Automation Articles for Manufacturers and Engineers

Safe Torque Off (STO) is one of the most important safety measures incorporated when operators and machinery work in close proximity.

Safe Torque Off Is Being Embraced Industry-Wide

After years of advances, it is being recognized as a new standard in servo drive safety.

Servo drive manufacturers have coalesced around a new status quo: Safe Torque Off. After a decade of development, the technology has become widely recognized as the standard in workplace safety; cheaper, safer, and more compact than the competition. If you’re working to meet modern standards for workplace safety today, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to start here.

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

MODEX 2026

MODEX is where manufacturing and supply chain professionals come together. Organizer MHI calls the event the world’s largest supply chain experience. From hands‑on product demonstrations to one-on-one meetings and a conference with four keynotes and nearly 200 sessions, visitors to MODEX 2026 can see the latest equipment and technology, learn the latest trends, connect with key suppliers and make strategic capital equipment buying decisions.

Antaira’s industrial PoE solutions are designed to stretch power and ethernet further on industrial sites that need to make do with less.

Beyond the Cable Run: Industrial PoE Solutions Built for the Remote Edge

Remote industrial applications such as oil fields and mining operations rarely enjoy comprehensive infrastructural support. Whether operating outside, temporary, or running lean, these operations need solutions that can work outside the fully optimized and controlled environment of a fully operational factory in the heart of a city. Antaira has a solution.

ROBOTICS

The Mantis MR-1 robot comes with 47 embedded safety standards and certification to ISO 10218 and ISO 13849.

Robots and Humans Working Together

Mantis Robotics announced the certification to ISO 10218 and ISO 13849 of its Mantis MR-1 flagship robot. According to the company, the MR-1 has become the first fenceless, high-speed industrial arm to receive these certifications. By integrating proprietary Physical AI, the MR-1 eliminates the traditional "safety vs. speed" compromise, allowing high-speed throughput in shared human workspaces without the need for physical barriers.

Igus has introduced self-serve shopping for their online store, RBTX.

Igus Introduces Self-Serve Shopping to RBTX Online Store

Igus’s robotics storefront, RBTX, has started offering self-serve shopping. Previously, RBTX would not allow customers to purchase components without first checking that they were compatible, a safeguard to prevent costly mistakes when purchasing components worth thousands. For those who wish to skip that, Igus has lowered the guardrails to let industry experts quickly order parts the same as they would most anywhere else.

MOTION CONTROL

Nord has released a new size 112 model for their line of permanent magnet synchronous motors.

Nord Expands IE5+ Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Line with Larger Model, Additional Horsepower

Nord has introduced a new size 112 model to their line of IE5+ permanent magnet synchronous motors. This product line focuses primarily on energy efficiency, and thus cost savings, but they are expanding the line to handle bigger, more torque-intensive tasks with a larger model.

ABB’s contactors and soft starters headlined the products RS will now be distributing on their behalf.

ABB Partners With RS To Distribute Conveyor Belt Products

While announcing that service solutions provider RS would now carry their line of conveyor products, ABB touted their contactors and soft starters. Both product lines are part of a unified message: reduce energy costs and wear and tear by using gentler products.

AI

Vention's GRIIP enables deployment of autonomous robot cells in highly unstructured manufacturing environments

How Generalized AI Can Transform Pick-and-Place Robotics

Instead of dedicated pick-and-place robots programmed for a single task, a new type of generalized artificial intelligence can allow for a more flexible and robust autonomous robotic implementation that scales across applications.

The A8 is designed for advanced industrial manufacturing applications, with a particular focus on the rapidly evolving semiconductor manufacturing equipment market. Its high-performance architecture and flexible engineering environment make it ideally suited for industries requiring precision control, scalable integration, and accelerated development cycles.

Yokogawa Introduces OpreX A8 Intelligent Edge Controllers

The semiconductor manufacturing industry continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, driven by rapidly increasing precision requirements and growing system complexity. As equipment configurations and control targets diversify, engineers are often required to modify or completely rewrite control software to accommodate new specifications or design changes. Because traditional controllers tightly couple software behavior to hardware, even small adjustments can lead to lengthy redevelopment cycles, slowing innovation and delaying equipment rollout. To overcome these limitations, Yokogawa has introduced a mechanism that enables software development centered on data rather than hardware dependencies. This architecture allows the control software to seamlessly absorb variations in equipment design, functionality, and operating conditions.