February 14, 2019 – Opto 22 has released the groov serial I/O module GRV-CSERI-4 for communications.

February 13, 2019 – OCTOPUZ Inc., a Waterloo, Ontario–based simulation software provider, has introduced a new suite of tools for optimizing robotic toolpaths.

February 12, 2019 – Buehler has added the new UH4000 Series Universal Hardness Tester to its line of measurement tools for process control.

February 11, 2019 – Eaton has launched its high-density rack power distribution unit (PDU) platform in North America.

February 8, 2019 – OPEN MIND Technologies AG, a developer of CAD/CAM software solutions, has introduced 2019.1, a new release of its hyperMILL CAD/CAM software suite.

February 7, 2019 – Rockwell Automation has added the Allen-Bradley 42AF RightSight M30 photoelectric sensor to its smart sensing portfolio.

February 6, 2019 – OnRobot, a supplier of end-of-arm tooling for collaborative robots, has announced the general availability of the Gecko Gripper, its tool that uses millions of micro-scaled fibrillar stalks to adhere to a surface using powerful van der Waals forces, mimicking the same way that geckos climb.

February 6, 2019 – Beckhoff Automation recently released the TwinSAFE safety controllers for adaptation to the specific safety requirements of individual machine concepts. 

February 5, 2019 – Universal Robots has teamed up with its UR+ partners to showcase several new technologies at the ATX West show this week (February 5-7, Anaheim, Calif.), including a CNC tool called URCap that allows machine-tending applications to communicate directly with collaborative robots (cobots). 

February 5, 2019 – Amphenol RF, a manufacturer of coaxial connections, has introduced the small form factor AMC4 connectors, a micro-miniature product series that features push-on coupling design.

February 4, 2019 – Soft Robotics has released the mGrip, an on-demand, modular automation system for picking.

February 1, 2019 – The Ontario government has implemented an online training course program to certify workers who promote health and safety at businesses in the province. 

January 31, 2019 – It’s well known that innovation and continuous product/process improvement are necessary for manufacturers to keep or expand their market share. It’s also well known that many incentives exist to offset the costs involved.

January 21, 2019 – Emerson has launched a portable automation technology training solution that helps workers safely and efficiently maintain their plants. 

January 14, 2019 – Toronto’s Humber College is set to open the new Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI) early this year, backed by a number of major partnerships that will see advanced manufacturing companies working with students and faculty to further knowledge of Industry 4.0–enabled equipment and develop solutions for real-world problems.

January 7, 2019 – The Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) has kick-started a new three-year program to help Northern Ontario manufacturers become more productive and globally competitive.

January 7, 2019 – Heidenhain has established its first authorized training partner in North America focusing on its CNC controls, at the Community College of Denver’s (CCD) Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC).

January 4, 2019 – SICK and Humber College have partnered to build awareness of new industry automation sensor solutions and Industry 4.0 ready sensor technologies as part of Humber College's Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI). 

December 10, 2018 – The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) recently opened the Manufacturing and Automotive Innovation Hub in London, Ontario, a 75,000-square-foot set of renovated scientific laboratories intended to bring together companies, governments, universities and colleges together to collaborate on breakthrough projects.

December 6, 2018 – Sarnia, Ontario’s Lambton College, which offers several industrial automation programs, has capitalized on the area’s diversification and industry partnerships to take top honours in a national ranking of research colleges.

December 3, 2018 – Baby boomers have left a footprint on every industry since they joined the workforce five decades ago. In leadership roles, they have set the organization’s vision, established the company’s culture and built the business’s reputation.

November 30, 2018 – Festo has launched a Festo Service channel on YouTube with explainer videos on how users can commission its electric or pneumatic automation products or carry out simple maintenance work.

November 29, 2018 – Toronto's Seneca College and KUKA Canada, an advanced manufacturing and intelligent automation supplier, have partnered to provide Seneca students with state-of-the-art robotic equipment and the opportunity to enhance their manufacturing skills as future graduates within the postsecondary sector.

February 13, 2019 – A fire and explosion at a wood pellet plant west of Edmonton that sent three people to hospital Monday, including one with serious injuries, also had a fire at its facility in January 2019.

February 6, 2019 – Automate 2019 takes place April 8-11, 2019 in Chicago, and organizers have announced a slate of conference sessions about automation around the theme Win the Future.

February 1, 2019 – Rex Pak Ltd, a food blending and packaging co-manufacturer, has been fined $60,000 by the Ontario Ministry of Labour after one of the Rex Pak's workers received a permanent injury while assessing a sugar-filling line at the company's industrial facility in Scarborough.

January 28, 2019 – Two Canadian manufacturing companies recently landed on the 2019 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Index (Global 100), one of the world's leading sustainability indices.

January 22, 2019 – Ontario's Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) has created an online tool to help businesses keep track of the latest provincial and federal legislation changes. 

January 16, 2019 – The Ontario Provincial Police say they're investigating after a man died in what they describe as an industrial accident in Caledon, Ont.

January 2, 2019 – Ontario's Ministry of Labour is investigating two industrial accidents at Dofasco plants in Hamilton.

January 2, 2019 – Scientists at the University of Waterloo have created a powder that could capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from factories and power plants.

December 19, 2018 – Ace Bakery Ltd. has been fined $55,000 by Ontario provincial offences court after pleading guilty to an offence involving a worker's critical injury at its food processing plant in Mississauga, Ontario.

December 18, 2018 – Welded Tube of Canada Limited, a cold-formed carbon steel and high-strength, low-alloy steel tube manufacturer, has been fined $120,000 in provincial offences court following a guilty plea after a worker injury at its plant in Welland, Ontario last spring.

December 18, 2018 – Weston Bakeries Ltd., a manufacturer of fresh and frozen baked products, has been fined $65,000 in provincial offences court following a guilty plea after a worker was critically injured at its Concord, Ontario facility last summer. 

December 7, 2018 – Federal officials will review an accident in which an automated machine punctured a can of bear repellent at an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey, releasing fumes that sickened workers and sent two dozen to hospitals.

February 13, 2019 – The Alberta government plans to spend $100 million over five years to attract investment from artificial intelligence–focused tech companies.

February 11, 2019 – As many manufacturers consider transitioning to a distributed manufacturing system (DMS) for greater production flexibility, the concept of collaborative robotic implementation becomes paramount. 

January 31, 2019 – FreePoint Technologies, an Ontario-based provider of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) software for global manufacturers, has entered into a strategic relationship with TexTempo, a developer of software for labour efficiency tracking in the soft goods industries.

January 29, 2019 – Montreal's Matrox Imaging has added a new distributor in China to its global network of product partners and integrators that build customized vision systems.

January 28, 2019 – Rockwell Automation has acquired Emulate3D, an innovative engineering software developer whose products digitally simulate and emulate industrial automation systems.

January 24, 2019 – Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), maker of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), has partnered with automotive technology specialist Faurecia to deploy AMRs in its manufacturing plants worldwide.

January 23, 2019 – Universal Robots has had a big year. After creating the world’s first collaborative robot (cobot) arm a decade ago, the Danish manufacturer remains the biggest player in the industry with 60 per cent of the market share.

January 22, 2019 – The Region of Waterloo has implemented a new automated water-level and temperature monitoring solution by eleven-x Inc. to its water well infrastructure, which supplies water to 570,000 residents.

January 21, 2019 – Introducing automation to your operation, whether a simple robot arm or a more complex architecture, can be a costly business – and one that you want to get right, preferably on the first try. So what can you do to mitigate risk and harness the most value out of your commitment?

January 17, 2019 – Vention, a Montreal-based company that has created a digital manufacturing platform for custom factory equipment, has secured a $17-million investment to further develop its cloud-based software and expand its modular hardware library.

January 15, 2019 – Manufacturing AUTOMATION is pleased to present a new webinar series alongside Pemeco Consulting called Integrating the Enterprise: ERP Best Practices.

January 15, 2019 – The National Research Council (NRC) and Fives, an industrial engineering group, have partnered to develop a machine that will improve the efficiency of manufacturing composite parts for the aerospace industry using automation.

January 28, 2019 – Does the term “artificial intelligence” (AI) scare you, or does it get you excited about the future?

January 25, 2019 – Measuring the right things is just as important as measuring things right. Measuring the wrong things can get in your way and impair your ability to grow, distracting you by putting your focus on the wrong things. Success and growth come from doing more of the right things right, and less of doing the wrong things right.

January 18, 2019 – If you’ve been reading Manufacturing AUTOMATION over the past few years, you’ve come across concepts such as digital twins, augmented reality, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and digitalization.

January 16, 2019 – The January/February 2019 digital edition of Manufacturing AUTOMATION is now available!

November 29, 2018 – Manufacturers have seen massive communication and operations improvements through the convergence of informational technology (IT) – the ever-present systems sending and storing information throughout an organization – and operational technology (OT) – the systems informing direct change through monitoring and control of devices and processes. IT and OT offer significant improvements in plant efficiency when the proper technology is in place to enable communication between the systems.

November 23, 2018 – Because it’s relatively intangible, the concept of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can be a difficult thing to wrap your head around. But it’s essentially a catch-all term for the network of physical devices embedded with sensors, actuators and other connectivity enablers that collect data to send to the cloud, where it can be accessed by end users in your plant.

November 19, 2018 – The modernization of the factory is changing the way manufacturers are conducting their operations by connecting the entire business.

November 12, 2018 – It is easy for me to identify the “true all-stars” on the teams I worked with over the years. They were the performers that not only got things done, but that products, divisions, and even companies were built upon. Some were diamonds in the rough, discovered along the way. Some were fresh graduates with that certain “spark.”

October 22, 2018 – It is official: recreational marijuana is legal in Canada with effect from October 17. With that comes a patchwork of jurisdictional laws establishing where and how marijuana products will be sold and used by consumers.

October 22, 2018 – Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) was, unsurprisingly, the topic of conversation at last month’s International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago. We’ve been writing about this monumental shift in the industry for years now, but connected manufacturing is really only starting to trickle down to the SMEs that make up much of Canada’s output. The reason why it’s been a slow start is obvious: cost. So maybe the better question to ask is, why now?

October 18, 2018 – Ten years ago, as the global recession waned, I observed the emergence of two major Lean trends – one that saw it deployed in a wider range of industries and disciplines, and another that has carried Lean thinking to the corner office.

February 14, 2019 – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. will expand its network of eight Canadian manufacturing facilities with a new factory in Quebec – its second in the province.

February 1, 2019 – Foxconn Technology Group has shifted its stated strategy yet again on Friday for a massive Wisconsin campus, crediting a conversation with President Donald Trump for cementing plans to proceed with building a factory to make high-tech liquid display screens.

February 1, 2019 – Swedish appliance maker Electrolux says it is stopping production at its Memphis, Tennessee, factory while investing $250 million in a separate facility in the state.

January 30, 2019 – Foxconn Technology Group said Wednesday it is shifting the focus of its planned $10 billion Wisconsin campus away from blue-collar manufacturing to a research hub, while insisting it remains committed to creating 13,000 jobs as promised.

January 29, 2019 – The New York state transit authority says Bombardier Inc. has resumed subway car deliveries to New York City after officials halted them last week, citing problems with existing trains.

January 28, 2019 – France's Alstom says that it and Germany's Siemens have offered new concessions in an effort to overcome European authorities' concerns about the planned merger of their train-building operations.

January 25, 2019 – General Motors says it plans to invest another $22 million in its Tennessee manufacturing facility to build more engines.

January 24, 2019 – Google's self-driving car spinoff Waymo said Tuesday it will bring a factory to Michigan, creating up to 400 jobs at what it describes as the world's first plant "100 per cent" dedicated to the mass production of autonomous vehicles.

January 23, 2019 – The federal government is investing $5 million in the production of 100 electric vehicle fast chargers across Quebec.

January 16, 2019 – Airbus SE broke ground Wednesday on the A220 aircraft assembly line at its facility in Mobile, Ala., the first step in a US$300-million construction project paid for by Bombardier Inc.

January 15, 2019 – Volkswagen and Ford are forming a global alliance to develop commercial vans and medium-sized pickups together while exploring broader co-operation on future battery-powered and autonomous vehicles and services.

January 14, 2019 – German automaker Volkswagen said Monday its factory in Tennessee will be the focus of an $800 million investment in the company's manufacturing of electric vehicles in North America.

February 12, 2019 – The Open Group, a vendor-neutral technology consortium, has launched a new standard to enable the construction of scalable and secure process automation systems.

January 11, 2019 – Algoma Steel, Canada's second-largest steel producer, will receive investments from the federal and Ontario governments totalling $150 million. 

December 10, 2018 – Mercer International Inc. has completed its previously announced acquisition of Daishowa-Marubeni International Ltd. (DMI), which owns 100 per cent of a bleached kraft pulp mill in Peace River, Alberta. The deal was worth $465 million.

November 30, 2018 – The Squamish Nation has approved economic benefit agreements for Woodfibre LNG, a project worth up to $1.8 billion in British Columbia's Howe Sound.

November 29, 2018 – During SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg, Germany this week, ABB debuted a new asset management product and an update to its security system for process industries. 

November 7, 2018 – Parmalat Group says it has reached an agreement valued at $1.62 billion to acquire Kraft Heinz Canada's natural cheese division.

November 5, 2018 – Irving Pulp & Paper Limited was ordered to pay a $3.5 million penalty after being sentenced today in connection with three offences under the federal Fisheries Act.

October 30, 2018 – Emerson has completed a $73 million contract for automation systems and cloud engineering services at North West Redwater Partnership's new Sturgeon Refinery in Alberta.

October 25, 2018 – Resolute Forest Products Inc. has announced $40 million in investments at its Northwestern Ontario operations, in addition to $13.5 million in major maintenance repairs and the creation of 25 new jobs.

October 10, 2018 – Ahlstrom-Munksjö has recently completed a EUR 23 million investment in its plant in Madisonville, US.

October 4, 2018 – Cascades has announced that its president and CEO, Mario Plourde, received the 2019 Clean50 and Clean16 awards from Delta Management Group.

October 3, 2018 – Emerson, the automation supplier for process and industrial applications, has announced it will acquire Intelligent Platforms, a division of General Electric that offers machine control, industrial computing, input/output (I/O) and networking devices, project and integration services and other hardware/software solutions.