July/August 2019

50 57 51 46 34 30 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 systemwithout the written consent of the publishers. Paid subscriptions UK: £95 per annum Europe: £125 per annum Rest of World: £160 per annum Printing: Warners Midlands PLC., PE10 9PH ISSN 0950 5490 Copyright: DFA Media Ltd 2019 NEXT ISSUE The September issue of Drives & Controls will contain a special section on energy efficiency, as well as features on precision engineering and motion control, and on building services. UPDATE 13 Comment 15 ABB Back to Basics 54 Gambica column 57 Design Data 59 Multimedia 60 New Products 214 Products & Services 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 JULY/AUGUST 2019 Vol 35 No 7 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 Ewa Hodden t: 01732 370340 e: ewa.hodden@dfamedia.co.uk Financial Clare Jackson t: 01732 370340 e: clare.jackson@dfamedia.co.uk ADVERTISING Director of Sales Damien Oxlee t: 01732 370342 f: 01732 360034 m: 07951 103754 e: damien.oxlee@dfamedia.co.uk Sales Manager AndyWylie t: 01732 370341 f: 01732 360034 m: 07939 607855 e: andy.wylie@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 Kent TN9 1BE t: 01732 370340 f: 01732 360034 e: info@dfamedia.co.uk www.drivesncontrols.com 3 News A round-up of the latest business and industry developments from around the world. 18 Technology Cutting-edge innovations in motion, power transmission, controls and related technologies. 30 Communications A new Ethernet cabling technology is emerging that promises to make factory communications cheaper and easier, as well as saving space and weight. Using simple two-conductor cables, it could allow Ethernet to replace proprietary serial communications and support links from the shopfloor to the cloud. 34 Transportation Industrial automation and motion technologies are increasingly being applied in all forms of transportation, on roads, in the air and on the water. We report on some recent developments. 46 Food Production A novel robotic food-cutting machine is allowing a Somerset dessert manufacturer to slice cheesecakes and other products on-the-fly. The inline system will boost the producer’s throughput, as well as widening the range of products that it can cut. 48 Motors Although no specification has been agreed yet for what constitutes an IE5 efficiency motor, several motor manufacturers are already offering machines that, they say, comply with IE5 requirements. An expert explains what’s going on. 51 Drives In what is thought to be the first installation of its type, a chairlift in an Austrian ski resort is being driven directly by 90-pole synchronous servomotors, eliminating the need for a gearbox, and doubling the lift’s passenger-carrying capacity. 52 Machine Building When designing a system to test airbag diffusers, a German machine-builder opted for a flexible linear transport technology that gave it the flexibility that a conventional rotary indexing table could not deliver. The resulting machine is achieving average cycle times of less than two seconds. 18 3 63 52 ANNUAL BUYER’S GUIDE This issue contains the 2019/2020 edition of the industry “bible” for power transmission, automation and motion engineers, telling you who sells what and how to get in touch with them.