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The Oil & Gas Automation and Digitalisation Congress (AUTOMA) will take place on 5-6 October 2026 to bring together executives and technical leaders of the industry
Mihails Kusnezoff, Stefan Megel and Sindy Mosch from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden have developed a high-temperature electrolysis stack that is setting new standards worldwide: It generates hydrogen with unprecedented efficiency, can also operate as a fuel cell and is designed for industrial-scale serial production. The technology has earned the three researchers the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for 2026.
It wasn’t too long ago that hazardous zones and production zones were reasonably well separated. The areas where explosive gases, vapors, or combustible dusts were present tended to stay in their own very specific environments, and the equipment operating in those areas was specified accordingly. Today, however, that distinction is less clear.
The facility is one of the largest Ethernet-APL field network deployments undertaken by a Chinese domestic chemical enterprise, completion is expected for Q3/2027
As digital transformation increases demand for data from automation systems – driven by new digital innovations such as advanced analytics, AI and expanded connectivity – maintaining system integrity has become a challenge. ABB’s Luis Duran explores how the concept of “separation of concerns” protect the core of the automation system in a cyber-secure way, while enabling new digital value without compromising operational performance.
Direct driven blowers for economical and energy-efficient process air generation
Fast and reliable measurement over wide temperature ranges
Grinding organic waste into pumpable material for stable transport
Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that its OpreX™ Open Automation SI Kit for Open Process Automation™ (OPA) systems has been certified for conformance with the OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) profile of the Open Process Automation Standard (O‑PAS™), a first in the process industry.
A long-standing automation partnership between a Swiss machine builder and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial robots is aiming to help transform the pharmaceutical supply chain in Europe with the launch of what is believed to be the ‘smallest’ automated palletising cell for vials and pre-filled syringes.
At a specialist aerospace equipment manufacturer in Portsmouth, an initiative to reduce energy costs identified steam energy usage that could be optimised. Dart Aerospace involved Bürkert’s engineering team to develop a system that could automatically close steam flow during non-operational periods. This custom-developed flow control system was set live in January 2025 and achieved return on investment in a matter of months.
The fertilizer sector is caught in a global paradox between growing food to feed billions and the urgent need to decarbonise. Compressors present a largely overlooked opportunity to reduce lifecycle costs and carbon emissions, while enabling more sustainable production of ammonia. Author: Greg Gedney, Business Development Manager, Industrial Operations, Greene Tweed
Ultra-thin barrier layers on packaging effectively protect food and medicine from oxygen, moisture, and contaminants. The Film-Inspect sensor, developed at Fraunhofer IPM, measures the quality of these barriers during the coating process, enabling process control for the first time.
The Endress+Hauser Group’s generational handover continues. The Swiss measurement and automation technology specialist has already announced a sweeping refresh of the Executive Board made necessary by the planned retirement of several long-serving members.
A new wave of more efficient, adaptable and intelligent plant operations is emerging as conventional control systems evolve into modern, open and modular automation ecosystems. Stefan Basenach, Senior Vice President ABB Automation Technology, explains how ABB’s Automation Extended allows industrial organizations to fully embrace the opportunities of digitalization while futureproofing their operations.
Polyurethanes (PUR) are found in many products, such as upholstered furniture, foam or insulation materials, flooring, paints and even medical catheter tubes. The production of these high-demand plastics, however, relies on toxic isocyanate. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed an alternative production process using harmless dicarbamate.
Hanna Lundin, product engineer at Emerson, explains in this article how simplified tank monitoring system architectures make it more feasible for companies to implement an automated solution to improve their inventory management, increase safety and efficiency.
APC enables capacity increases without new hardware, energy savings and cost reduction through continuous optimization, and more stable product quality under fluctuating conditions.
When it comes to beverage dispensing and flow measurement, Titan Enterprises offers two distinct solutions that each has unique strengths and trade-offs, making the choice application-dependent.
At the Bürkert Trade Press Days we spoke with Georg Stawowy, CEO of Bürkert Fluid Control Systems about the concept of a regenerative economy.
Intrinsically safe copper-based Ethernet to ATEX Zone 1
Valuable energy is lost in pressure reduction stations, exhaust steam pipes and condensation systems. With Energify system, the company CFT GmbH offers a simple and robust solution for the cost-effective conversion of even slight pressure differences into energy. This saves electricity costs and lowers CO₂ emissions. The system performance is controlled precisely with sliding gate valves from Schubert & Salzer.
Intrinsically safe tablets and smartphones serve as digital and networked hubs for connected workers in the process industry
Increased safety through clarity in challenging situations for the process industry and railway sector
Versatile senor with certification for use in hygienic applications
Precision and accuracy are essential for liquid dosing applications to ensure quality and safety. While these factors are vital at the micro level, macro scale applications, involving litres of product, can also make significant efficiency gains by optimising dosing control. To achieve this, selecting the right valve and measurement technology is vital, with the right level of automation.
Accelerated PLC integration without need for programming
Siemens launches a one-stop security platform for managing communication connections in OT networks. With virtualized network structures it protects shop floor devices from targeted attacks and unauthorized access.
With the growing complexity of technical plants, demographic shifts in the workforce, and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, traditional methods of risk assessment are reaching their limits. To meet these challenges, TÜV SÜD has developed a digital approach, called iaHAZOP, that builds on established risk assessment methods and extends them into the digital domain. The process industry now has a tool that redefines the state-of-the-art in technical risk management. Authors: Michael Pfeifer, Senior Expert Adaptive Safety and Alexander Kurdas, Expert for Machinery and Electrical Safety. TÜV Süd
Merck and Siemens are deepening their strategic partnership with the aim of accelerating AI and data-driven drug discovery and development
The collaboration is paving the way for seamless MES deployment on HMI Systems in pharma and biotechnology
Upgrading pneumatic control valves with digital capabilities can enhance process quality and efficiency. Though a full digital control system redesign might be prohibitive, integrating digital positioners and process controllers can offer many of the same benefits without requiring a complete overhaul. Author: Kieran Bennett, Industry Manager, Food & Beverage at Bürkert.
The European Pump Association has announced the appointment of Alexandre Lacour as its new President for the period 2025–2027. He succeeds Lubos Michlik, CEO of Sigma and member of the Executive Council of the Czech Pump Manufacturers Association (CPMA), who has successfully led the association over the past two years.
Maintaining wind turbines and identifying potential vulnerabilities is expensive and time-consuming, especially when they are located offshore. As a result, rotor blades are often simply replaced, a costly process, when damage is merely suspected. The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, working in concert with the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES, has developed a solution that can be used to identify cracks and breakages inside the blades remotely at an early stage.
Precise material analysis plays a central role in many industries - from the pharmaceutical and food industries to construction materials, biotechnology and environmental sciences. Whether for quality assurance or for predicting material behaviour, the precise characterisation of particles is crucial.
Endress+Hauser is now the sole owner of the software company CodeWrights GmbH, based in Karlsruhe, Germany. The Swiss specialist in measurement and automation technology acquired the remaining 33 percent of the shares from the sensors and electronics manufacturer Pepperl+Fuchs with effect from 1 July 2025. Since 2002, Endress+Hauser held two-thirds of the shares, while Pepperl+Fuchs owned the remaining third.
Optimized performance with more torque for the same size
From fertilizer to energy source of the future
Yokogawa Collaborates with Shell on Robotics and AI Technology for Plant Maintenance
Agriculture is facing major challenges today. Climate change, increasing demands on sustainability and the pressure to achieve higher yields with lower resource consumption require innovative solutions. Greenhouses offer a controllable environment that can be made even more efficient through technological advances such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
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