by Gary Mintchell | Dec 15, 2025 | Business, News, Robots
Zebra Technologies winding down Fetch-based mobile robot group news from the Robot Report. Steve Crowe writes in the news item, “Zebra Technologies is winding down its autonomous mobile robot (AMR) division. The group was built around Zebra’s $290 million acquisition of AMR maker Fetch Robotics in 2021. The move marks a strategic retreat from the robotics push Zebra launched to expand its warehouse automation capabilities.”
I can’t find news on Zebra’s site, and they haven’t sent anything to me, but Crowe continues, “It’s unclear exactly how this story will end. According to multiple sources, Zebra is looking to sell its robotics division or ultimately shut it down. According to the sources, most of the robotics staff will be let go by the end of 2025. About 25% of the staff will stay on until March 2026 to manage current deployments. Multiple former employees of Zebra’s AMR group posted yesterday on LinkedIn that they are looking for new roles.”
Rockwell Automation hosted its annual Automation Fair last month. The head of the robotics unit, and former AMR technologist, spoke to us. Between his presentation and that of the upgrades to Rockwell’s own manufacturing, it looks as if they are making strides at integrating these products into their overall solution package. The tech may not fit everyone’s strategic portfolio.
Ash Sharma, VP of research at market intelligence company Interact Analysis sent these comments about the market. They are pretty accurate.
- “Fetch was acquired at the peak of the AMR hype cycle for nearly 30 times its annual revenue, despite likely operating at a loss. Other companies adopted similar strategies, paying exceptionally high valuations to secure a share of this fast-growing sector. For example, ABB Robotics acquired Spanish firm ASTI, and Teradyne purchased Mobile Industrial Robots. All three have faced challenges integrating and scaling these startups, leading to divestments or significant reductions in investment.
- “Although the AMR industry now exceeds $4 billion annually and continues to grow at a double-digit rate, a common misconception is that it represents a single addressable market for any vendor. In reality, the industry comprises multiple segments, each requiring specific AMR form factors tailored to distinct workflows. The segment targeted by Zebra through Fetch’s technology was worth only a few hundred million dollars.
- “Another misconception is that Western markets dominate AMR adoption. In fact, China manufactures and installs more than half of all AMRs worldwide.
- “The greatest challenge lies in scaling AMR operations. Five years ago, most AMRs were sold to small organisations purchasing only a handful of robots. This fragmented customer base made scaling difficult for companies lacking broad distribution and sales networks. Mobile Industrial Robots grew rapidly during this period. However, the market has since evolved. While small customers remain, most AMR volume now comes from major retailers and 3PLs, which deploy hundreds of robots per site and thousands across networks. Their requirements and procurement processes differ significantly from early adopters, demanding a fundamentally different approach to achieve scale.”
by Gary Mintchell | Dec 4, 2025 | Commentary
I started writing this blog in 2003. The first name was Gary’s Radio Weblog—I used Dave Winer’s Radio Userland. I moved the blog to SquareSpace a bit later and renamed it Gary’s FeedForward to parallel my work at Automation World magazine. When I left Automation World in 2013, the blog moved to WordPress and gained the name The Manufacturing Connection. The blog has grown to more than 300K visits per month, and some months actually 200K more.
Meanwhile, I started playing with podcasting in 2007. I would sometimes record the podcasts on Quicktime on the Mac and post on YouTube along with the audio only on Libsyn.
I promoted both of these plus another personal blog on Twitter for years.
Several years ago, Twitter (now X) became useless for this promotion. I would also promote on LinkedIn. Now, LinkedIn acts like Facebook—do you want to reach people? Click here to boost your post (for a fee, of course).
This year I noticed a sudden reduction in the number of podcasts downloads. Simultaneously, the number of visits to the YouTube site rapidly grew. Weird.
Seth Godin is a marketing guru, publisher, speaker, blogger, and more. I’ve followed him for more than 15 years. He recently documented his experiences. I don’t feel so alone.
The Hotel California (and subscriptions)
Every day, this blog is automatically echoed on my Linkedin channel. Over the last few years, the traffic to those posts on Linkedin is down more than 90%. Understandable. Platforms evolve, people shift their patterns and interests.
I recently did a manual post on Linkedin, though, and was amazed to discover that within minutes, it had 10 times as much traffic as a typical post does. I did another one about this leap and it did even better. It’s clear that the algorithm was changed.
Not to help me, not to help you, but to help the endless quest for more that most public companies wrestle with.
The seduction is clear. They’re sending a message: If you want us to bring you eyeballs, move in. Don’t link out.
Problem one: eyeballs don’t make change happen, people do.
Problem two: Don’t check into a motel that makes it hard to check out.
Enshittification is real. VCs and public markets push the companies they invest in to maximize profits. First, please the customers. Then, double cross them to please the advertisers. Finally, double cross both of them to please the stock price.
by Gary Mintchell | Nov 26, 2025 | Automation, News, Robots, Technology
The only news emanating from Automation Fair last week was the announcement of a plan to build a 1 million sq ft manufacturing and warehousing facility in southeast Wisconsin. Executives also reinforced earlier news regarding its regrouping of the cybersecurity SecureOT Solution Suite and the new ControlLogix 5590.
Executives appeared before the assembled media and analyst folks attending to highlight areas of emphasis that Rockwell Automation wished to promote. These talks were enlightening about the current state of Rockwell Automation’s thinking on what is important in this market and where Rockwell fits at this time.
Bob Buttermore, senior vice president, chief supply chain officer, has often appeared as the point person for using Rockwell products and services to improve internal and external supply chains within the company. Part of the new plant announcement included investing $2B in Rockwell operations to test and prove the next generation of industrial technology.
Our existing facilities in Singapore, Twinsburg and Milwaukee serve as live innovation labs, showing how new tools and processes perform in real-world manufacturing. These plants give customers a front-row seat to breakthrough solutions and demonstrate how Rockwell is shaping the future of smart, efficient and resilient manufacturing.
The old Silicon Valley phrase was “eating your own dog food.” The today Rockwell Automation version is Rok on Rok. Buttermore told us the team in Singapore took initiative to work with the local government and internal Rockwell resources to bring reality to “factory of the future” improvements. Learnings from that initiative are being applied within the Twinsburg, Ohio facility. They will be used to build the new Wisconsin facility when the time comes.
Special kudos to Buttermore for going beyond the pablum “we use AI” phrase to pinpointing which aspects of AI are used where. So refreshing to get something closer to specifics.
Speaking of AI, Rockwell has an executive in charge. Jordan Reynolds, Vice President, Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy, spoke about companies going beyond embedding AI in technology by incorporating it in workflows, and further using it to empower the people using the technology.
His talking point—As AI becomes more deeply embedded in operations, manufacturers must ensure their teams are not only equipped with the right skills but also confident in using AI to make faster, smarter decisions. In fact, 47% of manufacturers responded that AI comfortability is a “very important skill” in their workforce according to the 2025 State of Smart Manufacturing Report, which marks a 10% increase from 2024.
Sustainability remains an important mission. A panel brought together leaders from Circulor, Bolder Industries, and Utility Global to discuss how their innovations are accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future. The conversation highlighted the role of circular manufacturing, supply chain transparency, and clean hydrogen in building reliable and sustainable energy infrastructure. Panelists discussed overcoming regulatory, operational, and technological challenges through strategic partnerships and advanced automation.
My long history with Rockwell Automation includes nothing about robotics. Given a couple of recent acquisitions, the company has a new vice president of robotics, Ryan Gariepy. He was CTO of OTTO, the recently acquired AMR company. He’s excited about bringing together the array of robotics technology. This includes software Unified Robot Control and software-defined automation. Mobile with Clearpath development platform and the OTTO Autonomous Mobile Robotics. An integration ecosystems with Emulate 3D and OTTO Fleet Manager.
Running the anchor leg of the relay was Dan DeYoung, Vice President & General Manager, Design & Control. We saw him later showing off the ControlLogix 5590. This session focused on the future of software-defined automation. Rockwell sees the future of industrial automation as one where control systems can rapidly adapt and grow as new disciplines emerge. “With software defined automation, we are rethinking how robotics, vision, AI and ML come together with the core strengths of our multidiscipline control. Our focus is on creating an environment where these technologies can be integrated with speed and simplicity, shaping a future where automation is more flexible, scalable and ready for what’s next.”
It was at this point that a question from the audience asked about adoption of IEC 61131 programming and especially about the PLCOpen nirvana of write once/run anywhere. That is, write control code in your IDE of choice in a 61131 language and then target control platforms from any vendor. There was no comment. (Something I expected.) As Ed Sheeran put it, I was Thinking Out Loud on this longer thought piece about that topic.
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by Gary Mintchell | Nov 21, 2025 | Automation, Embedded Control, Industrial Computers, News
The Rockwell Automation Control team could not contain their enthusiasm for their latest product—ControLogix 5590. Yes, they are master at branding 😉 I saw long-time contact Dennis Wylie on the show floor. He shared his excitement with me there—and later.
At a later gathering of media and analyst people, the team talked up the product. The marketing team has chosen the word “powerhouse” to best describe the advances included in the product. The last controller news that came my was was years ago, so I’m a bit rusty analyzing this. See below for a list of capabilities and features. I’m sure machine designers and other automation geeks will love this.
Rockwell Automation announced the highly anticipated launch of its newest controller, ControlLogix 5590, the powerhouse at the core of the Logix platform. Designed to meet the evolving demands of modern manufacturing, this all-in-one controller delivers seamless software integration and multidiscipline control across the enterprise to streamline operations like never before.
All in one refers at the least to including safety as part of the package.
Manufacturers are navigating a perfect storm of challenges, from rising global competition and workforce shortages to growing safety and security risks. Contributing to the complexity are disconnected control and data systems built on propriety technologies, which limit flexibility and keep costs high. The ControlLogix 5590 controller is a purpose-built solution to help manufacturers tackle these challenges with ease and take control of their operations.
“The ControlLogix 5590 controller isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a powerhouse engineered for the future of industrial automation,” said Dan DeYoung, global vice president and general manager, production design & control, Rockwell Automation. “We’re giving our customers the ability to build smarter and more secure systems right out of the box, with a platform designed to meet the demands of today and ready to scale for tomorrow.”
Key capabilities of the ControlLogix 5590 controller include:
- Integrated Safety: Every ControlLogix 5590 controller includes advanced, integrated functional safety capabilities designed to help protect people, equipment and operations, without the need for separate safety models. Certified to meet rigorous global standards, it helps customers build safer systems with less complexity and more confidence.
- Powerful Performance for Demanding Applications: Delivers high-speed processing and expanded memory capacity to support complex operations. From process and batch to discrete, motion and robotics applications – the ControlLogix 5590 controller is ideal for manufacturers looking to design scalable architecture, optimize throughput and drive efficiency on a single high-performance and interoperable platform.
- Built-In Cybersecurity: Includes built-in security features designed to help protect systems from current and emerging cyber threats. These protections are based on global standards (IEC 62443) and help customers keep their operations connected and compliant with modern security requirements.
- Streamlined Engineering Experience with a Unified Software Suite: A unified software suite, including Studio 5000 Logix Designer® and FactoryTalk® Design Studio™*, helps streamline development, accelerate deployment and simplify workflows across the enterprise.
Key Features:
- Up to 80 MB user memory
- Integrated Dual 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports with CIP Security
- Expanded and scalable performance for motion and safety applications
- Higher performance for high availability process systems
- Integration with Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk platforms
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by Gary Mintchell | Nov 19, 2025 | Business, News
I visited Automation Fair, Rockwell Automation’s annual customer showcase gathering, Tuesday. We had six briefings and a gathering to discuss the new ControlLogix 5590 platform. This year’s event felt both similar to past years (this was my 29th) and also a bit different. The original format recreated the trade show environment. The past few years has seen a change to include large keynotes as other large automation suppliers traditionally feature and more breakout sessions. And a bit more than 10,000 people turned out. (I didn’t get an official number, but guessing was perhaps 12,000 total attendees.)
The briefings provided insight into several areas of the company including cybersecurity, building new manufacturing “factory of the future” using Rockwell products and services, software defined architecture, and a bit more. All of this I will detail in my next post.
The big news…
I’m old enough to remember Rockwell Automation moving a lot of manufacturing, especially for control products, to Asia. Recently they’ve touted a new production line for OTTO AMRs in Milwaukee. Executives also pointed to work in progress upgrading production lines in Twinsburg, Ohio.
Following an established theme for 2025 manufacturing, Rockwell Automation has announced plans to build a new, 1 million square foot facility somewhere in southeastern Wisconsin. The project marks the next step in the company’s previously announced $2 billion investment in plants, digital infrastructure, and talent to grow share, build resilience, and expand margins over the next five years. The facility has the potential to be Rockwell’s largest manufacturing campus globally, with a significant footprint and the flexibility to scale operations.
Note that this is an announcement. Much work remains before anything physical happens. We were give a bit more detail here.
This new facility will span more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space and will be equipped with advanced automation, robotics, and digital systems that will showcase modern manufacturing and demonstrate Rockwell’s leadership in industrial automation.
And the obligatory quotes:
“Rockwell Automation has been leading the way with high-quality manufacturing and technology solutions for over a century. We’re incredibly proud of that tradition and how they’ve continued to exemplify the innovation and excellence that Wisconsin is known for, and we are excited to celebrate their continued growth and success in our state,” says Gov. Tony Evers. “I want to thank Rockwell Automation for their ongoing commitment to Wisconsin, our workforce, and our communities, and I look forward to seeing how this newest expansion will accelerate our statewide goals of building a 21st-century workforce and economy.”
“Designing a new facility presents the opportunity to create the future of industrial operations, with highly orchestrated production,” says Blake Moret, chairman and CEO at Rockwell Automation. “We are expanding our U.S. manufacturing footprint with advanced production capability that supports growth and performance with the latest Rockwell technologies and solutions.”
“It will integrate the latest in Rockwell’s production technologies, including AI and analytics tools, to increase efficiency and precision, while providing team members with access to advanced tools and training. I’m excited to see our highly skilled workforce maximize the potential of this site,” says Bob Buttermore, chief supply chain officer at Rockwell Automation. “This investment reflects our confidence in our teams that deliver excellence every day.”
Buttermore told us at the media briefing that his team’s work is to bring in some of the margins paid out to other companies through more vertical integration.
This reinforces Rockwell’s long-term commitment to American manufacturing and to the skilled workforce that drives production and innovation. The Southeastern Wisconsin location will be near the company’s global headquarters in Milwaukee.
Construction and site planning are in progress in concert with local and state officials. Additional details will be shared as the project advances.
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by Gary Mintchell | Nov 14, 2025 | Business, Commentary, Manufacturing IT, News
I’ve had the opportunity to talk with many CEOs and SVPs following acquisitions that, to me, seemed out of place. Perhaps a distraction to core business. Perhaps just an ego play to build a larger business/division. Two ranking executives told me that the acquired company and the acquiring company’s software were build with object-oriented programming. Therefore, they said, they could just combine the objects into a new, stronger software offering.
Neither succeeded.
It so happened that the PTC CEO and I were attending the same conference not long after the acquisition of ThingWorx and Kepware. Both acquisitions were beneficial to the owners of the acquired companies. I couldn’t see how entering a new market could help PTC’s business.
“Gary,” I was assured, “we will integrate all the software into a unified and comprehensive industrial software offering.”
I didn’t believe it then. Subsequent events proved me correct. PTC has unloaded the two companies to TPG, a company that seems (foolishly?) trying to grow into a market that I think is dominated (at least in terms of innovation) by Inductive Automation. TPG previously acquired the industrial software business (former Cimplicity, Intellution, iFix) from GE Vernova. I bet they think they can integrate the three (and perhaps others?) into a competitive offering.
Meanwhile, PTC states that the “sale of Kepware and ThingWorx businesses enables PTC to increase focus on Intelligent Product Lifecycle vision.”
PTC further says, “Transaction will provide the Kepware and ThingWorx businesses with additional resources for growth.” I guess that means that PTC had ceased providing sufficient resources for that said growth. TPG is one of those private equity firms. Think it will fatten them up for eventual sale?
Here’s a bit about the businesses, in case you’ve forgotten about them.
Kepware facilitates connectivity between industrial automation devices and applications, acting as a communication platform that enables data exchange and integration across a diverse range of industries including manufacturing, oil and gas, and utilities to simplify the process of collecting, monitoring, and controlling data from multiple sources. ThingWorx is a comprehensive IoT platform for industrial enterprises that connects systems, analyzes data, and enables the remote management of devices through a secure and scalable architecture.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of calendar year 2026, subject to the satisfaction of regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
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