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 July/August issue of Drives & Controls will contain our annual Buyer’s Guide – the industry “bible” for motion control and power transmission engineers, telling you who makes and sells what in the automation and allied sectors. We will also be looking at developments in the transportation sector, sensors and encoders, and robotics and automated manufacturing, and celebrating our 40th anniversary. UPDATE 12 Comment 13 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 30 28 26 24 10 47 DRIVES & CONTROLS JUNE 2026 Vol 42 No 6 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 Safety Muting can enable uninterrupted material flows in automated systems, but incorrect implementation of the technology can create safety gaps that require alternative approaches. In this article, we look at some of them. 26 Machine Building We are accustomed to using cabinets to house automation hardware. But is there another way of doing things? Automation that does away with the need for control cabinets is gaining attention, and offers potential benefits is some applications. 28 Motion Control Many of automation’s biggest challenges come not from component performance, but from how systems are put together. An expert explains how integrated platforms, where controls, drives and software work together, can reduce complexity and shorten development times. 30 Communications and Networking We report on a world-first demonstration that could lead to future high-speed 5G wireless links in factories. Plus how a high-power version of Power-overEthernet can deliver 100W to edge devices, and details of a contactless data and power transmission technology. 36 Mechanical Power Transmission How rack-and-pinion systems can offer a long-range alternative to ballscrew drives, plus we offer an insight into what it takes to design custom gearboxes and the advantages they can bring. Also, an expert suggests ways of building resilience into industrial machinery. 41 Smart Warehouses A new report explores how technology is reshaping the UK’s warehousing sector. It examines how automation can unlock significant economic gains, the obstacles that companies face in implementing it, and what they can do to overcome them. Plus, a report on a project in which Accenture, Vodafone and SAP have been piloting the use of humanoid robots in warehouses. 36 42 Average net circulation January to December 2024 Subscribe for your FREE copy now 20,514 16 45
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