March 2019

TRIALS OF THE first live installation of 5G technologies in a UK factory have begun at Worcester Bosch’s boiler production plant in Worcester. The company will test the ability of the high-speed wireless transmission technology to improve output, and to provide preventative maintenance functions using IoT sensors and data analytics to predict potential breakdowns. The trial – part of theWorcestershire 5G Testbed scheme – will assess end-to-end performance, and measure 5G speeds and latency. 5G offers the potential for 20-fold increases in speed compared to today’s data transmission technologies, as well as improvements in latency, reliability and security. 5G is regarded by many as being vital for smart factories, where it will allow real- time wireless monitoring and control. “We are delighted to have switched 5G on in our factory and look forward to measuring the productivity gains that will follow,” says Worcester Bosch’s CEO, Carl Arntzen. “It’s important to our business to have the real-time element 5G brings so that we can react in real time in the factory environment to mitigate any losses in output and to protect and grow our business bottom line.” The Worcestershire 5G Consortium is helping industry to develop and test the next-generation technology. Led by the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, its members include Huawei, O2, BT and the Universities of Surrey and Worcestershire. QinetiQ is designing security into the Worcester Bosch network, while the machine tool manufacturer Yamazaki Mazak is conducting trials to demonstrate how 5G can enhance productivity. The technology is being used in two troubleshooting applications, one of which will allow remotely located engineers to guide onsite staff through maintenance procedures. n NEWS 4 March 2019 www.drivesncontrols.com p The digital factory market will growwith a CAGR of 33% to reach $673bn by 2026, according to a new report by ABI Research . The automotive sector is the frontrunner in adopting digital factory technologies and will be worth $139bn by 2030, says ABI. www.abiresearch.com p Pepperl+Fuchs is buying Comtrol Corporation , the US pioneer of industrial Ethernet technologies and manufacturer of IO-Link products. Comtrol will join P+F’s Factory Automation division. The expansion will allow P+F to offer products that close the gap between the field and control levels. The financial terms have not been revealed. p The global market for electricmotors was worth $108.5bn in 2017 and will exceed $155bn by 2023 – a CAGR of 6.2% – according to a new report from P&S Intelligence . It says that the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 55% of the market in 2017. www.psmarketresearch.com p Trace Software International is selling its elecworks electrical and automation design software to Dassault Systèmes Solidworks . Trace will now focus on software for electrical calculations and photovoltaic applications. In 2012, Dassault agreed with Trace to market elecworks as SolidWorks Electrical. Now, it has acquired the software, including its intellectual property and development team. p Electrocomponents has acquired Monition , the UK developer of reliability and condition-monitoring systems. Monition will initially operate as an extension of RS Components ’Technical Services operation in Northern European. Monition offers services in areas such as predictive maintenance and the Industrial Internet of Things. p Nidec is acquiring a 70% stake in the German precision gearbox and drive component manufacturer, Desch Antriebstechnik , and its subsidiaries in Germany and China. The transaction will give Nidec’s gearbox subsidiary, Nidec-Shimpo, access to the market for large precision gearboxes, in addition to its current activities in the small gearbox market. Desch’s companies in North America are not part of the agreement, whose financial details have not been disclosed p The German motors and drives manufacturer KEB Automation has acquired 30% of the Italian motor producer Brusatori Motori Elettrici , expanding its servo and high-torque portfolio. Brusatori produces synchronous, asynchronous, DC, permanent magnet and high-torque (up to 1.3kNm) motors. The deal will allow Brusatori to offer VSDs, taking it into new markets. p Rockwell Automation and Schlumberger are forming a 53:47 joint venture, called Sensia , that they say will be the first fully integrated provider of measurement systems and automation to the oil and gas sector. Texas-based Sensia, which will operate independently, is expected to generate annual revenues of $400m, and to employ around 1,000 people. Pioneering: Worcester Bosch’s boiler factory is testing the use of 5G in manufacturing applications First 5G trial in a UK factory goes live Yasa, the UK developer and manufacturer of axial-flux electric motors and controllers, has signed a long-term innovation agreement with an unnamed global automotive OEM. The partnership will focus on developing custom electric motor and controller systems for high-performance hybrid and pure electric vehicles. Under the agreement, the companies will work together to use Yasa’s axial-flux technology to improve vehicle performance, while reducing weight. Yasa claims that its axial-flux motors and controls offer “best-in-class” power and torque densities. “This agreement brings together one of the world’s best-known automotive manufacturers with Yasa, the world’s leading supplier of axial-flux electric motors and controllers,” says Yasa CEO, Chris Harris. “Through this long-term collaboration, we are developing custom electric motor and controller solutions that will power unsurpassed driving experiences and set the bar for high-performance hybrid and pure electric vehicles.” Last year, Yasa opened a production facility in Oxford with the capacity to produce 100,000 motors a year. In addition to working on automotive applications, Yasa is also addressing the emerging electric aerospace market. Last month, it announced it was partnering with Rolls-Royce to provide motors for the world’s fastest electric airplane, which due to take off in 2020. www.yasa.com UK axial-flux motor developer signs deal with global OEM