January 2025 industry news: AI assistants, appointments and STEM support

In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of January.

Transcript

Machine builder and system integrator news

1. David Nelson, vice president of sales and marketing for North America at Valmet, has been appointed interim head of Valmet's North American business, effective January 1. Nelson brings more than 35 years of leadership experience in the pulp and paper industry, having previously led Valmet's Services Sales Team in North America and served as a director of sales. 

In this interim role, Nelson will report to Valmet President/CEO Thomas Hinnerskov.

He said: “David is a trusted senior member of the NA team, and I am very happy about this interim solution. I want to thank David for accepting this additional responsibility for the time being.”

2. Methods Machine Tools and Multiaxis have partnered to introduce Multiaxis Intelligence, a personalized manufacturing artificial intelligence assistant, designed to streamline tasks such as machining design, service operations, documentation management and peer-to-peer collaboration. This platform integrates with existing manufacturing systems and offers features like instant technical answers, voice collaboration, and secure local storage. Each business can customize its own "vault," creating an internal knowledge base as a secure, accessible, on-premise database. The AI-powered Multiaxis Intelligence platform is set for a general release in 2025. 

Michael Kaminski, CEO of Multiaxis said: “The platform will grant users more of their most valuable asset—time. This isn’t just another piece of software. We’re changing how manufacturers get their work done by providing answers, insights and problem solving quickly and reliably.”

3. The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) announced that CEO Jose Rivera plans to step down in March 2025 after ten years of leadership. During his tenure, Rivera modernized the association, diversified revenue streams, and expanded CSIA's global presence. Reflecting on his tenure, Rivera expressed pride in uplifting the system integrator industry and navigating challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. CSIA's board chair, Karen Griffin, commended Rivera's strategic vision and proactive leadership. Rivera will continue to support CSIA through the transition and the 2025 conference in June and is collaborating with the board to find a suitable successor.

New appointments

1. Daniel Winter joined the Danfoss Group executive team and took over as President of Danfoss Power Solutions on January 1. He previously served as chief financial officer for Danfoss Power Solutions, driving the financial strategy and ensuring solid segment performance during strong growth and challenging market conditions. 

Kim Fusing, Danfoss president and CEO said: “Daniel brings a wealth of experience, having spent most of his career with Danfoss and Danfoss Power Solutions. He shares our ambitions and passion for the mobile and industrial hydraulics business.”

2. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) announced that Debra Phillips, president and CEO of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), has been appointed to its Board of the Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA). NEMA represents leading manufacturers of electrical technologies essential to a resilient grid, modern mobility systems, efficient industrial operations and smart building applications. As part of the CMA board, Phillips will guide work to advance policies that enhance U.S. manufacturing priorities and to collaborate across the American manufacturing sector to achieve shared objectives.

3. The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has promoted Alex Shikany to the role of executive vice president. Since joining A3 in 2012, Shikany has led key initiatives, including A3's 2021 rebranding and growing membership to more than 1,300 companies. In his new role, he will oversee several key operations, serving as the day-to-day liaison to the A3 board of directors and leading the A3 Leadership Team. Rapid growth at the association justified the creation of this new role, which will give A3 President Jeff Burnstein more time to focus on long-term strategy for new partnership opportunities and expanded efforts to accelerate the adoption of automation and the association’s global footprint.

4. Computer-aided manufacturing software provider Mastercam has appointed Nand Shivkumar as its new chief innovation officer (CIO) to lead the development and execution of the company's product vision and strategy. With more than 20 years of experience in software engineering and product strategy, Shivkumar has a proven track record in scaling SaaS platforms and leveraging AI and machine learning. Additionally, Ivan Krstic has been named vice president of product management, bringing extensive expertise in CAD/CAM and manufacturing technology. Shannon Lesane has been promoted to vice president of customer success and program delivery, continuing her oversight of the project management office team. 

Support for the industrial automation workforce and STEM education

1. Dematic hosted a robotics demonstration and luncheon with the Midtown High School G3 Robotics team in December 2024. The high school G3 Robotics Team in Atlanta has grown to more than 50 students, 10 mentors, and 16 sponsors since its founding in 2004. At the December 10th event, the team showcased its 2023 competition robot, Dancing Queen.

If you’re interested in what Dancing Queen looks like, we do have some cool pictures of the robot on our website with the full news story. Check it out.

2. Dematic announced the recipients of its 2024 Dematic STEM Scholarship Program in partnership with Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC). Dematic invited students to apply by writing a short essay answering the question, “How does supply chain technology positively impact society?” The selection committee reviewed the applications, and each of this year’s five recipients was awarded $2,000 to support their studies.

Dematic introduced the scholarship program last year at Grand Valley State University, where five students were awarded $1,000 each. The award also celebrated the 10th anniversary of GVSU’s Mary Idema Pew Library and its Dematic Automated Storage Retrieval System installation.

3. DigiKey has renewed its annual Platinum Level sponsorship of WE United, formerly known as Women in Electronics (WE), a community dedicated to expanding opportunities for women in the electronics industry. This partnership aims to promote a more inclusive and balanced industry by providing leadership development, mentorship, networking and thought-leadership events. DigiKey launched a Northern Minnesota chapter of Women in Electronics in 2018 at its headquarters in Thief River Falls.

Acquisition

Maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts distributor Motion Industries has agreed to acquire the operating assets of M.B. McKee Company, effective January 31. M.B. McKee, founded in 1943, operates three West Texas locations and specializes in bearings and drives distribution, for industrial, commercial equipment, agriculture and textile markets.

Motion President James Howe said, “M.B. McKee is a well-established, high-quality business and a perfect strategic fit for us. The complementary product offering and customer-centric approach will supplement and extend our presence and scale in the region.”

Vendor news

1. Mouser Electronics announced its partnership with DS PENSKE to support DS Automobiles and further advance electric vehicle technology. Mouser is sponsoring the team throughout the 2024/2025 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship racing season, which began in December 2024, in collaboration with electronics distributor TTI and manufacturers Kyocera and Molex. This is the first time Brazil hosted the Formula E season opener.

Formula E cars are powered solely by electricity. The new GEN3 Evo car was the next generation car to watch, stronger and more agile that its predecessors. The new body kit design is stronger, more robust and more aerodynamic. It also allows for all-wheel drive, a first for a Formula E car.

2. Neura Robotics has joined the Nvidia Humanoid Robot Developer Program, integrating Nvidia Isaac with its Neuraverse platform to accelerate the development of cognitive and humanoid robots for industrial settings. This collaboration aims to enhance AI capabilities, transforming how robots learn, adapt and perform. Neura Robotics’ focus on cognitive robotics, which emphasizes intelligence and learning to achieve complex goals, aligns with the demands of modern industrial automation. Neura has the ambitious goal of delivering up to 5 million robots by 2030, and Nvidia will help them scale reinforcement learning in dynamic environments.