Drives&Controls AUTOMATION FOR MANUFACTURING INSIDE PRO MO OTECTIO OTOR ON &CONTROOL m r optimu ts f d circuits Safegua op f f ar mechanical perform ge st ors whil o ma ica m tr omdam din m m g ele m g ec cacaalmil al hilst m ot st E mance. g maintainin sand ma a Energy and Automation NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com ELECTRIC MOTORS: What are the limits to motor efficiency levels? SAFETY: When should you use radar-based safety systems? ELECTRICAL: The critical role of cooling in avoiding production disruptions
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50 CONTENTS n Drives & Controls is a controlled circulation publication. If you live in the UK and want to subscribe phone 0333 577 0801 or fax 0845 604 2327. Alternatively for both UK and overseas subscriptions please subscribe online at www.drivesncontrols.com. If you have any enquiries regarding your subscription, please use these numbers . The content of this magazine, website and newsletters do not necessarily express the views of the Editor or publishers. The publishers accept no legal responsibility for loss arising from information in this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or stored in a retrieval system without the written consent of the publishers. Paid subscriptions UK: £110 per annum Europe: £145 per annum Rest of World: £180 per annum Printing: Warners Midlands PLC., PE10 9PH ISSN 0950 5490 Copyright: DFA Media Group 2025 NEXT ISSUE The January issue of Drives & Controls will contain our annual supplement on variable-speed drives, and a look at what’s been happening in the worlds of gears and gearboxes, and packaging, printing and paper. UPDATE 14 Comment 15 ABB 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 32 28 26 24 5 47 DRIVES & CONTROLS NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2025 Vol 41 No 10 Editor Tony Sacks t: 01732 465367 e: tony@drives.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. 16 Technology Cutting-edge innovations in motion, power transmission, controls and related technologies. 24 Manufacturing Manufacturing faces problems that can't be solved by small tweaks. There’s an urgent need for control systems that are dramatically better. An expert explores some of the issues, and identifies five big challenges that every manufacturer has to deal with. 26 Software-Based Automation Factories can’t compete on hardware alone anymore, argues Dr Hans Krattenmacher, chief innovation officer at SEW-Eurodrive. He explains why the next wave of manufacturing competitiveness will depend less on hardware, and more on intelligent software. 28 Electric Motors ABB recently set a new world record for industrial motor. But what's behind this breakthrough, and how close are we to reaching the limits of electric motor efficiency? Gunnar Porsby, ABB’s R&D lead for high-speed synchronous machines, examines the issues. 30 Controls and Software Specialised AI tools are being developed that understand the language of engineering, bringing true industrial intelligence to manufacturing. Plus, which type of AI tool is better for your applications: machine learning or neural networks? 36 Safety Radar-based safety sensors offer non-contact protection of installations and, unlike other types of safety sensor, can also monitor volumes. But when should you use this type of sensor and what potential advantages does they offer? Plus, an IO-Link Safety specification has been certified recently: what does this mean? 40 Electrical and Enclosures Overheating equipment is often to blame for production line failures. So what can you do to tackle the issue? Plus why custom control panels are becoming increasingly popular, and how Ethernet-based cabinet wiring cut costs, and saved time and weight for a Brazilian panel-builder. 36 Average net circulation January to December 2024 42 45 Subscribe for your FREE copy now 20,514 16
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NEWS n 5 UK start-up uses AI to enhance production quality in real time A UK START-UP IS BUILDING industrial AI into factories, giving them the ability to understand and improve themselves in real time. London-based Matta was founded in 2022 as a spin-out from the University of Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing, and has already deployed its technology in factories in the UK and Europe making products including waterproof coats, speaker cabinets and robot arms. Most of the existing installations are using vision systems to identify manufacturing flaws rapidly and easily, but the company has ambitious plans to expand its capabilities to fix production errors in real time and, eventually, to build its own automation platform. Matta commissioned its first installation earlier this year and is currently installing about two systems a month. It says it has a waiting list of 300 interested customers and hopes to be doing around ten installations per month by mid-2026. The company, which started 2025 with five employees, currently has 13 (drawn from MIT, Google X and Microsoft, among others), and expects to be employing up to 40 by the end of 2026. Rather than adopting a common academic approach to engineering, which starts with an idea and funding and then discovers the market does not need the product – Matta’s founders visited more than 50 UK factories, talked to engineers and operators to discover their issues, and then designed its system around them. Matta says it can typically set up its inspection system in less than half a day. Its cameras watch items on a production line for a few hours or days, while a proprietary AI model learns what “good” looks like. The system can work unsupervised (determining independently what is good or bad) – or be guided by human experts to capture the knowledge of a factory’s skilled workers. The AI learns the line like an apprentice, consolidates inspection, measurement and QC in one place, traces likely root causes, and helps to fix problems before they become costly. “Most factories already have the data they need – it’s just locked in people’s heads and on the shopfloor,” says Matta co-founder and CEO, Dr Doug Brion. “We’re using AI to turn that tacit know-how into something the whole factory can see, trust, and act on in real time.” Images from the cameras are captured and processed, and defects and anomalies are identified and logged in real time – often with such precision that it spots quality issues that had been missed previously. The system can check surface finishes and assemblies, as well as performing tasks such as measuring and counting. It is robust to changes in lighting, position, and other real-world variations. The system also creates a part-level record at every key step. This can be used to intercept defects before assembly. In the event of a warranty claim, a product's history can be traced to reveal, with images and data, whether the issue arose from a component, a process or misuse. www.drivesncontrols.com November/December 2025 The cameras can also capture barcodes or serial numbers, powering MES-like functions where objects can be tracked between stations. Bottlenecks and cycle times can be monitored in real time, all while qualifying every part in the factory after every process step. Matta claims that the capabilities that differentiate its approach include: n Fast, low-effort set-ups Its systems are quick to install and do not need perfect lighting or complex jigging. Matta takes care of all the hardware, integration, AI training and software – there is almost nothing for customers to do. n A single platform for vision and factory data Inspection and production data are linked so users see not only what has failed, but why. They get live visibility of a line, can trace parts, spot bottlenecks, and understand process issues – from one place. The technology brings together what would usually sit across MES, QC, ERP, and factory IT systems. n Flexible AI that handles real-world conditions Unlike traditional vision systems that depend on hard-coded thresholds and fixed set-ups, the AIbased system can deal with variations – such as moving parts, poor factory lighting, and unseen defect types. It can judge subtle issues – such as “is this scratch too bad?” – pick up multiple defects per camera, and scale to almost any part or process. If the AI system detects errors, the next step is correction, using a model that can predict the root cause behind the error, why it happened, and the corrective action needed to fix it. By partnering with machine OEMs, Matta is incorporating this capability into nextgeneration machines, with AI-driven closed-loop control systems that can fix themselves on-the-fly and learn how to use materials they have not seen before. Within 18 months, Matta hopes to be predicting potential problems, and then to deliver feedback that can guide product designs and material selection. Eventually, Matta hopes to bridge the gap between design and production. By bringing real factory data into the tools that engineers use to design products, Matta will help them build products that are scalable, reliable, and work right first time – even for entirely new and ambitious ideas. “If we can plug advanced AI into very ordinary factories, the impact on productivity and competitiveness could be enormous,” says Brion. “If it takes six months and an army of consultants to deploy, it is not a solution – it’s a science project. We aim for plug-and-play: a camera, a small box, and a model that learns the line like an apprentice. Matta’s AI-driven, vision-based quality control system can detect previously undiagnosed defects
n NEWS November/December 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION has launched an industrial cybersecurity suite designed to protect critical operations and build secure environments for manufacturers and critical infrastructure. SecureOT aims to help organisations to secure their OT infrastructures – many of which were never designed with cybersecurity in mind – with technologies and expertise built for the realities of modern industrial operations. SecureOT brings together a purpose-built platform and managed security services into a unified offering that delivers end-to-end protection for complex, ageing and regulated industrial systems. It helps organisations to mitigate risk, maintain uptime and run safer operations. “Cyberthreats to industrial operations are evolving faster than ever, and legacy defences simply can’t keep up,”says Matthew Fordenwalt, Rockwell’s senior vice-president for Lifecycle Services. “SecureOT is more than a brand – it’s a strategic shift in how industrial organisations approach cybersecurity. We’re combining deep industrial expertise with OT-specific technology and services that help customers stay ahead of threats and keep operations running safely.” The new platform has been designed for the challenges of OT environments, providing protection across all levels of cybersecurity maturity. It delivers real-time asset visibility, risk prioritisation and vulnerability management across systems from a variety of vendors. It also offers strategic advice, assessments and support to help organisations to strengthen their security. Its managed security services provide 24/7 monitoring and incident response from a dedicated OT Security Operations Center and Network Operations Center. “Industrial organisations need cybersecurity strategies built for the realities of OT,” says Hollie Hennessy, OT/IoT cybersecurity lead analyst at the technology adviser, Omdia. “Rockwell Automation’s SecureOT addresses that need with a layered approach that integrates asset visibility, vulnerability management and managed detection services in one framework. It’s a significant step forward for industrial cybersecurity maturity.” Early adopters of SecureOT are reporting positive results: n An oil and gas producer achieved full OT asset visibility and remediated critical risks across remote operations in six months. n A beverage manufacturer migrated its ageing industrial network and computing base to a managed infrastructure spanning more than 150 sites globally. n A power utility gained secure, real-time visibility into its remote substations, cutting costs through agentless monitoring. Rockwell hails cybersecurity suite as ‘a strategic shift’ p Following the sale of its robotics division to SoftBank, ABB is moving its Machine Automation division – which was formerly part of its Robotics & Discrete Automation business and includes B&R Industrial Automation – into its Process Automation business. ABB has also announced that Florian Schneeberger, who has been Machine Automation CTO since 2022, has been appointed president of the division, succeeding Joerg Theis, who is leaving the company. He is also CEO of B&R. p Rubix, Europe’s largest supplier of industrial MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) products and services, has completed its acquisition of the industrial distributor Eriks UK & Ireland, announced in March this year, saying that the combination would create a €850m business. The acquisition brings together two industrial distributors offering a broad range of products and services, and extends Rubix into flow technologies – such as hoses, valves, sealing and gaskets, and associated services. p The asset management business TPG is acquiring PTC’s Kepware industrial connectivity and ThingWorx IoT businesses. The sale will allow PTC to focus on its intelligent product lifecycle activities. TPQ says it will provide the businesses with the capital and expertise to accelerate their growth. p The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) has renamed the Engineering Industries Association as Engineering Supply Chain UK (ESCUK). It says the new name better reflects the current needs of the market as well as what members of the trade association do. The Engineering Industries Association (EIA) was founded in 1945 to set up a resilient UK supply chain after the Second World War. In a separate development, MTA has appointed Stewart Lane, Renishaw’s head of EMEA business development, as its new president. p The Lincolnshire-based automation and electrical engineering specialist Control Freaks has opened new headquarters at Holbeach Technology Park. The move is a major investment, providing a manufacturing facility six times larger than its previous site, and creating space for new technical development and engineering roles. Control Freaks, founded in 2006 by MD Clint Johnson, designs, builds and integrates control systems that combine PLC, Scada, motion control and robotics technologies. p The compressed air distributor Anglian Compressors & Equipment has become part of the Atlas Copco Group, after being acquired by Atlas Copco UK Holdings for an undisclosed sum. Peterborough-based Anglian was founded in 1977 and has 28 employees. It is now part of Atlas Copco’s service division. NEWS BRIEFS Rockwell Automation has appointed Phil Hadfield (top left) as its UK managing director, as well as regional sales director for the UK and Ireland. Rockwell has also named Mark Bottomley (below left) as its regional vice-president (market access) for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). He will be responsible for strategic leadership in the region. A priority will be to evolve the company’s distributor strategy, fostering a collaborative partner community. Olsen Actuators & Drives has appointed Jenny Jones as its new managing director. She has more than two decades of experience in the aerospace industry, most recently as quality director at Héroux-Devtek. Olsen has also appointed Henry Hackford as business development director. He also has extensive experience in the aerospace sector, having worked for Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Cessna. London-based Energy Drive, which specialises in zero-capex energy efficiency for large motors, has appointed Dr Nick Moelders as its chief operating officer. Based in the US, he will be responsible for global operations and serve as executive lead in North America. He brings more than 30 years’experience of the energy sector, and was previously COO and board member at the UK drivetrain developer, Equipmake. He worked previously at Sensata Technologies, Inventus Power, Halliburton, Cummin and Honeywell. Rockwell’s SecureOT platform is intended to deliver vendor-neutral asset inventory, risk prioritisation and vulnerability management
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n NEWS SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC HAS launched a consulting business, called SE Advisory Services, that will help organisations and individuals to solve complex challenges in efficiency, sustainability, and technology through automation, digitalisation and electrification. The formation of the new business was announced at Schneider’s annual Innovation Summit, held recently in Copenhagen, Denmark. Schneider says the business represents a strategic evolution of its consulting capabilities, expanding beyond traditional advisory roles, to include software and project implementation. This end-to-end approach will help organisations to future-proof their operations through agile, intelligent and integrated services that accelerate energy and technology transitions. “Energy, technology and software are now inseparable drivers of industrial progress,” explains Gwenaelle Avice Huet, Schneider’s executive vice-president for industrial automation. “Our consulting approach helps customers to identify the critical levers for transformation, unlocking the full potential of electrification, accelerating automation, embedding digitalisation, and strengthening cybersecurity. With software at the core, we enable resilient, future-ready operations that adapt to market shifts and deliver long-term value.” SE Advisory Services will support both enterprise-wide initiatives and site-level operations in four key areas: n Sustainable business and industrial transformation Guiding transition planning through digital transformation, process electrification, decarbonisation, renewable energy, low-carbon infrastructure, circularity and carbon offsetting, to transform both industrial operations and energy processes. n Risk management and resilience Protecting organisations from energy volatility, cybersecurity threats, climate risk, and system disruptions to reduce downtime, harden connected systems, and build operational resilience. n Resource and asset performance Evaluating resources and systems strategically to improve reliability, reduce waste, and unlock resources to invest in growth. n Intelligent software Providing specialised software products embedded with native AI capabilities and built on deep advisory expertise to connect fragmented workflows and turn insights into action. “Times of uncertainty require one thing above all – clarity and knowledge of what you can control,” says Frédéric Godemel, Schneider’s executive vice-president for energy management. “We have taken our world-class consulting capabilities from across Schneider Electric and combined them to enable our clients to move with greater speed and confidence, and unlock capabilities to solve pressing energy, sustainability, and technology challenges. “Consulting services are not new at Schneider Electric and have proven invaluable to clients in the past,” he adds. “Today, we’re evolving that offering to give clients clarity and a clear path toward net-zero.” November/December 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 Schneider’s Gwenaelle Avice Huet (left) at the company’s Innovation Summit in Copenhagen, where the formation of SE Advisory Services was announced Schneider launches consulting business EVENTS Manufacturing Technology 2Day 20 January, 2026 MTC, Coventry This annual event brings together manufacturing, engineering and technology specialists for new product demonstrations and commercial conversations to help drive to the growth and competitiveness of the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector. It will be a venue for industry professionals and companies to meet, learn, and interact. https://manufacturingtechnology2day.com Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 26 3–5 February, 2026 Farnborough, UK The regional event is expected to attract more than 500 exhibitors from a variety of sectors including mechanical engineering, electronics, electrical engineering and production hardware. More than 10,000 visitors are likely to visit the Farnborough site where they can hear talks from over 50 experts, as well as attending the exhibition. www.southern-manufacturingelectronics.com/en National Manufacturing Summit 26 February, 2026 MTC, Coventry The event brings together leading UK manufacturing and engineering experts to discuss, debate and set the agenda for the key subject areas that will drive the country’s manufacturing competitiveness forwards. https://nmsummit.co.uk Hannover Messe 2026 20-24 April, 2026 Hannover, Germany The industrial mega-show returns to its North German venue and is expected to attract around 4,000 exhibitors (including more than 300 start-ups) from the engineering and digital industries, as well as the energy sector. AI will be a common thread, playing a key role on many stands. There will be three main exhibition areas: Automation & Digitalisation; Energy & Industrial Infrastructure; and Research & Technology Transfer. The partner country for 2026 is Brazil. www.hannovermesse.de/en Smart Manufacturing Week 2026 3–4 June, 2026 NEC, Birmingham Smart Manufacturing Week (SMW), described as the UK’s biggest festival of advanced manufacturing and engineering, will have a fresh look and new features for 2026. It includes Drives & Controls, Smart Factory Expo, Maintec, Design & Engineering Expo, the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit and The Manufacturer Top 100 Awards. New attractions for 2026 include fighting robots, extra showfloor theatres, and Future Stage – a window into the future of industry. www.smartmanufacturingweek.com
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n NEWS November/December 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 10 A UK ELECTRIC MOTOR DEVELOPER has secured a seven-figure contract from “a global tier one company” to develop rareearth-free motors for high-volume passenger car applications. Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), based in Washington in Tyne and Wear, has also announced a technology demonstrator of a high-speed reluctance motor that uses only widely-available materials, avoiding the need for neodymium, dysprosium and other rare-earth materials. AEM claims that the specifications of its SSRD (Super Speed Reluctance Motor) demonstrator match or exceed those of conventional permanent magnet alternatives. It can operate at speeds of up to 30,000 rpm, and is said to offer high efficiency in real-life applications. The motor’s recyclable design eliminates permanent magnets as well as copper coils, combining a simple construction that allows cost-effective manufacturing, with enhanced supply chain resilience. The company believes that it represents “a fundamental breakthrough” that proves that highperformance electric motors can achieve excellent results using abundant materials. The 10.4kg motor can deliver a peak power of 308kW (138kW continuous) and a peak torque of 378Nm. It uses compressed aluminium coils, said to improve power density and heat transfer capabilities, with a reduced packing space. The motor is cooled using a water and glycol mix, and is controlled by a patented inverter technology. There is no risk of demagnetisation, allowing the motors to run faster and hotter. There are no cogging or electromagnetic drag losses at high speeds, resulting in high operating efficiencies. “This technology demonstrator proves that British innovation can address one of the automotive industry's key supply chain challenges,” says AEM’s CEO and co-founder, Dr James Widmer. “We're demonstrating a path to enhanced supply chain resilience, while delivering superior performance outcomes for our customers. “We're proving that supply chain diversification is achievable today,” he adds. “This demonstrator shows passenger car manufacturers that they can achieve superior performance while building more resilient and flexible supply chains.” AEM was founded in 2017 when it was spun out from Newcastle University’s electric motor research team, led by Widmer and the company’s chief technology officer, Dr Andy Steven. Its vision is to design and build the world’s most sustainable EV motors for the automotive and transport sectors. The company’s technologies are covered by 46 international patents that protect its motor designs and manufacturing processes. Unlike traditional permanent magnet motors that require rare earths, the SSRD motor achieves industry-leading performance using only abundant materials available from diverse global sources. AEM says it proves that British innovation can deliver ways to enhance supply chain resilience. The passenger car demonstrator represents a crucial milestone in demonstrating the viability of alternative approaches to motor technology. https://advancedelectricmachines.com UK rare-earth-free motor-maker wins volume car contract MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC UK AUTOMATION SYSTEMS HAS launched a range of OT (operational technology) cybersecurity services, including risk assessments, designed to address the growing level of cyberthreats in the manufacturing sector, and to align with legislation and standards. Mitsubishi is collaborating with the industrial cybersecurity specialist Tekgem, which has a longestablished presence in this area. With pending legislation – such as the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which will focus on IT and OT critical infrastructure – the new services will allow organisations to prove the measures and strategies they are implementing to reduce the risk of attack, and to show that they have a recovery strategy in place should an attack occur. The proposed Bill is expected to include these requirements. While many organisations have secured the IT level of their businesses, the OT layer – the infrastructure of physical processes, industrial systems and networks – is where they may be most vulnerable and, possibly, where the least amount of knowledge of potential vulnerabilities exists. In 2024, 98% of organisations experienced incidents affecting their OT environments. “With cyber threats constantly evolving, it has never been more important for organisations to protect against these attacks,” says Chris Evans, strategic development manager at Mitsubishi Electric UK Automation Systems. “Organisations have an obligation to protect themselves against cyberattacks – or, at least, to reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable. Our OT cybersecurity services help organisations to meet their governance, risk and compliance obligations, align with legislation and help reduce cyber-risk in their critical infrastructure.” https://gb.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/ot-cyber-security-services Mitsubishi launches cyber services to tackle UK threats Widmer: We're proving that supply chain diversification is achievable
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NEWS n A US-UK ROBOTICS COMPANY has raised $11m to accelerate the development of its AI-based assembly automation technology, and to meet demand from customers in the US, UK and Europe. Launchpad, whose headquarters are in Los Angeles, has an R&D facility in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company was founded in 2020 to “reimagine” manufacturing and revitalise local economies. It addresses labour shortages and improves competitiveness by combining proprietary AI technologies with advanced robotics to help firms to integrate human and robot workers. It claims that its technology can halve the time and cost of delivering automation systems. While robotics has the potential to address workforce shortages, Launchpad argues that the expense of traditional systems remains a barrier to adoption, particularly for small- to medium-sized firms. “Launchpad has built a technology that is helping manufacturers manage the optimal integration of humans and robots,” says the company’s CEO, Jon Quick. “We see AI tools, such as those being pioneered by Launchpad, as reimagining the manufacturing industry and revitalising local economies.” Launchpad’s two main technologies are: n a self-programming robotic tool called Digitool that enables a range of assembly tasks using real-time computer vision to overcome part and process variation. It can be used to assemble a variety of products efficiently and precisely, and to build adaptability into projects. n Digisolv AI which uses AI to transition from CAD files to execution, automating component classification and creating efficient assembly sequences. It is said to balance costs, material constraints and environmental impact. These technologies have already been deployed in factories in the US and Europe. The backers of the new round of funding include Ericsson Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures and the Scottish National Investment Bank. This is in addition to £2m of grant funding awarded by Scottish Enterprise a year ago to help establish Launchpad’s global R&D hub in Edinburgh’s New Town, where it employs a team of around 24 developing its advanced robotics technologies. US-UK robotics firm raises $11m to ‘re-imagine’ manufacturing 13 www.drivesncontrols.com November/December 2025 pot en ti a l o f y o Are you inve our workforce? esting in the mproves Comp Creates an Adaptable a ncreases Productivi mproves Safe W Industry recognised co I I a I any Reputation nd Flexible Workforce y and Performance orking Practices ourses from the BFPA W t a p Please call 01608 6479 00 or bfpa.co.u RITISH FLUID POW B email enquiries@bfpa.co.uk k/training WER ASSOCIATION / Launchpad claims that its technologies can halve the time and cost of delivering automation systems
ħĦĦĦ Ɵ ĨĮ ĦĦĶ īīĦĶ Ǒ Ǒ Ɵ Ĩ Ǒ Ǒ ƨ ĨĦĨĬ Ǒ Ǡ īīĦ ǒ ǚ ǒ ǒ Ɵ Ǒ Ǒ Ǖ Ǒ Ǖ ǎ Ǒ Ǖ ƨ Ǖ Ǒ ǒ Ǖ ǒ ǒ LjǏ ǒ Ǖ Ǖ ǒ Ǒ Ǒ ǚ ǒ ǒ ƨ ĶĪĪ ƮĦƯĨĦ ĩħįĬ ĪĪħĪ ƠǕ COUNTING THE COST OF DOWNTIME A new survey has revealed substantial differences in the levels and costs of downtime experienced by manufacturers in different countries. The study, conducted by Censuswide for Fluke, quizzed more than 600 senior decisionmakers and maintenance personnel in the UK, US and Germany. It found that globally, 48% reported they typically experience 6–10 downtime incidents every week, with 19% being hit by as many as 11–20. Almost half of those quizzed (45%) said that these outages last up to 12 hours, while 15% reported breakdowns of up to 72 hours. Downtime is a particular problem for larger organisations (those with more than 50,000 employees). Some 40% of them report experiencing an average of 11-20 downtime incidents every week, with half saying these incidents last up to 72 hours. UK manufacturers are more likely to report experiencing downtime (68%), than those in Germany (60%) or the US (55%). The UK incidents also last longer, with 45% saying their plants are typically out of action for up to 12 hours, and 17% having to endure shutdowns of up to 72 hours. At an average cost of £1.36m per hour, a single incident in either the UK and Germany can result in losses of up to £49m, or £736m a week. In the US, the incidents average 11 hours and cost much less – up to $207m (£157m) per week. Fluke suggests that UK manufacturers face barriers such as outdated assets and data that is stuck in silos, making it difficult for them to move beyond reactive maintenance. The top challenge cited by UK manufacturers is insufficient data or technology (52%), followed by cybersecurity, and their limited use of digital tools. Fluke reports that, despite the scale of the problem, industry’s response is fragmented. UK manufacturers are spreading their digital investments across multiple technologies aimed at delivering resilience, including predictive maintenance (12%), digital twins (12%) and condition monitoring (13%). “Our research paints a sobering picture: manufacturers are caught in a cycle where downtime eats directly into competitiveness, and too many are stuck with fragmented fixes,” comments Parker Burke, president of Fluke’s Connected Reliability group. “The data makes clear that the frequency, duration, and cost of downtime expose vulnerabilities in maintenance and reliability strategies. “What once was viewed as an operational inconvenience has become a risk to enterprise value,” he adds. “Without a clear path to scale digital investments, manufacturers' efforts risk being spread too thin to deliver meaningful resilience or return. The findings underscore the urgent need for manufacturers to rethink reliability not as a maintenance issue, but as a boardroom priority critical to growth, competitiveness and customer trust.” The downtime figures from Fluke’s survey certainly look worrying, but a lot of them are “up to”, so hopefully most UK manufacturers are not experiencing such dramatic problems. If they were, they probably wouldn’t still be in business. Tony Sacks, Editor n COMMENT
Drives&Controls & BACK TO BASICS n SPONSORED BY Tackling the scourge of counterfeits Counterfeit drive components are a growing problem and the parts are becoming more convincing. ABB’s Andy Pearson explores the world of fake drive parts, and how users can protect themselves from their potential dangers. Counterfeit spare parts are nothing new, but in the age of ecommerce they are a growing problem in the UK. They’ve also become more sophisticated, to the point that I’m wary of revealing too much in this column about how we detect and prevent them at ABB, because the counterfeiters could use that information to develop better fakes. The photo above shows a fake IGBT. At first glance, it is almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Customers order what they think are genuine products in good faith, and because the fakes are getting better and better, they may not realise that there is anything amiss until it’s too late. The most commonly faked drive component are IGBTs, but we’ve seen fake fans, control boards, interface boards, and even entire drives. The risks are very serious. Every single ABB drive is put through rigorous testing to guarantee performance levels and – crucially – safety. This includes heat testing, simulated age tests, stress testing and load testing – in many cases to destruction. Counterfeit drives and/or parts have not been through this process. You might get lucky, or it might fail within a week. Without the testing and guaranteed quality you get from genuine parts, you don’t know. The use of any non-genuine parts immediately invalidates a drive’s warranty. The bigger risk however is that the component itself could fail suddenly and catastrophically. These are high-powered devices, often installed in critical applications, so if a drive fails prematurely or without any warning, this can have serious implications for both productivity and safety. There are several ways to spot a fake. The serial number is often the biggest giveaway – all of ABB’s products and components are traceable, so if the serial number suggests the wrong country of origin, the wrong series, or other number combinations don’t follow the right logic, we can tell immediately . Spelling mistakes on the packaging, or other inconsistencies, are another giveaway. If you suspect anything is amiss about your drive or components, contact ABB immediately and we will be able to tell you quickly if it’s genuine or not. The number one rule when it comes to identifying counterfeits is a truism across many walks of life: if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. If you see parts for sale on the Internet from drop-shippers or auction sites, then I strongly advise you to avoid them. The only guaranteed source for genuine ABB spares is either from us directly, or from a Value Provider. A fake IGBT board: they are often difficult to tell apart from genuine items Tech up, cost down. It’s our job. motion plastics® Make a difference: Reliable cable management for robots Triflex® R:
n TECHNOLOGY November/December 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 16 ABB HAS JOINED FORCES with the Dutch condition monitoring specialist Samotics – in which it took a 10% stake in 2022 – to develop a technology that can be retrofitted to existing VSDs to turn them into “gateways” for predictive maintenance of entire powertrains, in applications involving motors, pumps, fans, mixers and conveyors. The technology will allow users to monitor and identify changes in their drives’ operating behaviour – such as bearing wear or damage, coupling or gear misalignment, or pump cavitation – and to take remedial action long before costly failures and/or downtime occur. The technology can monitor equipment operating in hot, toxic or hard-to-access environments, previously regarded as “unmonitorable”. The service embeds Samotics’ Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA) technology into the drives to collect data which can be analysed to provide maintenance teams with real-time, actionable insights into the condition of their equipment. “This leap-forward in the modernisation of legacy drives promises to be a catalyst for the digital transformation of industry,” predicts Oswald Deuchar, global head of ABB Motion Services’ modernisation programme. “It enables quick, seamless and cost-efficient adoption of ESA technology for enhanced uptime, and immediate access to ABB’s support and services. Should an issue be detected, our customers can rely on the full support of ABB’s global expert network, including targeted actions to keep operations running consistently and reliably.” “Because ESA is embedded in the drive, it can monitor assets where other technologies struggle – such as submerged pumps or equipment in hot and toxic areas,” adds Simon Jagers, Samotics’ founder and co-CEO. “This is a key step toward autonomous, self-optimising operations that are at the heart of the factory of the future.” Initially, the ESA service will focus on two ranges of ABB low-voltage VSDs – the cabinet-built ACS600 and ACS800 drives. The upgraded drives will also benefit from ABB’s TÜV-certified cybersecurity measures. ABB says that the ESA technology complements its own vibration-based techniques to deliver the most complete view of powertrain health, including early fault detection, for extended uptime. From simple, low-speed assets to complex, high-speed systems, the two technologies will allow early fault detection, clearer service actions and enhanced reliability. The ESA-enabled drives gather electrical data directly from the powertrain. The data is translated into real-time insights on asset conditions. “By embedding ESA directly into the modernised drives, we unlock predictive insights across the entire powertrain,” says Deuchar. “This transforms drives into intelligent sensors that can detect changes in operating behaviour, enabling maintenance teams to anticipate potential faults before they can impact performance.” The ESA capability will form part of the ABB’s Ability suite of condition monitoring and digital tools and services. Samotics was founded in the Netherlands in 2015. It says it helps to bring “unprecedented visibility” to every critical industrial asset by analysing electrical signals using existing hardware or simple sensors, in combination with its own AI-driven platform. In 2022, Samotics entered a strategic partnership with ABB. www.abb.com https://samotics.com A CALIFORNIAN IOT SPECIALIST has announced an AI-powered app that allows users to perform on-the-spot visual plant inspections on an Apple iPhone or iPad, without needing wired cameras or cloud connections. Telit Cinterion’s deviceWise VI Assistant iOS app allows users to make decisions instantly, instead of having to wait minutes or hours for analysis results. The app can perform AI-powered inspection almost anywhere in a manufacturing or process plant. Users can apply AI throughout their production processes, without needing costly hardware or custom code. The app is an extension to the company’s deviceWise AI Visual Inspection system, which offers a no-code means of collecting and analysing visual data from production processes. It allows users to identify and address emerging quality control issues involving workstations, robots, CNC machines and more. This can lead to substantial reductions in downtime and rework, improving quality and helping to ensure that production schedules are met. For example, it can instantly identify flaws such as missing bolts, coating variations, or other critical aspects of product quality. Such insights can be critical in production environments such as just-intime manufacturing and Industry 4.0. “deviceWise with VI Assistant significantly enhances the ability of manufacturers to quickly find and fix problems using Apple devices,” says Telit Cinterion’s vice-president of deviceWise Industry 4.0, David De la Rosa. It “enables manufacturers to collect, transform and integrate data from any machine to any IT system, creating applications for Industry 4.0 and digital transformation”. www.telit.com/devicewise-ai-consultation iOS app delivers instant quality verdicts without costly cameras Tech turns VSDs into gateways for monitoring drivetrains ABB says the new ESA service marks a new era in digital powertrain monitoring, allowing legacy drives to be upgraded to unlock advanced analytics, quickly and cost-effectively.
n TECHNOLOGY November/December 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 18 For more Technology News visit www.drivesncontrols.com SIEMENS CLAIMS THAT it is setting new standards in industrial drives with a high-performance servodrive system, the Sinamics S220, that offers a “unique architecture” that can operate up to 12 axes. Building on the earlier Sinamics S120, the S220 delivers “a leap in performance” and has been “reconceived” to meet the demands of digital transformation. As part of Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio, the new system offers simulation and analysis capabilities, and advanced connectivity functions for integration into digital processes. This is said to improve system performance significantly, and to boost productivity. At the core of the Sinamics S220 is the newly developed CU320-3 controller with a high level of integration density. A multicore processor provides the computing power, while a DriveCliq-Express interface, operating at 1GBit/s, ensures rapid data transfer. An innovative test pulse method using three voltage sensors per axis allows sensorless control with “near-encoder quality”, while also improving energy efficiency and robustness. According to Siemens, the generation of highquality field data will open up new business models in Industry 4.0. An X128 interface provides high-frequency data transmission for predictive maintenance purposes. Integration into Siemens’TIA Portal, as well as virtual commissioning using the DriveSim Designer tool, are said to improve engineering workflows “significantly”. New assistants and an undo function facilitate operation. A Smart Drive Interface is available either as a compact panel (SDI S220) on the CU320-3, or as a remote version (SDI Pro with a larger display and Web server). Optionally, a Smart WiFi adapter enables flexible remote access. Initially, the air-cooled motor modules will be available in booksize and chassis designs, operating from 380–480V. The rated current spans 3A (1.1kW) to 1,518A (900kW), and power ratings can be expanded to 6.984MW using eight-fold parallel connections. The modules have an overload capacity of up to 300%. Regenerative active power supply infeeds are available from 210–921kW, also scalable through parallel connection. In addition, air-cooled universal modules can be operated as motor modules or active line modules. Six devices cover the entire functional and performance range and allow rapid adaptation to changing requirements. New software (version 6.6) is claimed to set new standards in plant safety, reducing safety cycles from 12ms to 4ms, and enabling faster reactions and higher productivity. Automatic background tests ensure uninterrupted operation, while offline parameterisable safety functions simplify engineering. The servodrives are SIL 3 certified for all operating states. The Sinamics S220 was developed in accordance with IEC 62443-4-1, certified by TÜV SÜD. There are numerous built-in safety functions, including user and access control, encrypted drive data, and integrity and authentication checks for firmware and configuration data. These, along with additional measures within the machine, are said to enhance resilience against cyberattacks. Industrial Edge applications allow the capture and visualisation of energy consumption and CO2 emissions. An ISO 14021 certified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) documents the drive’s environmental performance over its lifecycle. www.siemens.com p Industry bodies PI (Profibus and Profinet International), AIM-D, omlox, and the OPC Foundation are establishing the basis for spatially networked industrial systems with a new OPC UA specification, called the OPC UA Companion Specification for Identification and Locating. It harmonises a spatial data model for absolute positions within the OPC Foundation and allows unified global positioning of assets in the physical and digital world. The Foundation says it will allow spatial data to be integrated into industrial IT and OT systems – a prerequisite for AMRs and selforganising production environments. The specification is available on the Foundation’s Web site and is described as “a milestone for the next evolutionary stage of industrial intelligence”. https://opcfoundation.org p SKF has developed a temperatureresistant, corrosion-tolerant steel for the next generation of jet engine bearings. The new engines aim to cut fuel use by 20–25% and to reduce emissions. They will be capable of higher power densities and speeds than current designs. The new Arctic15 steel alloy will allow smaller bearings that handle higher loads, unlocking new engine designs and driving efficiencies. Steel rolling elements will be replaced by ceramics, paired with the advanced steel with high load and temperature capabilities. SKF will make the patented steel technology commercially available and share it on the Patent Bay – a new platform for companies with technologies that could advance sustainability. p The machine vision software specialist, MVTec Software, has developed a deep learning function that adapts flexibly to changing production environments. Called Continual Learning, it enhances the efficiency and speed of retraining deep learning models and requires only a few images – typically five to ten – thus cutting time and costs. It is included in the latest version (25.11) of MVTec’s Halcon software. Continual Learning resists “catastrophic forgetting,” ensuring that during retraining, the neural network continues to recognise the classes and features it originally learned correctly. www.mvtec.com p In early 2026, Aerotech is opening a laser laboratory at its Fürth site in Germany, offering European customers support and the opportunity to test laser applications. Until now, Aerotech has relied on labs in the US to test laser applications and optimise its products. With the new facility, it is moving closer to its European customers, strengthening its presence in Europe and creating a central point of contact for application and development testing. The lab will be equipped with systems including two-, three-, and five-axis laser scan heads, precision servo tables, and Aerotech’s Automation1 control platform. TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS ‘Unique’ servodrive architecture can operate up to 12 axes Siemens says its Sinamics S220 family of servodrives offer “a leap in performance”
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