MACHINE BUILDING: Automated machine for cutting steel mesh is ‘world’s rst’ CONVEYORS AND MATERIALS-HANDLING: Custom controls help logistics giant to go digital MACHINE VISION: Using to vision to help automate vaccine production Drives&Controls AUTOMATION FOR MANUFACTURING INSIDE APRIL 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com
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 2025 NEXT ISSUE The May issue of Drives & Controls will contain our annual supplement on electric motors, plus a look at developments in linear motion technologies, and applications in the scientic, pharmaceuticals and medical engineering markets. We will also be previewing Smart Manufacturing Week 2025. UPDATE 12 Comment 13 Back to Basics 45 Gambica column 46 New Products 48 Design Data and Multimedia 49 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 42 38 27 24 6 48 DRIVES & CONTROLS APRIL 2025 Vol 41 No 4 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 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 and DFA Direct 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 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 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. 14 Technology Cutting-edge innovations in motion, power transmission, controls and related technologies. 24 Artificial Intelligence Opinions vary widely on whether artificial intelligence is a boon or a threat to the manufacturing sector. An AI expert takes a look at how the technology may affect manufacturers in the coming years, and what steps they need to take to ensure that they are keeping up with what it has to offer. 27 Machine-Building We report on a machine said to be the rst to cut reinforcing steel mesh automatically. Plus a look at a pair of UK-developed machines that test composite structure and components for Boeing aircraft, and advice on specifying motion controls for gantry applications. 34 Conveyors and Materials-Handling Mechanical bearings and guidance systems have many drawbacks, especially for high-performance motion control. Air bearings can oer advantages in applications where high precision, long lifetimes, low vibrations and good repeatability, are needed. Plus advice on how to pick the most suitable industrial chain for your application. 40 Machine Vision An Austrian manufacturer of parquet ooring has adopted an AI-based vision system to help it identify insucient or excessive use of the adhesives that hold the oor’s layers together. Plus how two German companies have developed a robotic system for loading and unloading trolleys with vaccine vials. Machine vision allows the robots to work autonomously. 44 Smart Manufacturing Week Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 taking place at the NEC in June will bring together some of the industry’s brightest minds and prospects. The event will shine a spotlight on advances in automation, AI, and robotics, while addressing the most pressing challenge facing the sector today – the skills shortage. 44 Average net circulation January to December 2023 45 46 Subscribe for your FREE copy now 18,942 14
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NEWS n 5 US smart motor using UK AC-AC converter tech eliminates VSDs A US COMPANY HAS announced a “first-of-its-kind” range of variable-speed motors with a built-in AC-toAC converter technology that does away with the need for external AC-DC-AC VSDs (variable-speed drives). The motors are based on work done at the University of Nottingham on a novel AC-to-AC power conversion technology small enough to be embedded in a motor’s housing. Vidar Motors, based in New York state, says that its motors are 60% smaller than conventional motordrive combinations. It adds that they will cut energy use, CO2 emissions and costs, and extend equipment lives in industrial pump and fan applications, especially in harsh environments. Vidar is owned by the US engineering giant ITT and marks the group’s entry into the industrial motors market. The motor – previously marketed as the Embedded Motor Drive (EMD) – can be used as a drop-in replacement for existing motors, initially in Nema frame versions. Unlike conventional motor-and-drive set-ups, it does not need long runs of special inverterduty cabling, additional enclosures, or extra floor space. ITT says it can be installed in less than an hour. The motor is based on a high-efficiency synchronous reluctance motor with permanent magnet assistance. The design eliminates rotorinduced currents for higher efficiencies and power densities. It is said to operate 10-25% cooler than induction motors, cutting energy losses, extending component lives and enhancing reliability. The motor’s advanced magnetic design is claimed to deliver high efficiencies, torque levels and power factors. Vidar’s patented AC-Link technology replaces conventional AC–DC–AC converters with a streamlined AC-to-AC approach. The technology is based on work done at the University of Nottingham. During a multi-year collaboration between Vidar and the university, the technology was refined and tested to prepare it for real-world applications. By removing the DC stage, the new design eliminates bulky and failure-prone capacitors, shrinking the converter size by 60%, and allowing it to be combined with the motor in a single, compact package. The life of the Class H motor insulation is said to be extended. There is a single cooling fan for both the motor and the converter circuitry. Vidar says the technology has undergone thousands of hours of testing in harsh industrial www.drivesncontrols.com April 2025 environments. In one application, it replaced a single fixed-speed motor on an industrial pump, allowing a control valve to open to 100%, up from 35%, and slowing the pump to around 75% of its maximum speed. This cut power consumption by 52%, while delivering the same flow as before. “Vidar’s innovative design unlocks energy and cost savings potential by addressing common barriers to efficiency and reliability that have impacted the industry in the past,” says Dan Kernan, Vidar’s vice-president and general manager. “Vidar makes the advantage of adjustable-speed over fixed-speed motors available to more customers of pumps, fans, and fluid process systems through a simplified, combined solution that’s easy to install and simple to operate.” “Vidar is a game-changing innovation,” adds ITT’s president and CEO, Luca Savi. “With it, we are entering a new addressable market for industrial motors. The opportunity for sustainable value creation ahead of us is significant. We are proud of the work that Dan and his team in Syracuse, New York have done over the past six years to make Vidar a reality.” ITT is entering a global market for industrial motors estimated to be worth around $6bn. Every year, it points out, around $300bn is spent globally on moving fluids in critical applications such as energy production, water purification and food and beverage processing. An estimated 85% of industrial pumps and fans still rely on fixed-speed motors and mechanical controls, resulting in high energy usage and low reliability. Current technologies such as VSDs need costly installation and take up a lot of space. Vidar expects shipments of its motor to start in the third quarter of 2025, ramping up in 2026. Initially the motor will be available in ratings from 15–75hp (11.2–55.9kW) at 460V. There will be 3,600 rpm models that operate from 360-4,500 rpm, and 1,800 rpm versions that operate from 180–2,500 rpm. The motors will be rated for use in Class 1 Division 2 Groups A, B, C, D T4 hazardous areas, will have built-in STO (safe torque off) functions, and will comply with SIL2, Category 3PL d6. www.vidarmotors.com Key parts of the Vidar motor including: (1) a bidirectional, non-sparking, corrosion-resistant fan made of a conductive plastic; (2) the terminal box; (3) the IP66-protected AC-Link converter and terminal box; (7) an EMC filter; (8) motor and converter temperature sensors; (9) a Nema TEFC cast-iron frame; (10) Class H insulation; (11) severe-duty exterior paint; (12) the SynRM magnet-assisted motor; (13) anti-corrosion coatings on b internal rotor and stator surfaces; and (15) a drive-end bearing isolator. ‘Vidar’s innovative design unlocks energy and cost savings potential by addressing common barriers to efficiency and reliability that have impacted the industry in the past.’
n NEWS April 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 SIEMENS HAS ANNOUNCED plans to cut about 5,600 jobs from its worldwide automation business, including around 2,600 in Germany. It says that changed conditions in its key markets have made these capacity adjustments necessary. It has presented its plans to representatives of its employees. It also wants to cut around 450 jobs worldwide in its electric vehicle charging business, including about 250 in Germany. This sector has also been hit by a downturn. Siemens says it has experienced “muted” demand in its industrial automation business since the start of its 2023 nancial year, especially in its key markets of China and Germany. This, coupled with increased competitive pressures, has led to orders and revenues in the business being reduced “considerably”. However, it expects global demand for automation technology to remain intact over the long term. Siemens says that the shift of growth away from its key markets has made a structural adjustment of its capacities necessary. It is planning measures to strengthen the competitiveness of its Digital Industries automation business, including a realignment of sales activities, cross-unit collaboration in product development, and a more exible steering of the organisation’s global factory network. The German market, in particular, has been declining for two years. Siemens is ruling out “operational-related” layos in Germany. As far as possible, the people aected by the planned cutbacks will be oered opportunities for re- and up-skilling. Job placements within the company will also play a key role in implementing the measures. Despite the planned cutbacks, Siemens’ total headcount in Germany – around 86,000 – is expected to remain stable due to hiring in expanding parts of its business. There are currently more than 7,000 vacant positions at Siemens, of which about 2,000 are in Germany. Siemens Digital Industries employs about 68,000 people worldwide, and the planned reductions will aect about 5,600 jobs globally. The measures are due to be implemented by the end of scal 2027. Siemens says that it remains strongly committed to Germany as a business location. Of the €2bn in global investments that it announced in 2023 to strengthen its growth, innovation and resilience, about €1bn are earmarked for Germany, including €500m for a new campus for research and high-tech manufacturing in Erlangen, Germany, where it is establishing a global centre for development and manufacturing and a springboard for technology-related activities to drive the industrial metaverse. Siemens has opened US manufacturing facilities for electrical products in Texas and California. The $285m investment is expected to create more than 900 skilled jobs. It will more than more than double Siemens’production capacity for electric equipment. Combined with its planned acquisition of the software company, Altair, Siemens says it is boosting its US investments by more than $10bn. The company currently employs more than 45,000 people in the US – its biggest market. Siemens plans to axe 5,600 jobs from its global automation business pRockwell Automation has invested an undisclosed amount in RightHand Robotics (RHR), a US-based specialist in in robotic piecepicking systems for warehousing and logistics. The two companies plan to combine their expertise to oer smarter, more ecient, integrated automation systems for supply chains worldwide. pABB has announced plans to invest $120m in two US sites, expanding its capacity to produce low-voltage electrication products. The investment will enable the company to meet increasing demand from customers in sectors such as datacentres, commercial buildings and utilities. ABB plans to double the size of its existing manufacturing site in Senatobia, Mississippi, adding 200 jobs, and to create 50 new jobs at a new advanced manufacturing facility in Selmer, Tennessee. p The US couplings supplier Ruland Manufacturing has acquired the assets of RoCom Couplings, a Californian company that specialises in beam couplings, machined springs and custom beamed components. The acquisition expands Ruland’s beam coupling portfolio and enhances its manufacturing capabilities to better serve customers needing precision-engineered exible couplings and custom-machined items. Ruland says that RoCom customers will see improved lead times and service, and will have access to Ruland’s range, which includes shaft collars, rigid couplings, servo couplings and universal joints. p The global market for VSDs (variable-speed drives) will expand from $20.6bn in 2021 to $33.6bn by 2031 – a CAGR of 5.1% – according to a new report from Allied Market Research. Drives with ratings from 6-40kW make up the largest segment of the market, while the biggest application for VSDs is pumps. The oil and gas sector is the biggest buyer of VSDs (by total value) because of its extensive use of heavy-duty pumps and motors. www.alliedmarketresearch.com pSouthern Manufacturing & Electronics 2025, the regional show for the mechanical and electronic engineering sectors, had its most successful event ever in February, attracting 10,204 visitors – a 14% increase on 2024. The number of exhibitors also grew by 12%, with 535 companies showing their wares, breaking the 500 barrier for the rst time. The show returns to its Farnborough site from 3–5 February, 2026. pRARUK Automation has announced new partnerships with Sick and Inbolt which, it says, will allow it to unlock new cobot applications for UK manufacturers. Sick’s new End-of-ArmSafeguard (EOAS) technology creates a protective eld around robot end-eectors, preventing them from making contact with humans in the same area, while Inbolt’s GuideNow AI-based 3D vision system oers real-time robot guidance. NEWS BRIEFS Siemens is planning measures to strengthen the competitiveness of its Digital Industries business
New apps to simplify automation
April 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 n NEWS RUBIX, EUROPE’S LARGEST supplier of industrial MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) products and services, is buying Eriks’ UK & Ireland business for an undisclosed sum. Rubix describes the acquisition as “complementary” and says it will bring together two multispecialist industrial distributors oering a broad range of products and services, while extending Rubix’s ow technology portfolio. Rubix group CEO Franck Voisin says that following the acquisition, Rubix UK, Ireland & Iceland will become his group’s second-largest regional market, with combined annual revenues of more than €850m. Eriks UK & Ireland distributes ow products such as hoses, valves, sealing and gaskets, as well as associated technical services including customisation and repair. It incorporates the earlier Wyko business which Eriks’ Dutch parent company bought for £139m in 2006. The Rubix group was created in 2018 by renaming the former IPH Brammer, which had itself been born the previous year when the venture capital ¢rm Advent International, which already owned Brammer, bought the European industrial supplies distributor, IPH, and combined the two businesses. Since then Rubix has acquired several other UK businesses including Matara, Knowlton & Newman and Gapp Automation. Today, Rubix has a global network spanning more than 750 locations in 22 countries, and employs 9,000 people. It claims to be the only pan-European distributor that carries all premium brands. In 2023, it had a turnover of €3.15bn. Vince McGurk, CEO of Rubix UK, Ireland and Iceland, says that the complementary UK businesses, “provide the opportunity to deliver a more comprehensive solution to the needs of our customers. The strong ¢t, shared values and commitment to meeting customer needs would make this a very positive move for the manufacturing sector across the UK and Ireland.” The transaction, which is subject to the customary regulatory approvals, is expected to complete this year. Rubix buys Eriks UK & Ireland to create €850m-plus business Rubix and Eriks could create a combined business worth more than €850m AN INDIAN ROBOTIC TESTING specialist, Sastra Global Business Innovation (SGBI), has announced plans to invest £8m in a UK operation in Manchester over the next three years. The investment, aimed at expanding the company’s innovation and development activities, is expected to create around 75 jobs. Sastra’s UK plans were revealed during a recent visit to India by the British trade secretary, Jonathan Reynolds. Investments by Indian companies in the UK totalling more than £100m were announced during the trip. Sastra’s decision to invest in the UK – the ¢rst by a southern Indian robotics company – followed an order that the company won in 2023 for 150 testing robots for a UK public sector customer. That order was ful¢lled from the company’s headquarters in Kerala. The company was founded by three young engineers in 2013 as Sastra Robotics. It specialises in robotic-aided testing and analytics systems. Its customers include ABB, Honeywell, Qualcomm and Robert Bosch. The company has set up a headquarters in the US and has an existing UK operation in London. https://sgbi.us Indian robotics firm plans to invest £8m in UK, creating 75 jobs EVENTSSensor+Test 2025 Nuremberg, Germany 6–8 May, 2025 The show describes itself as “the leading international trade fair for sensor, measuring and testing technology”. Its organisers say it is “in demand like never before because we oer exhibitors a platform where they are not only seen, but also appreciated.” In 2024, 383 companies from 29 countries took part. There will be areas focusing on condition monitoring and calibration. www.sensor-test.de/en AutomationUK 2025 CBS Arena, Coventry 7–8 May, 2025 The automation, robotics and vision show is organised by Automate UK, formerly the PPMA Group of Associations, which encompasses Bara and Ukiva. The two-day event incorporates the previously separate Vision UK show, raising the prole of the machine vision and automation sectors in an integrated event. Jake Hall, “the manufacturing millennial”, will make a keynote presentation in his rst UK speaking engagement. www.automation-uk.co.uk CWIEME Berlin 2025 Berlin, Germany 3-5 June, 2025 The exhibition for the coil winding, electric motor, transformer and generator industries, returns to its Berlin venue and is expected to attract more than 550 exhibitors and around 6,500 visitors. Last year’s Start-Up Zone brought together edgling companies and their latest technologies. This year’s Innovation Zone will expand on this and provide a platform for cuttingedge technologies, including AI and machine learning, predictive maintenance and monitoring, IoTenabled tools, smart sensors and data analytics. https://berlin.cwiemeevents.com/home Smart Manufacturing Week 4–5 June, 2025 NEC, Birmingham More than 450 exhibitors and 13,500 visitors are expected at the two-day event that includes the Drives & Controls show, Smart Factory Expo, Maintec, the Air-Tech and Fluid Power & Systems zones, and the Design+Engineering Expo. Running concurrently are the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit, the Industrial Data and AI Summit, and the Automation & Robotics Accelerator Symposium. www.smartmanufacturingweek.com 2025 OT Cybersecurity Summit 17-19 June, 2025 Brussels, Belgium This event, organised by ISA, will focus on strategic OT (operational technology) cybersecurity based on the ISA/IEC 63443 standards. It will include various technical tracks, training courses as well as a cyberescape room. https://otcs.isa.org
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n NEWS April 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 10 ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF THE UK’s SME manufacturers want to grow into large businesses, which could contribute £83bn to the country’s manufacturing GVA (gross value added) over the next decade, propelling the UK from the world’s 12th-largest manufacturing to the 7th-largest, according to a new report from Make UK and Civitas. But the report warns that many manufacturers are unaware of support schemes designed to help them to grow. A third of SMEs do not know about the Business Growth Fund, while 37% are unaware of the British Business Bank. If more SMEs were to take advantage of these schemes, investment by Britain’s manufacturers would rise by £9.2bn, the report estimates. The 73-page report, The Growth Mission: A Blueprint for Scaling up SME Manufacturers, calls on the Government to drive growth by introducing a 150% capital allowance and by creating an enhanced Growth Enterprise Scheme (GEIS) to turbocharge the SMEs. Such tax reliefs would encourage the businesses to reinvest in their growth, raise productivity, and adopt new technologies, helping them scale-up, create jobs, and assist in achieving the government’s growth goals. An estimated 99% of the 250,000 active manufacturing businesses in the UK are micro and small-to-medium sized companies. The report reveals that four out of ve struggle to access nance during the “make or break” early stages of investment. Current support for SMEs comes mainly from The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS). Both of these government initiatives are intended to encourage investment in small and early-stage companies by oering tax reliefs to investors, but the businesses must be less than seven years old to access them. However, setting up a factory and recruiting and training sta often takes more than seven years, so most start-up manufacturers are never in a position to access the funds designed to help them grow. Removing the seven-year limit would open-up the potential for investors to consider manufacturers with scale-up potential to access capital that was not available previously. Exporting into new markets is also dicult for SMEs, limiting their scale-up potential. If the government is to achieve its aim of being the fastest-growing G7 economy, the UK will need to increase its exports, the report suggests. At present, 22% of manufacturers export directly. According to the Make UK/Civitas research, 38% of SMEs say a lack of understanding of local regulations and bureaucracy is preventing them exporting, while 36% say they need better communication from government to improve their awareness of export advice and export nance support. “Using AI to leverage the wealth of data available in the UK to micro-target SMEs at exactly the right moment of their growth journey, where they will be most receptive to and benet from the types of support to boost scale-up success will dramatically deliver quick-re growth across the whole of the UK,” suggests Make UK CEO, Stephen Phipson. “Small and medium sized businesses already play a signicant part in contributing to growth but, with the right support, they could do even more. Helping these rms to export and use data to pinpoint growth potential could result in huge dividends for the economy.” SME manufacturers could give the UK economy a £83bn boost ABB HAS APPOINTED Susana Gonzalez as chief sales officer in the Machine Automation Division of its B&R Industrial Automation subsidiary. Until recently, Gonzalez led Rockwell Automation’s sales in the EMEA region. She succeeds Luca Galluzzi. Gonzalez brings more than 25 years of global experience in industrial automation and manufacturing, including roles in customer support, product management, and sales in the US, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She will lead Austrian-based B&R's global sales organisation and serve as a member of the Division’s management team. “Susana’s extensive international experience and strategic approach make her an excellent fit for this role,” says Joerg Theis, president of ABB’s Machine Automation Division. “Her leadership will strengthen our customer focus and ensure we continue to deliver innovative solutions that address the evolving needs of our customers, while maintaining our commitment to quality and performance.” The main reasons that UK SME manufacturers give for not accessing public support. Source: Make UK / Civitas Gonzalez joins ABB’s B&R from Rockwell Automation Gonzalez has moved from Rockwell to B&R
NEWS n www.drivesncontrols.com April 2025 11 MERCEDES-BENZ IS TRIALLING the use of humanoid robots in manufacturing roles, with an initial focus on repetitive intralogistics tasks. It is conducting the trials at a cutting-edge facility in Berlin where it also testing advanced digital technologies, and is gearing up to produce axial-ux electric motors. Initially, Mercedes is using Apollo robots from the US humanoid developer Apptronik to transport components and modules to assembly sta on production lines. The robots can also carry out initial quality checks on the components, as well as collecting data in a production environment to train for specic tasks. Mercedes-Benz employees with production know-how have been transferring their knowledge to the humanoids using teleoperation and augmented reality processes. Mercedes is allowing the humanoids to perform autonomous operations, which it describes “a technological milestone on the way to a exible, intelligent assistance system for production”. To emphasise its commitment to deploying humanoid robots in production, Mercedes-Benz is making a “low double-digit-million” euro investment in Apptronik, which has just raised a further $53m in Series A funding, taking the total that it has raised in the oversubscribed round to $403m (see below). The German car-maker is testing the humanoid robots at the Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus (MBDFC) – its global centre for production and digitalisation innovation, which is located in Berlin-Marienfelde. Mercedes-Benz is also establishing the site as a centre of excellence for the production of high-performance axial-ux motors, based on the technology that it acquired when it bought the UK-based axial motor developer, Yasa, in 2021. Manufacturing of these motors due to start next year. Producing an axial-ux motor will involve around 100 processes, around 65 of which are new to Mercedes-Benz, with 35 thought to be new to the world. For example, Mercedes is combining new ways of using laser technologies with bonding processes and AI. These new production techniques have resulted in more than 30 patent lings. At the MBDFC, Mercedes is combining the development and testing of new processes and technologies, with implementing its MO360 (Mercedes-Benz Cars Operations 360) digital ecosystem for automotive production. It is testing new production processes and software applications before they are implemented on production lines in its assembly plants. For example, Mercedes has added AI functions to MO360 such as a chatbot that allows employees to ask questions about machine maintenance or best-practice methods for manufacturing processes. The AI provides precise answers in a choice of languages. Another practical use of AI is Mercedes’“virtual multi-agent system” in which AI-supported virtual assistants analyse complex data in real time, and use it, for example, to identify the causes of any deviations in production line quality. Instead of laborious, manual root-cause analysis, the AI agents analyse data, identify patterns and anomalies, and suggest solutions at the touch of a button. “Mercedes-Benz Berlin-Marienfelde remains at the cutting edge of automotive production and keeps Germany on the map as a global centre for innovation,” says Jörg Burzer, Mercedes’ board member responsible for production, quality, and supply chain management. “AI and humanoid robots open up an exciting new frontier which make automotive production more sustainable, e¤cient and more intelligent.” Mercedes puts humanoids and AI to work in its Berlin digital centre APPTRONIK, THE US DEVELOPER of humanoid robots that recently received a $403m cash injection, has announced a collaboration with the contract manufacturer Jabil, under which Jabil will build Apollo humanoids and integrate them into its own manufacturing operations. This could pave the way for production lines where the robots build themselves. As part of a pilot programme, Jabil will test and validate the humanoids in the real-world environment of its factories. The robots will perform simple, repetitive intralogistics and manufacturing tasks, such as inspection, sorting, kitting, lineside delivery, xture placement, and sub-assembly, before being deployed to end-users. The humanoids will support Jabil’s existing workforce. Apptronik’s robots incorporate “unique” low-cost actuators that are said to ease maintenance. With a simplied bill of materials and ability to mass-produce robots at scale with Jabil, Apptronik is aiming to make its general-purpose humanoids more a ordable, thus opening up new markets. “Humanoid robots have the potential to revolutionise the way we live and work, but for that to become a reality, we need to be able to build them rapidly at scale, at the right price point, and in geographies where our customers are located,” says Apptronik’s cofounder and CEO, Je Cardenas. “Our partnership with Jabil, along with our unique design for manufacturability and ability to have Apollo humanoid robots handling material movement and assembly tasks in the factory, are critical components needed to create a ywheel e ect that could make humanoid robots ubiquitous.” https://apptronik.com Deal means that Apptronik’s humanoid robots could build themselves Mercedes is using the Apollo humanoid robots to carry components to its production lines Image: Mercedes-Benz Group
A GIANT LEAP FOR ROBOTKIND? The technology of humanoid and quadruped robotics is advancing by leaps and bounds – literally. Hardly a day goes by without a video emerging of one of these machines performing acrobatic feats that would have been considered impossible even a few years ago. They can perform backwards ips, sideways somersaults, run with a uidity and speed rivalling those of humans, and manipulate objects with increasing dexterity and precision. Investors are falling over each other to plough millions into humanoid robot developers. For example, the US rm Apptronik recently raised $350m in funding – only to add another $53m a few weeks later. And the Californian humanoid start-up, Figure AI,is reportedly in talks to raise $1.5bn, which would value it at $39.5bn (up from $2.6bn as recently as last year). There are also signs that these machines are transitioning from laboratory demonstrations to mass-produced practical machines. Mercedes-Benz is already trialling the use of humanoids for production-line tasks, while several Chinese car-makers are also reported to be applying these technologies in their operations. Large-scale production is also under way. Figure AI, for example, is working on a new plant that will manufacture up to 12,000 of its Figure 03 humanoids a year, and says that its supply chain could “easily” scale to produce 100,000 robots within four years. It plans to start using its own robots to build themselves later this year. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is aiming to build 5,000 of Tesla’s Optimus humanoids by the end of this year, adding that the company had enough parts for 10,000 or more. He has talked of producing “at least one legion of robots this year, and then probably ten legions next year”. For automation engineers, what goes into a humanoid robot is almost as interesting as what they can do. These are some of the most complex machines ever devised, with well over 100 axes of motion which must be controlled in a carefully coordinated way for the robots to perform their tasks eectively. The failure of any single axis could prevent the robot from operating as expected. Real-world reliability and safety could be critical to how well they succeed. Mass-producing these machines with their thousands of precision components could also be a challenge. But Figure AI, for one, believes it is up to the challenge. It has decently detailed the progress it has made in several areas, including creating a software infrastructure, and moving to moulding processes that can manufacture parts in less than 20 seconds that previously took longer than a week to create on CNC machines. More than two dozen companies are now working on humanoid robots around the world – including at least one in the UK. It is unlikely that all will succeed. But it does feel as though humanoid technologies are now making the transition from technological curiosities to real-world machines that could have far-reaching implications for how factories of the future operate. Tony Sacks, Editor n COMMENT Follow us on LinkedIn @Drives & Controls Follow us X Drives&Controls & rives Join us Facebo Drives & C on X @Drivesn Forthe D on ok Controls Controls latest news visit Controls the Driv www.driv ves & Controls we vesncontrols.com
Drives&Controls & BACK TO BASICS n SPONSORED BY Despite cleverer drives, we still need PLCs Drives can increasingly take on some simple PLC functions, but for more complex automation there’s no substitute for a dedicated PLC, argues Carl Eely, ABB’s product manager for industrial automation. When automating simple motor-driven tasks, such as operating an automatic door, or raising and lowering a car park barrier, the logic required is often relatively simple and self-contained. There’s usually also little need to coordinate with other processes. The adaptive programming functions in a modern drive can allow you to automate these processes without having to buy, install and program a separate PLC. However, PLCs excel at more sophisticated automation tasks, or in complex systems where you need a single point of control. A drive will generally have a maximum of two PID loops, while a PLC can have upwards of 30 or 40, allowing it to monitor and control multiple systems and processes simultaneously. Consider the example of the car park barrier. If all you need is a single barrier to lift up and down, triggered by a timer or perhaps a sensor, then this can be automated using a drive with adaptive programming. However, if you have multiple barriers in different places and want them to communicate and/or coordinate with each other, that’s where things start getting complicated. Perhaps one barrier is stuck open or closed, or you need to raise all of the barriers to allow emergency service access. In these scenarios, it makes sense to have a single point of control – a PLC, from which you can remotely control all barriers simultaneously if needed. As well as providing more sophisticated control functions, a PLC can also communicate easily and securely with both local networks and higher networks – for instance, to connect to an SQL server or Scada system. The PLC can also accommodate more easily the integration of multiple other devices such as HMIs, sensors, actuators and even drives. In an increasingly data-driven world, a PLC is also the best way of not only getting data out of your process, but making sense of it. The PLC can be a focal point for data aggregation, allowing operators to control and monitor both at an individual device level, and at a big picture level. For more information, search for “ABB PLC automation” igus® Caswell Road Northampton NN4 7PW Tel 01604 677240 sales@igus.co.uk motion plastics® Perfect for robots igus® the-chain ... moving energy made easy ... Save time & increase reliability ... triflex® TRCF for maximum robot reliability: 3-chamber system for large hoses and cables. Easy to open using a screwdriver and easy to vary the length. Now 25% more push-pull strength. Available in sizes 65, 85,100 Ø, and in dresspack modules. More at www.igus.co.uk/triflex
n TECHNOLOGY April 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 14 AUGURY, A US COMPANY that specialises in applying AI to industrial reliability and process optimisation, has unveiled what it describes as the world’s rst AI-driven monitoring and diagnostics system for slow-rotating (1-150 rpm) machinery. The announcement comes shortly after the company raised $75m in a round of funding. The “breakthrough” monitoring system uses ultrasonic sensing and advanced AI diagnostics to detect faults early and accurately in low-rpm equipment that was previously considered too complex to monitor continuously. Historically, users of such low-speed machinery have had to accept costly downtime when failures occur. Even traditional monitoring systems – such as handheld devices or online monitoring systems – have been unable to avoid such disruptions. These tools rely on basic thresholds and manual guesswork, often triggering false alarms and missing critical early warning signs. Augury’s new Halo U2000 Ultrasonic Sensing system can monitor slowrotating equipment continuously, collecting long-sample, high-frequency (up to 100kHz) data samples. The sensor data is sent to a machine health monitoring platform which produces prescriptive diagnostics. If it detects any faults, the system delivers warnings including fault severity and root causes, as well as recommended actions. It can monitor hundreds of ultra-low-rpm assets and detect faults such as bearing failures, lubrication issues, damaged rotors, loose windings, gear problems, electrical faults, imbalances, misalignments and eccentricities. “In one instance, our Machine Health Ultra Low detected an impacting issue and a loose bolt in a critical rotary kiln gearbox at a mining site – a problem that, if left unaddressed, could have led to a devastating re,” reports Augury’s cofounder and chief product and technology ocer, Gal Shaul. “Rotary kilns, operating at 20-25rpm, are a prime example of slow-rotating machines that have been nearly impossible to monitor,” he adds. “By catching this issue early, we helped our customer to boost worker safety and avoid losing 4,000 hours and $100k+ to an unplanned downtime event. This is exactly why we built this solution – to bring real, measurable impact to the most challenging industrial assets. “Our machine health solutions are widely embraced in the industry for their fast time-to-value, high accuracy and transformative impact,” Shaul continues. “Yet, manufacturing environments continue to present complexities that demand more sophisticated solutions. Our team thrives on solving these challenges, and the low-rpm solution is an example of how we’re bringing our prescriptive diagnostics approach to a new frontier, delivering greater intelligence and reliability to the most dicult-to-monitor machines.” The low-rpm monitoring technology is part of Augury’s Machine Health 360° platform, which provides AI-powered diagnostics for dicult-to-monitor, yet critical, industrial assets. The new technology expands the platform’s coverage to hundreds of extra types of asset. Augury’s customers include PepsiCo, DuPont, and Colgate-Palmolive. Augury has analysed more than 500 million hours of machine data and generated an estimated $1bn of value for customers in more than 40 countries. It predicts that by 2040, its technologies could cut emissions by around 12%, resulting in 3 million tonnes in annual CO2 reductions around the world. www.augury.com SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC HAS launched a contactor that, it says, will revolutionise motor management, setting new standards for energy eciency, reliability and operational simplicity. The TeSys Deca Advanced device uses a one-click connection technology, claimed to cut installation e¢orts by up to 75%, allowing rapid deployment in critical environments where uptime is essential. The contactor uses a wide-band coil technology, capable of accepting control voltage inputs from 24–500V AC/DC. It not only withstands wide voltage ¥uctuations, but also reduces energy consumption, resulting in lower CO2 emissions and running costs. The wide-band technology also simplies selection and inventory management. The contactor has been engineered for reliability and has undergone rigorous testing. Its 100kA short-circuit current rating is said to o¢er ¥exibility to machine-builders. A three-layer set-up organises the contactor’s wiring for good visibility and accessibility, simplifying maintenance and troubleshooting. “Innovation is essential in the design of material handling, packaging, and logistics machinery as OEMs strive to meet the rapidly changing demands of this expanding industry,” says Antonio Di Vaira, senior vice-president at Schneider’s Power Products NAM Hub. “With the new TeSys Deca Advanced, we're excited to help machinebuilders optimise their solutions, reducing space and energy requirements. It's all about pairing advanced digital capabilities with operational simplicity, making their work easier and more ecient.” www.se.com Wide-band contactor will ‘revolutionise’ motor management First AI monitor for low-speed machinery follows a $75m injection Augury uses ultrasonic sensors to monitor the health of low-speed machinery
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n TECHNOLOGY April 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 16 SIEMENS IS PROMISING to revolutionise machining robotics with a new technology that, it claims, will deliver a 200–300% improvement in path accuracy, increases in productivity of up to 40%, and much higher dynamic rigidity. It describes its “groundbreaking” Sinumerik Machine Tool Robot (MTR) technology as “a signicant advance in the precision and productivity of robots that will open the door to new applications in the manufacturing industry”. MTR is based on an intelligent control concept that gives industrial robots the characteristics of machine tools. It supports high-precision path applications, even when machining tough materials such as steel, whose hardness requires increased cutting forces and more damping. Compared to conventional industrial robots, the new system is said to overcome these challenges with an improvement in path accuracy of up to 300%, and much higher dynamic rigidity. These characteristics make it ideal for demanding processes in sectors such as aerospace, defence, and automotive, and for other precision robotic applications, including post-processing of 3D-printed metal parts. The MTR adds new functions and types of robot to Siemens’ Sinumerik Run MyRobot / Direct Control system. According to Siemens, it enables “a quantum leap” in accuracy and productivity. As well as improved accuracy, the new control concept delivers a 20–40% increase in productivity. This makes it especially attractive for applications that don’t use process forces, such as waterjet and laser cutting. The MTR is controlled by Siemens’ Sinumerik One digital CNC. It uses digital twins to simulate and test workows virtually. The rst users to integrate the MTR into their robots are autonox Robotics and Danobat, which is a new Siemens partner. Danobat is a CNC machinery specialist that entered the robot market recently with a family of precision robots that, it says, set new benchmarks in accuracy and eciency, combining the exibility of a robot with the stability and precision of a machine tool. It plans to oer MTR robots ranging from compact versions with payload capacities of 220kg and a reach of 2.6m, to one that can handle payloads of up to 520kg with a 3.6m reach. These robots are said to combine the accuracy and stability of a machine tool with the agility and exibility of a six-axis robot, and are expected to create new manufacturing opportunities for demanding industries such as aerospace, e-mobility, and energy. The Sinumerik MachineTool Robot is available initially in Europe and Asia. www.siemens.com pOnRobot, the Danish supplier of hardware and software for robots, has launched a vacuum gripper with a lifting capacity of 30kg – its highest payload to date. The VGP30 gripper is designed to handle palletising boxes, as well as irregular shapes and porous surfaces – even those made from thin, cost-saving cardboard. The VGP30 is ready for immediate deployment out of the box and includes all the hardware and software needed for all major robot brands. “Intelligent” vacuum control adjusts the gripper automatically to any box size, optimising air consumption and reducing energy costs. https://onrobot.com pRenesas Electronics has announced a Pronet-certied IRT and PROFIdrive software stack for its RZ/T and RZ/N series of microprocessors (MPUs) for industrial networking. The initial versions are available for the RZ/T2M MPU for servomotor controls, and the RZ/N2L for industrial internet gateways applications such as remote-IO or industrial Ethernet devices. The software stack simpllies the path to device certication. pNord Drivesystems has announced a new surface treatment for gearboxes, smooth motors and inverters made from aluminium, making them resistant to extreme environmental conditions. With the NXD treatment, aluminium surfaces are galvanised, making them particularly corrosion-resistant and durable. There are two variants: NXD Basic, which consists of a galvanically-produced base layer with an additional varnish and is suitable for tough conditions such as those found oshore; and NXD tupH, a food-safe variant where the galvanised base layer is treated with a sealer, preventing aking or microcracks that could harbour germs. www.nord.com/en/home-uk.jsp p The Chinese car-maker BYD has developed a 580kW electric vehicle motor capable of running at 30,511 rpm – claimed to be a mass-production record. It has also developed a silicon carbide (SiC) power chip rated up to 1.5kV – the highest rating to date for a production SiC device. The motor and SiC chip are part of a new platform that can charge EVs at 1MW, allowing 400km of range to be added in ve minutes. The platform is being used in two new EVs with top speeds above 300km/h. p A Belgian polymer specialist Syensqo has formed a partnership with Politubes, a manufacturer of exible multi-layered spiralwound tubes and insulator caps components, to develop spiral-wound tubes for electric motor slots using Ajedium polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) lm. The tubes are said to oer improved insulation for motors, increasing their e¦ciency by up to 2%, and enabling a more eective copper ll factor and improved heat dissipation. TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS Siemens’ Machine Tool Robot is controlled by its Sinumerik One CNC system Technology ‘revolutionises’ machining robotics with up to 300% higher precision NIDEC INSTRUMENTS has announced a new range of high-accuracy AC servomotors with battery-free magnetic absolute encoders, as well as other enhancements including high peak and cogging torques, top speeds and levels of ingress protection. The S-Flag Dynamic Motion MB series motors have evolved from the earlier S-Flag models, which Nidec originally developed for its use in its own transfer robots. Nidec says that in some markets and applications there is an increasing demand for absolute encoders that can remember locations of devices, even after they have been switched o. So far, the conventional way of achieving this has been to connect a backup battery to the encoder. However, with a growing demand to reduce the need for battery maintenance, Nidec has now adopted battery-less encoders with a resolution of 23 bits. The new motors’ rated peak torque levels have been increased from 300% to 350%, while their cogging torque has been reduced from a ratio of 3% to 1.5%, enabling more precise movements. The maximum rotating speed has been raised from 6,000 rpm to 7,000 rpm, while water- and dust-resistance have been improved from IP65 to IP67. Enhanced AC servomotors incorporate battery-free absolute magnetic encoders
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