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.

In the production of turned metal components such as copper, the precise hole depth is a critical quality feature. With the optoCONTROL CLS1000 series of controllers, in combination with the CFS4-A11 light guide reflex sensor from Micro-Epsilon, hole depths can be detected on a non-contact basis, reliably and with high precision.

Accu has expanded its fastener portfolio with a new range of hygienic bolts, washers and nuts, which are designed to prevent contamination risk in food processing, beverage production, commercial bakery and pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.

Siemens has announced availability of the latest Simcenter software release with significant enhancements across the portfolio, delivering new capabilities that help engineers accelerate simulation workflows, explore more options faster and make more confident decisions earlier in the design process.

With the Catan C1, Phoenix Contact is presenting a controller for building automation that combines open architecture, modular extendibility, and interoperability. As part of the product family of the same name, the Catan C1 has been designed for durability, maintainability, and reuse.

More efficiency and more process stability are two requirements that play a decisive role in the complex battery cell production process. NORD DRIVESYSTEMS supports the industry with tailor-made drive solutions with which manufacturers can have their total cost of ownership under control. This includes energy-efficient low-contamination components.

As composite production ramps up across civil aerospace, a recurring constraint emerges during assembly, particularly at the drilling stage for carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) aerostructures. Christopher Lloyd, aerospace engineer at industrial drilling tool manufacturer Desoutter Tools, outlines how manufacturers can maintain stability as output increases.

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.

At Smart Manufacturing Week 2026, visitors gathered around the FightFest arena to watch robots clash in a series of high-energy battles. Sparks flew, weapons collided and competitors rushed between matches to repair damaged machines. Among them was Beckhoff-sponsored robot Sir VoDrive, competing against teams from across the manufacturing and engineering community.