MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
Infinite Electronics, Inc. | January 20, 2023
On January 19, 2023, Infinite Electronics, Inc., the leading global supplier of electronic components, announced the acquisition of Bulgin Ltd, a UK-based developer and manufacturer of connectors and related components for harsh-environment applications. Equistone Partners Europe, a renowned European mid-market private equity firm, was the previous owner of Bulgin.
Bulgin has over a century of expertise designing, developing, and producing IP66, IP67, IP68, and IP69K severe environment connectivity solutions for customers in various industries. Bulgin is focused on bespoke services and custom capabilities, as well as fast prototyping and a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to meet customers' urgent needs. Since Equistone acquired the company in 2019, Bulgin has expanded dramatically, opening a new site in Tunis, Tunisia, as well as new headquarters in Cambridge, UK.
Bulgin has over 600 distributor locations across 60 countries and six continents. It employs 680 people worldwide, including its headquarters in the United Kingdom, businesses in Tunisia and Santa Fe Springs, California, as well as a foothold in the Asia-Pacific region.
This acquisition expands Infinite Electronics' presence in Europe. It follows the company's announcement of entering a definitive agreement to acquire Cable Connectivity Group (CCG) from Torqx Capital Partners and TKH Group NV, a leading producer and distributor of specialty cables and cable connectivity solutions. These acquisitions are prominent milestones in Infinite Electronics' six-year rapid growth. These slew of acquisitions are the latest milestones in Infinite Electronics' aggressive expansion over the last six years.
About Infinite Electronics, Inc.
Based in Irvine, California, Infinite Electronics is a leading global electrical component supplier, meeting engineers' urgent needs through a family of well-known and trusted brands. It offers a diverse range of components, assemblies, and wired/wireless connectivity solutions and serves the aerospace/defense, industrial, government, consumer electronics, instrumentation, medical and telecommunications markets. Infinite's brands include Pasternack, Fairview Microwave, L-com, MilesTek, Aiconics, KP Performance Antennas, PolyPhaser, Transtector, RadioWaves, ShowMe Cables, Integra Optics, INC Installs and NavePoint. By working quickly to supply goods, solutions, and real-time support to its clients, its brands help move the world's innovators forward.
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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY,DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION,ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION
Allied Electronics & Automation | January 24, 2023
Allied Electronics & Automation is the largest authorized distributor of industrial control equipment in North America, offering over 197,000 products optimized for industrial control systems. It is a trading brand of RS Group plc, a global omni-channel product and service solutions provider.
Industrial control systems (ICS) are systems, devices, networks, and controls used to electronically operate or automate industrial processes in public utilities, manufacturing, chemical and petrochemical, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, automotive, and transportation industries. System sizes can range from a few modular controllers to massive control systems with thousands of field connections.
Allied supports the distinct needs of different ICS with a wide range of industrial control products and a highly experienced, reliable, and responsive technical staff committed to helping customers find the right solutions for their systems.
Allied provides cable entry and exit solutions for industrial control cabinets, including ILME rectangular connectors and Mencom cable gland adapters. These solutions allow for secure wiring connections with contactors inside the cabinet (available from suppliers such as Joslyn Clark) and support high-precision machinery and equipment outside the cabinet, including linear motion technology from suppliers that include SCHNEEBERGER.
Allied's industrial control solutions include contactors, control stations, controllers, disconnect switches, electric linear actuators, electronic and mechanical counters, inductive signal couplers, machine guarding and machine safety equipment, mechanical power transmission equipment, panel meters, power outlets, power transfer switches, robots, signal conditioning and converter devices, slip rings, solenoids, and timers.
About Allied Electronics & Automation
Allied Electronics & Automation is a trading name of RS Group plc, a leading global omni-channel industrial product and service solutions supplier to customers developing, building, and maintaining industrial equipment and operations safely and sustainably. The company ships roughly 60,000 shipments daily through numerous methods to 32 countries. It assists customers throughout the product life cycle through innovation and technical support during the design phase, improved time to market and productivity during the build phase, or reduced purchasing costs and inventory optimization during the maintenance phase. The company provides customers with customized product and service offerings that are critical to the success of their businesses and help them save time and money.
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DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Bright Machines | January 25, 2023
On January 24, 2023, Bright Machines, a leader in intelligent, software-defined manufacturing, and Viridi Parente, Inc., a leading developer of safe, resilient, point-of-use battery storage technology, announced that Viridi has chosen Bright Machines to transform the company's U.S. electric battery manufacturing facility digitally. Bright Machines Microfactories, the company's full-stack assembly automation solution, modernizes production by integrating data and AI. This gives Viridi new capability to fulfill the growing demand for its zero-carbon emission energy battery solutions.
Viridi manufactures battery energy storage systems in Buffalo, New York. Bright Machines will play a key role in the assembly of Viridi's stationary lithium-ion battery pack system modules, which are developed and tested to be fail-safe for installation in industrial, commercial, and residential settings. Companies like Viridi and Bright Machines are fueling the United States' re-emergence as a global manufacturing powerhouse.
Bright Machines will assist Viridi in automating the assembly of its clean, sustainable power sources, which will replace century-old distributed energy platforms, including fossil fuel, lead-acid batteries, and other outmoded technologies. Additionally, Viridi will implement more sustainable practices by utilizing Bright Machines' intelligent automation solution, which evaluates production areas to determine the appropriate material requirements to reduce fault rates.
Viridi will also be able to decrease overproduction and instead produce-to-order depending on local market demand as its facility is near the end consumer. This will result in reduced landfill and an overall reduction in Viridi's carbon footprint.
The only option to reduce costs, emissions, and geopolitical risks while satisfying U.S. battery and electrification demand is to localize the production of crucial battery components. Intelligent assembly automation from Bright Machines enables rapid product evolution at a low cost while minimizing time to market. In addition, the trend toward closer-to-home production promotes jobs in the United States and allows businesses to progress their sustainability efforts through local and regional supply chains.
About Bright Machines
Founded in 2018, Bright Machines is a leading technology firm that offers an innovative approach to software-defined, intelligent manufacturing. It uses machine learning, computer vision, 3D simulation, and adaptive robotics to alter production's flexibility, scalability, and economics fundamentally. Bright Machines runs R&D facilities in the United States and Israel, with additional field operations in the United States, Mexico, China, and Poland, and it employs more than 500 people globally. It has been recognized as a "Technology Pioneer" by the World Economic Forum and one of "America's Most Promising Artificial Intelligence Companies" by Forbes in 2019.
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