Omron has become a member of The Climate Group’s EP100 initiatives. Omron is the first Japanese company in the manufacturing industry and the fourth Japanese company in general to join the EP100 initiative, which brings together over 120 energy smart businesses committed to measuring and reporting on energy efficiency improvements.

Celebrating over 50 years as a leader in motion control, Aerotech has grown from a three-man start-up to a high-tech company with over 500 employees. We speak to Aerotech CEO Mark Botos and president Bob Novotnak about the company’s development.

Industrial service provider Eriks has invested more than £500,000 in its specialist sealing and polymer technology centre in Barnsley, increasing capacity and creating jobs.

Compressed air and fluid power specialist Thorite has appointed Jim Allen as business development manager to support its £10 million growth plan, bringing the nationwide team to 13.

With Mitsubishi Electric having written a white paper looking at robotics in the pharmaceutical sector, solutions manager David Bean highlights how industrial automation can improve the environmental footprint of pharmaceutical manufacturing activities.

James Causebrook, managing director at Grunwald UK, has been appointed as the new chairman of the PPMA. With over 15 years of valuable experience in business, James is sure to hit the ground running, knowing what it takes to lead a team and exceed its targets.

BFPA has announced the appointment of Chris Butcher as managing director. He joins BFPA from Woodway Engineering, where he was managing director for the Coventry based company, and brings over 25 years of experience in the fluid power industry.

Igus says its RBTX online marketplace, which helps users looking for cost-effective automation solutions, brings over 100 cost-effective automation solutions to your fingertips, and includes new functions and automation feasibility demonstrations.

Dutch integrator RFA Rijlaarsdam Factory Automation has installed a Kawasaki Robotics EMEA RS020N robot with an Okuma Benelux Genos M460V-5AX milling machine at TMI Group Nederland in Hengelo.

Essentra Components is expanding the ranges of security seals that it will manufacture using a minimum of 45% recycled material, after a successful 100 million piece initial phase.