This article rounds up three recent official news items from AUMA: the RSTX 100 handheld remote control for on-site commissioning, the TIGRON SIL safety actuator winning the 2025 Primus Award, and the reorganisation of the company's executive board.

1. RSTX 100 Remote Control: "Commissioning in Your Pocket"

AUMA has introduced the RSTX 100, a handheld remote control for operating its actuators on site, saving staff time.

• Bluetooth range of up to 20 metres: for actuators in hard-to-reach spots such as pits or at height, on-site staff can operate them without climbing ladders
• A large, high-resolution colour display shows all communication including the actuator's response — operation works even when the actuator's own display is hidden
• Rugged and ergonomic, usable with gloves; ATEX/IECEx certified intrinsically safe (Ex ia) for explosive atmospheres
• Functions: opening/closing valves, parameter configuration, setting valve end positions, firmware updates, and exporting log data to CORALINK for diagnostics
• Compatible with current AUMA ranges: PROFOX, TIGRON and SA/SQ actuators with AC 01.2 controls — one intuitive interface across actuator types reduces training needs

RSTX 100 handheld remote control and compatible actuators (image source: AUMA)

2. TIGRON SIL Wins the Primus Award 2025

On 12 November 2025, at the DIAM exhibition in Bochum, Germany, AUMA's TIGRON SIL won this year's Primus Award in the actuators category.

TIGRON SIL is AUMA's new high-performance, explosion-proof electric actuator series for safety-related applications up to SIL 3, combining maximum safety with configuration flexibility:

• Up to four different safety functions can be configured in one actuator, parametrised in any priority
• Additional settings such as end-position seating can be customised
• A timer function slows the actuator before the valve end position, helping prevent pipeline pressure surges
• Certified safety functions: Safe ESD OPEN/CLOSE (with and without timer), Safe Stop, and Safe end-position feedback OPEN/CLOSE — all managed by safety-related firmware
• Developed to IEC 61508:2010 (SIL) and ISO 13849 (PL), certified by TÜV Nord; SIL 3 achievable with a redundant setup

TIGRON SIL retains the core TIGRON benefits: IIC explosion protection suited to hydrogen applications, robust construction, modern interfaces such as Profinet, and integration with AUMA's CORALINK digital ecosystem for predictive maintenance.

The Primus Award is presented by the German magazine Industriearmaturen+Dichtungstechnik together with the DIAM & DDM valve industry exhibition, honouring innovative products in actuators, valves and seals.

TIGRON SIL wins the Primus Award 2025 (image source: AUMA)

3. Executive Board Reorganisation

At the start of 2026, AUMA reorganised with a new structure and an expanded executive board to strengthen long-term viability in a more complex market. Under CEO Dr Jörg Hoffmann, the board now includes:

• Marc Schmidt — Chief Sales Officer (CSO), leading global sales and after-sales service
• Thomas von Bobrucki — Chief Operating Officer (COO), overseeing fulfilment and supply chain
• Christoph Neubauer — Chief Financial Officer (CFO), responsible for finance, controlling and IT

All three are long-serving executives taking on expanded roles. In addition, Dr Andreas Bechle was appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) effective 1 April 2026 to boost expertise in R&D, innovation and product strategy — he previously held global responsibility for central drive development in the Electrified Motion division at Robert Bosch GmbH.

The reorganisation also follows the planned departure of Ferdinand Dirnhofer, who steps down from General Management on 30 June 2026 after a transition period. Dirnhofer joined in 1993 as a sales engineer and became managing director in 2018 — more than thirty years with the company.

The new structure aims to combine continuity with fresh impetus, clarify responsibilities, streamline decisions, and better integrate sales, R&D, production and service. After a record year in 2025, AUMA expects steady development at its Muellheim location and sees growth opportunities globally. The company has over 60 years of history in electric actuators and valve gearboxes, more than 2,900 employees across 35 locations, with about 1,000 staff at the Muellheim headquarters.

AUMA's new executive board (l.t.r.: Schmidt CSO, Bechle CTO, Hoffmann CEO, von Bobrucki COO, Neubauer CFO) (image source: AUMA)

Related reading: AUMA Variable-Speed Actuators Prolong the Life of 12 Large Penstocks at London's Beckton STW; AUMA Electric Actuator Field Commissioning; see also the AUMA brand column.