BMTS needs investment to compete in growing market, companies want to focus elsewhere.
January 24, 2017
Manufacturing Group Cars/Light trucks Manufacturing Powertrain
Stuttgart, Germany – The Bosch and Mahle Groups have agreed to seek a buyer for their Bosch Mahle Turbo Systems (BMTS) joint venture. Founded in 2008, BMTS has around 1,400 employees who develop and produce turbochargers for manufacturers of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Production is largely based in Austria and China.
The international market for turbochargers is expected to continue to grow in the years ahead as the trend toward smaller engines fitted with turbochargers, especially for hybrid drives, remains strong. BMTS has already benefited from this market trend. However, the company is not yet large enough to achieve sustainable success in this market environment.
“Large production quantities and the associated economies of scale represent a critical competitive advantage,” says Dr. Rolf Bulander, chairman of Business Sector Mobility Solutions at Bosch. “Despite bulk orders received from renowned customers, the associated high capacity utilization at our plants, and above-average growth rates, present sales volumes at BMTS are still too low in comparison with our larger competitors and must be further expanded.”
Further investments are needed to achieve the company size required in the market. Bosch and Mahle do not intend to drive forward the further expansion of BMTS themselves, because both parent companies need to focus their investments chiefly on new areas of development.
“Thanks to our state-of-the-art locations and BMTS’s good products, we are currently confident of finding a prospective buyer, who will successfully expand the business,” states Wolf-Henning Scheider, chairman of Mahle’s management coard and CEO of the Mahle Group.
Employee representatives and employees have been informed about the intention to sell the joint venture. Discussions are taking place with the relevant employee representatives to prepare the next steps in the sale process.
Source: Mahle
Keith Butzgy, corporate training manager CNC software at Mastercam, talks about new Mastercam 2017 enhancements.
January 24, 2017
Manufacturing Group IMTS IMTS 2016 Video Showcase Software
$90 million investment will open this year, support 700 jobs.
January 23, 2017
Manufacturing Group Cars/Light trucks Design Electric vehicles
Montreal, Canada – Canadians will develop next-generation solutions for electric vehicles as a result of a $90 million investment by Swiss engineering firm ABB, which is establishing a new headquarters and research and development center in Montréal.
Navdeep Bains, Canada’s minister of innovation, science, and economic development, welcomed the investment after meeting in Davos, Switzerland with Ulrich Spiesshofer, president and CEO of ABB.
“ABB is helping its customers unlock value from digitalization and the Energy and Fourth Industrial revolutions. With its excellent universities and associated ecosystem, Canada provides all the right ingredients for research and development needed to develop global technology platforms. There are huge opportunities in making transportation systems smarter and greener. At ABB, we want to run the world without consuming the Earth,” Spiesshofer says.
The Montréal headquarters, set to open in 2017, will maintain 700 jobs and consolidate ABB’s research and development, manufacturing, assembly, and testing facilities under one roof. The new facility will also house the company’s North American Centre for Excellence in e-Mobility, which will focus on developing energy-management solutions for electric buses and trains.
This investment will put Canada on the map in a number of emerging technologies, such as robotics and Internet-connected devices, that will power the industrial systems of the future.
“When global companies look to invest, many seek the most innovative countries – the ones with the most creative and entrepreneurial people who can turn ideas into solutions. ABB’s decision to select Canada for its flagship North American operations is a clear vote of confidence in the talent and expertise of highly skilled Canadians. As a result of this investment, Canadians will develop next-generation industrial systems and the skills needed for the jobs of the future,” Bains says.
Source: Canadian government
Gary Sicheneder, Sharad Mundra, and Frank Powell of Marposs Corp., talk about the company’s new Diamond line of probes and Blu machine tool architecture.
January 23, 2017
Manufacturing Group IMTS IMTS 2016 Video Showcase
Software giant names Advantech Global Internet of Things (IoT) Valued Partner, Authorized Embedded Distributor in The Americas.
January 23, 2017
Manufacturing Group
Irvine, California – Advantech, a global leader in embedded computing and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, is pleased to announce that its recognition as a Microsoft Global IoT Valued Partner and Authorized Embedded Distributor has been extended to include The Americas. Previously recognized for the APAC and EMEA regions, this expanded acknowledgment lays a strong foundation for Advantech’s position as a key embedded computing and IoT service provider in United States and Canada. Furthermore, in order to accelerate the development of the IoT industry, Advantech has developed the WISE-PaaS IoT software platform service in cooperation with Microsoft. Advantech’s hardware is also verified to work with the with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, providing all-in-one SRP (Solution Ready Package) services to help customers rapidly build their IoT applications.
Strengthening the collaboration for IoT
“The world of IoT and connected devices is growing at a phenomenal rate. We look for partners that have the ability to scale – not only to critical device edge scenarios but also scale across solutions with cloud. Advantech is a trusted Microsoft partner that is helping their customers maximize their IoT investments. Windows 10 offers the most secure and connected experiences powering a range of devices from low end to heavy compute and Azure is the most secure cloud platform across PaaS, SaaS as well as data and analytics. Advantech is an important partner to Microsoft as they continue to develop and innovate on customer solutions with end-to-end device expertise and a range of devices that are certified for Azure IoT,” said Rodney Clark, Microsoft’s IoT DX GM.
Comprehensive suite of operating systems and tools
Advantech offers more than just a distributing license; it offers a series of value-added services, including hosting embedded solution seminars, hands-on training, and software APIs and utilities. Customers can leverage Advantech’s professional embedded solution development capability to streamline their businesses. The Windows Embedded products Advantech offers include:
- Windows 10 IoT: Powering a range of devices from Industrial (using IoT Enterprise SKU) to basic (using IoT Core Pro SKU) with enterprise grade security, manageability and connectivity. They easily connect to Azure Cloud Services and provide Seamless Sensor/Gateway Communications
- Windows Embedded Compact: Powering small footprint devices for industry and enterprise use
- Windows Embedded Standard: Delivering the familiarity and reliability of Windows in a componentized form
- Windows Embedded Server: Delivering embedded server solutions for purpose-built hardware and application software
- Windows Embedded Industry/Pro: Delivering platforms in the Windows Embedded Industry/Pro portfolio for OEMs seeking the full power and application compatibility of Windows
About Advantech
Founded in 1983, Advantech is a leader in providing trusted, innovative products, services, and solutions. Advantech offers comprehensive system integration, hardware, software, customer-centric design services, embedded systems, automation products, and global logistics support. We cooperate closely with our partners to help provide complete solutions for a wide array of applications across a diverse range of industries. Our mission is to enable an intelligent planet with Automation and Embedded Computing products and solutions that empower the development of smarter working and living. With Advantech, there is no limit to the applications and innovations our products make possible.
Source: Advantech