Drives & Controls March 2023

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 Media Group 2023 NEXT ISSUE The April issue of Drives & Controls will contain a feature on machine vision, a section devoted to developments in conveyors and material-handling, and a look at what’s been happening in the machine-building sector. UPDATE 14 Comment 15 Back to Basics 46 Gambica column 47 New Products 49 Design Data and Multimedia 50 Products & Services IN DEPTH Follow us onTwitter @DrivesnControls Drives MagazineWeb site www.drivesncontrols.com Follow us on LinkedIn @ Drives & Controls Join us on Facebook Drives & Controls Drives & Controls REGULARS D f A mediagroup 40 32 26 18 10 DRIVES & CONTROLS March 2023 Vol 39 No 3 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 Operations 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 Finance Department t: 01732 370340 e: accounts@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 Media Group 192 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BE t: 01732 370340 f: 01732 360034 e: info@dfamedia.co.uk www.drivesncontrols.com 41 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. 26 Mobile Robots To work efficiently, mobile robots need safe, reliable communications. A group of experts examine the main communications and safety challenges, and suggest ways to overcome them to keep mobile robots moving. 30 Food and Beverage A potentially lucrative new market is opening up for automation companies in the form of vertical farming – intensive indoor agriculture in stacked layers under closely controlled conditions, which aims to optimise plant growth, minimise wastage and produce crops close to their customers. 36 Bearings, Belts and Chains Thin-section bearings have particular characteristics that make them vital for achieving the full potential of compact, speedy, precision robots. Plus how a French pizza-maker solved a problem that meant it was having to replace its conveyor chains every three months. 41 Building Services High-efficiency motors, fans and drives have been retrofitted to AHUs in a Singapore tower block, resulting in energy savings of 45% and making it the city-state’s first commercial building to achieve net-zero status. 42 Talking Industry Digitalisation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) represent the next level of industrial automation. The latest Talking Industry Webinar focused on these topics and industrial communications 43 Motors From July this year, single-phase motors will have to comply with EU efficiency regulations for the first time. This has far-reaching implications, as an industry insider explains. 44 Opinion The turmoil of recent years is starting to recede, leaving a changed industrial landscape. A leading figure on the automation industry peers into his crystal ball to predict what the coming year holds for manufacturing and automation. 44 43 46