REDDITCH, UK – Altus Group, a leading supplier of capital equipment for the electronics industry, has further enhanced its product portfolio with the addition of the ASSCON VP810 Vapor Phase Soldering System, the latest innovation in vapor phase technology launched at this year's Productronica trade fair in Munich.

Designed for users managing applications with frequent product changes in small series production, the VP810 offers versatile applications, making it ideal for prototyping, laboratory work, and process qualifications. Its compact design, characteristic of ASSCON's stand-alone vapor phase soldering systems, allows for flexible loading on workpiece carriers and seamless integration into various production setups.

The VP810 maintains its predecessor's cost efficiency and space-saving attributes, the VP800, while introducing an innovative touch display for user-friendly machine operation. The Advanced Management Interface enables external profile creation, system monitoring, and automatic production data logging. There is also the option to add the patented Multi Vacuum technology, which achieves void rates below 1%.

Altus Group CEO, Joe Booth said: "2023 has proven to be a milestone year for vapor phase soldering adoption in the UK and Ireland, marking our best performance yet since joining forces with ASSCON. We have supplied a diverse range of systems - from the fully inline VP2100-100 to the popular VP510 laboratory batch solution, which is our top-selling unit this year.

“ASSCON is a great company to work with, but what sets them apart is their commitment to continuous development and innovation. The release of the VP2100-100 in 2021 left a lasting impact on our local partners and resonated globally. Now, with the introduction of the VP810, ASSCON has adeptly bridged the gap between the VP510 and VP800 units. This provides customers with price sensitivity and an excellent entry point and positions the VP810 for success. We look forward to the unit's widespread adoption and ASSCON's next innovation."

The VP810 sets a new standard for intelligent vapor phase soldering with its innovative sensor based profiling capability. This enables real-time temperature measurement at the product level during every soldering cycle, allowing for automated adjustment of profiles to dial in optimal parameters. The VP810 can now leverage this closed-loop temperature control even when running in vacuum mode for minimised voids.

The inclusion of the ASSCON VP810 further strengthens Altus’ product portfolio, addressing the evolving needs of customers with precision and innovation.

MUNICH – Microsoft and Siemens are deepening their partnership by bringing the benefits of generative AI to industries worldwide.

As a first step, the companies are introducing Siemens Industrial Copilot, an AI-powered jointly developed assistant aimed at improving human-machine collaboration in manufacturing. In addition, the launch of the integration between Siemens Teamcenter software for product lifecycle management and Microsoft Teams will further pave the way to enabling the industrial metaverse. It will simplify virtual collaboration of design engineers, frontline workers, and other teams across business functions.

“With this next generation of AI, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate innovation across the entire industrial sector,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “We’re building on our longstanding collaboration with Siemens and bringing together AI advances across the Microsoft Cloud with Siemens’ industrial domain expertise to empower both frontline and knowledge workers with new, AI-powered tools, starting with Siemens Industrial Copilot.”

“Together with Microsoft, our shared vision is to empower customers with the adoption of generative AI,” says Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens AG. “This has the potential to revolutionize the way companies design, develop, manufacture, and operate. Making human-machine collaboration more widely available allows engineers to accelerate code development, increase innovation and tackle skilled labor shortages.”

A new era of human-machine collaboration

Siemens Industrial Copilot will allow users to rapidly generate, optimize and debug complex automation code, and significantly shorten simulation times. This will reduce a task that previously took weeks to minutes. The copilot ingests automation and process simulation information from Siemens’ open digital business platform, Siemens Xcelerator, and enhances it with Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service. Customers maintain full control over their data, and it is not used to train underlying AI models.

Siemens Industrial Copilot promises to boost productivity and efficiency across the industrial lifecycle. Using natural language, maintenance staff can be assisted with detailed repair instructions and engineers with quick access to simulation tools.

The vision: Copilots for all industries

The companies envision AI copilots assisting professionals in various industries, including manufacturing, infrastructure, transportation, and healthcare. Numerous copilots are already planned in the manufacturing sectors, such as automotive, consumer package goods and machine building.

Schaeffler AG, a leading automotive supplier, is among the first in the automotive industry to embrace generative AI in the engineering phase. This helps its engineers to generate reliable code for programming industrial automation systems such as robots. In addition, the company intends to incorporate Siemens Industrial Copilot during their own operations, aiming to significantly reduce downtimes, and also for their clients at a later stage.

”With this joint pilot, we’re stepping into a new age of productivity and innovation. This Siemens Industrial Copilot will help our team work more efficiently, reduce repetitive tasks, and unleash creativity. We’re excited to partner with Siemens and Microsoft on this project,” says Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler Group.

Generative AI facilitates virtual collaboration

To bring virtual collaboration across teams to the next level, Teamcenter for Microsoft Teams will be generally available beginning December 2023. This new app uses the latest advances in generative AI to connect functions across the product design and manufacturing lifecycle such as frontline workers to engineering teams. It connects Siemens’ Teamcenter software for product lifecycle management (PLM) with Microsoft’s collaboration platform Teams to make data more accessible for factory and field service workers. This will enable millions of workers who do not have access to PLM tools today to contribute to the design and manufacturing process more easily as part of their daily work.

HAWTHORNE, CA – OSI Systems, Inc. (the “Company” or “OSI Systems”) (NASDAQ: OSIS) today announced that its Optoelectronics and Manufacturing division has received orders totaling approximately $5 million to provide electronic assemblies to a leading technology OEM. The Company plans to use its operations in the United Kingdom to fulfill these orders.

OSI Systems’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Deepak Chopra, commented, “We are pleased with this award and look forward to continue supporting this OEM.”

INGLESIDE, IL – IDENTCO – a manufacturer of high-performance labeling solutions for the power equipment, electronics, transportation, and general industrial sector – has hired longtime materials supply executive Brian Kady as Vice President of Global Sales. He officially joined the company on November 20, and will oversee IDENTCO’s far-reaching sales efforts in the company’s four distinct business units. Mr. Kady also is responsible for sales activities for Reliance Label Solutions, another company under the Industrial Labels Holdings Corp flag.

Most recently, Mr. Kady served as Vice President of Sales at Pregis Polymask, where he drove double-digit sales growth for the protective films company. Before that, he gained ample adhesives and coatings experience during tenures with both Avery and 3M, two of the largest entities in that sector. He also has served as Director of Sales – Performance Adhesives Group for Ohio-based Mactac.

Mr. Kady joins IDENTCO at a promising time. The company has been steadily adding to its extensive portfolio of labeling solutions, which it designs, manufactures and supplies for demanding sectors such as automotive components, electronics applications, industrial machinery & tools, and commercial transportation. In addition, IDENTCO recently introduced VortexID, an automated wire marking system whose throughput and durability set new industry benchmarks.

“Brian is a people-first yet results-driven business development executive with a track record of expanding revenue growth and extending market share,” said Brad Zechman, CEO of IDENTCO. “As IDENTCO continues to bolster and broaden our solutions portfolio across each of our four main business units, Brian’s industry experience and leadership qualities will be a tremendous asset.”

Mr. Kady earned an MBA from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan, and a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI.