Manufacturing & Industrial Technology

GrindingHub 2026 draws 462 exhibitors as grinders go networked

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GrindingHub 2026 draws 462 exhibitors as grinders go networked

Frankfurt am Main – October 31, 2026 -- GrindingHub 2026 drew about 11,000 visitors and 462 exhibitors from 28 countries, with foreign participation above 50 percent, as grinding-technology suppliers pitched networked process chains to an industry facing falling output.

The show took place against declining production, weaker exports, rising energy and material costs and volatile sales markets. Exhibitors therefore stressed more productive and robust process chains over standalone machines. Sensors, measurement data and digital feedback are used for process monitoring and quality assurance. The 2024 edition already covered automation, digitalization, sustainability, coolant delivery and new grinding-tool concepts. In 2026 the emphasis moved to grinding as a connected process of machine, tool, sensors, metrology, data management, automation and service.

German Machine Tool Orders Jump 15% in Q1 as Output Falls 11%

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German Machine Tool Orders Jump 15% in Q1 as Output Falls 11%

Frankfurt am Main – October 31, 2026 -- German machine tool orders rose 15 percent in the first quarter of 2026, the first notable upturn after three difficult years, while production fell 11 percent to EUR 2.8 billion, according to the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association).

VDW chief economist Bernhard Geis said the trough has probably been passed but a clear trend reversal is still some way off. The coming months will show whether the recovery holds. Higher uncertainty and costs linked to the Middle East conflict are weighing on investment appetite.

Domestic and foreign orders rise 18 and 14 percent from a weak base

Domestic orders grew 18 percent and foreign orders 14 percent. The VDW cautions that the figures are only partly reliable: the starting level is low, especially in Germany, and one-off orders and project business play a major role. Service and retrofit business continue to stabilize the sector.

Apprentice Schoppet Wins Grinder of the Year at GrindingHub

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Apprentice Schoppet Wins Grinder of the Year at GrindingHub

Frankfurt am Main – October 31, 2026 -- Fabio Schoppet, a 28-year-old apprentice at K.H. Müller Präzisionswerkzeuge GmbH, won the two-day live "Grinder of the Year" (GOTY) competition at GrindingHub in Stuttgart on May 6-7. He beat Max Bergner (2nd), Laurin Mink (3rd) and Arman Hamidi (4th). Finalists received education vouchers worth between 3,000 and 500 euros.

Organizer KSKomm runs the contest to promote young talent and counter the skilled-labor shortage in grinding technology. Managing Director Barbara Hannappel said the live format lets trade-fair visitors watch a drawing become a precision tool step by step.

GrindingHub 2026 Draws 11,000 Visitors; 37% Plan Investment

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GrindingHub 2026 Draws 11,000 Visitors; 37% Plan Investment

Stuttgart – October 31, 2026 -- GrindingHub 2026 closed in Stuttgart with about 11,000 visitors and 462 exhibitors, and 37% of buying-influential attendees plan to invest within six months, organizer VDW said.

Visitor survey shows 82% involved in purchasing decisions

Visitors came from 59 countries, with Switzerland, Italy, France, Austria and Turkey the strongest represented. International attendees accounted for 38% of the total. Of those surveyed, 82% said they take part in purchasing and procurement decisions, and 37% of that group intend to invest in the next six months.

Dr. Markus Heering, Managing Director of VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association), said companies are investing in productivity, efficiency and future viability.

GrindingHub Opens in Stuttgart as Foreign Grinding Orders Fall 51%

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GrindingHub Opens in Stuttgart as Foreign Grinding Orders Fall 51%

Stuttgart – – October 31, 2026 -- Foreign orders for grinding technology fell 51% in January and February 2026, even as GrindingHub opened in Stuttgart with 462 exhibitors from 28 countries. The trade fair is running against a weak demand backdrop for machine builders, tool makers and industrial users.

Foreign orders drop 51% while domestic orders rise 35%

Grinding technology orders declined by about 5% in 2025, with the sharpest losses in the domestic market. Production fell 19% last year and exports dropped 24%. The export ratio slid to roughly 76%, the lowest level in about six years.

The first two months of 2026 widened the gap between markets: foreign orders fell 51%, while domestic orders gained 35%.

Digital twins and sub-micron grinding target EV drivetrain noise

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Digital twins and sub-micron grinding target EV drivetrain noise

Frankfurt – October 31, 2026 -- Fractions of a micrometer in grinding now decide the efficiency and noise level of electric vehicle drivetrains, and machine builders are answering with sub-micron surface finishing and digital twin process control. The topic is in focus at GrindingHub, organized by the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association), which runs May 5-8, 2026 in Stuttgart.

Missing engine noise exposes gearbox flaws

Electric vehicles lack the masking sound of a combustion engine, so excitations from components such as the gearbox become far more audible, according to Prof. Thomas Bergs. He heads the Manufacturing Technology Institute (MTI) at RWTH Aachen and is a director at Fraunhofer IPT.

Emerson Completes AspenTech Buyout After Portfolio Overhaul

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Emerson Completes AspenTech Buyout After Portfolio Overhaul

Global – October 31, 2026 -- Emerson completed the acquisition of all outstanding AspenTech common stock it did not already own in March 2025, the latest step in a portfolio reshaping that began with an all-cash $1.6 billion deal in 2020.

Emerson built a 55% AspenTech stake in 2022 before moving to full ownership

In May 2022, Emerson and AspenTech closed the combination of Emerson's industrial software businesses, OSI Inc. and its Geological Simulation Software business, with AspenTech. The deal created what the companies called a global industrial software leader, "new AspenTech." Emerson held 55% on a fully diluted basis, and AspenTech shareholders held the remaining 45%.

In November 2024, Emerson proposed to acquire all remaining AspenTech shares. It also began exploring strategic alternatives, including a cash sale, for its Safety & Productivity segment.

TCL Donates Solar-Powered 4,000-Nit Display to Senegal University

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TCL Donates Solar-Powered 4,000-Nit Display to Senegal University

DAKAR – October 31, 2026 -- TCL donated a solar-powered 75-inch display delivering 4,000 nits of brightness at roughly 300W to Université Amadou Mahtar Mbow (UAM) in Senegal. The system uses about half the power of comparable outdoor displays, according to the company.

FSC panel drops color filters to lift light transmittance above 15%

The screen is built by TCL CSOT on Field Sequential Color (FSC) technology. It removes conventional color filters and generates color by sequentially switching red, green and blue light. This lifts transmittance above 15%. At UAM it will serve as an outdoor information hub, designed to stay legible in direct sunlight.

NIDS Targets Robotics and HVAC Buyers at CES 2027 With Sensors

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NIDS Targets Robotics and HVAC Buyers at CES 2027 With Sensors

SEOUL – October 31, 2026 -- NIDS Co., Ltd., a South Korean environmental sensor maker that says it has supplied more than 10 million sensors cumulatively, has confirmed it will exhibit at CES 2027 to convert product introductions into overseas supply contracts.

The company is targeting global home appliance makers, HVAC specialists and robotics companies. Its customer base already includes Dyson, Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor.

NIDS Claims 5 Million Units of Annual Mass-Production Capacity

NIDS designs the core air quality measurement components in-house and says it has a system in place to mass-produce 5 million units a year. Its portfolio covers particulate matter sensors measuring PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10, and non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) optical gas sensors for carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. It also sells composite environmental sensors and electronic nose modules that detect odors, gas leaks and fires.

Emerson Reports No Political Payments in Five Years, PACs Closed

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Emerson Reports No Political Payments in Five Years, PACs Closed

Washington, D.C. – October 31, 2026 -- Emerson says it has made no payments to political candidates, parties, committees, ballot measures, 527 organizations or 501(c)4 organizations over the last five years, according to its government relations disclosure. The company also made no independent political expenditures in that period, to the best knowledge of its Government Relations team.

Emerson closed its federal and Missouri PACs in July 2022

Emerson maintains no federal or state political action committees. It discontinued support for federal candidates in 2021 and shut down both its federal and Missouri PACs in July 2022.

Any resumption of political giving would need approval from the CEO, the General Counsel and the Chief Transformation and Compliance Officer. The Corporate Governance Committee would oversee it, and funds could only promote company interests, not private political preferences.