n NEWS July/August 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 THE UK GOVERNMENT has announced that businesses will be allowed to continue using the CE conformity mark “indefinitely” for most goods they place on the UK market, and will not have to use the new UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark from January 2025 as previously announced. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) says the move, which follows “extensive engagement with industry”, will “cut business costs and time required to place products on the market and benefit consumers”. If they want to, businesses will be allowed to use both marks on their products. The Department says the Business Secretary “acted urgently on this issue, to prevent a cliff-edge moment in December 2024 when UKCA was set for entry. This intervention will ensure businesses no longer face uncertainty over the regulations and can cut back on unnecessary costs freeing them up to focus on innovation and growth.” According to business minister, Kevin Hollinrake: “The Government is tackling red tape, cutting burdens for business, and creating certainty for firms – we have listened to industry, and we are taking action to deliver. By extending CE marking use across the UK, firms can focus their time and money on creating jobs and growing the economy.” Stephen Phipson, CEO of the manufacturers’ organisation Make UK, has welcomed the move, saying: “This is a pragmatic and common-sense decision that manufacturers will very much welcome and support. This announcement will help safeguard the competitiveness of manufacturers and aid the UK as a destination for investment. “It should bring more confidence about doing business in the UK and recognises the need to work with the reality of doing business. Make UK has worked extensively with UK Government pushing hard for this decision and we are pleased the ongoing engagement has delivered this positive outcome.” The UKCA mark has had a chequered history. Originally, UK businesses were told that they would have to start using the mark at the end of 2021, but this deadline was delayed twice, first to the end of 2022 and then to the end of 2024. The DBT has announced 18 areas where the implementation of the UKCA mark will be delayed indefinitely. These include machinery, low-voltage electrical equipment, Atex equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres, and lifts. Government backtracks on UKCA plan and allows ‘indefinite’ use of CE mark p Mitsubishi Electric has announced plans for a second new building to produce factory automation equipment at its Nagoya Works in Japan, following initial plans for a single building announced last year. The new 30,000m2 floor area building will cost 42.5bn yen (£233m), bringing the total investment to 55.5bn yen (£305m). The first building (covering 33,600m2) will start production in April 2025, followed two years later by the second. They will use advanced technologies such as 5G, AI, AMRs and production synchronised using digital twins. p The UK-based electrical connection and protection specialist nVent Electric is buying the Italian air-conditioning and chiller manufacturer Texa Industries for an undisclosed sum. Texa will join nVent’s enclosures business and its technologies will supplement nVent’s liquid cooling expertise in applications such as industrial automation and energy storage. p Routeco has formed a partnership with the Dutch industrial IoT specialist Ixon, whose Ixon Cloud platform simplifies remote access and IIoT. Ixon also offers an edge gateway that allows users control the entire chain from machine to the cloud. It claims that its cloud and no-code IoT strategy offers advantages over traditional remote machine access systems. It offers SIs and machine-builders a secure, reliable way to stay connected with their machines, and to provide remote support. https://www.routeco.com/en-gb https://www.ixon.cloud p The global market for electric motors for aircraft applications will expand from $6.4bn in 2022 to $14.4bn by 2032 – a CAGR of 8.5% – according to a new report from Allied Market Research. AC motors held 60% of the market in 2022 and will continue to be the dominant technology, but DC motors will grow faster with a CAGR of 10.1% from 2023-2032. www.alliedmarketresearch.com p The US force measurement specialist Interface is buying the UK load measurement systems supplier, LCM Systems, for an undisclosed sum. Interface says LCM will accelerate its growth in the test and measurement market by adding engineering and manufacturing expertise. LCM, based on the Isle of Wight, was founded in 1984 to supply the yachting industry with load cells. The business has since expanded to serve a variety of sectors. NEWS BRIEFS UK business minister Kevin Hollinrake: we have listened to industry THE BRAZILIAN MOTOR AND DRIVES manufacturer WEG has opened a plant in Turkey to assemble electric motors and provide technical support for customers in the region. The 7,000m2 facility in Dilovasi will offer shorter times-to-market not only for Turkish buyers, but also for those in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, North Africa and central Asia. WEG has also announced plans to invest R$48m ($10m) over the next three years to expand production at its motors plant in Manaus, Brazil, and to adapt the site to produce a new line of permanent magnet electric motors for split-type air conditioners. The 5,250m² factory already produces around 3.5 million motors a year. Following the investment, its workforce will increase by 25%. Turkey is a key market for WEG’s motors and drives business and the new expansion will tap into the expanding Turkish industrial sector, which accounts for more than 30% of the country’s GDP. The facility, which began operating last year, will also enable WEG to expand its low- and medium-voltage motors activities. The expanded Brazilian factory will produce high-efficiency, low-noise variable-speed motors. WEG opens motors plant in Turkey and expands in Brazil
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