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 2026 NEXT ISSUE The June issue of Drives & Controls will contain a look at what’s happening in the world of communications, networking and security, and reports on developments in mechanical power transmission and smart warehouses. UPDATE 10 Comment 11 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 36 24 20 18 5 48 DRIVES & CONTROLS MAY 2026 Vol 42 No 5 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. 14 Technology Cutting-edge innovations in motion, power transmission, controls and related technologies. 18 Braking Resistors Aluminium-housed braking resistors are widely used in drive systems, yet their internal construction and installation requirements are rarely examined closely. As an expert explains, their insulation design, earthing arrangements and surface oxidation can all influence drive safety and reliability. 20 Cable Testing In an unusual application, a UK developer of low-loss power cables has used a drive’s variable-frequency capabilities to test a pioneering cable that it is has invented. A drives specialist explains how the test set-up works. 23 Motors In a special 10-page feature, we examine various aspects of electric motors and their uses, including a report on how a motor-driven system is giving an historic steam engine a new lease of life. We also offer advice on how to choose the best motors for driving and positioning tasks, and explain how large slipring motors have extended the operating life of a key London water treatment works. 34 Linear Motion How a German ballscrew manufacturer has responded to the increasing demands placed on wind turbine gearboxes – and the machine tools that are used to produce them. Plus a look at how sawmill operators cope with difficult operating conditions, caused in part by the large amounts of dust and debris that they have to deal with. 38 Scientific, Medical and Pharmaceutical Laboratory automation practices are being revolutionised by the emergence of new technologies that offer advantages over traditional motion technologies such as ball bearings. Plus a look at how to achieve the high levels of reliability that are essential for scientific, medical and pharmaceutical applications. 42 Smart Manufacturing Week Smart Manufacturing Week returns to the NEC in Birmingham next month to host the UK’s largest annual celebration of the manufacturing and engineering sectors. We take a look at some fresh features for 2026, as well as some familiar aspects that are returning. 38 42 Average net circulation January to December 2024 Subscribe for your FREE copy now 20,514 14 45
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