Drives & Controls April 2022

n NEWS April 2022 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 THE UK ROBOT developer Automata has raised US$50m in Series B funding to drive the development of its Automata Labs technology for diagnostics, drug discovery and biotech applications. It says that this technology will allow life scientists to save time by scaling capacities, and to spend more time on analytical work – which will, in turn, lead to cost savings. The new investment follows rapid growth for London-based Automata, whose technologies have been used to conduct nearly a million lab tests in recent months. NHS pathology labs have been using its systems to help tackle diagnostic backlogs and to upscale capacities. In one lab, 40 fully automated stations are now running around the clock. Automata says that scientists using its technology are achieving accurate results faster, and on a larger scale, than was possible before. Automata was founded in 2015 by two architects, Mostafa ElSayed and Suryansh Chnadra, who had encountered some of the limitations of conventional robots while working for their former employer, Zaha Hadid Architects. They developed a small, low-cost collaborative robot (cobot) called Eva, initially aimed at general-purpose automation duties, especially for smaller companies. The easy-to- program 9.5kg desktop cobot could lift payloads of up to 1.25kg and boasted a repeatability of ±0.5mm. When it reached the market in 2019, the six-axis arm was priced at around £5,000. The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic opened up a massive new market for automated laboratory testing. It is estimated that in 2021, the demand and capability for molecular testing in UK pathology microbiology labs jumped from around 300,000 a year to 300,000 every day. Automata – which had found that its previous business model of supplying low-cost, general- purpose cobots to individual customers was not viable – decided to focus on laboratory automation, and in November 2021 launched Automata Labs, an workflow automation system for life science labs. Previously, says the company, end-to-end laboratory workflow automation had often been out of reach of laboratories wanting to scale up their capabilities. Equipment and software were often too expensive, while existing technologies were often inappropriate for labs with small footprints. Automata Labs consists of modular pods containing robot arms that can operate lab equipment. Multiple pods can be integrated and automated simultaneously, minimising the need for manual input. Automata also offers management software and support to automate complete laboratory workflows. “Automata identified the life science industry as the sector ripe to feel the benefits of robotic automation,”ElSayed reports. He describes Automata Labs as a“one-stop system to make robotic automation accessible to labs frustrated by the limitations of their own manual environment”. The new funding for Automata follows an earlier round in 2019 which raised $7.4m. Part of the new funding will help it to expand internationally. https://automata.tech UK cobot-maker raises $50m to target lab automation p Two recent market analyses have come up with very different estimates for the size of the global industrial automation market. US-based Meticulous Research predicts that the market will grow with a CAGR of 9.3% from 2020 to 2027, by when it will be worth $306bn. Bangalore- based Future Market Insights says that the market will expand with a CAGR of 7%, from $36bn in 2021 to reach $51bn by 2026. www.meticulousresearch.com www.futuremarketinsights.com p Analog Devices is investing €100m over the next three years in a 9,300m 2 innovation and collaboration facility at its campus in Limerick, Ireland. The expansion of the ADI Catalyst facility will create 250 new jobs by 2025, mainly focused on developing software-enabled solutions and AI (artificial intelligence) innovations in emerging areas such as machine learning, Industry 4.0 and next-generation connectivity, including 5G. The project is being supported by the Irish Government. p Global manufacturing output grew by 8.3% during 2021, according to new research from Interact Analysis . The machinery market was more volatile than general manufacturing, with some sectors enjoying double-digit growth while others suffered from supply-chain issues and chip shortages. Europe was the region worst affected by Covid-19, with manufacturing output dropping by 7.9% in 2020 and machinery plummeting by 12%. Asia, by contrast, has done relatively well and Interact expects the region’s manufacturing output to climb by 7% this year, with machinery production increasing by 6.5%. www.interactanalysis.com p The Manufacturing Technology Centre is hosting a two- day conference on 4-5 May to drive the uptake of robotics and automation in the UK, and to address the widening productivity gap. Called Robotics and Automation - A New Perspective , the event will look at the transformational benefits of robotic technologies, and how automation can boost UK productivity. It will build on the recommendations of a recent report with the same name produced by the MTC and the Industrial Policy Research Centre at Loughborough University. www.the-mtc.org/events/ industry-events NEWS BRIEFS The US National Electrical Manufacturers Association (Nema) has published a procedure for comparing VSDs to optimise energy savings. Nema’s MG 10011-2022 standard (Power Index Calculation Procedure – Standard Rating Methodology for Power Drive Systems and Complete Drive Modules) discusses a power index (PI) for power drive systems (PDSs) – motors coupled with VSDs. The PI value allows PDSs and drives to be compared for optimal energy savings. It can be applied to a variety of motor types and provides an easy-to-use metric, similar to car mpg ratings. Nema worked with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) to develop the PI rating. “This metric will be an important tool for utilities and regulators, who can utilise PI in their incentives programmes to encourage the selection of motors and controls that will result in significant energy savings,” explains NEEA codes and standards engineer, Nicole Dunbar. “This standard represents an important change in how we think and talk about the potential energy savings from motors and drives,” adds Dale Basso, who chairs Nema’s Motors and Generators Section. The standard is available from Nema’s Web site as a free download or for $84 as a hard-copy. www.nema.org Nema index compares VSDs to maximise energy savings The modular Automata Labs technology uses the company’s six-axis Eva robot arm to automate laboratory processes