ROBOTS: Can cobots experience a second surge in market growth? NETWORKING AND COMMS: How to protect your industrial networks against cyber-attacks MECHANICAL: Don’t let servo gearbox specifications confuse you Drives&ControlsJUNE 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com #1 ENGINEERING MAGAZINE FOR AUTOMATION, POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL INSIDE Selecting the optimal motion technology for your application
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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 system without 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 July/August issue of Drives & Controls will contain our annual Buyer’s Guide – the industry “bible” for motion control and power transmission engineers, telling you who makes and sells what in the automation and allied sectors. We will also be looking at developments in the transportation sector, and in robotics and automated manufacturing. UPDATE 14 Comment 15 ABB Back to Basics 44 Gambica Column 46 New Products 48 Design Data and Multimedia 49 Products & Services IN DEPTH Follow us on Twitter @DrivesnControls Drives Magazine Web site www.drivesncontrols.com Follow us on LinkedIn @ Drives & Controls Join us on Facebook Drives & Controls Drives& Controls REGULARS DfAmedia group 38 31 28 18 5 48 DRIVES & CONTROLS June 2023 Vol 39 No 6 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 Andy Wylie 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 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 Robots Growth in the global market for collaborative robots fell slightly last year. Will the market regain its former expansion rates of more than 30%? An analyst delves into the prospects for these versatile machines. 31 Communications, Security and Networking Cyber-attacks on industrial control systems are on the rise. An expert examines some techniques to minimise the risks. Plus a look at how TSN is supporting future developments in industrial communications, and how Wi-Fi is helping to keep the world’s steepest cogwheel railway on track. 36 Mechanical Power Transmission There are two ways of benchmarking servo gearbox performance: rated or maximum input speed. This can be confusing to potential users, who need to be aware of the differences. 40 Warehouses Well-implemented mobile robot installations can transform the productivity of order picking and internal transport in retailers’ warehouses, delivering rewards in challenging times for the sector, an expert argues. 42 Talking Industry Live The inaugural Talking Industry Live conference took place at the MTC last month. Moving from its on-line format to an in-person version, the event started with keynote session dedicated to a case study in digital transformation. We look back at the day. 47 40 42 20,042 Average net circulation January to December 2021 46 44
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NEWS n 5 Safety boss warns of ‘farreaching’ effects of EU security legislation on industry THOMAS PILZ, joint managing partner of the German safety technology company that bears his name, has warned that recent and impending European safety and security legislation could have “farreaching effects” for the whole of industry – and not just in the EU. Addressing a recent global press conference, Pilz cautioned that “winds of change are blowing for safety”, partly driven by concerns over cybersecurity and AI (artificial intelligence). He highlighted three legal developments that will have a significant impact on many parts of industry. The first is a European directive aimed at strengthening cyber-security. The NIS (Network and Information Security) directive has been in existence since 2016 but initially applied only to suppliers of critical infrastructure, which had to implement “appropriate security safeguards” and report serious cybersecurity incidents. In early 2023, however, a new version, called NIS 2, came into force and must be adopted into national law by EU member states by autumn 2024. It applies, amongst others, to engineering and automotive companies with more than 50 employees or turnovers of more than €10m. According to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association VDMA, it will affect around 9,000 companies across Europe. In future, these companies will have to prove that they have taken technical, operational and organisational measures to protect against security incidents, including risk analyses of their existing systems – including production environments. This will be followed by measures such as password protection or encryption, as well as staff training. Cybersecurity incidents must be reported within 24 hours. Supply chains are also included for the first time. “NIS 2 now affects more companies, extends the obligations and provides for stricter sanctions,” Pilz said. Companies that fail to take measures will be threatened with “severe” penalties. He pointed out that machinebuilders will also have to meet the NIS 2 requirements. This will, in turn, affect their controls and sensors suppliers. Because NIS 2 stipulates that suppliers must be taken into consideration, vendors such as Pilz will have to make demands on their suppliers. “NIS 2 covers the whole supply chain,” Pilz said. “It is no longer at the company’s discretion whether, and to what extent, it wishes to grapple with security – it is a legal requirement!” The legislation allows for companies to be punished after an incident, with penalties of up to 10% of their turnover. “The logic needs to change,” Pilz declared. He is advising companies to deal with NIS 2 “as soon as possible” and to carry out holistic security assessments. This will include, for example, the development of Information Security Management System (ISMSs), with certification in accordance with the ISO 27001 information security standard. The second piece of legislation that worries Pilz is the Cyber Resilience Act – Security. In September 2022, the European Commission submitted a draft for a regulation intended to increase the cybersecurity of products. The Act targets manufacturers of products with digital elements. It covers hardware as well as software, and refers to both consumer and industrial products – including machine controls. Only products that guarantee an appropriate level of cybersecurity may be placed on the market. Manufacturers are also obliged to inform customers of security vulnerabilities and close them as quickly as possible. The regulation covers the whole of a product’s lifecycle. This means that manufacturers must now offer software updates beyond their usual warranty period, to repel future threats. The regulation is expected to be adopted at the end of 2024. The third new statutory security requirement that Thomas Pilz cited is the EU Machinery Regulation, which was adopted by the European Council last month. It replaces the existing Machinery Directive but, unlike it, makes cybersecurity mandatory. The Regulation includes security protection as a goal. A machine’s safety functions must not be compromised by corruption, whether intentional or unintentional. Unlike a directive, the Machinery Regulation does not need to be converted into national law first. Machine manufacturers will have 42 months to meet the new requirements. They will have to prove that their machines are protected against manipulation. “To implement security retrospectively is always complex,” Pilz pointed out, “and usually means reductions in user-friendliness, functionality and productivity. The risk assessment now also includes security as well as safety – no security, no CE mark!” These new measures mean that Europe will have the world’s strictest security requirements. But agreements are already in place with other countries, and similar laws will be introduced there too, Pilz predicts. For example, Australia is currently in talks with the EU and seems likely to follow the European standards. “So, global harmonisation of industrial security is to be expected,” he warned. It is no longer at the company’s discretion whether, and to what extent, it wishes to grapple with security – it is a legal requirement! www.drivesncontrols.com June 2023 Thomas Pilz: “The logic needs to change”
INTRINSIC, THE ROBOTICS software company launched by Google’s parent Alphabet in 2021, has announced a development platform that it says will speed up access to industrial robotics for many more developers. Intrinsic has also announced that the Italian robot manufacturer and systems integrator Comau is its first industrial partner. The new low-code, Web-based platform – called Intrinsic Flowstate – will help to build robotic applications from concept to deployment. A small number of developers will take part in a beta trial later this year. Intrinsic’s CEO Wendy Tan White says the company wants to make advanced robotics and AI simple to use, including for non-experts. “We’re building with future roboticists and developers in mind too,” she adds, “bringing modern software development practices such as object-oriented and visual programming to the robotics and automation industry. “Intrinsic aims to pave the way for a new generation of roboticists and developers,” she continues. “Our mission is to democratise access to robotics. We’re making the ability to program intelligent robotics solutions as simple as standing up a Web site or mobile application.” The falling costs of robots and components is crucial to Tan White. “I cannot over-state how transformative this trend is,” she says. “It removes a crucial barrier to robot adoption across industries. Now, advances in software, data management, infrastructure and AI can amplify the progress we’ve experienced in hardware, and when AI and software unlock developers to do even more, the value and demand for robots, cameras, sensors and grippers will increase as well.” Alphabet announced Intrinsic in 2021, following more than five years of development inside its secretive X “moonshot factory”, which works on future technologies. CEO Wendy Tan White is a British entrepreneur who founded the Moonfruit Web site development business in the 1990s. Last December, Instrinsic acquired the Open Source Robotics Corporation (OSRC), the commercial arm of Open Robotics, the developer of the open-source Robotic Operating System (ROS). Intrinsic has been working with Comau for several years to validate its approach through realworld use cases. Using Flowstate and its underlying platform, Comau – a member of the Stellantis automotive conglomerate – has recently created a modular system for assembling plug-in hybrid electric vehicle modules. https://intrinsic.ai n NEWS June 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 Google’s robot software arm unveils easy-to-use platform p RARUK Holdings has acquired the Bedford-based mechanical power transmission specialist Drive Lines Technologies for an undisclosed sum. Drive Lines has relocated to RARUK’s headquarters in nearby Shefford. RARUK says that the acquisition will ensure the future security of Drive Lines and will allow it to explore new markets. Other than the change in location and ownership, the company will continue to operate as a separate entity with Ian Carr staying on as managing director. p Global sales of ultra-low voltage (under 60V) drives are set to soar from $753m in 2021 to $3.1bn by 2027 – a CAGR of 25.9% – according to Interact Analysis. The growth is being driven by the rapid take-up of battery-powered AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) and AGVs (automated guided vehicles). www.interactanalysis.com p The Swiss robotics developer Anybotics has raised $50m of funding to help develop a rugged, four-legged robotic inspection technology called Anymal, which is designed to overcome skills shortages and the ageing workforce. Anybotics is working on a Ex-proof version – the first of its type – and has pre-orders and reservations worth more than $150m from oil, gas and chemical companies. p The UK automation distributor Routeco has formed a partnership with CoreTigo, the Israeli developer of a deterministic wireless IO-Link technology with a 5ms latency, that allows real-time control and monitoring of high-speed rotating and dynamic devices. By avoiding the need for cable connections, the IO-Link Wireless system opens up new possibilities for applications such as rotary tables, carousels, transport track systems, robotic endof-arm processes and condition monitoring. www.routeco.com/ Partners/Suppliers/CoreTigo p ABB LV Installation Materials has opened an automated flexible MCB (miniature circuit breaker) production line in Beijing China, which it says is a showcase for Industry 5.0 concepts. It uses the latest automation, digital and AI techniques to boost production, availability and quality. The plant makes extensive use of visual recognition and flexible feeding technologies, and cuts product changeover times to less than five minutes, allowing all versions of ABB’s S200 MCBs to be made on the same line. NEWS BRIEFS Intrinsic’s CEO Wendy Tan White says the company is aiming “to pave the way for a new generation of roboticists” ABB HAS RELEASED a statement revealing that an unauthorised third-party recently accessed some of its IT systems, “deployed a type of ransomware that is not self-propagating, and exfiltrated certain data”. After it “became aware of an IT security incident that impacted certain ABB systems,” it started an investigation, retained leading experts, notified certain law enforcement and data protection authorities, and implemented measures to contain and assess the incident. “The incident has now been successfully contained,” it adds. “All of ABB’s key services and systems are up and running, all factories are operating, and the company continues to serve its customers,” the statement says. The company is continuing to restore any remaining impacted services and systems and is further enhancing the security of its systems. ABB is working to identify and analyse the nature and scope of affected data and is assessing its notification obligations. It says it will communicate with affected parties where necessary – including, for example, specific customers, suppliers, and/or individuals where personally identifiable information was affected. ABB states that is “in the early stages of its investigation of the incident and will continue to assess the extent of its impact”. The company “remains focused on working diligently with law enforcement, its customers, suppliers, partners, and advisors to resolve this situation and minimise its impact”. ABB reveals it has been the victim of a ransomware attack
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June 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 BRITAIN’S MANUFACTURERS are calling for a Royal Commission to develop a long-term industrial strategy that would provide companies with a stable environment in which to invest, access talent and expand. This would be backed by an independent council to monitor the strategy, with the Cabinet Office being responsible for coordinating policy across Government. The call has been made off the back of a report and survey from Make UK, which argues that expanding the manufacturing sector to 15% of UK GDP (from the present 9%) would add an extra £142bn in annual output, as well as creating high-skill, high-value jobs. The survey of 312 UK manufacturers finds that most do not believe that there has ever been a long-term Government vision for manufacturing in the UK. The lack of an industrial strategy is hindering their ability to access skills, and 81% say it puts them at a competitive disadvantage to other nations. Make UK points out that the government department responsible for managing industrial strategy has been re-organised five times in the past 15 years with 15 different Business Secretaries. “A lack of a proper, planned, industrial strategy is the UK’s Achilles heel,”says Make UK CEO, Stephen Phipson. “Every other major economy, from Germany to China to the US, has a long-term national manufacturing plan, underlying the importance of an industrial base to the success of its wider economy. The UK is the only country to not have one. If we are to not only tackle our regional inequality, but also compete on a global stage, we need a national industrial strategy as a matter of urgency. “There is now widespread consensus on the need for such a strategy and the specific policy areas it would address. We cannot keep flip-flopping from one initiative to another without setting these in the context of a long-term, wider plan which has consensus and is independently monitored.” According to the Make UK report, called Industrial Strategy – A Manufacturing Ambition (https://drivesncontrols.news/gmibu8), eight in ten UK manufacturers feel that the lack of a national industrial strategy puts them at a competitive disadvantage to other manufacturing nations, while a quarter say it is the main reason that the sector has not grown faster over the past decade. Manufacturers say UK industrial strategy could boost sector to 15% of GDP n NEWS Automation UK / MVC 20-21 June, 2023 CBS Arena, Coventry Automation UK is a new annual exhibition championing the use and development of automation and industrial robots in UK industry. Organised by Bara (the British Automation and Robot Association), it will run alongside the existing Machine Vision Conference (MVC) and exhibition, organised by Ukiva (the UK Industrial Vision Association). Bara and Ukiva are both part of the PPMA (Processing and Packaging Machinery Association). www.automation-uk.co.uk Automatica 2023 27-30 June, 2023 Munich, Germany The automation and robotics show is taking place one year after the previous Automatica, which has traditionally been held every two years. This will get the show back onto a twoyear cycle in odd years. Most of the major robot manufacturers are due to attend, as well as exhibitors from the worlds of machine vision and assembly/handling technology. The event’s three key topics will be: digital integration and AI; sustainable production; and the future of work. https://automatica-munich.com/en EMO 18-23 September, 2023 Hannover, Germany The “world’s leading trade fair for production technology” returns for its first full show since before the Covid pandemic. More than 1,500 exhibitors have already booked stands in the 17 halls (two fewer than at the 2019 event, which attracted more than 2,200 exhibitors and 116,700 visitors – more than half of them from outside Germany). Themes for the 2023 show include the future of business, connectivity and sustainability. www.emo-hannover.de MachineBuilding.Live 4 October, 2023 National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry A new event aimed at machine-builders, systems integrators and OEMs. The organisers are expecting more than 100 suppliers to be showing more than 1,000 new products. Free seminars are planned. www.machinebuilding.live Advanced Engineering UK 1-2 November, 2023 NEC, Birmingham The organisers of “the UK’s largest exhibition for engineering and manufacturing professionals” say that more than 90% of the exhibition space has been sold, and the show has been expanded to create more space . The zones present at previous shows are being removed to emphasise cross-industry working and to avoid segregation. www.advancedengineeringuk.com SPS 2023 14-16 November, 2023 Nuremberg, Germany The Smart Production Solutions show will return to its Nuremberg venue, a year on from the 2022 event which attracted 999 exhibitors and 43,813 visitors. These numbers are expected to be exceeded in 2023, not least because China has lifted its Covid travel restrictions which were still in place during last year’s show. https://sps.mesago.com/nuremberg/en Inverter Drive Systems (IDS) has appointed Matt Handley as its new general manager with responsibility for all aspects of the business,. He will help to shape IDS’strategic direction. Handley has more than 25 years of experience in the VSD sector, including eight years as managing director of KEB (UK), nine years at Mitsubishi Electric, almost four years at Siemens, and a short period as Brook Crompton’s global product manager, before joining IDS. Schneider Electric has appointed Chris Green as senior marketing director for the UK and Ireland. His resonsibilities include overseeing digital communications and PR, as well as segment and channel marketing. He will report to Turhan Turhangil, senior vice-president of global marketing Europe operations, and Kelly Becker, president of the UK&I zone. Before joining Schneider in 2022, Green worked at Honeywell Building Technologies. Mitsubishi Electric has promoted Ciaran Moody to branch president of its Irish operation, which is expected to double in size within five years. He joined Mitsubishi Ireland in 1989 and became general manager of its Factory Automation division in 2014. He has led the branch through an accelerated growth phase, during which time its team has tripled in size, while sales have more than quadrupled. Wayne Rose has been made director and CEO of the British Pump Manufacturers’Association (BPMA), following the retirement of his predecessor, Steve Schofield. Rose brings a wealth of pump industry experience, having spent 24 years at Manchester-based Armstrong Fluid Technology. He joined the BPMA in January, and spent three months shadowing Schofield during a handover period. Rose will assume commercial responsibility for the organisation, and will report to the BPMA board.
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n NEWS June 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com 10 PROFINET AND ETHERNET/IP HAVE reinforced their position as joint leaders of the industrial communications market, with each accounting for 18% of new factory automation nodes installed in the past year, according to HMS Networks’ annual survey of the industrial comms market. Their shares have increased slightly from 17% each last year, while EtherCat has also added 1% to its share, taking it to 12% of the global market. For the first time, various versions of industrial Ethernet now account for more than two-thirds (68%) of the node market, up from 66% in 2022. The number of newlyinstalled industrial Ethernet nodes grew by around 10% over the past year. Modbus-TCP has slipped slightly from 6% to 5% of the communications market, while CC-Link IE Field has grown slightly from 2% to 3%, giving it the same share as Powerlink, which has retained 3% of the market. Fieldbus technologies have continued their long-term decline, dropping from 27% of new nodes in 2022 to 24% this year. Profibus leads the fieldbus rankings with 6% of the total communications market (down from 7%), with Modbus-RTU close behind on 5% (the same as last year). CC-Link and DeviceNet have both dropped by 1% to 3%, while CANopen stays on 2%. HMS points out that while the number of new fieldbus nodes is declining, many devices, machines and factories will continue to rely on proven fieldbus technologies for many years to come. Wireless communications is the fastestgrowing segment, although from a fairly modest base. The number of wireless nodes installed has risen by 22% over the past year, from 7% to 8% of the total industrial communications market. The segment is dominated by WLAN technologies with 4% of the market, followed by Bluetooth on 1%. Other wireless technologies, including 5G, account for 2% of the market. In Europe and the Middle East, the leading industrial communications technologies are EtherNet/IP, Profinet and EtherCat, with Profibus and Modbus-TCP as runners-up. The US market is dominated by EtherNet/IP, with EtherCat gaining market share. The fragmented Asian market is led by Profinet, followed by EtherNet/IP, CC-Link/CC-Link IE Field, EtherCat, Profibus, and Modbus (RTU/TCP). HMS expects the total global market for industrial networking nodes to expand by 7% this year. • For the first time in its history, the EtherCat Technology Group (ETG) has published figures to the number of EtherCat nodes in use. It says that there a now 59.1m nodes in service, with 18.4m of them added last year. Industrial Ethernet exceeds two-thirds of the comms market for first time ROCKWELL AUTOMATION HAS formed a strategic partnership with German-based autonox Robotics, which manufactures bare-bones robot mechanics without controls. They are combining Rockwell’s Kinetix motors and drives with autonox’s robot mechanics to offer systems with a single catalogue number. The robots are programmed and controlled in a single environment using Rockwell’s Logix controllers and Studio 5000 automation system design software. This avoids the need to coordinate disparate machine control and robot systems, providing instead a simplified system architecture that will help users to deploy systems faster and create more effective robotic automation systems. The robot combinations will be based on autonox’s Delta “tripod”robots and its DuoPod robots, which are also based on parallel kinematics but offer two degrees of freedom (rather than three translational and one rotational degree of freedom of a delta robot) “Manufacturers everywhere are facing a need to implement automation that is more agile and more intuitive so that their teams can act quickly, and they can realise the full potential of a robotic implementation to optimise their processes,” says Ritchie Logan, global lead for robotics technology partnerships at Rockwell Automation. “By using our unified robot control capability with autonox robots, companies can be better prepared to get the most out of their manufacturing assets today and be ready with flexible solutions that can meet future demands.” “We are incredibly excited to partner with Rockwell Automation to achieve our goal of providing innovative robotic solutions that can be operated directly with Rockwell drive technology,” adds autonox Robotics CEO, Hartmut Ilch. Autonox, founded in 2002, has production facilities and application centres in Germany and the US and a portfolio of more than 300 models. It employs 52 people. www.autonox.com Rockwell links with autonox to marry controls with mechanics Industrial Ethernet dominates the industrial communications market with sales rising by 10% in the past year. The wireless market has expanded by 22%, while sales of fieldbus nodes have fallen by 5%. Source: HMS Networks
NEWS n MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC’S Iconics Inc subsidiary is wholly acquiring Iconics UK, which sells Scada (supervisory control and data acquisition) software and develops cloud applications. The terms of the transaction have not been revealed. Mitsubishi bought Iconics Inc in 2019 to strengthen its global software-development capabilities. Iconics UK, which distributes Iconics products in the UK, has its own cloud application development and Software as a Service (SaaS) business which offers subscription-based licensing of centrally stored software. Mitsubishi Electric and Iconics plan to use Iconics UK's technology and know-how to establish a circular digital-engineering business model for factory automation systems that optimise factory equipment and systems. Iconics UK’s cloud-related technical assets and engineers will support the development of integrated systems that collect on-site production data and analyse and apply the data in digital space. Potential benefits include improved productivity and quality, as well as reduced TCO (total cost of ownership). Iconics UK, based in Dudley in the West Midlands, employs 56 people. • Mitsubishi Electric has formed a partnership with the Korean company, Movensys, which develops motion control software for AC servomotors and sells it mainly in Asia. The partnership, which includes Mitsubishi taking an equity stake in Movensys, will strengthen collaboration between the companies’ AC servo and motion control businesses. Through the new partnership, Mitsubishi aims to expand its AC servo business, targeting semiconductor manufacturing and other applications by incorporating Movensys’ technologies and capabilities. (for more details, see: https://drivesncontrols.news/4s6t8m) Mitsubishi has also invested in Clearpath Robotics, the Canadian company that owns the AMR (autonomous mobile robot) manufacturer, Otto Motors. The investment expands Mitsubishi’s strategic relationship with Otto. Mitsubishi envisages future smart factories integrating manufacturing and logistics to achieve mass customisation and full automation. Drives&Controls Smart, compact, safe – door locking mechanism CTM XXX FVDIOFS DP VL d 01535 663900 mayr.co.uk • • • • • • • Ltd 01748810811 merlin-controls.com • • • ••• •••••••• ••••••• • • • • • • • • 01695 722264 mechancontrols.co.uk • • • • • 0115 9327010 metreel.co.uk • • 01376333333 micromech.co.uk • • • • s Ltd 0116 236 6310 moderndrives.co.uk • • • • • • • • • • • • • ls Ltd 01926 411544 motiondrivesandcontrols.co.uk • • • • • 01617283133 murrelektronik.co.uk • • • • • • • • es) Limited 01925 444773 newton-tesla.com, mitsubishi-drives.co.uk • • • • • • •••••• ••••••• • • • • 0116 284 9900 oem.co.uk • • • • • •••••••• •••• • • • • • 07762924903 pals-sales.com • • • • • • • 0191478 0400 parmley-graham.co.uk • • • ••• •••••••• ••••••• • • • • • • • • 01476 577708 pelicansystems.co.uk • • • ••• •••••••• ••••••• • • • • • • • • 01923853434 pes-group.co.uk • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 01536 460766 pilz.co.uk • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 01827 310666 powelectrics.co.uk • • • • • • • • 03309000 247 quantum-controls.co.uk • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0161643 9333 rdmengineering.co.uk • • • • • • •••••• ••• • • • • 01254 582345 ralspeed.com • • • • • 01213661000 rexel.co.uk • • • ••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••• • 01285 640333 rexnord.eu • • 01709 704000 rittal.com/uk-en/ • • • • 01908666777 routeco.com • • • ••• • •••••• ••••••• ••••• •• ents Ltd 01934 415606 microclutch.com • • • pe 01707 288780 gb3a.mitsubishielectric.com • • 0121 4405894 moflash.co.uk • 0161 217 7100 motec.co.uk • d 0845 180 0483 neutronictechnologies.com • • • • • • • 01254673747 nicontrols.com • • • ••• •••••••• ••••••• • • • • • • • • 01908 258258 industrial.omron.co.uk • • • • • ••••• • •••• •• • • • K Limited 01908 231555 panasonic-electric-works.co.uk • • • • • 01613881988 patlite.com • 0161 633 6431 pepperl-fuchs.co.uk • • • • • • • 01952 681700 phoenixcontact.co.uk • • • • • • • • x, Satron,ReeR) 012158222 58 PLUSAutomation.co.uk/ • • • • • • • • • 03447 11 11 11 uk.farnell.com/ • • • ••• • •••••• ••• • • • 02476 351065 icg.gb.com • • 01782576800 radwell.co.uk • • • • • • • • ••••••••••• • 01268 749300 rayleigh.co.uk • • • ••••••• ••• • • • • • 0121 3661000 neweyandeyre.co.uk • • • •••••••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • 01234342511 ringspann.co.uk • • 0870 242 5004 rockwellautomation.com • • • • • •••• •• ••••••• • • • • • 08457201201 uk.rs-online.com • • • ••• •••••••• ••••••• • • • • • • Safety mats Photoelectric area guards Light curtains / guards Safe camera systems Presence sensors Movement sensors Edge detectors Gate monitors Travel monitors Zero-speed detectors Safety relays and switches Interlocks Safety timers Footswitches Trip switches Grab-wire switches Two-hand controls Emergency stops Safety limit switches Safety key switches Safety PLCs Machine shutdown systems Programmable safety systems Safety modules for PLCs Brake controls Electrical overloads Fuses Safety fieldbuses Beacons and light towers Klaxons / alarms Gates and fences Emergency brakes Overloads Shear pins Torque limiters Safety consultants Sensing devices and systems Relays and switches Safety controls Mechanicalsafeguards MACHINE SAFETY Warning devices ANNUAL BUYER’S GUIDE Our July/August issue contains the annual Drives & Controls Buyer’s Guide. If you are already in the guide we will be emailing you shortly to update your FREE entry online. We have added NEW CATEGORIES in recent years so please take a few moments to login and make sure your details are correct. Updating your entry will only take 5 minutes and could lead to new business for your company. If you do not have an entry and would like to be included in the guide FREE OF CHARGE please contact us at: sarah.blake@dfamedia.co.uk We also offer the opportunity to enhance your print and online entry with your company logo plus other marketing opportunties. Please contact the sales team on the details below for more information. www.drives-guide.com Damien Oxlee: +44 (0) 1732 370342 damien.oxlee@dfamedia.co.uk Andy Wylie: +44 (0) 1732 370341 andy.wylie@dfamedia.co.uk INDEX OF COMPANIES Anstee & Ware Group Unit 1, Saint Georges Industrial Estate, Avonmouth, BS11 9HS Tel: 0117 982 0081 Email: enquiries@ansteeware.co.uk Website: ansteeware.co.uk Contact: Mr David Rausi APDS Limited Unit 301-303, Dean Road, Bristol, BS11 8AT Tel: 01179 822 049 Email: info@apds.co.uk Website: apds.co.uk Contact: Mr Douglas Pitt Apex Dynamics Ltd Heath House, Cheadle Rd, Uttoxeter, ST14 7BY Tel: 0121 227 5340 Email: sales@apexdynauk.com Website: apexdynauk.com Contact: Andrew Parsons Applied Automation (UK) Ltd Concept House, Eastern Wood Road, Plympton, PL7 5ET Tel: 01752 349920 Email: enquiries@appliedautomation.co.uk Website: appliedautomation.co.uk APT Powerdrive Unit 4 Bay 1 Cannel Road, Zone 3 Burntwood Business Park, Burntwood,WS7 3FU Tel: 01442 212 671 Email: Saeed@aptpowerdrive.co.uk Website: aptpowerdrive.co.uk Contact: Mr Saeed Khodadoost AR United Kingdom Ltd Unit 8 Madingley Court, Chippenham Drive, Milton Keynes, MK10 0BZ Tel: 01908 282 766 Email: aruksales@arworld.us Website: arukltd.co.uk Contact: Mr David Feltbower AS-Interface UK Ltd t/a AS-i Expert Alli Newcastle-Under-Lyme,ST5 1JZ Tel: 0844 499 4451 Email: info@as-interface.co.uk Website: as-interface.co.uk Contact: Mr Peter Cheetham Ashcroft Instruments Ltd William James House, Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WX Tel: 01223 395500 Email: sales@ashcroftuk.com Website: ashcroft.com Contact: John Carmody ASM Automation Sensorik Messtechnik GmbH Unit 5, 37 High Street, Measham, DE12 7HR Tel: 08451 222 123 Email: info@asm-sensor.co.uk Website: asm-sensor.com Contact: Mr Trevor AstinMrs Carol Betts Assembly Solutions Ltd Terence House, Nile Street, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL3 6BW Tel: 01204 521999 Email: sales@assembly-solutions.com Website: assembly-solutions.com Associated Bearing Unit 1, Amphion Court, Hale Trading Estate, Lower Church Lane, Tipton, DY4 7HN Tel: 0121 520 0505 Email: ccviltd@saqnet.co.uk Website: ccvi.com Contact: Mr Paul Morris Astrosyn International Technology Ltd Old Court House, New Road Avenue, ME4 6BE Tel: 01634 815 175 Email: astrosyn@btinternet.com Website: astrosyn.com Contact: Ms Amanda Hart-Bowgen ATB Group UK Ltd Trading As ATB Laurence Scott Hardy Road, Norwich, NR1 1JN Tel: 01603 628 333 Email: admin@laurence-scott.com Website: laurence-scott.com Contact: Mr Barry Scales ATB Special Products Unit 11 Waterfall Lane Trading Estate, Cradley Heath, B64 6PU Tel: 0121 698 3277 Email: narinder.singh@atb-sp.com Website: brookcrompton.com/specialproducts.htm Contact: Narinder Singh AuCom MCS GmbH & Co. KG Borsigstraße 6, Sendenhorst, 48324 Tel: 07767 873465 Email: gavin.highfield@aucom.com Website: aucom.com Contact: Gavin Highfield Aucotec Ltd DBS Centre Main Street, Glenfield, LE3 8DG Tel: 01162 325 161 Email: sales.uk@aucotec.com Website: aucotec.com Contact: Mr Avtar Bratch Automated Technology Group Wrest Park, Silsoe, MK45 4HS Tel: 01582 400690 Email: nigel.brookes@atg.gb.com Website: atg.gb.com Contact: Nigel Brookes Automation24 Rourke House, Waterman’s Business Park, the Causeway, Staines, TW18 3BA Tel: 0178 489 5006 Email: info@automation24.co.uk Website: automation24.co.uk Autorotor Via dell’Industria 4, Vaiano Cremasco (Cr), 26010 Tel: 07762 924903 Email: sales@pals-sales.com Website: autorotorgroup.com/en Contact: Lennie Luliano Axelent Ltd Unit 9 Hilmead Industrial Estate, Marshall Road, Swindon, SN5 5FZ Tel: 01793 523535 Email: sales@axelent.co.uk Website: axelent.co.uk Contact: Mr John Hunter B B & R Industrial Automation Ltd Broadoak, PE2 6YS Tel: 01733 371 320 Email: office@br-automation.com Website: br-automation.com Contact: Mr Stephen Ratcliffe B.R.T. Bearings Ltd 21-24 Regal Road, Wisbech, PE13 2RQ Tel: 01945 464 097 Email: brt.sales@brt-bearings.com Website: brt-bearings.com Contact: Mr Phillip Clarke Balluff Ltd 20 Cheshire Business Park, Cheshire Avenue, Lostock Gralam, Northwich, CW9 7UA Tel: 01606 812 777 Email: sales@balluff.co.uk Website: balluff.co.uk Banico Ltd Dallimore Road, Manchester, M23 9NX Tel: 08451 700 740 Email: info@banico.co.uk Website: banico.co.uk Contact: Mr A Bani Barlow Technology 4 Halegrove Court, Cygnet Drive, Stockton On Tees, TS18 3DB Tel: 01642 607706 Email: sales@barlow-technology.com Website: barlow-technology.com Bauer Gear Motor Ltd Unit 1, Nat Lane Business Park, Winsford, CW7 3BS Tel: 01606 868600 Email: john.roberts@bauergears.com Website: bauergears.com Contact: John Roberts Baumer Limited 33-36 Shrivenham Hundred Business Park Majors Road, Watchfield, Swindon, SN6 8TZ Tel: 01793 783 839 Email: jsumner@baumer.com Website: baumer.com/gb/en Contact: Jon Sumner, Mr Amit Chohan, Mr Andrew Moran Baumüller (UK) Ltd Baumüller Services, Units 2 & 3 Aurora, Beacon Way, Stockport, SK3 0EF Tel: 0161 432 7824 Email: mail@baumuller.co.uk Website: baumueller-services.com/uk Contact: Mr Ron Shanley Beard and Fitch Ltd Crammond Park, Lovet Road, Harlow, CM19 5TF Tel: 01279 425358 Email: sales@beardandfitch.com Website: beardandfitch.com Contact: Mr Adrian Archer Bearing Traders Ltd 18-20 Desborugh Street, High Wycombe, HP11 2LY Tel: 01494 441 301 Email: hwsales@bearingtraders.com Website: bearingtraders.com Contact: Mr Gary Hughes Bearing Transmission & Pneumatics Ltd 8 Siddals Road, Derby, DE1 2PW Tel: 01332 385 333 Email: sales@btpltd.co.uk Website: btpltd.co.uk Contact: Mr David Rose Beatson Fans & Motors Ltd 16 Newhall Road, Sheffield, S9 2QL Tel: 0114 244 9955 Email: sales@beatson.co.uk Website: beatson.co.uk Contact: Mr Tom Beatson Beckhoff Automation Ltd The Boat House, Station Road, Henley on Thames, RG9 1AZ Tel: 01491 410539 Email: info@beckhoff.co.uk Website: beckhoff.co.uk Contact: Lucie Thaxter Beijer Electronics UK Ltd 15 Oak Street, Carrington, Nottingham, NG5 2AT, UK Tel: +44 115 822 4863 Email: info.uk@beijerelectronics.com Website: beijerelectronics.com Contact: Paul McKenna Belcom Cables Ltd Green Street, Elsenham, Bishop’s Stortford, CM22 6DS Tel: 01279 871 150 Email: sales@belcom.co.uk Website: belcom.co.uk Contact: Mr Kenny Ewing Belden Universal 4100 Madison Street, Hillside, 60162 Tel: +1 708 344 4600 Email: europesales@beldenuniversal.com Website: beldenuniversal.com Contact: Mr. Ralf Gabriel Bernstein Ltd Unit 1, Tintagel Way, WS9 8ER Tel: 01922 744 999 Email: m.emms@bernstein-ltd.co.uk Website: bernstein-ltd.co.uk Contact: Mr Mathew Emms Beta Power Engineering Ltd Precision Works, Discovery Park, SK4 5BN Tel: 0161 432 9995 Email: sales@beta-power.co.uk Website: beta-power.co.uk Contact: Andrew Brown BETECH 100PT Ltd Four square Building, Thomas Street, Heckmondwike, WF16 0LS Tel: 01924 411 921 Email: sales@betech100pt.co.uk Website: betech.co.uk Contact: Mr Joe Lane Bibby Transmissions Cannon Way, Mill Street West, Dewsbury, WF13 1EH Tel: 01924 460 801 Email: sales@bibbytransmissions.co.uk Website: bibbytransmissions.co.uk Contact: Mr Matthew Hirstle 168 July/August 2022 www.drivesncontrols.com Drives&Controls 2022/2023 ANNUAL BUYER’S GUIDE FOR DRIVES, AUTOMATION, POWER TRANSMISSION & MOTION CONTROL AUTOMATING INDUSTRY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE www.drivesncontrols.com D&C_ BG Cover_0822.qxp_Layout 1 05/08/2022 11:46 Page 1 Iconics’ portfolio includes its Genesis64 HMI Scada automation software Mitsubishi’s Iconics software arm buys its UK operation
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NEW! Designed for the Factory Floor Gigabit Hardened PoE Industrial Ethernet Switches sales@brainboxes.com THE INDUSTRIAL METAVERSE IS JUST ANOTHER FAD, ISN’T IT? Over the past couple of years it has been hard to avoid references to the “industrial metaverse” – something to do with a fusion between the digital and physical worlds. It’s yet another fashionable term which will have its moment of glory before being forgotten, isn’t it? Well, maybe not. In what is claimed to be the first study of its kind (and certainly the largest to date), the Finnish communications giant Nokia and the “professional services partnership” EY have surveyed 860 company representatives in four industry sectors (industrial goods and manufacturing; automotive; transportation, supply chain and logistics; and utilities) in six countries (the UK, US, Brazil, Germany, Japan and South Korea) on their attitudes to the metaverse. And the results are a bit of an eye-opener. For a start, just 2% of those quizzed dismiss the metaverse as a buzzword or fad. And of those have already adopted the industrial metaverse, 80% expect the applications they have tested to have a significant, or even transformative, impact on their businesses. Some 15% report that it has helped them to cut their capital expenditure, 10% that it has improved sustainability, and 9% that it has enhanced safety. More than half (58%) of companies with metaverse plans have already deployed or piloted at least one metaverse-related use case, and nearly all (94%) of those who have yet to begin their metaverse journey plan to do so within the coming two years. Another, perhaps surprising, finding is the UK is a front-runner in implementing metaverse concepts, with 64% of those quizzed reporting that they have piloted or fully deployed at least one industrial or enterprise metaverse application already. This puts the UK just behind the US (on 65%), and ahead of Germany (53%), Japan (49%) and South Korea (49%). Perhaps this is, in part, because there has been more talk about the metaverse in English-speaking countries, and thus a higher level of awareness. Nearly all of the respondents (96%) believe that by mixing physical and virtual applications, the metaverse could deliver additional innovative capabilities that will allow them to accelerate the deployment, adoption and monetisation of Industry 4.0 in their businesses. When asked which use cases they expect to deliver the most transformative value, those surveyed saw the highest potential in using extended reality to upskill their workforces, while three quarters cited the use of virtual R&D to enhance product design and processes. When deploying metaverse applications, cloud computing was the most widely mentioned technological enabler (cited by 72%) followed by artificial intelligence and machine learning (70%) and network connectivity (68-70%). At this stage, many enterprises with limited internal expertise are still relying on external partners to help them close capability gaps and to deploy metaverse applications. Commenting on the survey findings, Nishant Batra, Nokia’s chief strategy and technology officer, says: “It is great to see that companies clearly believe in the power of the metaverse for business value creation in both enterprise and industrial use cases. This strongly aligns with our vision, informed by more than 10 years of research at Nokia Bell Labs, that the metaverse is an extension of Industry 4.0. “Consequently, those who have already implemented missioncritical communications networks for Industry 4.0 are now well placed to experience the benefits of the metaverse that clearly some companies are already seeing.” Judging by the survey findings – which have been published in a report called The metaverse at work – the industrial metaverse is here to stay. If you have previously dismissed the concept as yet another fashionable trend, it may be worth taking a second look. Tony Sacks, Editor n COMMENT
Drives&Controls & BACK TO BASICS n SPONSORED BY Turning waste energy into useful energy Liam Blackshaw, ABB’s product manager for LV drives in the UK, explores how modern drives can use regenerative braking to capture wasted energy and feed it back into the network, improving efficiency and reducing the amount of additional cabinet equipment required. Regenerative braking is a way of recovering electrical energy from a braking motor. In a conventional braking system, the motor acts as a generator and converts the surge in electrical energy created through slowing down into heat, through a braking chopper and resistor, which is essentially a waste of energy. A regenerative drive system, on the other hand, takes the excess electrical energy and distributes it back to the supply network, resulting in energy being saved and reducing the energy wasted. This process can also help to improve the overall system energy efficiency of industrial processes. This method is used for electric motors in cyclic or continuous braking applications – particularly in larger systems that need to stop suddenly, such as cranes, elevators, centrifuges, downhill conveyors and even test benches. This can generate large amounts of heat, which needs additional cooling of the resistors. In a system with no means of braking (such as braking resistors or DC injection), some of this energy would go back onto the DC bus system of the drive and unfortunately create nowhere for the voltage to go. In some cases, this excess voltage can return to the motor and cause it to speed up when it should be slowing down or, in other cases, it can cause VSDs to trip. Fortunately, regenerative drives offer an in-built solution to this which allows more energy-efficient braking with no external braking components or additional cooling. In ABB’s ACS880, for example, the drive uses software to control IGBTs on the input, which allows the drive to direct energy back onto the mains rather than onto the DC bus. In essence, it turns the system into a generator during the stopping process. As well as recovering energy which would ordinarily have been wasted, having a regenerative functionality built into the drive cuts down on the amount of cabinet apparatus required. The amount of energy saved will vary from application to application, but the best results are found in cyclic or continuous braking applications such as those mentioned above. Indeed, energy savings for a hoist application can be up to 32%, while in applications such as offshore or marine, it can help to squeeze every drop of energy efficiency out of equipment. For more information about ABB’s regenerative drives, visit: https://new.abb.com/ drives/regenerativedrives Looking to source automation, power transmission and motion engineering equipment? www.drives-guide.com Drives& Controls Interactive Buyer’s Guide website
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