Microsoft has announced the largest investment in its 40-year history in Germany to accelerate the possibilities and benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) in the country.

Leuze is presenting solutions for greater efficiency in intralogistics at Logimat in Stuttgart. The trade fair package includes the most compact intralogistics positioning system, a safety barcode positioning system and a safety solution for access guarding at AGV transfer stations.

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Endress+Hauser intends to take over the operations of the Swiss supplier Angenstein Estech, including its production plant in Cernay, France, Estech Industries Angenstein, succursale de Cernay. Representatives of both companies have signed a letter of intent to this effect. All jobs at the metalworking company are to be retained.

Thomson Industries has added a high speed option to its range of heavy duty ball screws. With a diameter of 50 mm and an exceptionally high lead of 100 mm, the new ball screw supports high travel speeds in applications requiring a dynamic load capacity of up to 202.4 kN.

Matuschek Messtechnik has completed the LK-601 Power Analyzer with a modular expansion card for evaluating mechanical signals from electric motors and other drive components in higher power classes.

Dr. Daniel Rieser has been Managing Director for Sales and Marketing at Schwäbische Werkzeugmaschinen since October 2023. Rieser focuses on the development of international sales strategies.

Universal Robots (UR), the Danish manufacturer of collaborative robots (cobots), is once again organizing its "Robots on Tour" event series in 2024. At 16 locations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, interested parties will have the opportunity to find out more about how collaborative robotics works and its areas of application. The tour started on February 1 and ends on October 24.

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The manufacturer of active DC energy management systems and safe braking resistors, Michael Koch, is now part of the ODCA (Open Direct Current Alliance) working group of the ZVEI, which was founded in 2022 as a continuation of the DC-Industrie2 research project.

Although the EU Supply Chain Directive pursues a correct and important goal, it is simply not feasible in practice for European companies. Eight business organizations, including VDMA and ZVEI, are calling for a new draft.

Additive manufacturing has experienced an impressive technological boost: new metallic and non-metallic substrates are expanding the range of possibilities, while new concepts and increased reliability are making it possible to use them in the industrial production chain. Our table gives you an overview of important technology providers.

Zahoransky has sold the production site for injection molds to management as part of the group's future-oriented development. As part of a management buy-out, Monty Tepper, the long-standing managing director and toolmaking expert, is taking over entrepreneurial responsibility.

BASF is divesting its shares in the two joint venture companies in Xinjiang, China. On the one hand, this is for economic reasons, and on the other hand, BASF's investments in China have been criticized for possible human rights violations.

For thirteen years, Prof. Dr. Peter Schneider has been responsible for the management of the Adaptive Systems Engineering branch EAS, which is part of the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS. Since January 1, 2024, the management of the institute has been strengthened by electrical engineer Dr. Wolfgang Felber.

Dr.-Ing. Kurt D. Bettenhausen, Chief Technology and Development Officer, is leaving the Harting Technology Group by mutual agreement. He will relinquish his office on March 01, 2024.

Establishing Central Germany as a "3D printing region", opening up new fields of application and making additive manufacturing with thermoplastics economically viable for small and medium-sized enterprises: With this goal in mind, 15 partners have joined forces in the "AddiQ" project. The Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle (Saale) is involved in projects on heavy-duty components for transportation and lightweight, comfortable orthoses.

EnerSys has introduced the NexSys Air wireless charger. Designed for a wide range of automated guided vehicles (AGVs), the wireless charger offers an advanced, space-saving design to automate the charging process and eliminate maintenance tasks. This is a safe and convenient solution for operating equipment and AGV manufacturers (OEMs) that eliminates the need for physical connections.

With the merger of the companies UFT, TKW and VMR to form "Henngineered" in July 2023, the parent company, the Austrian Henn Connector Group, combines valuable expertise and services under one roof.

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No sooner had LED2WORK announced the founding of LED2WORK Inc. and its development strategy in the USA than Holger Ritter was introduced as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the luminaire manufacturer's headquarters in Pforzheim.

Innovace 2024, ACE Shock Absorber's competition for aspiring engineers, sets participants the task of developing a device for the improved diagnosis of climbing injuries by September 30, 2024.

MV-Tec Software, international software manufacturer for industrial image processing, announces an important change in the Merlic team: Ulf Schulmeyer has taken over product management for the easy-to-use Merlic software.