July-August 2021

WELCOME TO THE TWENTY FOURTH EDITION OF HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS’ ANNUAL BUYERS’ GUIDE Keeping focus in challenging times Casting our minds back to the very end of last year, we were all kept on tenterhooks right up to the 11 th hour regarding a deal-or-no-deal Brexit outcome. In the event, an agreement was reached, although many of the ramifications for the overall economy and specific business sectors are still being pored over as we enter the Autumn of 2021. On an ongoing basis, UK companies will of course continue to adjust to the new developing relationship with the EU over the coming months and years. Many will naturally seek to explore attractive opportunities surrounding the new trading freedoms the UK now has at its disposal. Brexit is now a reality and the benefits as opposed to the constraints must be the key focus of industry. On the technology front, developments in automation and robotics continue apace, and Brexit together with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may have been two of the most potent recent spurs for companies to take a closer look at what’s on offer in this area and the business and operational benefits that are on the table. However, the current upward trajectory of interest needs to be sustained for UK industry to remain a credible competitor against some formidable foreign competition. Alongside this, of course, is the need to ensure the workforce is endowed with the right skills to fully comprehend, operate and maintain this type of technology effectively and efficiently. At DFA Media’s Talking Industry recent webinar ‘Robotics & Advanced Automation’, Professor Sam Turner, chief technology officer at HVM Catapult, made the point that many companies recognise the need for automation, but want to focus on what is the most appropriate business case for their particular operations. He said companies recognise automation is a good thing, but first and foremost they ask themselves what their key motivation is and where do the opportunities lie. Specifically, automation in manual tasks certainly has been a starting point on the shopfloor in Professor Turner’s view. He adds that automation inspection is also becoming increasingly important, combining industrial robotics with things such as analytics and artificial intelligence. Something that simply cannot be ignored is of course climate change and the science points to the UK needing to change its carbon emissions output to tackle the growing climate crisis. The UK has a target to reduce emissions 68% by 2030 and 78% by 2035, with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. In response to the need to meet these targets, from the UK Government, the supply chain and consumers, many firms are looking to formulate their own carbon reduction and net zero strategy plans. However, according to Edie’s 2021 Net-Zero Business Barometer survey, 45% of businesses are yet to set their net zero targets. Yet, there would appear to be a great deal of urgency following the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, which states that changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years. It adds that some of the changes already set in motion, including continued sea level rise, are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years. Nevertheless, the report makes the point that strong and sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases would limit climate change. According to the report, while benefits for air quality would come quickly, it could take 20 to 30 years before we see global temperatures stabilise. The fluid power industry, like all others, needs to continue to focus on mitigating its effect on the environment. On a positive note, November last year saw the unveiling of the Government’s ambitious ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution, and we continue to hear positive announcements regarding new and adapted solutions brought to market within our industry. Shell, for example, aims to offset annual the emissions of more than 200 million litres of advanced synthetic lubricants, expecting to compensate for 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e) emissions per year which is equivalent to taking approximately 340,000 cars off the road for one year. And on the topic of the fluid power industry and related technology spheres, as is always the case, we hope and trust that you find this year’s Buyers’ Guide a valuable and useful source of information for your equipment and service requirements. Ed Holden – Editor Hydraulics & Pneumatics www.hpmag.co.uk www.airtech-expo.com NEC, 5-7 APRIL 2022 www.fluidpowersystems-expo.com