Automation Articles for Manufacturers and Engineers

Headlining Datalogic’s busy month of announcements is the AREX400 AF, a new fiber laser marking system.

Laser Marking Systems, Image Readers and Modex: Datalogic’s Busy Month

Datalogic is showcasing several new advances at Modex, including one that already has a notable success story in the parcel industry.

With a busy month leading up to Modex, Datalogic has shined a spotlight on several new products both recent and upcoming designed for the logistics and packaging industries. Here is a roundup of the half dozen newest products they’re highlighting.

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

Hannover Messe 2026

Automation is the key to efficiency and competitiveness. At HANNOVER MESSE, the focus is on intelligent systems, sensor technology, and networked control technologies, as well as PLCs, DCS, SCADA systems, motion control, industrial PCs, embedded systems, and electric drives. These technologies ensure quality and enable intelligent, networked processes—across industries and with an eye to the future.

Nord to Exhibit at Modex 2026

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has announced their participation in MODEX 2026. From April 13–16 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, NORD will showcase their latest advancements in high-efficiency gear motors, intelligent electronic control products, and modular automation solutions designed to optimize throughput and reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Attendees are invited to visit Booth B14136 to talk with experts and discover how NORD’s decentralized technology is redefining reliability in modern warehousing and distribution centers.

ROBOTICS

EZGO Mini Pallet AMR Displayed at Logimat

The EZGO Mini Pallet AMR is designed for quick setup using SLAM-based 3D LiDAR navigation, enabling operation without major site modifications. Under typical conditions, the system can be deployed within approximately 15 minutes, making it suitable for facilities with frequently changing workflows.

The CRX‑30iA mobile manipulator demonstrating palletizing with a fully integrated robotic autonomous mobile robot (AMR) system engineered for warehouse, fulfillment and distribution environments.

FANUC America Showcases Robotic and AMR Solutions at MODEX 2026

FANUC will demonstrate technologies that streamline box handling, scanning, picking, palletizing, depalletizing, and autonomous material movement while improving accuracy, boosting throughput, reducing physical strain, enhancing safety, and helping companies address labor shortages. AI‑enhanced vision and intelligent perception tools help robots identify products, adapt to mixed workloads, and make real-time decisions in dynamic warehouse environments.

MOTION CONTROL

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

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.

Ethernet-Ready AC Microdrive

Yaskawa America's new GA501 AC drive includes embedded dual-port Ethernet capability and the ability to connect via EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP/IP, EtherCAT, BACnet/IP, or MECHATROLINK-4. The drive also comes with standard DIN rail mounting for up to 7.5 HP, and spring-tension I/O terminals. With support for all major industrial Ethernet protocols and topologies, the GA501 eliminates the need for additional hardware, reduces installation time, and simplifies system design.

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.