Drives&Controls 2023 INSIDE FEATURING: DRIVES & CONTROLS 2024/2025 ANNUAL BUYER’S GUIDE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING: A French robot cell places re ectors on satellite panels TRANSPORTATION: How shing nets are being turned into plastic bicycles CLEAN ENERGY: Robots lend a hand to solar and wind technologies AUTOMATION FOR MANUFACTURING JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com
www.ifm.com/uk ifm telephone (020) 8213 2222 For reliable detection The ifm ultrasonic sensors, in plastic or stainless steel M18 design, provide a particularly small blind zone and long sensing ranges up to 2200mm which are usually only achieved by sensors of a considerably larger design. The sensors operate reliably with heavy soiling so that they can be used in applications in which photoelectric sensors meet their limits. Units can be configured by pushbutton or via IO-Link, enabling simple setup. Ultrasonic sensors years WARRANTY onifmproducts
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 2024 NEXT ISSUE The September issue of Drives & Controls will contain a special section on energy eciency, 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 15 ABB Back to Basics 52 Gambica column 54 New Products 62 Design Data and Multimedia 185 Products & Services IN DEPTH Follow us on X @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 30 28 19 5 62 DRIVES & CONTROLS July/Aug 2024 Vol 40 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 Operations Manager Emma Godden-Wood t: 01732 370340 e: emma.godden-wood@dfamedia.co.uk Marketing Manager 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 Sara Gordon t: 01732 370341 m: 07505867211 e: sara.gordon@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 Ocer 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 Precision Gearboxes The global market for precision gearboxes and geared motors that are used in mobile robots is set to mushroom with a CAGR of 45.9% in the period to 2028. This growth will far outstrip that of the wider automation market, with planetary gearboxes and geared motors being the fastest– growing segments. 30 Robotics and Automated Manufacturing Examples of industrial automation and robotics in practice from aerospace, to the food and beverage sector. Plus how AI modelling is being used to program robots and to distinguish items in warehouses, and how to ensure that robots and humans get along safely. 38 Transportation The engineering plastics specialist igus has developed a bicycle, 92% of which is made of plastic. As well as making and selling its own bikes, igus has also established a new business that is supplying plastic components, including frames, to other bicycle manufacturers. 42 Clean Energy How robots are being used to create wind turbine blades, and how 3D printing and recyclable materials are helping to improve the environmental footprint of blade production. Plus a look at novel ways of storing large amounts of energy, and how a solar farm in York will be a testbed for robots and other autonomous systems used to inspect and maintain the arrays. 50 Talking Industry In the latest episode of the Talking Industry series of online panel discussions, three industry experts debated how to increase the take-up of industrial automation – and robots, in particular – within the UK SME community. 42 Average net circulation January to December 2023 52 58 61 63 ANNUAL BUYER’S GUIDE This issue contains the 2024/2025 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. Subscribe for your FREE copy now 18,942
Energy and Automation LOVATO Electric’s Synergy Energy Management software is the perfect starting point for your journey to sustainability. Working with not only our extensive range of products and third-party devices, such as gas and water metering along with support for renewable energy generation, you can identify and automatically report the optimum energy performance measures and determine best practice to reduce carbon footprint and energy costs. 01384 899700 | lovato.co.uk | sales@lovato.co.uk YEARS BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY WITH THE LOVATO ELECTRIC COMPLETE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AVERAGE ROI 6-12 MONTHS CONTROL AUTOMATION & REPORTING YOY SAVINGS CARBON FOOTPRINT 100YRS EXPERIENCE SCAN FOR YOUR FREE SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE
NEWS n 5 First speed-controlled MV motor is ‘a new way of creating motion’ ABB has announced what it describes as the world’s rst speedcontrolled medium-voltage motor, claiming that it represents “a new way of converting electricity into motion”. The system – called MV Titanium – combines a 1-5MW MV motor with a frequency converter in a single package. It is designed to power loads such as pumps, compressors and fans, reducing the need for equipment such as transformers, switchgear and MV motor cables, and cutting infrastructure costs. It is aimed at both retro t and new applications, and could cut energy use by up to 40%, paying for itself in less than a year in some applications. ABB has been developing the system for about two years. It is currently testing prototypes and hopes to begin pilot trials soon, before starting the rst commercial installations in 2026. The motors have a new design topology (aspects of which have been patented), but the accompanying drives are slightly modi ed and reprogrammed versions of existing frequency converters. Although variable-speed control is well-established for smaller motors, “large motors have so far been left behind, due to initial cost and complexity, with only 10-15% currently connected to a drive,” explains Heikki Vepsäläinen, president of ABB Large Motors and Generators. “But that is set to change with our new MV Titanium concept that makes it cost-eective and straightforward to install a suitable matched motor, with increased control, monitoring, and connectivity in a single package. “The potential savings in energy costs and CO2 emissions are huge,” he adds. “If we retro tted the entire installed base, it would be like taking just over 1,000 coal- red power stations oine.” At present, there are around one million MV motors in use around the world, accounting for about 10% of global electricity consumption. Each year, about 50,000 new MV motors are installed worldwide, typically with 20-year design lifetimes. Although these motors operate with eciencies of around 98%, there is still scope to save energy by controlling their speed. But varying the speed of the MV motors has traditionally been regarded as challenging because of the complexity and costs of designing and installing separate motors and controllers, and the need to build electrical plant rooms, often needing ventilation. Most users therefore opt for simpler DOL (direct on-line) xedspeed installations. ABB argues that its new concept will overcome these issues, saving the space and costs of a plant room, and eliminating the need to install heavy-duty cables between the controls and the motor. The purchase price of the new system will be similar to that of a separate motor and drive, but energy and other savings could recoup the cost of the new system within 1-3 years, depending on the application. There will also be substantial savings compared to using nonelectronic forms of control. Compared to throttling and valve controls, for example, the savings could be up to 54%; compared to on/o controls, they could be up to 42%; and compared to hydraulic controls, the savings could be up to 17%. Initially, ABB plans to oer the new technology in ratings from 1-2MW and to target pump and fan/blower applications, in particular. The range could later be expanded from around 500kW to 5MW and be aimed at other applications in sectors such as water and wastewater, pulp and paper, metals, cement, power, and minerals and mining. ABB is talking to pump manufacturers about adopting the technology. Initially, Vepsäläinen wants to focus on the retro t market, rather than the smaller market for new installations. ABB estimates that around 80% of MV motor installations between 2024 and 2027 will still be DOL applications. Although ABB is the rst motor manufacturer to be oering this “new way of de ning electromechanical powertrains”, Vepsäläinen says he would welcome other suppliers oering similar technologies to help reinforce the concept. He believes that the biggest challenge to establishing this “disruptive” technology will be to make users aware of its potential. “Beyond its technical progress, this next-generation motor concept represents a signi cant step towards productivity in a low-carbon world,” he concludes. “It puts ABB well on the road to support changing large, xedspeed motors to fully electrically controlled motors, one by one.” www.drivesncontrols.com July/August 2024 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION HAS issued a security notice urging all of its customers to take “immediate” action to assess whether they have industrial control devices facing the public Internet and, if so, to remove that connectivity “urgently” for devices not designed for public Internet connectivity. It says it is issuing the advice “due to heightened geopolitical tensions and adversarial cyberactivity”. The advice does not refer to any speci c cyberthreats or vulnerabilities. Rockwell adds that users should never con gure their ICSs (industrial control systems) to connect directly to the public Internet. “Removing that connectivity as a proactive step reduces attack surface and can immediately reduce exposure to unauthorised and malicious cyberactivity from external threat actors,” it explains. As well as disconnecting items from the Internet – or if this is not feasible – Rockwell is also urging users to follow its Security Best Practices document. Rockwell warns ICS users to cut Internet connections ‘immediately’ ABB’s speed-controlled medium-voltage motor could cut energy use by up to 40%
n NEWS July/August 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 MORE THAN SEVEN IN TEN (71%) of all industrial networking nodes installed globally last year used industrial Ethernet protocols, according to the latest analysis by the industrial networking supplier, HMS Networks. As the industrial communications market grew in 2023, the number of industrial Ethernet nodes installed rose by 12% compared to 2022. In 2022, industrial Ethernet nodes represented 68% of the total comms market. Pronet is the most popular industrial protocol, with a market share of 23%, putting it ahead of EtherNet/IP on 21% and EtherCat on 16%. Modbus TCP, Powerlink and CC-Link IE each have 4% or less of the industrial communications market. Traditional serial eldbus installations are continuing to lose ground, slipping from 24% of the market in 2022 to 22% in 2023. Probus is the most popular eldbus, accounting for 7% of all new industrial networking nodes last year, followed by Modbus RTU on 4%, CC-Link and DeviceNet both on 3%, and Can/CanOPEN on 2%. HMS predicts that eldbuses will experience a further 2% decline in 2024, but it adds that many machines and factories will continue to rely on eldbuses for years to come. Wireless communications experienced a slight drop in market share from 8% to 7% in 2023, following several years of steady growth. However, HMS reports that the acceptance of wireless in factories is increasing, with typical applications including cable replacement, wireless machine access and links to mobile industrial equipment. Each year, HMS analyses the global industrial networking market, estimating the number of new connected nodes by type and by protocol. The gures are based on HMS’ own sales, insights from the industry, and an “overall perception of the market”. HMS expects the industrial networking market to grow by a further 7% in 2024. Industrial Ethernet continues its relentless rise p The number manufacturing jobs in the UK fell by 34,000 in the past year, but there are still 64,000 vacancies – representing around £6bn per annum in lost output – according to a new analysis by Make UK and BDO. Their annual Regional Manufacturing Outlook Report also reveals that the three devolved nations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have seen a signicant growth in the number of manufacturing jobs, unlike almost all of England (except for the East), which has recorded falls in employment. pStellantis has sold a majority stake in its Italian robotics and automation subsidiary Comau to the private equity rm One Equity Partners. The deal will allow Comau to expand beyond the automotive sector. Details of the deal have not been revealed, but Reuters reports that One Equity will have a 50.1% stake in Comau, with Stellantis keeping 49.9% as an “active” minority partner. The spino of Comau was agreed during the merger between Fiat Chrysler and the PSA group in January 2021 that created Stellantis. p Construction work has started on the £100m Factory of the Future project in Northern Ireland, which is expected to create up to 1,500 jobs, contribute £1bn to the regional economy, and to train 300 apprentices a year. The 10,500m² Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) is being built at the Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey, and is due to open in 2026. p Cyberattacks targeting industrial sites are getting more sophisticated and more frequent according to Honeywell’s latest annual USB Threat Report. It also shows that 51% of malware attacks on OT (operational technology) systems are designed to be injected via removable media such as USB memory sticks. The report reveals that the number of targeted attacks via USB devices has increased nearly six-fold from 9% in 2019. pABB is investing more than £27m in a greeneld site in Nottingham to meet increased demand for its Furse earthing and lightning protection products. The 9,500m2 facility is expected to open in early 2025 and will integrate ¡exible automation, R&D and testing, and digital processes to boost production capacity and enhance e¤ciency and sustainability. NEWS BRIEFS DRIVES & CONTROLS IS PROUD to announce the launch of its new Web site which will oer visitors much a better experience than the previous site which had been running for more than ten years. The new site will give visitors many more choices, as well as being visually much more attractive. In particular, the new site will be vastly improved experience when viewed on mobile devices. The colourful home page will oer visitors a choice of more than 40 articles covering the latest business and technology developments from the world of industrial automation and motion engineering. There are also application stories showing how these technologies are being applied, and articles explaining technical and other issues. The popular Back to Basics and Gambica columns from the magazine will also be easily accessible on the new site. The site will also carry exclusive, detailed reports from key industry events such as Germany’s huge SPS (Smart Production Solutions) show – probably the most important xture in the global automation calendar. Visitors will have access to our unrivalled archive of hundreds of news reports that chronicle developments in the automation industry stretching back for more than a quarter of a century. The Drives & Controls Web site has always been dierent from many other sites covering the sector, which are often simply cut-and-pasted collections of press releases, with little to distinguish one site from another. You won’t nd any story on the Drives site (or in the magazine) anywhere else on the Internet. Each one is written and edited exclusively for the site, and they often contain extra background information, links and videos that you won’t nd on other sites. Another distinguishing feature of the Drives & Controls Web site is its wide-ranging coverage of developments from around the globe – not just UK news. These international developments inevitably have implications for the UK market and often the Drives site is the only place you can read about them. We have ambitious plans to develop the new site further in the coming months. Please let us know what you think about the site. www.drivesncontrols.com Drives & Controls Web site gets a makeover Industrial Ethernet dominates the industrial communications market with sales rising by 12% in the past year. The wireless market has contracted by 1%, while the number of new eldbus nodes has fallen by 2%. Source: HMS Networks
Award-Winning Performance Innovative process automation with Baumer Contact us: www.baumer.com/award-winning Simply better with Baumer With sensors that are smarter and more resilient we improve the sustainability in your process automation. Numerous awards and prizes prove us right. You can rely on the Baumer expertise. PAC50 PAD20 PAD20 PL20 PLP70
n NEWS July/August 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 A US START-UP HAS EMERGED from two years of stealth development to announce a new automated form of warehousing and material handling that does away with traditional forklifts, pallet jacks, conveyors and elevators. San-Francisco-based Mytra has already attracted $78m of nancing for its technology, which uses a combination of hardware and software to move materials in three dimensions and will “revolutionise” supply chains and material-handling. It automates the most common industrial task: moving and storing materials. The company was set up by Chris Walti, who spent seven years at Tesla leading the Model 3 material ow team and the Tesla Bot (now Optimus) humanoid robot programme, and Ahmad Baitalmal, who led software developments at Tesla and at the EV-maker, Rivian. They had experienced the diculties of implementing automated warehouses and manufacturing facilities, and felt it was “time for a reset”. They set out to develop a simple automated way to move and store materials. The result is a system that moves any type of inventory (palettes, totes or cases, for example) weighing up to 3,000lb (1,360kg) in any direction (X,Y or Z) using cells, mobile robots and software. They reckon they can automate up to 60% of the material-handling process, compared to around 10% using existing technologies. The Mytra system has three key components: bots which move the materials; a simple, repeated matrix structure for storage; and edge-intelligent software, which simplies deployment, cuts costs, and avoids single points of failure. The customisable system moves inventory from any cell to any adjacent cell in any direction. It uses advanced machine vision and sensor technologies for precise, realtime responses. The autonomous AI-driven transport robots make independent decisions in real time. Mytra's software optimises bot routes, manages inventory, and learns and improves continuously, adjusting to changing customer demands. Material ows are software-dened, allowing users to unlock new applications and future-proof their operations. "Material ow makes up the lion's share of the work in a warehouse but is still largely done the same way it was a century ago,”Walti points out. “This is because the alternatives are too complex, have too many parts, and are customised for specic applications. We’re taking a radically di¤erent approach by reducing the number of parts and moving the focus from hardware to software. “We are the rst and only solution that can universally automate many of the most labour-intensive, costly and complex aspects of material ow, which are the 'red blood cells' of any industrial operation,” he adds. “Mytra enables innite ways to move, store, and retrieve materials, changing applications instantly – all of which are controlled by software. This will drive massive eciencies not only within warehouses, but also in adjacent transportation and manufacturing operations.” Mytra estimates that its system can cut warehouse labour hours by up to 88%, and double internal rates of return compared with current best-in-class technologies. The rst real-world installations are at the US supermarket chain, Albertsons, which is using the system to bu¤er and sequence inventory at its distribution centres, before shipping goods to its stores. “Mytra's automation system o¤ers unique exibility to address many di¤erent applications using the same hardware,” says its vice-president of supply chain automation, Mustafa Harcar. The “highly simplied approach has the potential to unlock new levels of eciency, with the condence that the system can adapt to future needs,” he adds. Mytra will use the latest round of funding to expand its team (which currently numbers around 85), scale its technology, and deploy a next generation of systems to blue-chip companies to automate applications that today are still highly manual and labourintensive. https://mytra.ai Ex-Tesla robot chief emerges with $78m and new way to move materials Mytra’s modular system is designed to automate the most common industrial task: moving and storing materials B&R Industrial Automation has appointed Andrew Norcli e as managing director for machine automation in the UK and Ireland. He succeeds Alan Conn, who has been promoted to a new role as B&R’s regional MD for machine automation in Northern and Eastern Europe. Norclie, who joined B&R in 2013, has held various positions in the company. Earlier in his career he worked for Siemens and Rockwell Automation. In his new role, Norclie will lead B&R’s strategic initiatives and drive growth. Kelly Becker has expanded her role as president of Schneider Electric’s UK and Ireland (UK&I) operation to include Belgium and The Netherlands. Becker (left) has been a senior leader in Schneider more than 13 years, previously serving as country president in Ireland and vice-president of the Power Solutions Division in the US. Schneider has also appointed Kristin Hanley as vice-president of global marketing and sales excellence for the UK&I. She was previously vice-president of customer operations. Miles Ackerman has been appointed interim president of Nidec Drives, succeeding Anthony Pickering who has been made president of Nidec’s Motion Platform. Ackerman, who has been with the company for 25 years, was previously Nidec Drives’ chief nancial ocer. It is common practice in Nidec, when promoting internally, for senior positions to be made on an interim basis, initially. Nidec Drives was formed recently by bringing together Nidec’s Control Techniques and KB Electronics brands. The company says that Ackerman will foster innovation, support employee development, and enhance sustainability.
www.unisgroup.co.uk uksales@unisgroup.com + 44 1604 499 777 Lose your expensive downtime! Let us help you keep your profits Are your industrial electronics not working properly? UNIS Group is an international service organisation in the field of repair and sales of industrial electronics. Our technical specialists repair at component level, supported by advanced measuring and testing equipment. Fixed prices for repairs No cure, no pay Up to 2 years warranty Emergency repairs possible Exchange service Benefits of repair by UNIS Group: Request a repair quote!
n NEWS EVENTSTHE KOREAN ELETRONICS GIANT LG has entered the smart factory market, o ering the expertise that it has gained during 66 years of manufacturing to external customers. It is aiming to grow the business into a “multi-trillion” South Korean won (KRW) enterprise by 2030, excluding revenues it generates internally in the LG Group. One trillion KRW is worth $723bn. Although the business is still in its rst year, LG’s Production Engineering Research Institute (PRI) expects to win smart factory orders worth around KRW 200bn ($144bn) from external clients (although it does not give a timescale for this). Its existing customers include battery-makers, automotive parts manufacturers and logistics companies. LG plans to expand into fast-growing sectors such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and food and beverage. The company aims to cover the spectrum from factory planning to design, construction and operation. It will diagnose existing factories and identify areas for improvement, establishing automation roadmaps and o ering services such as production consulting, equipment development and training. “We will o er optimal smart factory solutions at every stage – from planning and design to construction and operation – becoming the ideal partner that supports our clients throughout their entire production journey,” says PRI head, Jeong Dae-hwa. The new business will draw on LG’s experience at more than 60 production facilities around the globe. The company has led more than 1,000 patents relating to smart factory technologies and in the past decade has amassed 770TB of manufacturing and production data. LG’s intelligent autonomous factories in Changwon, South Korea, and Tennessee, USA, have been recognised by the World Economic Forum as “Lighthouse Factories”. By implementing smart factory concepts at the Changwon plant, LG has boosted productivity by 17%, energy e¡ciency by 30%, and cut quality costs caused by defects by 70%. LG’s smart factory systems are designed to minimise delays or errors between processes. Because production e¡ciency is linked to protability, enhancing it is crucial. For example, one of LG’s lines in Changwon produces a refrigerator every 13 seconds. A 10-minute delay on the line would result in a shortfall of 50 refrigerators. With each fridge costing around $1,446, this 10minute delay would cause a loss of $72,322. Smart factory technologies that LG has developed include: n Digital twin real-time simulations that create virtual replicas of a factory before it is built, allowing customers to preview production and logistics ¤ows, and to optimise e¡ciencies. n AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) equipped with cameras, radar and LiDar sensors to recognise their surroundings and to avoid workers and obstacles. n A mobile manipulator which combines a multi-joint robot arm with an AMR, and can perform operations such as assembly, defect inspection and transporting materials. n Generative AI systems that use sensors to detect abnormal plant signals such as vibrations and noise caused by ageing equipment or poor lubrication. n A real-time detection system powered by Vision AI that learns a factory’s normal operations and detects anomalies such as temperature ¤uctuations. It also enhances safety by identifying workers not wearing safety gear. Korean giant enters smart plant business with a multi-$bn target Make it flexible. Make it sustainable. Make it OMRON. #MakeitOMRON Make the world better through creative manufacturing With our range of integrated manufacturing solutions, scale your business faster ZLWK JUHDWHU ȵ H[LELOLW\ and sustainability. LG’s smart factory in Changwon has been recognised as a Lighthouse Factory by the World Economic Forum EEMODS 2024 3–5 September, 2024 Lucerne, Switzerland The 13th international conference on Energy Eciency in Motor Driven Systems will take place over three days in Lucerne, Switzerland. It will provide a forum to discuss the latest developments in electric motor systems and their energy consumption, energy eciency policies and programmes, standards, as well as technological and market progress. https://eemods24.org PPMA Show 24–26 September, 2024 NEC, Birmingham The UK's largest event for processing equipment, packaging machinery, industrial robots and machine vision systems is expected to attract more than 300 exhibitors. The show, organised by Automate UK, will include demonstrations of labelling, lling, packaging, processing, robotics, automation and vision systems. www.ppmashow.co.uk MachineBuilding.Live 2 October, 2024 National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham The organisers are promising “the largest array of machine-building technical experts ever assembled in one place at one time in the UK”. The one-day event includes free breakfast to those arriving before 11am, as well as a free pass to visit the Motorcycle Museum. https://www.machinebuilding.live Engineering Design Show 9-10 October, 2024 Coventry Building Society Arena Billed as “the UK’s biggest show dedicated to mechanical, electronics and embedded design,” the event gives visitors access to the latest products, services and innovations in the sector. More than 200 exhibitors are expected. www.engineeringdesignshow.co.uk Advanced Engineering 2024 30–31 October, 2024 NEC, Birmingham Advanced Engineering UK returns to the NEC, showcasing innovation from the UK’s manufacturing and engineering sector. In 2023, more than 400 companies exhibited at the show, with a further 202 at the co-located Lab Innovations event. www.advancedengineeringuk.com
JOIN US ON 23RD OCTOBER 9:30 - 4:30 Leicester Marriott Hotel, Grove Park, Smith Way, Leicester, UK, LE19 1SW Register to attend or find more information at www.oem.co.uk/iatech What is IATECH? IATECH is a one-day event showing the latest advancements and technologies in industrial automation. From computer vision to control panel components, you’ll find solutions to fit a wide range of applications. #IATECH Register Now • CONTROL PANEL COMPONENTS • PRESSURE, FLOW, AND LEVEL INSTRUMENTATION • SENSOR AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT • MACHINE VISION • ELECTRIC MOTORS AND DRIVE SOLUTIONS AN OEM AUTOMATIC EXHIBITION
n NEWS THE UK HAS DROPPED out of the world’s top ten manufacturing nations for the rst time, plummeting from eighth to twelfth position, according to new gures from Make UK. The data, published in Make UK’s annual Manufacturing – The Facts survey, shows that in 2022 (the latest year for which global comparisons are available), the UK’s manufacturing output was worth £201bn, putting it behind Mexico (£245bn), which has climbed from 12th to 7th, and Russia, which has risen to 8th place (£223bn) on the back of increased defence production. Both of these nations have also leapfrogged Italy (£220bn) and France (£206bn), which have dropped to 9th and 10th respectively. Taiwan has also edged slightly ahead of the UK on the back of its dominance of semiconductor manufacturing, where demand has risen substantially in recent years. China remains the world’s largest manufacturer, with an output worth $5.06 trillion (almost a third of global production) followed by the US (on $2.69 trillion) and Japan ($850bn). Germany is still the biggest manufacturing nation in Europe (on $751bn) and remains the world’s fourth-largest, followed by India and South Korea. According to Make UK, the data reinforces the need for the UK to adopt a long-term industrial strategy because countries that have such strategies are seeing the benets. “It’s deeply disappointing to see the UK drop out of the world’s top ten manufacturing nations,” says Make UK’s director of policy, Verity Davidge. “However, this isn’t a reection of any decline in UK industry, but specic factors and trends which are redrawing the contours of the global economy. “These trends reinforce the need for the UK to react with a long-term industrial strategy to take competitive advantage of our undoubted strengths,” she adds. “This will ensure the UK retains its place at the top table of advanced manufacturing where it has many world-class sectors.” Make UK’s analysis also shows that the US remains the biggest export market for UK goods, worth £60.1bn in 2022. Germany is the second-largest (£33.bn) with The Netherlands in third position (£31bn). Six of the UK’s top ten export markets are in the EU, with a combined value of £150bn – almost three times as much as exports to the US and around eight times the amount to China (£21.4bn). According to Make UK, this highlights the continued importance of the EU for UK goods. The average salary in UK manufacturing is £38,769 – 10% above the economy overall. More News reports on our Web site We post many more news reports on our Web site than we have space for in the magazine. Often the Web site also carries longer, more detailed versions of reports in the magazine. Here are some of the stories posted since the last issue of Drives & Controls appeared. n UK manufacturing loses 34,000 jobs, but is still 64,000 short https://drivesncontrols.news/h8zpt1ak n Coding errors cause shutdowns that can last 30h and cost $126m https://drivesncontrols.news/zs623o3y n ‘Breakthrough’ restarts cobots automatically after shutdowns https://drivesncontrols.news/7btj1fr6 n Drives & Controls helps to push SM&E Week to a record high https://drivesncontrols.news/wh5lcsrn n Automated machine sets new record for solving Rubik’s Cube https://drivesncontrols.news/xwh720s8 n More than 500,000 robots were shipped in 2023 as prices fell https://drivesncontrols.news/vvaspaqi n UK start-up uses AI to create rareearth-free magnet material https://drivesncontrols.news/04f74if4 n Easy-to-use safe key system expands, enhancing its versatility https://drivesncontrols.news/4vh3sx8a n AR app shows machine and diagnostic data on a phone or tablet https://drivesncontrols.news/06vt9ylz n Regen electric motor gives e-bike a range of up to 1,000km https://drivesncontrols.news/q2kgql43 UK drops from 8th to 12th in global manufacturing league The UK’s top ten markets for exports of manufactured goods
NEWS n THE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTRE (MTC) and University of Birmingham have created a robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) “cluster” in the West Midlands to act as a catalyst to boost the region’s robotics and automation capabilities. The aim is to connect various parties including suppliers, integrators, users, universities and local authorities with the region’s two High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centres, to improve the take-up of RAS by UK industry. The idea is based on similar clusters in other countries – most notably, around the Danish city of Odense, which has helped to turn Denmark into one of the world’s leading nations for robot adoption, despite having no automotive or electronics industries. Denmark is currently ranked 12th globally in robot density, while the UK languishes in 25th position. Denmark has more than 300 robotics companies, employing 8,500 people, with a combined turnover of €2.4bn. It also has a pipeline of start-ups and skilled personnel which is feeding the robotics sector. “Creating the first UK Robotics and Autonomous Systems regional cluster will strengthen the presence of crucial technology and support growth potential,” says the MTC’s chief automation officer, Professor Mike Wilson. “We aim to raise productivity and competitiveness in the West Midlands region, while creating highly skilled and well-paid employment. “The work we are doing with the University of Birmingham will attract other related businesses as well as universities to engage and enthuse younger generations, supporting the deployment of RAS and raising the UK’s global rankings in robot use.” The 2017 Made Smarter Review report estimated that wider adoption of robots by UK manufacturers could be worth £184bn over 10 years. If UK automation levels matched those of the most automated countries, productivity would increase by 22.3%, overtaking most of its rivals. Wilson does not think it will need a massive investment – around £100,000 a year – to get the cluster initiative off the ground. Appointing a person to champion the concept could help to drive the scheme, initially. “We haven’t got lots of money, but we’re hoping that we will get support from the West Midlands Combined Authority in the coming months to allow us to expand our activities,” he says. Wilson points out that the RAS sector is already strong in the West Midlands, with expertise in local universities, the Warwick Manufacturing Group, robot suppliers (including Fanuc, Kuka, Staubli, Gudel and Schneider), major users (such as JLR and Mondelez) and systems integrators (including Expert Technologies, ADI, RNA, iRob, CyberWeld and Mechtech). “We don’t want to stop at the West Midlands,”Wilson adds, “but we want to develop it in the West Midlands to prove that we can do it, and then replicate that model to other areas of the country using the High Value Manufacturing Catapults around the country.” West Midlands robotics ‘cluster’ could drive UK automation boom Preparing for take-o¤: Professor Mike Wilson, the MTC’s chief automation o¦cer, at the launch of the West Midlands RAS cluster at the Centre earlier this year.
MANUFACTURING AT A CROSSROADS Since the previous issue of Drives & Controls appeared in June, we have had a change of government. The Labour Party has had 14 years in opposition to hone its plans for the UK manufacturing sector, so we look forward with interest to discover its vision is for this vital part of the UK economy. Of course, any plans may need to be scaled back because of the dire state of the public nances. We are unlikely to see billions of pounds being invested to revitalise the manufacturing sector, but at least we can hope for a cogent, imaginative industrial strategy from the new administration. The new government enters power as we are getting mixed signals about the state of UK manufacturing. The headline news of the past month has been the report from the manufacturers’ association, Make UK, that Britain has slumped from being the world’s eighth-largest manufacturer, to twelfth position, as it has been overtaken by nations such as Mexico, Brazil and Russia. This is the rst time that the UK has found itself languishing outside the world’s top ten. The situation is perhaps not as bad as it rst appears. It is not so much that UK manufacturing has shrunk dramatically; more that some of the emerging manufacturing nations are growing faster. And, in the case of Russia, its manufacturing base has been boosted by its massively increased spending on arms production, which now accounts for 6% of its GDP. The UK is not the only traditional manufacturing nation which has slipped down the league table. Italy and France have both been overtaken by Mexico and Russia, falling to ninth and tenth positions respectively. Another statistic from Make UK reveals that the number people employed in the manufacturing sector has fallen by around 34,000 in the past year. Even so, the sector still has 64,000 vacancies, so the skills shortage has not gone away. Make UK reckons that if these roles could be lled, they could add about £6bn in output to the UK economy every year. But at least those who are employed in the sector are earning an average of £38,769 – putting them about 10% above the average pay-packet for the UK economy as a whole. Another positive sign comes from the latest manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Manager’s Index), published at the start of August, which puts the UK on 52.1 – a two-year high and up from 50.9 the previous month. Any gure above 50.0 represents an expanding sector. The PMI also reports that production in the UK is growing at its fastest rate since February 2022, and that order books have strengthened for the third month in a row. Not surprisingly, UK manufacturers are sounding more optimistic about the future than they have for 2½ years, with about 60% expecting their output to rise in the coming year. Reacting to the latest PMI gures, Make UK senior economist James Brougham points out that just as demand is returning for UK manufactured goods, “so too does the ghost of the past that haunted the sector for so long. Manufacturer’s input price in£ation has struck its highest point in 1½ years, reminding the sector that it is uniquely sensitive to demandside pressures.” He adds that “the perfect intervention from Government of a long-term and robust industrial strategy, delivered at speed, is more needed than ever to restore investment condence across the sector.” Across the Channel, things are much less rosy. The latest PMIs for Germany, France and Italy are all below 50 (on 43.2, 44.0 and 47.4 respectively), indicating that their manufacturing sectors are shrinking. In fact, the only EU economies with manufacturing PMIs above 50 are Greece, Spain and Ireland, with Greece being the only one above the UK’s level. But poorly performing EU economies is not good news for the UK. Make UK’s gures reveal that six of the UK’s top ten export markets are still in the EU, with a combined value of £150bn – almost three times as much as exports to the US. So we still rely heavily on the EU, and Make UK is calling on the new government to smooth out trade barriers with Europe to help boost this trade. The Labour government has a lot on its plate. Its attitude to manufacturing will be crucial to the future of the sector, and whether we ever manage to climb up the global league table of manufacturers again. Tony Sacks, Editor n COMMENT
Drives&Controls & BACK TO BASICS n SPONSORED BY When it comes to MV voltage source inverter (VSI) drive topologies, there are two main options: neutral point clamped (NPC) and cascaded H-bridge (CHB). Alberto Ricci, ABB’s UK product manager for MV drives, compares and contrasts them. There are several di erent MV drive topologies. In many cases, users aren’t aware of how this choice a ects their potential total cost of ownership for operating the drive. There are two main options: neutral point clamped (NPC) and cascaded H-bridge (CHB) topologies. ABB manufactures both. Let’s start by looking at their construction. CHB drives consist of multiple series-connected LV (low-voltage) power modules, or “cells”. LV IGBTs are connected in series to produce an MV level output. By contrast, the NPC topology uses MV semiconductor devices (IGCTs or IGBTs). These are arranged in three “legs”, with the centre connected to a neutral point (0V DC) on the DC bus – hence the “neutral point clamped” name. Now that we have the rough basics of the design, we can compare the key di erences between the two: n Complexity CHB drives have a more complex construction than NPC and contain more components. For a typical 3.3kV inverter, a CHB drive has 36 IGBTs, while an NPC version has 12 IGCTs. n Maintenance There are di erences in service intervals and costs associated with each topology. CHB drives require more frequent and expensive maintenance, with power cells and other components needing to be replaced two or three times in a typical 20-year lifetime. Maintaining NPC drives according to manufacturer schedules is important, but their main components, such as power switching devices or capacitors, do not need to be replaced as part of planned maintenance. n Transformer The multi-winding input transformer cannot be separated – it is always integrated with the drive. Where space is limited, NPCs can o er an advantage by separating the input transformer from the converter cabinet. Also, if the transformer can be located outdoors, its heat losses will be taken care of by the great British weather, instead of needing to pay for additional cooling. n Totex CHB drives generally have a lower Capex cost, but their Opex costs during their lifetimes, may be higher. Each application will have di erent requirements and factors to consider, and each topology option has merits in di erent circumstances. The NPC topology usually provides excellent performance, including higher reliability and availability due to its relatively simple design. This makes it easier and more cost-e ective to maintain. Although the upfront cost of a CHB drive is initially attractive and makes for a strong commercial proposition – especially at lower power ratings – consideration should also be given to the total maintenance requirements and the reduced exibility of the transformer location. When making the evaluation, remember that Totex = Capex + Opex, including all of the above elements. Unit 3B, Lythalls Lane Industrial Estate, Lythalls Lane, Coventry CV6 6FL UNITED KINGDOM T. +44 2476 30 7722 | E. sales@andantex.co.uk www.andantex.co.uk MV drives: which topology is best?
2023
TECHNOLOGY n 19 www.drivesncontrols.com July/August 2024 THE OT AND IoT security specialist, Nozomi Networks, has announced the rst OT and IoT security sensor designed to run inside PLCs. It claims that its Arc Embedded technology will deliver previously unavailable visibility at the process level into industrial automation equipment and eld assets, as well being able to analyse and deter process-level threats and malicious user activity, without disrupting critical networks. As a result, users will bene t from improved operational resilience and uptime, reduced cyber-risks and better compliance. Nozomi has developed the technology in partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, and the rst PLCs to implement it are members of Mitsubishi’s Melsec iQ-R family. It will be available on a subscription-based model. Nozomi says that before Arc Embedded there was no good way for security teams to gain continuous insights into what was happening at the physical layer of their control systems – inside and below the PLC. With the new system running on a PLC, they can monitor the controller’s health using data from every module. It provides physical access to the PLC, including USB connections, les transferred via USB, and status changes, including any changes to ladder logic. Any unusual behaviours can be detected rapidly and can help to identify possible cyberattacks or other problems. Security teams can be alerted to any sudden changes to PLC status or sensor data, allowing them to prevent malicious activities or operational problems. “Customers in a variety of industries can feel con dent deploying Arc Embedded in Mitsubishi Electric PLCs, strengthening security all the way to the physical process,” says Nozomi’s co-founder and chief product ocer, Andrea Carcano. “This is a revolutionary approach that makes it possible to extend in-depth real-time monitoring of assets, network trac, anomaly detection, and threat identi cation directly to process controls. Ultimately, it improves the safety, security, and reliability of the automation processes we depend upon and sparks the imagination for what’s possible when advanced security is embedded at the device level. “Arc Embedded can transform how CISOs (chief information security ocers) manage and protect critical infrastructure, extending security to and through industrial control systems, down to the eld assets they manage.” Arc Embedded can transform control systems into secure-by-design assets, oering an integrated security layer from an independent vendor that protects production systems, Nozomi argues. It will allow organisations to detect and respond to cyber-incidents at the PLC level before they can do harm or can escalate across an industrial environment. Nozomi says that the technology will deliver: n Real-time visibility and security from network endpoints to the shop oor, enhancing data integrity, and detecting anomalies and intrusions. n AI-powered protection to provide continuous monitoring with real-time learning, resulting in faster responses to security incidents and more robust detection of vulnerabilities. n Visibility and protection for devices connected to the PLC backplane to understand module health and status, normal and abnormal communications patterns, con guration changes and rmware integrity. “Combining Mitsubishi Electric’s manufacturing-control and informationsystem security technologies with Nozomi Networks' visualisation and intrusion-detection technologies, allows us both to contribute to a safer, more secure and more sustainable society,”says Mitsubishi representative executive ocer, Kunihiko Kaga. www.nozominetworks.com MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC HAS launched a series of salient-pole motors that deliver highquality speed and position control without encoders. It says that the “industry rst” EMA motors oer a competitively priced alternative to servomotors. The motors are designed for applications that that need positioning and/or accurate speed control. They are smaller than most induction motors by one or two frames, and weigh 30-50% less. They achieve IE5 eciencies, cutting energy losses by almost 50% compared to equivalent IE2 motors, as well as having smaller footprints. The motors span the power range 0.1– 7.5kW, and unlike induction motors can operate at low speeds without needing a ventilation fan. The motors’ rotors consist of a patented salient-pole core with surface-mounted permanent magnets. Their inductance changes depending on their rotational position, and this change is used to achieve sensor-less vector control. The motors are compatible with Mitsubishi’s FR-A800 and FR-E800 inverters and can carry out point-to-point position control, or accurate speed control, without needing motor-mounted encoders. They therefore need less wiring, while delivering a claimed positioning accuracy of 200 pulses/rev and a command resolution of 4,096 pulses/rev. With a speed variation range of ±0.05% and a speed control range of 1:1300, the system is said to provide precision speed and positioning control, comparable to that of servomotors. They can deliver 200% torque for up to three seconds. Sensor-less salient-pole motors challenge servomotors First security sensor embedded in PLCs ‘will transform cybersecurity’ Mitsubishi’s Melsec iQ-R PLCs are the rst to implement Nozomi Networks embedded security technology which provides real-time visibility of the PLCs’ internal operations
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=