DAC February 2022

n NEWS February 2022 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 ONLINE REGISTRATION has opened for visitors planning to attend the Drives & Controls Show, which will take place at Birmingham National Exhibition Centre from 5-7 April. The show is the UK’s leading trade show for the drives, power transmission and motion control sector. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, this will be the first time that show has taken place since 2018, when the event attracted a record attendance of more than 13,500 visitors. Alongside the Drives & Controls Show will a cluster of co-located events: Smart Industry Expo; Air-Tech; Fluid Power & Systems; and Plant & Asset Management. Also running at the same time at the NEC, will be the Manufacturing Technologies Association’s Mach manufacturing event, as well as the new Engineering Supply Chain Show, also organised by the MTA. The 2022 Drives & Controls show will see the return of a live demonstration area for robots. There will also be a free three-day programme of seminars running in two theatres on the show floor. The seminars will be split into two streams – Talking Industry Live and The Knowledge Hub (for more details see page 42). To register to attend the 2022 Drives & Controls Show please go to https://drivesncontrols.news/k2ufdq Online booking opens for the 2022 Drives & Controls Show A UK JOINT VENTURE is being set up to develop and commercialise kW-MW rated electric propulsion systems – both conventional and superconducting – for aerospace and non-aerospace applications. The venture, called Hydrogen Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems (H2EPS), is being formed by the University of Nottingham (UoN) and the Electric Aviation Group (EAG), which is designing “the world’s first true-zero (zero carbon and NOx emissions) 90-seater hydrogen hybrid-electric regional aircraft” which, it hopes, will enter service by 2030. The joint venture will focus initially on developing and commercialising 2MW-class electric propulsion systems for hybrid, all- electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft applications, with the aim of fast-tracking the decarbonisation of the aviation sector. H2EPS will combine the capabilities and intellectual property of EAG and the University to develop and commercialise electric propulsion systems products and services. UoN has world-leading capabilities in power electronics and electrical machines and has already demonstrated aircraft propulsion drive systems rated at up to 4MW/5MVA. “EAG is extremely pleased to enter into this partnership,” says its founder and CEO, Kamran Iqbal. “We need to develop technologies and aircraft platforms at the right size and scale to make a meaningful impact to the environment. The JV’s focus on 2MW-class electric propulsion system development is a step in the right direction which will contribute substantially to solve the decarbonisation and mass air transportation challenges simultaneously.” EAG has recently secured investments from Falko and CityJet, and signed a collaboration agreement with Atkins to support the development of future flight technologies. UK JV will develop 2MW propulsion systems for future electric aircraft The joint venture will develop technologies for the 90-seater hydrogen hybrid-electric aircraft that EAG hopes will be flying by 2030 Darren Reynolds has been appointed managing director of RA Rodriguez (UK), succeeding PeterWilliamson who will now focus on other managerial roles supporting the development of the RARUK Group – in particular, RARUK Automation. Reynolds has worked for RAR for more than ten years, the past five as operations director. He has more than 30 years of experience in the bearings and power transmission industry. Williamson will concentrate of steering the dynamic growth of RARUK Automation and harnessing wider business opportunities. Gavin Stacey has been promoted from sales director of Acorn Industrial Services to managing director.The previous MD, Martin Povey , will remain as MD of Acorn Group, which includes Acorn Industrial Services, Gerald Summers,Town & County Engineering Services, Bearing Station and RWBearings. Stacey has been with Acorn for more than 26 years in a variety of roles, the past three as sales director. Acorn Industrial Services is part of the PowerTransmission Solutions group of Axel Johnson International, an industrial group of more than 150 companies operating in 30 countries. The Drives & Controls Show returns to the BirminghamNEC in April