There is much going on in the world of fluid power and motion control, from technology introductions and industry advancements to new trends and industry leaders. Each week the Power & Motion team collects some of the latest industry news to help keep our readers up to date on what's happening in the industries in which they work.
Ouster Completes Merger with Velodyne
Ouster, a developer of digital lidar, has completed its merger with Velodyne which develops lidar sensors and other related solutions. The combined company will retain the name Ouster.
When the merger was first announced in December, Ouster stated the value of bringing together the two companies' expertise in lidar sensors. The companies will work together to bring lidar technology to a range of applications including automotive, industrial, robotics and more.
The newly combined company anticipates keeping its approximately 350 employees with headquarters in San Francisco, CA, and offices across the Americas, Europe as well as Asia-Pacific.
Strengths Ouster states the combined companies will provide in its press release announcing the finalized merger include:
- Robust product portfolio to serve current and prospective customers;
- Expanded partner ecosystem and distribution channels to accelerate market penetration;
- Innovative digital lidar roadmap and software strategy to drive product adoption and new high-margin revenue streams;
- Extensive intellectual property portfolio with 173 granted and 504 pending patents;
- Strong financial position.
RS Adds New Suppliers to Industry 4.0 Portfolio
RS (formerly Allied Electronics & Automation) has added three new suppliers to its portfolio of technologies for Industry 4.0. The suppliers — ILME, ABB Robotics and Madison Company — bring industrial connectors, robotics, switches and sensor products to the technology lineup, all of which aid with advanced manufacturing operations.
- ILME designs and manufactures connectivity solutions such as connector inserts, contacts and enclosures for use in industrial automation, robotics and other heavy-duty applications.
- ABB Robotics develops robotics solutions including autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and machine automation solutions.
- Madison Company develops sensors and controls for various applications including food & beverage, marine, medial and off-highway vehicles.
READ MORE: Robotics on the Rise in Packaging and Processing Applications
Danfoss Names Center for Sustainability Director
Danfoss Power Solutions has appointed Carina Christine Skovmøller to a newly created role, director of its Center for Sustainability. She will be based in Copenhagen and tasked with supporting the company's ESG (environmental, social, and governance) efforts, primarily focusing on sustainability.
In addition to responsibility for Danfoss Power Solutions' sustainability strategy she will also play a role in helping the company's customers achieve their decarbonization goals.
"I look forward to helping Danfoss Power Solutions apply the 2030 climate goals on a divisional and business unit level," Skovmøller said in the company's press release announcing her appointment. "The development of specific roadmaps will help us achieve these targets and put us on a path toward a decarbonized and circular product portfolio, ultimately helping us realize our goal of becoming our customers’ preferred sustainability partner."
Skovmøller holds a doctorate in sustainability and environmental studies and a master’s degree in marketing and economics; she also earned a master's degree in communications and journalism as well as her bachelor's degree in business studies. She brings 10 years of experience in sustainability to the new role, having served in various roles leading sustainability efforts at other companies.
Visit our Workers in Science and Engineering (WISE) page for more content related to workplace issues affecting the engineering field, in addition to contributions from equity seeking groups and subject matter experts within various subdisciplines.igus Expands Availability of Robotics Marketplace
As part of igus' Low-Cost Automation Solutions, designed to help lower the barrier for entry in adopting automation technologies, the company has expanded its RBTX robotics marketplace. igus established the marketplace in 2019 and initially was available in eight countries.
Ten more countries now have access to the marketplace, and three others will be added soon.
Automation is growing, and the implementation of robots of various types are a large part of this to help manufacturers maintain productivity and alleviate labor challenges. As there is a lot of effort and cost which can go into automating processes, igus established RBTX to ease the process for customers.
The robotics marketplace includes cost-effective robotic components and complete solutions, remote integration service, and customer testing areas at locations across the globe where customers can try out solutions before purchasing them. Within the marketplace are over 300 individual robotics components from 78 manufacturers and over 150 solutions developed based on real-world applications.
Starting with Germany, the program was then available in Austria, France, Great Britain, the U.S., Canada, India and Singapore. The newly expanded marketplace is now available in Poland, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand. The next three soon to follow will be Spain, Brazil, and Turkey.
