DAC 2021_12

n NEWS November/December 2021 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 SPEEDING UP THE adoption of industrial automation and robotics could lead to dramatic improvements in the UK’s manufacturing productivity, according to a major new report produced by the Manufacturing Technology Centre and Loughborough University’s Industrial Policy Research Centre. At present, the UK lags about 16% behind the average productivity of the G7 industrialised countries. And of the more than 130,000 manufacturers in the country (at least 96% of which are SMEs), only about 10,000 are using robots. The report, called Robotics and Automation: A New Perspective , argues that the slow uptake of robots by British manufacturers, and a reluctance to invest in automation, are key factors in the UK’s weak productivity. It suggests that investment in automation, as well as reshoring manufacturing operations from abroad, could deliver major opportunities for UK manufacturers. The 84-page report contains contributions from experts from a wide range of areas including technology, manufacturing policy, trade associations, finance, industrial relations and the media. There are also several case studies showing practical examples of the benefits of adopting automation technologies. The UK currently lies 24th in the global league of robot densities (robots/10,000 manufacturing workers), contributing to its poor productivity, according to the report. But, it adds, the technologies to improve the situation already exist. The priority is to adopt them faster. “While the UK was traditionally a leader in world manufacturing, our productivity has been surpassed by other countries and, if ignored, this gap will continue to grow,” warns MTC CEO, Dr Clive Hickman. “It is necessary to address the opportunities available within manufacturing to get back on top form and make advances available for businesses across the UK.” The report calls for more support for UK businesses at all stages, from identifying opportunities, to selecting suppliers and ensuring that staff have the right skills, and finally implementing systems. It also wants knowledge to be shared across industry and the automation supply chain to develop, demonstrate, test and de-risk affordable and deployable automation – in particular targeting UK manufacturers who have under-invested in the past. Better training is also needed. Mike Wilson, the MTC’s chief automation officer, argues that the Covid pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the UK’s extended supply chains, leading to a recognition that the resilience of UK manufacturing needs to be boosted by increasing local content and reshoring production capacity. “A significant expansion of manufacturing capability cannot be achieved using the current methodologies, which are largely based on manual labour and obsolete equipment,” he points out. The Made Smarter Review calculated that automation and robotics could boost UK manufacturing by £183.6bn over a decade. “The solutions are available and proven,” says Wilson. “The challenge in the UK is adoption, and also the education of the finance community so they understand and support investment.” Professor Chris White of the Industrial Policy Research Centre believes that accelerating the use of robotics and automation and the adoption of new technologies “will create a revolution” in the way the UK thinks about manufacturing and its culture . “The future of work, and for that matter, the future of manufacturing, is about to change dramatically,” he says. “Its culture can no longer be described as ‘dirty, dangerous and dull’, but one that is clean, safe and as exciting as our imagination will allow.” * The report can be viewed and downloaded from https://online.flippingbook.com/view/292843863 Accelerating automation could boost UK’s lagging productivity ‘dramatically’ p The German motors and drives manufacturer Dunkermotoren has launched a new business offering services supporting its smart motors, ranging from consultation and concept development, to implementing control logic and cloud-based condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. The company says that with its new nexofox brand, it is moving from being a product manufacturer to a service provider covering all aspects of the use and connectivity of smart motors. www.nexofox.io p TÜV SÜD has launched an Atex certification service for both CE marking and UKCA mark compliance. Because it holds dual accreditation as an Atex Directive Notified Body and UKCA Approved Body, TÜV can support manufacturers in maintaining CE certification for EU markets, as well as gain UKCA approval. www.tuvsud.com/uk p The global market for IO-Link products was worth $6.1bn in 2020 and will reach $74bn by 2030 – a CAGR of 29% – according to new analysis by Allied Market Research . This growth is being driven by Industry 4.0, IO-Link’s ability to support a wide range of fieldbus and Ethernet protocols, and government initiatives supporting industrial automation. www.alliedmarketresearch.com p The private equity firm Advent has abandoned plans to float its Rubix MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) business, citing “difficult ongoing conditions for IPOs (initial public offerings)”. It had been hoping to raise €850m from the sale. Rubix was formed in 2017 from the merger of Brammer and IPH . p Omron is taking a stake of around 10% in Techman Robot , the Taiwanese company that claims to be the world’s second- largest manufacturer of collaborative robots (cobots), behind Universal Robots . In 2018, Omron entered into a strategic alliance with Techman and has since sold its TM Series cobots globally as a co-branded product. The companies have also jointly developed a mobile work robot that combines Omron mobile robot technology with TM cobots. NEWS BRIEFS The new report argues that the UK needs to adopt automation faster if it is to improve its poor productivity