 3 ft. (0.9 m) in length and over 500 lbs. (226 kg) each in a total of just 30 days.
Ascend Elements to Recycle Lithium-ion Battery Manufacturing Scrap for SK Battery America
Ascend Elements, the vertically integrated lithium-ion battery recycling and engineered-materials company previously known as Battery Resourcers, today announced it has been selected by SK Battery America (SKBA) to recycle both cell and module lithium-ion battery manufacturing scrap from the company’s manufacturing facility in Commerce, Ga. The scrap material will be recycled at Ascend Elements’ new 154,000-square-foot battery recycling facility in Covington, Ga., which can recover 98% of battery materials and return critical battery elements to the battery supply chain.
Connecting an Industrial Universal Namespace to AWS IoT SiteWise using HighByte Intelligence Hub
Merging industrial and enterprise data across multiple on-premises deployments and industrial verticals can be challenging. This data comes from a complex ecosystem of industrial-focused products, hardware, and networks from various companies and service providers. This drives the creation of data silos and isolated systems that propagate one-to-one integration strategy.
HighByte Intelligence Hub does just that. It is a middleware solution for universal namespace that helps you build scalable, modern industrial data pipelines in AWS. It also allows users to collect data from various sources, add context to the data being collected, and transform it to a format that other systems can understand.
24M Technologies Finalizes Deal With Volkswagen Group to Partner on Next-Gen EV Battery Manufacturing
24M Technologies, Inc. (24M) today announced it has closed its deal with Volkswagen Group (VWAG). Through the strategic partnership VWAG will manufacture next-generation lithium-ion EV batteries using the 24M SemiSolid™ platform for use in VWAG electric vehicles (EVs). VWAG acquired a 25% stake in 24M and will establish a wholly owned subsidiary that will, in cooperation with 24M, develop a SemiSolidTM battery cell production technology for automotive applications.
VWAG invested a three digit millions of U.S. dollars in 24M’s Series F funding round and will make additional investments promoting automotive developments based on the 24M core technology. Additionally, Dr. Steffen Blase, Head of Group Mergers & Acquisitions at Volkswagen AG, will join 24M’s Board of Directors.
“The SemiSolidTM manufacturing platform offers the potential to substantially reduce capital and operating costs,” commented Dr. Blase. “Through our newly established subsidiary and our strategic partnership with 24M, we are focused on bringing the SemiSolidTM platform to automotive applications and believe we can develop cost effective processes to meet the increasing demand for EVs.”
“Through strategic partnerships with energy innovators like GPSC, Kyocera, AXXIVA, Lucas TVS, FREYR, Koch Strategic Platforms and now VWAG, 24M has built an ecosystem to rapidly scale the SemiSolidTM manufacturing platform and develop a better, cleaner energy future,” says 24M President and CEO, Naoki Ota. “Our collaborative partnership with VWAG will help significantly expand the global reach of SemiSolidTM batteries and help fast track electric vehicle adoption.”
Configit Joins Unity’s Verified Solutions Partner Program to Deliver Enhanced 3D Visualization
Configit, the global leader in Configuration Lifecycle Management (CLM), today announced that it has joined the Unity Verified Solutions Partner (VSP) program. Unity’s Verified Solutions Partner team is performing quality assurance testing of the Configit Ace® API for Unity.
Verification means the Configit Ace® API is optimized for the latest Long-Term Support (LTS) and tech versions of the Unity editor, providing a seamless experience for developers. The API will be a verified solution for Unity developers.
MDT Software and Acronis Partner to Create a Single Solution for Critical Automation Data and Devices
MDT Software, a world leader in change management solutions for automated manufacturing assets, today announced the release of the AutoSave Image Backup module. This module validates, schedules, and provides revision control for image files, created by Acronis, for rapid disaster recovery. In combining the AutoSave and Acronis products, users can store their customizable PC data. With a common central repository of PC images, MDT AutoSave and Acronis can ensure that if a PC fails, the master image and other archived revisions of the hard drive data can be quickly retrieved.
Yaskawa and Phoenix Contact Announce Partnership Collaboration to develop next generation machine controller and PLC Platform
Yaskawa, a manufacturer of motion control, robotics, and variable speed drives and Phoenix Contact, a manufacturer of automation solutions are proud to announce an agreement to utilize PLCnext Technology from Phoenix Contact in the development of the next generation machine controller and PLC platform realizing the i³-Mechatronics solution concept lead by Yaskawa.
Rockwell Automation and Schlumberger Announce Closing of Sensia JV
Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) today announced the closing of their previously-announced joint venture, Sensia, the oil and gas industry’s first digitally enabled, integrated automation solutions provider. The joint venture leverages Schlumberger’s deep oil and gas domain knowledge and Rockwell Automation’s rich automation and information expertise to address this fast-growing market.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Sensia is projected to generate initial annual revenue of $400 million and employ approximately 1,000 employees. Sensia will operate as an independent entity, with Rockwell Automation owning 53% and Schlumberger owning 47% of the joint venture. Rockwell Automation made a $250 million cash payment to Schlumberger at closing.
Fusion 360 Gets Stronger and Smarter With a New Manufacturing Extension and Cost Insights for Generative Design
aPriori is pleased to announce a new partnership with Autodesk , Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) of San Rafael, CA. The focus of this collaboration will be on the integration of aPriori’s Cost Insight Engine into the Autodesk Fusion 360 generative design workspace. For the first time ever, Fusion 360 customers will be able to generate a manufacturing cost estimate for each design alternative created.