January 2018

50 44 30 14 24 33 66 61 67 CONTENTS 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 systemwithout the written consent of the publishers. Paid subscriptions UK: £95 per annum Europe: £125 per annum Rest of World: £160 per annum Printing: GDWeb Offset Ltd, Rotherham, S63 5DL ISSN 0950 5490 Copyright: DFA Media Ltd 2018 NEXT ISSUE The February issue of Drives & Controls will contain an in- depth report from the SPS IPC Drives show in Germany, a supplement on robotics and automated manufacturing, a look at developments involving sensors and encoders, and reports from the world of hazardous areas. UPDATE 13 Comment 58 Gambica Column 61 Design Data Multimedia 63 New Products 68 Products & Services 72 Appointments IN DEPTH Follow us onTwitter @DrivesnControls Drives MagazineWeb site www.drivesncontrols.com Drives ShowWeb site www.drives-expo.com Join us on Facebook Drives & Controls Drives & Controls REGULARS DRIVES & CONTROLS JANUARY 2018 Vol 34 No 1 Editor Tony Sacks t/f: 01732 465367 e: tony@drives.co.uk Production Manager Sarah Blake t: 01233 770781 e: sarah.blake@dfamedia.co.uk Customer Liaison Chelsea Moss t: 01732 370340 e: chelsea.moss@dfamedia.co.uk Financial Clare Jackson t: 01732 370340 e: clare.jackson@dfamedia.co.uk ADVERTISING Director of Sales Nigel Borrell t: 01732 370340 f: 01732 360034 m: 07818 098000 e: nigel@drives.co.uk Sales Manager Sara Gordon t: 01732 370341 f: 01732 360034 m: 07505 867211 e: sara.gordon@dfamedia.co.uk DFA Direct Ian Atkinson t: 01732 370340 f: 01732 360034 e: ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk Eastern US Karen C Smith-Kernc e: karenkcs@aol.com t: +1 717 397 7100 f: +1 717 397 7800 Western US & Canada Alan A Kernc e: alankcs@aol.com t: +1 717 397 7100 f: +1 717 397 7800 Italy Oliver & Diego Casiraghi e: info@casiraghi.info t: +031 261 407 f: +031 261 380 Commercial Director Ryan Fuller t: 01732 370344 e: ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk Publisher Ian Atkinson t: 01732 370346 e: ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk Reader/Circulation Enquiries Perception-MPS Ltd t: 01825 701520 e: dfamedia@dmags.co.uk HEAD OFFICE DFA Media Ltd 192 High Street, Tonbridge KentTN9 1BE t: 01732 370340 f: 01732 360034 e: info@dfamedia.co.uk www.drivesncontrols.com 51 56 3 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. 30 Tunnel Ventilation London’s £14.8bn Crossrail project will use a sophisticated ventilation control system to help keep trains cool and to extract smoke if there is a fire. The developers used real hardware to simulate the system, which includes 48 fans and 160 dampers. 33 Renewable Energy A novel, Scottish-developed vertical-axis wind turbine, with many claimed advantages over other designs, is using a sophisticated, EtherCat-based multi-axis motion control system to position its five aerofoil blades dynamically in real time. 39 Variable-Speed Drives Our special supplement on variable-speed drives reflects the variety of applications that drives are helping to control and make more efficient. We also consider how to maximise energy savings from VSDs. 52 Gears and Gearboxes How vibration data helped to analyse problems on an ageing pair of crane gearboxes that were causing excessive noise and vibration, and how a West Yorkshire mechanical engineering company designed and built a 26m- diameter gear rack to rotate germination vessels at a maltings. 56 Southern Manufacturing A look forward to the three-day Southern Manufacturing & Electronics show which takes place in Farnborough next month and is expected to attract more than 600 exhibitors. 47