According to the experts at FDB Panel Fittings, there can be added value benefits from buying your hardware from a specialist stockist-distributor.

Zebra Technologies is working closely with its manufacturing customers and industrial automation partners to bridge the gap between logistics and manufacturing industry need for 3D technologies and the upskilling required among industrial automation and machine vision builders and integrators.

The mGuard Secure Cloud from Phoenix Contact allows secure remote access to machines and systems worldwide. Version 3.1 is now available with immediate effect.

With the new AGV-CPO series, Aerotech is launching powerful 2-axis laser scan heads that, according to the manufacturer, offer optimal value for money for numerous applications. The compact systems in the new CORE Performance class offer 22-bit resolution, minimal thermal drift and excellent dynamics, and are suitable for research and process development as well as for industrial precision machining.

norelem has unveiled a new range of actuators designed to deliver precise, intelligent motion control across a wide spectrum of handling and automation applications. Engineered as complete mechatronic systems, the actuators reliably convert motion commands into mechanical motion, providing industrial automation professionals with robust, high-performance solutions.

For more than a century, industrial motors have remained largely unchanged in their core design, relying on radial flux technology to power everything from manufacturing lines to heavy-duty machinery. While this approach has been refined over time, the industry has faced a fundamental challenge: how to make motors more compact, efficient and adaptable - without sacrificing power. Cassiano Antunes Cezario, R&D Manager at WEG's Industrial Motor division introduces the W80 AXgen axial flux motor.

WDS Components has introduced a new range of blank finger grippers designed to make custom automation and robotic tooling faster and more precise. These pre-machined modular blanks enable engineers to create bespoke grippers tailored to specific workpiece shapes and application requirements without the need to design blanks from scratch.

When it comes to cable management, machine builders and installers supplying equipment into hygienically sensitive areas are often forced to compromise between the flexibility of an open system, which provides less cable protection, or a closed system, which conversely increases integrity at the expense of installation flexibility. A third option, however, is available from Lasnek using its IP66 / NEMA4X trunking system which offers the user both flexibility and integrity.

The IFS Profisafe Gateway from Phoenix Contact makes it easy to integrate network-compatible motor starters into Profisafe networks and use them in safety applications.

The PPMA Show has always been a snapshot of where the UK's processing and packaging sector is heading. Every September, the innovations on display hint at how factories will look in the years ahead. With the show taking place every year, it's sometimes hard to notice the cumulative impact of these changes over time. But what might we expect to see in a decade from now? Here, Bradley McEwan, business development manager at automation specialist Beckhoff UK, imagines what we might expect to see if teleported to PPMA 2035.