Jack Alberts, market sales manager at Parker Hannifin, explores ISO standards with regards to quick couplings, and why interchangeability matters more than you think.

Recent updates to Kollmorgen's Safe Motion Monitor (SMM) software platforms have seen the company expanding support for additional safety-rated encoder protocols, including high-accuracy and linear feedback systems, allowing engineers to apply functional safety principles in applications that were previously difficult to cover without compromise.

Just as fears about robots have been allayed, the key to building trust in AI is similarly rooted in education, information and transparency. Here, the experts at FANUC debunk some of the most common myths surrounding AI and automation.

Machine building brings engineering, build activity, commissioning, and production support into one connected project lifecycle. A machine may be guarded correctly on paper, yet the real safety challenge appears during integration and commissioning work. This is where an OSHA compliance course becomes relevant because it gives machine-building teams a shared basis for recognising workplace hazards before equipment moves from build phase to operational use. That foundation matters because automation projects place people close to energy sources, moving parts, and changing work conditions.

As machinery becomes more advanced, standard components, especially gearboxes, often fall short. Overcoming this challenge demands custom solutions, engineered to meet precise performance needs. Here, Dave Walsha, Sales Director at custom precision gearbox manufacturer Electro Mechanical Systems, explains how custom gearboxes are engineered to support and enhance specialised machinery design and function.

David Strain, technical director at Technidrive, examines the motor and drive technologies underpinning commercial food production and explains how these technologies give manufacturers tighter control across production lines.

The UK lags behind the rest of the world on automation. In sectors where adhesive dispensing is a routine part of assembly, that gap represents a real competitive disadvantage. Here, Matt Baseley, Head of Sales at adhesives and dispensing systems supplier Intertronics, examines ten reasons for investing in automation.

New technology naturally attracts attention in the automation sector, and sensor innovation continues to drive improvements in machine performance, efficiency and reliability. Swiss sensor manufacturer Contrinex has remained at the forefront of sensing technology for more than 50 years. However, as Mark Weymouth of UK representative PLUS Automation points out, achieving the best automation solution is not always about selecting the newest technology. In many cases, significant performance gains and cost savings can be achieved by choosing the most appropriate sensor technology for the application.

ABB’s LV Titanium Variable Speed Motor (VSM) platform delivers the benefits of an IE5 Ultra-Premium efficiency motor and variable speed drive (VSD) technology in a single, compact, plug-and-play solution. Michele Maggi, R&D Engineer Product Development at ABB, explains that VSMs, now available from 1.1 to 30 kW, enable a wide range of industrial customers to minimise their energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.

When machine builders talk about the benefits of cabinet-free automation, the conversation usually focuses on faster installation and simplified maintenance. What often goes unnoticed is a commercial advantage that starts well before a machine even reaches the factory floor: shipping costs. In a logistics environment increasingly shaped by volumetric pricing models, machine footprint is becoming just as important as machine weight. Here Neil March, MX Product Specialist at Beckhoff, explains how this shift makes control architecture a surprisingly relevant cost driver.