September 2020

NEWS n 5 AC drives sales will fall by 10% in 2020 and start to rebound in 2021 THE GLOBAL MARKET for low-voltage AC drives market will shrink by more than 10% this year, according to a new report from Interact Analysis. It points out that the drop is not as severe as it was in 2009, adding that there is “light at the end of the tunnel”with prospects for a return to growth in 2021. The report attributes the downturn to a combination of Covid-related factors – such as stay-at-home orders causing a reduction in manufacturing output and demand, as well as factories being closed and workers being furloughed. Of the ten regions surveyed in the report, Interact predicts that the UK will be the worst affected, with drives sales unlikely to recover to 2019 levels before 2024. Growth in the global LV drives market is running slightly above the output of the manufacturing industry as a whole. This is a long-term trend. Between 2007 and 2019, the underlying growth rate for LV drives revenues was 3.8%, Interact is predicting that the CAGR will rise to 5.3% in the period 2020-2024, and expects the market to recover in a similar way to 2010-2014. There will be big regional differences in recovery rates. The earliest areas to recover to 2019 levels will be China, South Korea, and India – all of which will do so by 2021. In fact, Interact reports, China has already largely returned to normality. But France, Germany, Italy and the UK will not recover until 2024. The problem for Germany is its heavy reliance on exports, many of which go to countries that have been hit hard by the virus. In a blog about the report, Interact research analyst Blake Griffin highlights a trend towards low-cost, reduced-function drives. These usually come in power ratings from 0.1–3.7kW, are cabinet-mounted, and are protected to IP20 or less. The most keenly priced products – generally those with ratings of around 0.4kW – now sell for around $100 in Asia. But the presence of more stringent regulations and, increasingly, tariffs, in the EMEA and the Americas, are not holding back the growth of low-cost drives in these regions. Achieving such low prices requires some functions – such as encoder support – to be stripped out, although some of the drives still offer plug-in options such as digital communications. ABB and Yaskawa have been selling low-cost AC drives since the mid- 2000s, the report points out, but the trend is being “turbocharged” by the rapid emergence of Chinese suppliers such as INVT and Inovance. Many drives users – except, perhaps, high- end OEMs – like these products because they can be bought in bulk and stored easily to replace failing drives when needed, thus helping to reduce downtime. Griffin suggests that observing the behaviour of established vendors indicates howmarked the trend to low-cost drives will be. He regards the entry of leading suppliers such as Siemens (with its V20 range) or Yaskawa (with its GA500) is“instructive”. Another trend that the report identifies is the displacement of LV drives in some areas by other technologies, such as ECMs (electronically commutated motors). ECMs are brushless DC permanent magnet motors, similar to stepper motors, with IP ratings of IP55 or higher. They are increasingly helping users to save energy in high energy usage applications that do not need the computational capabilities of AC drives. Some ECMs now reach IE5 levels of efficiency, leading to dramatic savings. Griffin expects the uptake of ECMs to be highest in Europe where energy efficiency regulation is the most stringent. Turning to predictive maintenance, he suggests that drive manufacturers should move away from seeing this technology as a means of extending the life of only the drive itself. A more important consideration is how the drive can be used as a sensor to harvest useful data on motor health, thus avoiding motor breakdowns on fast-moving production lines. www.interactanalysis.com “Another trend that the report identifies is the displacement of LV drives in some areas by other technologies, such as ECMs.” www.drivesncontrols.com September 2020 The global market for low-voltage AC drives: after a 10% dip in 2020, it will start to bounce back in 2021 Source: Interact Analysis ROBOTICS INDUSTRY veteran Mike Wilson has joined the Manufacturing Technology Centre as chief automation officer. He will lead the MTC’s drive to increase the adoption of automation in UK manufacturing. He also aims to build a community of automation suppliers and equipment vendors offering the appropriate technologies. “I have worked with the MTC over a number of years,” says Wilson, “and I am both excited and pleased to be joining this outstanding team.” Wilson has nearly 40 years’experience in the UK automation sector, including more than six years with ABB Robotics and, most recently, a period as managing director of Kuka Robotics UK and Ireland. He has been chairman of the British Automation and Robot Association (Bara) since 1994. Ken Young, the MTC’s technology director, says that Wilson “brings strong business expertise as well as broad manufacturing experience and is well respected in the sector, and by important stakeholders such as government, banks and various trade bodies.” Wilson joins MTC as chief automation officer