Technology

Acadia supports skills management and development. (Image source: Epicor)

Epicor, a leading provider of industry-focused enterprise software solutions, has acquired Acadia Software, a notable innovator in Connected Worker technologies.

Acadia’s platform empowers frontline employees in manufacturing and supply chain sectors by providing real-time insights and detailed, actionable guidance, helping to streamline operations and improve productivity.

The financial specifics of the deal have not been disclosed.

Acadia’s platform offers a range of benefits that support operational excellence and employee growth. It provides real-time, actionable insights by integrating seamlessly with existing enterprise systems, enabling companies to merge workforce performance data with broader operational metrics.

This approach not only fosters better decision-making but also helps identify opportunities for enhanced efficiency.

Continuous improvement

Additionally, Acadia supports skills management and development, equipping workers with the tools to quickly adopt new processes, software, and equipment. This focus on skill-building contributes to employee growth and career progression.

In line with Epicor’s commitment to operational optimisation and sustainable growth, Acadia promotes continuous improvement by empowering workers to pinpoint inefficiencies, suggest enhancements, and carry out tasks according to established best practices.

“Frontline workers need the digital tools and knowledge necessary to perform their roles efficiently and safely,” said Epicor CEO Steve Murphy. “The acquisition of Acadia furthers Epicor’s commitment to helping businesses across the make, move, and sell industries move beyond simply telling workers what to do, but showing them how to do it effectively to drive stronger productivity and efficiency.”

By integrating Acadia’s capabilities, Epicor customers can empower their frontline teams to execute tasks with precision, providing them with real-time data, digital work instructions, and task management tools that contribute to continuous improvement across their organisations.

“Frontline workers are the backbone of successful companies, and those who can operate independently are more effective, more engaged, and more likely to stay,” said Josh Crone, vice president and chief technology officer at Acadia Software. “Joining Epicor gives us an opportunity to connect even more frontline workers to the tools and know-how they need to work independently, while also providing resources and capabilities to better serve our existing Acadia customers.”

Teledyne FLIR will launch the FLIR Si2x-Pro Hazardous Location Acoustic Imaging Camera.

Exhibiting at Stand 1005, Hall 1, Teledyne FLIR will showcase innovative sensing solutions at ADIPEC

They include the SI-2 Series, including the new Si2x, PHH – T-series, Exx-series, and OGI cameras around SF6 detection.

The new FLIR Si2x-Pro™ hazardous location acoustic imaging camera for gas leak, mechanical fault, and partial discharge detection is specifically designed for use in hazardous gas and explosive dust environments, to easily reduce leaks of toxic or flammable gases to improve safety, or cut expenses associated with compressed air or gas leaks in facilities. It offers best-in-class performance, decision support, and fleet management, along with enterprise data integration for optimal efficiency and safety.

Teledyne FLIR will also showcase the following solutions:

FLIR SI2-Series
The Si2-Series of acoustic imagers offers industrial-grade solutions for the detection of air and gas leaks as well as mechanical faults such as bearing issues, addressing the top inspection requirements for industries such as manufacturing, electrical, and utilities.

The Si2 cameras apply an array of acoustic imaging advancements that work to detect and quantify air and gas leaks, mechanical faults, and partial discharge, making them the top-performing acoustic imaging cameras on the market for these types of detections.

• FLIR Si2-Pro: Industrial acoustic imaging camera for pressurized leak detection, mechanical fault detection, and partial discharge detection with on-camera severity assessments.
• FLIR Si2-LD: Industrial acoustic imaging camera for pressurized leak detection and mechanical fault detection in manufacturing and other industrial environments.
• FLIR Si2-PD: Industrial acoustic imaging camera for partial discharge detection with on-camera severity assessments for power infrastructure inspection.

FLIR T-Series
FLIR T-Series thermal imaging cameras offer outstanding resolution, and image clarity paired with the ergonomics professional thermographers need for a full day of inspections. From the 180° optical block rotation on the T500 models, to the T1k's OSX™ Precision HDIR optical system – designed exclusively for the T1K – the T-Series offers the next level in design and performance.

This initiative aligns with the UAE's 'Make it in the Emirates' strategy. (Image source: Schneider Electric)

Schneider Electric has announced the launch of a new manufacturing facility in the UAE, aimed at producing AI-ready data centre solutions to meet the region’s expanding data centre needs.

The facility will focus on manufacturing and assembling prefabricated modular data centres equipped with AI capabilities.

This initiative aligns with the UAE's 'Make it in the Emirates' strategy and supports the In-Country Value (ICV) programme, which aims to stimulate local economic growth and enhance the private sector’s contribution to the national GDP.

The opening of this facility underscores Schneider Electric’s commitment to driving local production, sustainability, and industrial growth through innovative manufacturing solutions.

The newly introduced data centres are crafted to fulfil customer expectations for improved predictability, reduced overall ownership costs, and quicker implementation. Alongside addressing the rising infrastructure requirements in the region, the facility will also play a pivotal role in creating jobs locally, with up to 70% of local involvement in areas such as supply chain management, logistics, project oversight, and maintenance.

This move underlines Schneider Electric’s dedication to advancing the UAE’s industrial growth and economic progress, while aligning with the nation’s goals for sustainability and locally-driven industrial expansion.

Amel Chadli, president of Gulf countries, Schneider Electric, said, “Our expansion in local manufacturing reflects Schneider Electric’s commitment to the UAE's vision for industrial growth and sustainability. By advancing our AI-powered data center solutions, we are addressing the country’s increasing demand for scalable, energy-efficient, digital infrastructure. This facility will allow us to deliver data center solutions that align with both national economic objectives and the evolving needs of industries.”

IFS Cloud 24R2 includes new IFS.ai-powered features.

IFS, the leading provider of enterprise cloud and Industrial AI, has launched IFS Cloud 24R2 at its IFS Unleashed event in Orlando, Florida, including new IFS.ai-powered features to drive industrial AI adoption at scale

With the launch of 24R2, more than 60 deep industrial AI capabilities are now available.

Feature highlights

New feature highlights include:

Home is a new, dynamic, AI-powered homepage for IFS Cloud providing live project status visibility, fuelling productivity and efficiency. Anomalies are automatically detected, and corrective actions suggested, saving time and increasing accuracy of project analysis. This unique and intuitive experience combines the new context aware IFS.ai Copilot uses cases with a growing ecosystem of interactive widgets that help users plan, manage, build and service assets faster, smarter and safer.

IFS.ai Copilot now goes deeper than ever, surfacing insights from across the organisation. The context aware Copilot with preconfigured industries capabilities gets even more powerful when integrated with customer data sources. Service leaders and dispatchers can now maximise field service delivery and future planning efficiency with AI-driven accelerated, accurate decision making, and obtain instant contextually relevant answers to questions.

Within the Asset Applications module, the new IFS.ai Copilot for FMECA (Failure Modes, Effects, Criticality Analysis) feature drives optimised asset availability while reducing maintenance costs and mitigating risks. It provides detailed analysis of how an asset might fail, the probability, and consequences of making or adjusting maintenance strategies. AI supports FMECA by unlocking insights from unstructured information such as manuals and maintenance reports to support and refine the analysis.

New Prompt Libraries in Copilot empower users to take the lead with AI by storing contextually relevant prompts, eliminating repetition and boosting productivity.

IFS.ai can take unstructured data from, for example, a new manufacturing customer PO and auto- create a new order so the production process can be accelerated. The impact of this new order onto the shop floor can then be modelled and analysed with the new Manufacturing Scheduling Optimisation (MSO) Simulation capability, enabling production managers to improve capacity planning and meet customer demand. Meanwhile, asset managers can use the Simulation capabilities to more accurately predict and plan essential asset maintenance based on different scenarios.

Christian Pedersen, Chief Product Officer at IFS, commented, “All new features and enhancements within IFS Cloud 24R2 are guided by IFS’s strategic themes. They are tailored to help customers unleash their full potential – both in terms of operational effectiveness and profitability – by leveraging IFS.ai to unlock and use the secret weapon from across supply chain and operations: their data.”

At the IFS Unleashed event, taking place in Orlando, Florida from 15-17 October, attendees heard about IFS’s plans to further enhance its AI capabilities for the benefit of its customers, with the stated aim of becoming the undisputed leader in industrial software.