News

Farnell has been honoured with the prestigious title of Global Distributor of the Year – 2023 by Global Connector Technology (GCT), one of the leading manufacturers of world-class connector and cable assembly solutions for over 30 years.

This accolade underscores Farnell’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and steadfast partnership with industry leaders.

The GCT awards celebrate distributors who have significantly contributed to expanding market reach, driving revenue growth, and delivering exceptional service to customers worldwide. Amidst unprecedented challenges in the industry, Farnell’s dedication and remarkable achievements throughout 2023 stood out, earning them this esteemed recognition.

“We have seen steady development of our business with Farnell over the past few years and these efforts really delivered results in 2023, a year that was not short of challenges across our industry,” said Richard Clark, Global Distribution Manager from GCT. “The teams at Farnell have been very supportive in expanding the GCT product offering, and this delivered best in class results in revenue growth, customer count expansion, and the number of unique parts sold. We deeply value the engagement with Farnell and look forward to continuing to accelerate our mutual growth.”

GCT highlighted Farnell’s instrumental role in expanding the GCT product portfolio and credited this collaboration for delivering outstanding performance amidst a dynamic business landscape.

Russell Paik, Global Category Director for Interconnect & Electromechanical at Farnell, said: “Winning the ‘Global Distributor of the Year’ award from GCT highlights the strong relationship we have built with GCT and customers. We are honoured by this recognition and look forward to continuing to deliver exceptional service and value to our customers worldwide.”

Customers can explore the entire GCT range from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

‘Energizing a Sustainable Industry’ – this is the theme of Hannover Messe 2024. In order to make the various branches of industry more sustainable and efficient in the long term, a digital ecosystem infrastructure is needed that generates transparent data streams and serves to optimize processes. Endress+Hauser will be presenting its solutions for digital process optimization in hall 15, booth E52 from 22 to 26 April 2024.

The process industry makes an indispensable and important contribution to supplying people with the goods they need in their daily lives. Based on professional measuring devices, Endress+Hauser has also been making a significant contribution to the digitalization of production processes with its digital interfaces and services for several years. More and more data is being generated, processed and concentrated into insights for customers.

“Comprehensive use and seamless integration of data streams remain challenges for the process industry. However, these are of crucial importance in order to provide our customers with more transparency about their production so that they can make informed decisions. Such transparency is also essential in order to realize the goal of a climate-neutral industry,” says Dr Rolf Birkhofer, managing director of Endress+Hauser Digital Solutions. “At Hannover Messe, we will be providing an insight into our range of digital solutions for our customers – from planning to operation and optimization. One of our aims is to create sustainable digitalized processes along the entire value chain and thus equip our customers for the future.”

From planning to process design: digital twins on the rise

The standardized digital twin plays a key role in industry. It is the interface for physical devices and components in the digital world and enables the mapping of complete plants in IT systems – for the simulation, control and improvement of processes.

“As a founding member of the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA), we have been working intensively with manufacturers and operators for years to recognize common standards and implement them on the market,” says Michael Riester, senior enterprise architect at Endress+Hauser. “At Hannover Messe, we are presenting our digital twins based on the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) standard, which can be used in any company in the future.” The aim is to reduce manual engineering effort by enhancing existing information in field devices with manufacturer information, such as data for the “as planned” status from computer-aided development tools. Customers thus benefit from data availability in digital, standardized and manufacturer-independent form and avoid incorrect and duplicate data storage.

As part of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance’s “Follow the Twin Challenge”, Endress+Hauser uses the automatic identification of physical objects in accordance with IEC 61406. This standard defines a globally unique, machine-readable ID that is attached to a physical object, similar to a type plate or label. This enables customers to easily manage the supplier data required for their processes from development to operation across various independent suppliers.

From process design to added value: the Netilion digital ecosystem

The field instruments of an average industrial plant together account for over 240,000 pieces of documentation. Data management takes a lot of time because, until now, instructions, reports, certificates and other documents had to be entered and assigned manually. The Netilion product developed by Endress+Hauser offers digital support for these processes based on the digital twin: all files can be automatically linked to the digital twin of the field device in Netilion Library and collected so that every document is quickly at hand. Netilion Connect offers a connection via a standard interface (API) for use in various other IT systems so that the recorded data can also be used afterwards. The Netilion Analytics web application processes the data and provides an overview of all sub-processes and all components from a wide range of manufacturers recorded in the system. Customers can use this overview to standardize their equipment and improve processes.

From added value to process optimization: early flood detection

Endress+Hauser is already using Netilion in another application for early flood warning. This involves collecting data from water level gauges, rain and soil moisture sensors in the region to be monitored and supplementing it with other external data such as weather forecasts and terrain information. “Thanks to the consolidation of the data combined with an AI algorithm developed by our partner, it is possible to make an accurate and early prediction of whether and when flooding is imminent,” says Hans-Jürgen Huber, managing director for IIoT at Endress+Hauser. “The ability to integrate a wide variety of data from different sources into Netilion is the key to successfully implementing digital value chains.”

element14 Community, in collaboration with Arduino, is hosting an upcoming webinar titled “Exploring Arduino Pro’s Role in Industry 4.0.” The webinar will take place on 18 April 2024, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Central Time (US), and 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM BST.

Join the element14 Community for this insightful session where they will explore the transformative potential of Arduino Pro products in enabling edge computing capabilities within Industry 4.0 applications across various industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics.

During the webinar, attendees will have the opportunity to explore practical examples showcasing the application of Arduino Pro products in IoT projects, demonstrating their ability and scalability. Additionally, it will discuss how the incorporation of edge AI elevates project functionalities, enhances scalability, and enriches the overall user experience.

What participants will learn by attending:

• How the Arduino platform can be used in Industry 4.0
• The application of Arduino Pro products in an IoT projects
• Demonstrating how edge AI can enhance the project’s functionality, scalability and user experience

“We are excited to host this webinar and shed light on the capabilities of Arduino Pro products in the context of Industry 4.0,” said Andreea Teodorescu, Global Director of Product Marketing & element14 Community. “By attending, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how Arduino Pro products empower businesses to harness the full potential of Industry 4.0, driving enhanced productivity and competitiveness.”

For more information about the webinar and to register, please visit: https://community.element14.com/learn/events/c/e/1708.

Anritsu Company is proud to announce the launch of our new inline power sensor MA24103A that is designed to measure accurate Peak and True-RMS average power measurements from 25 MHz to 1 GHz and 2 mW to 150 W power range.

Several applications demand accurate peak and average power measurements well below the frequency range of 1 GHz. Agencies in Public Safety, Avionics (air traffic control and repair stations), and Railroads, etc. must maintain critical communications between the control centers and the vehicles. The slightest error in making measurements or maintaining a communication network in these markets could risk public safety or even have fatal consequences.

The advantage with lower frequencies is that they can propagate a longer distance and maintain communication with fast-moving vehicles. Normally, at lower frequencies the power of the transmitting signal is in the range of watts, which makes the MA24103A more suited for these types of applications.

This highly accurate, Inline Peak Power Sensor communicates with a PC via USB or with an Anritsu handheld instrument equipped with the high accuracy power meter option 19.

Some of the main markets that benefit from this low frequency Inline Power Sensor include:

• Broadcast Network and Manufacturer: Lab performance accuracy and low insertion loss over a wide temperature range (0 ºC to 55 ºC), making it perfect for field applications.
• Railroads: to evaluate various systems like Positive Train Control Systems, End of Train (EOT) signals, automated train control systems, and FM voice base stations.
• Avionics: such as Civil and Military Airports for beacon testing, surveillance radar testing, localizer, and marker testing.

ADLINK Technology Inc., a global leader in edge computing, is proud to launch its latest innovation, the EMU-200 series, an application-ready IIoT gateway that can easily meet the data network requirements of various harsh application scenarios, including renewable energy, electric vehicle (EV) charging, building management, and factory equipment monitoring.

To facilitate rapid deployment in diverse application environments, the EMU-200 series features a built-in smart software tool, the EGiFlow web console, which allows for seamless integration of multiple communication protocols. Paired with extensive connectivity options and highly adaptable hardware specifications, EGiFlow can cater to a wide range of on-site configurations while reducing the efforts required by engineers on development and deployment.

Integrating EGiFlow with the EMU-200 series simplifies the once complicated data transfer process between different systems and provides pre-configured data flow settings, alleviating the workload of solution developers and expediting the setup process for data collection, transferring and filtering from multiple sources, all achievable through a straightforward three-step setup.

To achieve broad connection coverage, the EMU-200 series integrates a variety of mainstream industrial communication protocols, such as Modbus TCP/RTU, MQTT, and OPC UA. Additionally, open charging point protocols (OCPP) for electric vehicle charging will soon be integrated. This comprehensive protocol support ensures data transmission compatibility, while avoiding issues caused a by lack of supported protocols. Furthermore, the EMU-200 series supports abundant I/O interfaces, along with Wi-Fi, 4G/LTE connectivity. This enables connection to data acquisition device such as remote IO and Ethernet DAQ systems, facilitating seamless connectivity from the edge to cloud platforms.

The EMU-200 series uses an ARM Cortex-A9 processor, known for its excellent power efficiency and suitability for operating under power supply restrictions. Its compact dimensions, coupled with multiple mounting options, and an impressive operating temperature range of -20 to 70°C, ensure adaptability even in harsh environmental conditions.

“Apart from the application-ready functions, the EMU-200 series is ideal for second development to fulfill a variety of applications from platform to integrated solutions,” said Jeremy Wu, Director of the Open Instrument Business Product Center.

To learn more about this innovative product line and how it can enhance your field site connectivity, please visit the link or contact our sales team for more details.

Experience a new level of industrial connector excellence at the Mencom Corporation booth #4084 at Automate 2024, May 6–9 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

The booth features hands-on demonstrations of the latest industrial electrical connectors, including power, control, signal, and network connectors.  These products are designed to provide robust performance even in harsh environments, ensuring reliable connectivity, and withstanding the most demanding applications.

Mencom’s team of connector experts will be available to provide personalized consultations, assisting you in finding the perfect solutions to integrate secure and dependable connections into your diverse equipment and applications.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to witness firsthand the difference that Mencom can make! Stop by booth #4084 at Automate 2024 and see how their innovative solutions can help your business streamline and succeed.

ABOUT AUTOMATE

Automate is a trade Show and Conference produced by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). It is proud to be the largest solutions-based showcase of automation, robotics, vision, motion control and other automation technologies in North America. www.automateshow.com

Bowers Group has proudly unveiled its new Baty Venture FV Series at the 2024 MACH exhibition, introducing the latest in its range of innovative vision systems to coincide with the opening of the show.

The exciting product launch has provided visitors with the exclusive opportunity to be the amongst the first to experience live demonstrations of this exciting new field of view product from the world-renowned Baty brand.

“We are thrilled to introduce the Baty Venture FV at MACH 2024,” said Martin Hawkins, Managing Director at Bowers Group. “This impressive field of view machine represents a significant advancement in our product line, providing remarkable levels of efficiency and versatility to our customers. Bringing with it a wealth of user-friendly features and industry-leading innovation, the launch of the new Venture FV marks the start of a series of new products across our product range in the coming months. We really do encourage visitors to head over to our stand to find out more.”

The Baty Venture FV sets a new standard in Bowers Group’s precision measurement offering, providing advanced features and high-speed measurement. Equipped with auto part recognition and a powerful camera, coupled with telecentric LED lighting, the vision system delivers precise field of view measurements with exceptional clarity. Its intuitive software streamlines the measurement process, allowing for seamless operation and efficient data analysis.

The new FV series is being displayed throughout MACH exhibition, allowing visitors to explore the features of the machines in real time, with a team of experts on-hand to deliver live demonstrations and discuss the benefits both the Venture FV, and the wider Baty vision range, could bring to businesses throughout many industries.  

For full details of the Baty Venture FV and Bowers Group’s wider range of connected metrology solutions, visit the team at stand 19-440, located in the measurement & inspection zone of MACH 2024. Or visit www.bowersgroup.co.uk for more information.  

MVTec Software, a leading international software manufacturer for machine vision, is strengthening its activities in Taiwan and establishing its own subsidiary in Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei. The new subsidiary was opened on April 1, 2024, and is intended to further intensify the exchange with customers from Taiwan. Martin Krumey, Vice President Sales at MVTec, explains the background: “Our goal at MVTec is to be close to our customers worldwide. Taiwan is a strategically important market for us. We believe that with our increased local presence, together with our local partners, we can understand and serve the needs and requirements of our customers even better.” MVTec has already had a sales office in Taiwan since 2020. This will now be relocated from its previous location in Taichung to Hsinchu and upscaled into a subsidiary.

Expansion of presence for greater customer proximity

In terms of personnel, MVTec is focusing on continuity in Taiwan. Jash Chu and Edward Tsai, who were already working in the sales office in Taichung, are the first two employees of the new subsidiary MVTec Taiwan Co., LTD. The expertise of the sales office employees will help MVTec to further expand its presence on the Taiwanese market and intensify its proximity to local customers. Jash Chu, Technical Sales Manager, explains: “Our powerful software products HALCON and MERLIC are already well known in the market. With the new subsidiary, we are now able to provide customers with even faster and more comprehensive support for their specific, often very complex inquiries. This service directly from us as the manufacturer helps to get even more performance out of the machine vision applications.” Edward Tsai, Sales Manager, adds: “We have been working with strong local partners, such as sales partners or hardware manufacturers, for years. We want to maintain these partnerships and expand them accordingly for the benefit of our customers.” To achieve these goals, the number of employees in the new subsidiary will be increased further over the next few years.

Enormous potential in the semiconductor industry

“Our focus sector in Taiwan clearly is the semiconductor industry. Automation and the corresponding use of machine vision, including our software, are already very advanced here. Nevertheless, the market is growing very dynamically. We decided to open the subsidiary to meet the increasing technical challenges in particular,” says Martin Krumey. 

MVTec Software GmbH was founded in Munich in 1996. The MVTec software products HALCON, MERLIC, and the Deep Learning Tool are developed at the Munich headquarters. By using modern technologies such as 3D vision, deep learning, and embedded vision, MVTec software enables new automation solutions as well as their use in demanding sectors such as the semiconductor industry, battery production, or electronics industry.

Introduction to James Heal

James Heal stands as a global leader in the provision of advanced textile testing instruments and consumables. Renowned for its innovation and precision, James Heal’s expertise is trusted by top brands, retailers, manufacturers, and laboratories in over 70 countries. With products crafted by testing experts for testing experts, James Heal continues to lead the way in testing innovation.

About FORTEC UK

At FORTEC United Kingdom, their mission is to be the premier provider of complex, innovative, and expert solutions in industrial electronics. A team of technology specialists collaborates closely with their clients to tackle intricate technical challenges through advanced displays, embedded computing, monitors, components, and power solutions. Empowering their customers to look beyond the initial specifications to adopt solutions that are more effective, efficient, or sustainable. Embracing complexity sets them apart and defines their unique approach.

James Heal’s Partnership with FORTEC UK on HydroView and AirPro

When James Heal sought an expert to collaborate on their new HydroView and AirPro instruments, they turned to FORTEC UK for their expertise in advanced display solutions, aiming to bring the latest technology for functionality and user experience.

Revolutionising Textile Testing with HydroView

The HydroView Hydrostatic Head Tester is James Heal’s answer to the textile industry’s need for materials that perform exceptionally under various conditions while meeting high aesthetic and functional standards. Designed to assess the water resistance of a broad spectrum of fabrics, the HydroView is synonymous with precision, reliability, and an unparalleled user experience.

FORTEC’s recommendation for the new HydroView

• Litemax 10.1” High Resolution, IPS, High Brightness, Industrial Display with Multitouch Projective Capacitive Touch Screen: This display provides sharp, clear visuals and wide viewing angles, crucial for precise test result analysis. Its high brightness and robustness are ideal for diverse testing environments, while the Multitouch functionality offers an intuitive testing experience.
• Customer Branded Protection Glass with Optical Bonding: This feature not only boosts brand visibility but also ensures the display’s durability and clarity. Optical bonding technology enhances readability in various lighting conditions and fortifies the screen against environmental challenges.
• Custom HDMI Board with Audio and Configured Cable Sets: This setup ensures flawless device connectivity and integration, vital for contemporary testing laboratories. The inclusion of audio and bespoke cable sets enhances reliability and simplifies assembly, facilitating smooth operation.

Introducing AirPro: The Air Permeability Tester

In line with the HydroView, the AirPro by James Heal demonstrates the company’s dedication to innovation in textile testing. This highly accurate air permeability tester is suitable for a range of materials and comes equipped with Test Wise software, offering an intuitive and user-friendly interface for diverse testing applications.

FORTEC’s Custom Solutions for AirPro

• Litemax 7.0” High Resolution, IPS, High Brightness, Industrial Display with Multitouch Projective Capacitive Touch Screen: Guarantees optimal visibility and durability, complemented by intuitive touch controls for an efficient testing process.
• Customer Branded Protection Glass with Optical Bonding: Delivers a bespoke, premium appearance while enhancing the display’s durability and clarity, essential for accurate testing outcomes.
• Custom HDMI Board with Audio and Configured Cable Sets: Promotes seamless operation and connectivity, with audio for an interactive testing experience and custom cables for enhanced reliability.

The partnership between James Heal and FORTEC UK in the development of the HydroView and AirPro underscores the powerful synergy between cutting-edge technology and textile testing expertise. These advancements not only meet the industry’s demand for precise and dependable fabric testing but also establish new benchmarks for the design and functionality of textile testing instruments. As the textile sector progresses, the importance of such innovations becomes increasingly critical, ensuring that manufacturers can fulfil the growing expectations for high-quality, durable, and functional textiles.

To view the AirPro from James Heal click here and to view the HydroView click here

To find out more about FORTEC UK and their offerings for Instrumentation please click here