NEWS n www.drivesncontrols.com October 2024 11 ADVANCED ELECTRIC MOTOR AND inverter technologies are set to benefit from £88m of joint funding that the UK government has announced for 46 projects designed to boost zero-emission vehicle technologies, create thousands of skilled green jobs, and deliver long-term growth for the UK economy. The government is providing £44.5m of investment for the projects, with a further £43.5m coming from industry. Among other things, the projects will work on electric trucks for the NHS and Royal Mail, electric motorcycles, and wireless charging technologies. The government says it has a mission to create a strong, stable and pro-business economy, with the UK remaining an attractive destination for investment for the automotive industry. One of the chosen projects is a £11m initiative, led by the led by the in-wheel motor developer Protean Electric, that brings together five industrial partners, together with Coventry University and the Warwick Manufacturing Group, to industrialise the assembly and manufacture of inverters and converters. The Pulse (Power electronics Upscale for Localisation and Sustainable Electrification) project aims to accelerate the development and industrialisation of in-wheel motors and fuel cells. One of the project’s partners, Unipart, will establish a flexible power electronics manufacturing capability in Coventry to support the development and production of high-power DC-to-DC converters and inverters, using advanced vision systems, flow management, and end-of-line testing to enhance efficiency and quality. The project is expected to create or safeguard 159 jobs in the UK and to save 1.2million tonnes of CO2 every year by 2030. Other organisations to benefit from the new funding are: n Microchip Technology Caldicot, which is developing high-efficiency power modules for next-generation inverter systems, and addressing gaps in the UK’s power electronics supply chain; n Ram Innovations, which will demonstrate high-efficiency power electronics systems and sub-systems that use GaN (gallium nitride) devices with enhanced thermal performance; n Magtec, which is prototyping nextgeneration drivelines for electric trucks to be trialled by NHS Wales and Royal Mail; n Electric Green, which is developing smart wireless technologies for charging EVs without needing to plug in cables; n Muon Tech, which is marketing an integrated electric drive and vehicle control system designed to fit in tight packaging volumes, with high levels of functional safety, reliability and functionality; n Equipmake, which is creating a “daisy chain” energy management system for batteryelectric fire engines; and n Flit, which is developing lightweight folding electric bikes for urban commuters that “even people who don’t ride bikes will want”. Sarah Jones, the minister for industry and decarbonisation, says: “Labour is committed to boosting the jewel in the crown of our manufacturing base – the automotive industry. Working in partnership with industry this funding will drive innovation and propel the development of next-generation zeroemission vehicle technologies. £88m of funding will back 46 EV technology projects PLYMOUTH-BASED APPLIED AUTOMATION (UK) has acquired the brand, intellectual property and assets of Somerset-based CME Automation Systems, following its liquidation. Details of the transaction have not been released. Administrators were appointed at CME in May, despite it having received “significant” private equity backing in 2023. CME (Colin Mear Engineering) specialised in automated lines for packaging applications in the tobacco, pharmaceutical and food and beverage sectors. It will now be known as Applied Automation – CME Solutions, and will move from its original location in Combe St Nicholas, near Chard, to Applied Automation’s 140,000ft2 (13,000m2) Plymouth site. Several key members of the CME team have joined Applied. “It’s always sad to see a business that’s been trading for over 40 years end up in administration and it’s even sadder when they are based, like ourselves, in the South West of England,” says Applied Automation’s MD, David Rowe. “However, we’re very much looking forward to working with CME customers in the future and we believe that by running the business as an entity within our existing engineering division it will provide us with some exciting new possibilities. “We see this acquisition as an opportunity to increase our sales in the FMCG packaging sector and to expand our services to existing CME markets in both North America and Europe,” he adds. Applied Automation (UK) has been trading for more than 38 years and currently employs more than 170 people. It designs and manufactures automation and control systems for industrial and marine applications. Applied Automation acquires assets of CME Automation Systems As part of the £11m Pulse project, led by Protean Electric, Unipart is developing power electronics manufacturing capabilities CME Automation Systems specialised in producing packaging machinery
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