Drives & Controls March 2023

THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS at the inaugural Talking Industry Live event in April will be presented jointly by Dr Megan Ronayne, head of industrial technologies and manufacturing at Innovate UK KTN, and Mike Hague-Morgan, executive director of Autocraft Solutions Group. Together they will explore how Autocraft – an OEM for that manufactures, remanufactures and assembles internal combustion engines and electric vehicle batteries – transitioned from being a traditional manufacturer using hand tools and paper-based systems, to a high-tech company with world-class repeatability, quality and digital traceability. Since Hague-Morgan led a management buyout of Autocraft in 2010, its revenues have soared from £7m to £70m, and its number of employees has risen from 98 to more than 400. Much of this growth has been a result of adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. Innovate UK’s innovation ecosystem, including Innovate UK KTN and the Catapult Network, played a key role in the company’s digital journey. In the Talking Industry Live keynote, Ronayne and Hague- Morgan will explore how Innovate UK collaborated with Autocraft, providing funding and the vision to help it on its digitalisation journey. They will give a real-life insights into how other companies could achieve similar transitions. The presentation will take the form of an informal, interactive discussion. The presenters will look at how businesses can expand by implementing advanced technologies. They will explore the current understanding of digital processes by UK manufacturers, the opportunities available via funding, knowledge and innovation networks, and explain the potential benefits, including improvements in quality, productivity and skills. Dr Megan Ronayne is an expert in industrial technologies and manufacturing, with more than 20 years of experience in the field. At Innovate KTN, she leads a team that provides support and funding for innovative manufacturing projects in the UK. Mike Hague-Morgan has more than 30 years of experience in the manufacturing sector. At Autocraft, he oversees a global company that provides bespoke engineering for automotive manufacturers. Talking Industry Live will bring together experts from the manufacturing and engineering sector to discuss the latest trends, innovations, and challenges facing the sector. It will be held on 25 April at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry www.talkingindustry.org n NEWS March 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 How to grow from £7m to £70m by adopting digital technologies p ABB is selling its Power Conversion division to the Taiwanese switching power supply manufacturer AcBel Polytech , for $505m in cash. ABB acquired the business, formerly Lineage Power , when it bought GE Industrial Solutions in 2018, but does not regard it as being core. The division, which supplies power conversion systems for critical applications, is based in Texas. It employs around 1,500 people worldwide. In 2022, it generated revenues of around $440m and income of about $50m. The global factory automation market was worth $242bn in 2021 and will hit $556bn by 2031 – a CAGR of 8.7% – according to Allied Market Research . Automotive manufacturers account for about a third of the market, with the food and beverage sector being the fastest-growing segment, with a predicted CAGR of 10.3% from 2022- 2031. Robots represented more than a quarter of the automation market in 2021, with drives being the fastest- growing technology sector, with an predicted CAGR of 9.7% to 2031. www.alliedmarketresearch.com US-based Infinite Electronics has bought Bulgin , the UK developer and manufacturer of connectors and related components for harsh environments, from the private equity firm Equistone Partners Europe , which itself acquired the business from Elektron Technology in 2019. Details of the deal have not been revealed. Infinite Electronics, whose headquarters are in California, owns more than a dozen industrial, RF and connectivity brands. Bulgin employs more than 680 people in the UK, North America, Asia-Pacific and Africa. The compressed air and fluid power specialist Thorite has expanded into the industrial automation sector with launch of a dedicated electronic automation team at the recent Southern Manufacturing & Electronics show, where it demonstrated new automation products and technologies, including electric pick-and-place grippers. The global market for industrial robots was worth $42.3bn in 2021 and will expand with a CAGR of 12.3% in the period to 2030, when it will be worth $120.3bn, according to a new study from Emergen Research . There are now more than three million robots in operation around the world. Much of the growth is being driven by China which produced 366,000 industrial robots in 2021 – 67.9% more than the previous year. www.emergenresearch.com NEWS BRIEFS INNOVATE UK HAS LAUNCHED a competition offering a total of up to £6m in funding for late- stage robotics and automation innovation projects in the UK aimed at boosting productivity, sustainability and resilience in manufacturing processes. The funding will cover up to half of the costs of successful projects costing between £200,000 and £4m, lasting 9–15 months, and starting between October 2023 and December 2024. Innovate UK – part of UK Research and Innovation – says that the aim of the made Smarter Innovation competition is to develop and demonstrate industrially ready solutions deployable in manufacturing processes in factories. The winning projects will have to: n deliver an innovative digital development or significantly novel application of robotics and automation; or n overcome a technical barrier within manufacturing processes in a factory production area. Entries close on 5 April, 2023. Details can be found on the Innovation Funding Service Web site via the link below. https://drivesncontrols.news/xdg2e6 Government launches £6m automation funding contest Dr Megan Ronayne (left) and Mike Hague-Morgan (right): keynote speakers at the Talking Industry Live event in April