Drives & Controls July / August 2022

NEWS n More than traditional ECAD software The foundation for digital transformation: consistent and continuous data EPLAN offers more than traditional ECAD software, our multifaceted solutions in various engineering disciplines enable networked processes that save valuable working hours and resources. With EPLAN, your co-workers and business partners can easily, and securely access your current project status for clear collaboration. Discover more: www.eplan.co.uk/ecosystem TREVORWHEATLEY, the co- founder and former chairman of Control Techniques, and a pioneer in the variable-speed drives industry, has died at the age of 79. Control Techniques began life in 1973, whenWheatley and his fellow founders, Ken Briggs and Kevin Curran, set up a drives manufacturing company, KTK (based on their initials). They had previously worked for Mawdsley’s, an engineering firm involved in the emerging drives business. But they felt it was not innovating fast enough, and they could do better working for themselves. Wheatley, a former coal miner, was responsible for sales, Briggs for product design, and Curran for business management. In 1979, KTK moved to Newtown in mid-Wales, where it was offered rent-free factory space by the Mid-Wales Development Corporation. In 1982, KTK invented the world’s smallest drive. In 1985, it changed its name to Control Techniques and in 1989 launched the world’s first digital DC drive, the Mentor. In the same year, CT created the world’s first practical flux vector AC drive, the Commander CD. In 1990, Wheatley was awarded an OBE for services to the electronics industry. In 1995, Control Techniques was acquired by Emerson Electric, which firedWheatley two years later. He then became chairman of a new drives company, Focus Dynamics, but had to resign when Emerson won a court case in which it alleged that Wheatley had broken an undertaking not to re-enter the drives business for a fixed period after leaving Emerson. He later counter-sued the American company for wrongful dismissal, claiming around £9m in damages, but lost his case in the High Court in 1999. In the same year, he bought Focus Dynamics’drives activities following a takeover of Focus by Breckenburn, a company co- owned byWheatley and the rail entrepreneur Sandy Anderson. The Focus Dynamics board had tried to fend off the £5.3m bid, suggesting that it undervalued the company. They even threatened to break up the company rather than sell it to Breckenburn. In 2001, Focus Dynamics was put into liquidation afterWheatley failed to raise £22m to secure the company’s future. Most of the money was needed to fund two large acquisitions thatWheatley was planning – including the DC drives business of a big name in the sector. Wheatley hadmanaged to raise £15mbefore time ran out. After the failure of Focus Dynamics, Wheatley went into semi-retirement. He later suffered a severe gardening accident which led to the loss of a leg. In 2017, Control Techniques as acquired by the Japanese motors giant, Nidec. In a statement after Wheatley’s death, Control Techniques said it was“deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of its founding fathers, leaders and pioneers.” It described him as“a true innovator in every sense, who took Control Techniques to world status. Trevor was a man of action, committed to the continuous development of drives. “Trevor was never afraid to stand out,”the statement added. “This philosophy to be courageous, bold, and daring to be different is one that we continue to this day. Without Trevor, there wouldn’t be an us.” Control Techniques co-founder Trevor Wheatley dies, aged 79 TrevorWheatley: “never afraid to stand out” Siemens has appointed Sarah Black-Smith general manager of its Motion Control business. She was previously as head of factory operations at Siemens’drives factory in Congleton, Cheshire, where she was responsible for producingmore than onemillion drives and controls per year. Black-Smith’s career with Siemens spans almost 20 years. She was on a placement at Alstom Power when it was sold to Siemens in 2003, which sponsored her final year, taking her on as a young graduate in Lincoln in 2004, where she progressed to manufacturingmanager by 2010. Black-Smith became head of manufacturing at Congleton in 2014 and head of factory operations in 2016. She is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers as well as the Chartered Management Institute. Siemens has committed to increasing the number of women working in engineering. In 2021, half of its graduates and 42%of its intern recruits were female. Siemens picks Sarah Black- Smith to run UK motion business