June 2021

COMMENT n MANUFACTURERS NEED TO DRIVE DIVERSITY It will probably come as no great surprise that women make up just 29% of the UK’s manufacturing workforce (mainly in administrative and clerical roles), while 18% come from ethnic minority backgrounds. Perhaps a more unexpected finding from a newMake UK survey is that in just 2% of UK manufacturers is the average age of the workforce below 30 years. The picture the survey paints is of an industry dominated by ageing white males. Just 8% of employees with professional qualifications are women with 5% coming from ethnic minority backgrounds. Women account for 18% of board level positions (against an average of a third among FTSE 100 companies), while ethnic minorities make up just 5% of manufacturers’board-level positions. More than a third (34%) of manufacturers have workforces with average ages in the range 36-40 years, 22% have workforces with average ages between 41 and 45, and 24% are in the 45-50 age group. Particularly worrying for the future of the sector is that females represent just 8% of all manufacturing apprentices, while 4% come from ethnic minorities. According to Make UK, as manufacturing recovers from the pandemic and embraces new technologies, the task of presenting the industry as an attractive, progressive sector“has never been more urgent”. This transformation, it adds“will need more highly skilled employees from all sections of society”. “Manufacturing is undergoing rapid change with the adoption of new technologies and working practices,”says Make UK’s CEO, Stephen Phipson.“If businesses are to truly capitalise on these opportunities they must put people at the very top of their agenda and create a truly diverse and inclusive workplace that is representative of society as a whole. “There is no doubt that industry has, to date, not embraced the societal changes that have taken place with a workforce that isn’t as diverse and balanced as it should be,”he adds.“This means that companies are not making use of the wider talent pool available, despite clear evidence that organisations with a greater balance are better performers.” Make UK’s survey reveals that 36% of UK manufacturers now have ED&I (equality, diversity and inclusion) strategies in place, with a further 31% developing one. This leaves a third of companies with no strategy or plans. Another finding is that 45% of companies review their EDI strategies at least once a year, suggesting that, for them, it is not a tick-box exercise. On the back of its survey, Make UK has issued a series of guiding principles that it is asking manufacturers to adopt to ensure that they have more diverse and inclusive workforces. The organisation has also suggested a series of measures that Government could implement to encourage manufacturers to improve diversity in their workforces. Finally, Make UK is hosting an online event on 22 June in which companies that have successfully implemented diversity strategies will pass on the lessons they have learned (https://drivesncontrols.news/ekd2h5) . If UK manufacturers are to make real progress in tackling the skills shortage, they will have to widen the pool of talent fromwhich they recruit. This can only help to improve the image of the sector. Tony Sacks, Editor Drives & Controls & BACK TO BASICS n SPONSORED BY The first EU regulations covering the efficiency of VSDs come into force next month. Liam Blackshaw, ABB’s product manager for LV drives, examines the implications. U pdated Ecodesign regulations governing the required efficiency of new electric motors come into force from July. Significantly, the 2021 update will expand the regulations’remit to include, for the first time, variable-speed drives (VSDs). Specifically, the regulation covers three-phase standard drives with a diode rectifier and a rated power output (P n ) of 0.12kW–1MW. After 1 July, the power losses of these drives must not exceed the maximum power losses corresponding to the new IE2 efficiency level for drives – not to be confused with the equivalent IE2 rating for motors. Now, drives manufacturers must declare power losses in terms of percentage of rated power output at eight different operating points, as well as standby losses. There are certain exclusions from the regulations. Regenerative and low-harmonic drives where THD is less than 10% are not covered, along with multiple AC-output drives and singe-phase drives. Also excluded are situations where the drive forms part of a cabinet and the drive module itself has already been assessed. Likewise, DC drives, medium- voltage drives, integrated drives, and traction drives are not covered. Servodrives are included, but there is a caveat – drives in this class which can also be used with induction motors do fall within the scope, however servodrives designed purely for use with servomotors are exempt Finally, Ecodesign does not include minimum efficiency requirements for Power Drive Systems. The Ecodesign regulations forms part of the CE marking process which, from January 2022, will become UKCA marking in post-Brexit Britain. Primarily, however, the regulations cover induction motors rated for continuous duty so, while there are clearly intricacies to be learned, essentially if a motor is rated for direct-on-line operation then it is within the scope of the Ecodesign. The benefits are clear. There are around eight billion electric motors in use around the EU which use almost half of all electricity generated in the region. Most of these active motors have no form of speed control. This, when viewed within the context of ambitious targets for cutting emissions and reducing energy consumption and carbon generation, mean high-efficiency motors and drives have a key role to play. What’s perhaps more interesting is the ways in which technology firms are using the Ecodesign regulations to move two or three steps ahead of the curve. The technology is already there to exceed the current baseline. IE4 and IE5 motors are increasingly available, which stands organisations in good stead for the next round of upgrades to the Directive in 2023. Factor in the superior performance and reduced maintenance of modern, high- efficiency motors and drives and it’s hard to argue against the Ecodesign regulations being viewed in anything other than a positive light. n Ecodesign regs: What do they mean for VSDs?