n NEWS July/August 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 MORE THAN SEVEN IN TEN (71%) of all industrial networking nodes installed globally last year used industrial Ethernet protocols, according to the latest analysis by the industrial networking supplier, HMS Networks. As the industrial communications market grew in 2023, the number of industrial Ethernet nodes installed rose by 12% compared to 2022. In 2022, industrial Ethernet nodes represented 68% of the total comms market. Pronet is the most popular industrial protocol, with a market share of 23%, putting it ahead of EtherNet/IP on 21% and EtherCat on 16%. Modbus TCP, Powerlink and CC-Link IE each have 4% or less of the industrial communications market. Traditional serial eldbus installations are continuing to lose ground, slipping from 24% of the market in 2022 to 22% in 2023. Probus is the most popular eldbus, accounting for 7% of all new industrial networking nodes last year, followed by Modbus RTU on 4%, CC-Link and DeviceNet both on 3%, and Can/CanOPEN on 2%. HMS predicts that eldbuses will experience a further 2% decline in 2024, but it adds that many machines and factories will continue to rely on eldbuses for years to come. Wireless communications experienced a slight drop in market share from 8% to 7% in 2023, following several years of steady growth. However, HMS reports that the acceptance of wireless in factories is increasing, with typical applications including cable replacement, wireless machine access and links to mobile industrial equipment. Each year, HMS analyses the global industrial networking market, estimating the number of new connected nodes by type and by protocol. The gures are based on HMS’ own sales, insights from the industry, and an “overall perception of the market”. HMS expects the industrial networking market to grow by a further 7% in 2024. Industrial Ethernet continues its relentless rise p The number manufacturing jobs in the UK fell by 34,000 in the past year, but there are still 64,000 vacancies – representing around £6bn per annum in lost output – according to a new analysis by Make UK and BDO. Their annual Regional Manufacturing Outlook Report also reveals that the three devolved nations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have seen a signicant growth in the number of manufacturing jobs, unlike almost all of England (except for the East), which has recorded falls in employment. pStellantis has sold a majority stake in its Italian robotics and automation subsidiary Comau to the private equity rm One Equity Partners. The deal will allow Comau to expand beyond the automotive sector. Details of the deal have not been revealed, but Reuters reports that One Equity will have a 50.1% stake in Comau, with Stellantis keeping 49.9% as an “active” minority partner. The spino of Comau was agreed during the merger between Fiat Chrysler and the PSA group in January 2021 that created Stellantis. p Construction work has started on the £100m Factory of the Future project in Northern Ireland, which is expected to create up to 1,500 jobs, contribute £1bn to the regional economy, and to train 300 apprentices a year. The 10,500m² Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) is being built at the Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey, and is due to open in 2026. p Cyberattacks targeting industrial sites are getting more sophisticated and more frequent according to Honeywell’s latest annual USB Threat Report. It also shows that 51% of malware attacks on OT (operational technology) systems are designed to be injected via removable media such as USB memory sticks. The report reveals that the number of targeted attacks via USB devices has increased nearly six-fold from 9% in 2019. pABB is investing more than £27m in a greeneld site in Nottingham to meet increased demand for its Furse earthing and lightning protection products. The 9,500m2 facility is expected to open in early 2025 and will integrate ¡exible automation, R&D and testing, and digital processes to boost production capacity and enhance e¤ciency and sustainability. NEWS BRIEFS DRIVES & CONTROLS IS PROUD to announce the launch of its new Web site which will oer visitors much a better experience than the previous site which had been running for more than ten years. The new site will give visitors many more choices, as well as being visually much more attractive. In particular, the new site will be vastly improved experience when viewed on mobile devices. The colourful home page will oer visitors a choice of more than 40 articles covering the latest business and technology developments from the world of industrial automation and motion engineering. There are also application stories showing how these technologies are being applied, and articles explaining technical and other issues. The popular Back to Basics and Gambica columns from the magazine will also be easily accessible on the new site. The site will also carry exclusive, detailed reports from key industry events such as Germany’s huge SPS (Smart Production Solutions) show – probably the most important xture in the global automation calendar. Visitors will have access to our unrivalled archive of hundreds of news reports that chronicle developments in the automation industry stretching back for more than a quarter of a century. The Drives & Controls Web site has always been dierent from many other sites covering the sector, which are often simply cut-and-pasted collections of press releases, with little to distinguish one site from another. You won’t nd any story on the Drives site (or in the magazine) anywhere else on the Internet. Each one is written and edited exclusively for the site, and they often contain extra background information, links and videos that you won’t nd on other sites. Another distinguishing feature of the Drives & Controls Web site is its wide-ranging coverage of developments from around the globe – not just UK news. These international developments inevitably have implications for the UK market and often the Drives site is the only place you can read about them. We have ambitious plans to develop the new site further in the coming months. Please let us know what you think about the site. www.drivesncontrols.com Drives & Controls Web site gets a makeover Industrial Ethernet dominates the industrial communications market with sales rising by 12% in the past year. The wireless market has contracted by 1%, while the number of new eldbus nodes has fallen by 2%. Source: HMS Networks
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