Drives & Controls July / August 2022

50 CONTENTS n Drives&Controls is a controlled circulation publication. If you live in the UK and want to subscribe phone 0333 577 0801 or fax 0845 604 2327. Alternatively for both UK and overseas subscriptions please subscribe online at www.drivesncontrols.com. If you have any enquiries regarding your subscription, please use these numbers. The content of this magazine, website and newsletters do not necessarily express the views of the Editor or publishers.The publishers accept no legal responsibility for loss arising from information in this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or stored in a retrieval systemwithout the written consent of the publishers. Paid subscriptions UK: £110 per annum Europe: £145 per annum Rest of World: £180 per annum Printing: Warners Midlands PLC., PE10 9PH ISSN 0950 5490 Copyright: DFA Manufacturing Media Ltd 2022 NEXT ISSUE The September issue of Drives & Controls will contain a special section on energy efficiency, as well as a feature covering developments in the food and beverage industry, and a look at what’s been happening in the world of service and repairs. UPDATE 14 Comment 17 ABB Back to Basics 54 Gambica column 55 Design Data and Multimedia 56 New Products 184 Products & Services IN DEPTH Follow us onTwitter @DrivesnControls Drives MagazineWeb site www.drivesncontrols.com Drives ShowWeb site www.drives-expo.com Join us on Facebook Drives & Controls Drives & Controls REGULARS 34 28 18 5 55 DRIVES & CONTROLS July/August 2022 Vol 38 No 7 Editor Tony Sacks t: 01732 465367 e: tony@drives.co.uk Consultant Editor Andy Pye t: 07808 137312 e: andy.pye@dfamedia.co.uk Production Manager Sarah Blake t: 01233 770781 e: sarah.blake@dfamedia.co.uk Project Liaison Manager Emma Floyd t: 01732 370340 e: emma.floyd@dfamedia.co.uk Marketing Executive Hope Jepson t: 01732 370340 e: hope.jepson@dfamedia.co.uk Financial Caren Brown t: 01732 370340 e: caren.brown@dfamedia.co.uk ADVERTISING Sales Director Damien Oxlee t: 01732 370342 m: 07951 103754 e: damien.oxlee@dfamedia.co.uk Sales Manager AndyWylie t: 01732 370341 m: 07939 607855 e: andy.wylie@dfamedia.co.uk DFA Direct Ian Atkinson t: 01732 370340 e: ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk Italy Oliver & Diego Casiraghi e: info@casiraghi.info t: +39 031 261407 f: +39 031 261380 Managing Director Ryan Fuller t: 01732 370344 e: ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk Chief Executive Officer Ian Atkinson t: 01732 370346 e: ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk Reader/Circulation Enquiries Perception-MPS Ltd t: 01825 701520 e: cs@perception-sas.com HEAD OFFICE DFA Manufacturing Media Ltd 192 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BE t: 01732 370340 f: 01732 360034 e: info@dfamedia.co.uk www.drivesncontrols.com 38 5 News A round-up of the latest business and industry developments from around the world. 18 Technology Cutting-edge innovations in motion, power transmission, controls and related technologies. 28 Automation Are traditional production lines becoming obsolete? An expert argues that the move from mass production to high-mix low-volume manufacturing is changing the way that factories will be designed and operated in future. 30 Robotics and Automated Manufacturing Four leading industry figures express strong opinions on the future direction of automated manufacturing. One contends that“universal automation”will revolutionise industry; another argues that the future lies in openness and independence from global supply chains; a third believes that AMRs will disrupt the way that factories work; while the fourth thinks that virtual technologies will be key to future manufacturing practices. 38 Transportation Industrial automation and motion technologies are increasingly being applied to all forms of transportation, on roads, in the air and on the water. We report on some recent developments, including the world’s fastest electric ship, which is due to enter service in Sweden next year, and an all-plastic bicycle that can be cleaned using a garden hose. 42 Clean Energy We examine some of the ways that industrial technologies are helping to capture and store energy, including a Scottish project that is using a regenerative drive to extract energy from the overflow at a reservoir, how a UK drives manufacturing plant hopes to hit its net-zero target eight years early, and how the power of gravity is being harnessed to store large amounts of energy. 50 Talking Industry While a growing number of large companies, and some SMEs, are adopting digitally transformative technologies, the UK is continuing to fall behind other nations such as the US and Germany. As part of our series ofTalking Industry series of online discussions, an international panel recently explored the trends and their implications. 53 PPMA Preview The UK’s largest processing and packaging machinery, robotics and industrial vision event, PPMA Total Show 2022, will be returning to the Birmingham NEC next month. We look ahead to what visitors can expect to see. 53 42 50 59 ANNUAL BUYER’S GUIDE This issue contains the 2022/2023 edition of the industry “bible” for power transmission, automation and motion engineers, telling you who sells what, and how to get in touch with them.