n TECHNOLOGY March 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 18 FESTO HAS ANNOUNCED A servodrive that combines motion control and safety functions in a compact device. The CMMT-AS-MP-S3 drive is designed to simplify the implementation of highlevel extended safety in automated machinery. The drive can be used to achieve safety in linear or rotational motion applications, optionally in conjunction with Festo mechanics. It is particularly suitable for demanding safety applications in assembly and handling technologies, packaging machines and the electronics industry. “The CMMT-AS-S3 delivers the power and precision Festo customers expect, but with extended and integrated safety features,” explains Ben Lloyd, Festo’s product manager for electric automation. “We’ve packaged everything into a compact servodrive that requires no additional wiring or modules, delivering space and cost savings and reducing complexity, while meeting the highest standards of functional safety.” The drive spans ratings from 300W to 12kW. It can achieve safety levels up to PLe, SIL3, Category 3 and 4. It supports Safe Torque Off (STO), Safe Brake Control (SBC), Safe Stop 1 and 2 (SS1 and SS2) and Safe Operating Stop (SOS), as well as Safe Maximum Speed (SMS), and Safely Limited Speed (SLS). The drive integrates with Festo’s pneumatic and electric automation products, and supports Ethernet-based fieldbuses such as EtherCat, EtherNet/IP, Profinet and ModbusTCP. Standard safety parameters can be set without using software, however programming the drive via the Festo Automation Suite (FAS) saves time and offers guidance. An intuitive graphical interface simplifies safety set-ups, validation, commissioning, programming, diagnostics and firmware updates. FAS cuts commissioning times by offering realistic preset values and guided validation of safety functions. It also supports I/O and fieldbus configuration and the ability to generate validation reports. www.festo.com/cmmt-as p A new EPSRC-funded UK research project is exploring how liquid metals could transform the way power electronics are built, making them more reliable and recyclable and helping tackle a fast-growing waste challenge. The project, being co-run by the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult and the University of Cambridge, is developing a novel “floating” internal structure in power electronic devices using liquid metals. This will reduce mechanical stresses during operation, improve long-term reliability, and allow components to be separated more easily at the end of their lives. p Yokogawa Electric has formed a partnership with ANYbotics, the Swiss developer of four-legged inspection robots, that will see Yokogawa’s OpreX robot management software being integrated with ANYbotics’ ANYmal robots’ software stack, including its ANYmal X explosion-proof robot. By integrating the management of explosion- and non-explosion-proof robots that inspect industrial facilities autonomously, the two companies aim to open up new opportunities. p ABB has announced an evolution of its distributed control system (DCS) technologies designed to help industries to modernise without disruption. Building on the world’s largest DCS installed base, the Automation Extended programme allows future automation capabilities to be introduced progressively – preserving system integrity while enabling the flexibility, scalability and efficiency needed for the next era of operations. p The Milton Keynes motor developer Helix (a trading name of Integral Powertrain), has partnered with McMurtry Automotive to develop a rearwheel propulsion system for its Spéirling electric “hypercar”. A pair of bespoke motors work with McMurtry’s Downforceon-Demand fan system to deliver up to 1,000hp (745kW), propelling the vehicle from 0-60mph in 1.5 seconds, and covering a quarter of a mile in 8s. Each 33kg motor delivers 500Nm of torque. The first deliveries are due later this year. p The US-Norwegian developer of an AI robot skills platform for manufacturing, Trener Robotics (formerly T-Robotics), has secured $32m of funding to scale deployment of its Acteris agentic AI platform that transforms industrial robots into intelligent, self-learning “teammates”. Instead of rigid coding, the robot-agnostic platform allows operators to describe automation tasks in their own words, turning conversational input into executable automation. By using physical AI to master vision, language and movement, the platform adapts to changing environments in real time. TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS Compact servodrive combines motion control and safety Festo’s new servodrive simplifies implementing high-level extended safety functions in automated machines NOZOMI NETWORKS, the industrial cybersecurity specialist bought last year by Mitsubishi Electric for $883m, has announced what it calls “the world’s first private, companytrained AI assistant”. It says that its Vantage IQ tool represents the next era of AI innovation for solving OT/IoT security’s biggest challenges. “For the first time, OT/IoT security teams have an AI assistant that is context-aware, delivering instant, actionable intelligence and guidance to every analyst and operator, and executive with scale, speed and accuracy,” Nozomi declares. The company points out that cyberattacks on critical infrastructure have reached record levels and that the shortage of skilled OT/IoT cyber-experts has become a crisis. Organisations need to elevate their defences in a rapidly changing threat landscape, it argues. Unlike commercial AI assistants, Vantage IQ’s intelligence is based on data derived from an organisation’s assets, communications, vulnerabilities and threats – ensuring that every answer is relevant and secure. “The era of generic, one-size-fits-all AI is over,” says Nozomi’s co-founder and chief product officer, Andrea Carcano. “With Vantage IQ, the world’s most advanced OT/IoT cybersecurity AI assistant is now on your team – empowering defenders to outpace adversaries and giving leaders the clarity they need to protect what matters most.” The AI assistant is powered by an LLM that learns from an organisation’s data to deliver insights that no generic AI model can match. It can triage, investigate and respond to incidents with AI guidance for that environment. “The labour crisis in cybersecurity is real – and growing,” says Carcano. “With skilled resources a scarce commodity and the threat landscape accelerating, Vantage IQ turns good analysts into great defenders.” www.nozominetworks.com ’First private OT/IoT cybersecurity assistant’ will help security teams
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