Drives&Controls AUTOMATION FOR MANUFACTURING INSIDE r, Smar The Jag Smaller r r, Stronger uar Return ter ns ticle on pa chnical ar Read the full tec ages 14-15 Email: sales@imopc.com I W Tel: 0170 Web: www.imopc.com I T 07 414 444 FEBRUARY 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com SPS SHOW REPORT: Six pages of innovations from the recent SPS exhibition ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING: Five trends that are driving the robotics industry SENSORS AND ENCODERS: Precise label detection keeps confectionery production sweet
AWARD PROGRAMME PARTNERS: The BPMA’s Pump Industry Awards Dinner has become the highlight of the pump industry’s social calendar, celebrating the industry’s best and brightest with the added bonus of excellent networking opportunities and great entertainment. This year’s event will take place on Thursday 19th March at the Hilton at St. George’s Park - the training ground for all 28 English national football teams - which is recognised the World over as the Home of English Football. Sporting excellence is synonymous with this venue, and in March it will once again become the location for heralding engineering excellence across the pump sector. And in keeping with the overwhelming success of previous years, the evening will once again feature some wonderful after dinner entertainment, as well as excellent musical accompaniment into the small hours. So, whether it’s taking a table to host customers or booking a few seats for you, your team and partners it’s a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a wonderful evening of celebration, great food, fantastic live entertainment and networking with your peers. Just visit the website www.pumpindustryawards.com and complete the simple online booking form to secure your places at this must-attend event. After Dinner Entertainment will be provided by the one and only Steve Davis OBE Steve is best known for dominating professional snooker during the 1980s, when he reached eight World Snooker Championship finals in nine years, won six world titles, and held the world number one ranking for seven consecutive seasons. Since then, his TV punditry has become legendary, and he can also add DJ, electronic musician and author to his long list of credits. Steve’s likeable nature coupled with his dry sense of humour and catalogue of hilarious anecdotes make him an excellent choice for any corporate function and we look forward to welcoming him to the 2026 Pump Industry Awards. Ensure you join the celebration - book your places today! www.pumpindustryawards.com Organised by on behalf of Hilton at St. George’s Park, Burton upon Trent THURSDAY 19TH MARCH 2026 PUMP INDUSTRY AWARDS 2026 Recognising and Rewarding Excellence THE TIMINGS 18.30: Drinks Reception 19.15: Call Through to Dinner, Welcome & Introduction 19.45: Gala Awards Dinner 21.30: 2026 Awards Ceremony 22.15: Charity ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fundraiser in support of WaterAid 22.30: After-party with Live Entertainment & Networking 00.30: The Survivors’ Breakfast - a challenge to all! JOIN US TO CELEBRATE!
50 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 system without the written consent of the publishers. Paid subscriptions UK: £110 per annum Europe: £145 per annum Rest of World: £180 per annum Printing: Warners Midlands PLC., PE10 9PH ISSN 0950 5490 Copyright: DFA Media Group 2026 NEXT ISSUE The March issue of Drives & Controls will contain a report on applications in the food and beverage sector, coverage of the latest developments in bearings, belts and chains, plus a look at the world of industrial safety. UPDATE 12 Comment 13 ABB Back to Basics 44 Gambica Column 46 New Products 48 Design Data and Multimedia 49 Products & Services IN DEPTH Follow us on X @DrivesnControls Drives Magazine Web site www.drivesncontrols.com Follow us on LinkedIn @ Drives & Controls Join us on Facebook Drives & Controls Drives& Controls REGULARS DfAmedia group 40 39 30 23 6 48 DRIVES & CONTROLS FEBRUARY 2026 Vol 42 No 2 Editor Tony Sacks t: 01732 465367 e: tony@drives.co.uk Production Manager Sarah Blake t: 01233 770781 e: sarah.blake@dfamedia.co.uk Marketing Manager Hope Jepson t: 01732 370340 e: hope.jepson@dfamedia.co.uk Financial Finance Department t: 01732 370340 e: accounts@dfamedia.co.uk ADVERTISING Sales Director and DFA Direct Damien Oxlee t: 01732 370342 m: 07951 103754 e: damien.oxlee@dfamedia.co.uk Sales Manager Sara Gordon t: 01732 370341 m: 07505867211 e: sara.gordon@dfamedia.co.uk Italy Oliver & Diego Casiraghi e: info@casiraghi.info t: +39 031 261407 f: +39 031 261380 Managing Director Ryan Fuller t: 01732 370344 e: ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk Reader/Circulation Enquiries Perception-MPS Ltd t: 01825 701520 e: cs@perception-sas.com HEAD OFFICE DFA Media Group 192 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BE t: 01732 370340 f: 01732 360034 e: info@dfamedia.co.uk www.drivesncontrols.com 5 News A round-up of the latest business and industry developments from around the world. 16 Technology Cutting-edge innovations in motion, power transmission, controls and related technologies. 23 SPS Show Report Despite the continuing weakness of the German economy, the recent SPS automation mega-show managed to attract more exhibitors and visitors than the previous event in 2024. We look at some of the technologies and products that were on show. 30 Robotics and Automated Manufacturing The International Federation of Robotics identifies five trends that are driving the robot industry in 2026. Plus an injection-moulding specialist installs its first robot, and how a UK egg producer has invested more than £1m in a robotic palletising installation. 36 Sensors and Encoders How do you choose whether to use linear, rotary or sine encoders? Plus we report on a UK-developed test rig that compares the performance of different types of conveyor, and look at an application involving label-readers in a confectionery plant. 40 Hazardous Areas Machine vibrations in hazardous plants such as refineries can lead to unplanned downtimes that cost millions. One way to reduce such risks is to check the alignments of shafts of machinery using equipment specifically designed for use in hazardous environments. 42 Materials As copper prices hit record highs, engineers are reassessing whether aluminium has now become a more attractive option for some winding applications. An expert examines the pros and cons, and the role that hybrid windings could play. 42 44 Average net circulation January to December 2024 Subscribe for your FREE copy now 20,514 16 46
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NEWS n 5 A TEAM OF UK RESEARCHERS has analysed data from almost 27,000 UK manufacturing sites and found that factories that adopt industrial robots for the first time expand their workforces by around 8% in the four years after installation, while those that adopt CNC machines increase employment by roughly 6% over the same period. The researchers, from the London School of Economics’Centre for Economic Performance, also found that the gains appear quickly and persist. “In plain terms,” they say, “productivity effects dominate displacement at the firm level.” The researchers found that robot and CNC use is rising and is concentrated in large plants. Between 2014 and 2023, the proportion of plants using robots doubled from about 4% to 8%, while between 2005 and 2023, the proportion of production plants using CNC machines rose from about 47% to 56%. Because robots are more common in large sites, the share of workers employed at robot-using plants grew faster, from roughly 14% to more than 27%. Scaling up CNCs delivers even bigger gains – and some reorganisation of work. When plants that are already using CNCs add more machines, employment rises by 9% over four years and keeps trending upwards. At the same time, the ratio of workers in manufacturing production to those employed in engineering, design and support, falls gradually (by around 8% over six years). These results are consistent with firms learning how to make the most of automation technologies over time. When experienced firms expand their use of a new technology they are more likely to successfully reorganise their production processes, hence experiencing productivity gains which boost their total employment, but also change the mix of workers that they employ. The researchers – Aniket Baksy, Daniel Chandler and Peter Lambert – found no evidence that more automated firms are taking business away from others in a way that would offset the firm-level gains. If anything, employment by competitors’in the same industry tends to rise after a peer adopts CNCs or robots, and industrylevel “automation waves” are associated with positive or neutral changes in total industry jobs after four years. The researchers say that their findings align with other www.drivesncontrols.com February 2026 recent studies into robots and their impact on labour. In France, for example, one study found that major investments in modern manufacturing plants led to an increase in employment of almost 20% over five years. Another study found that Finnish SMEs receiving technology grants increased their employment by 23%. The LSE researchers suggest three reasons why job numbers might rise after automation technologies are adopted: n Elastic demand and lower prices More efficient plants cut costs, expand output and hire workers. Positive spillovers to peers can arise if total demand grows or if adopters stimulate complementary activity in the supply chain. n New and complementary tasks Automation often frees people from tasks such as set-up, material-handling and repetitive machining, shifting their activities towards programming, quality, maintenance and customer-specific developments. n Learning by doing The bigger effects when firms expand their CNC capacities are consistent with a learning curve: once processes, skills and supplier links are in place, every additional machine yields more. Based on their research, the team suggests that manufacturers should treat CNCs and robots as platforms, not oneoff purchases. They should build the complementary capabilities – programming, maintenance, fixture design and workflow integration – that allow them to redeploy people to higher-value tasks. “Our results suggest the largest returns arrive after you have learned how to use the technology, not on day one,” they say. The LSE researchers have published their findings in a paper that can be downloaded from https://cep.lse.ac.uk/_new/publications/ abstract.asp?index=11829 THE UK INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION specialist, Loop Technology, is expanding into the US with the opening of a subsidiary in Seattle, Washington. Loop, whose headquarters are Dorchester, has an expertise in machine vision, motion control and industrial robotics. “We have been considering expansion into the US for several years and now it feels the time is right,” says Loop Technology’s US CEO, Alun Reece. “I love the American approach to technological development alongside the desire to succeed. I am really looking forward to strengthening existing relationships and building new ones in America.” Loop’s US presence will facilitate access to the North American market for its technologies, which include its FibreLine system for automated high-speed composite preforming and a new approach to manufacturing composite structures. Other technologies that Loop plans to offer to US customers include: n laser cleaning systems and services, including its automated LoopClean system; n its RoboMach robotic machining system that automates milling, trimming, cutting and drilling operations; and n the IdentifEye automated labelling system which uses 3D vision to label randomly shaped and positioned packages at rates of up to 2,400 labels per hour. Loop Technology was founded in 1998 and employs more than 80 people. It has completed more than 220 projects. UK robotics and automation specialist expands into the US Researchers find automation boosts employment at UK manufacturers Employment before and after adopting industrial robots. The graph compares manufacturing plants that adopt industrial robots to those that do not, and shows the percentage change in employment. Before the robots were installed, the groups had similar employment levels, but after adopting robots, there is a sizable growth in jobs at the plants which adopted them, compared to those that did not, suggesting that the automation technology drove an increased demand for workers. Source: LSE
February 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM (WEF) has added 23 new industrial plants to its Global Lighthouse Network of cutting-edge manufacturing sites around the world – and 17 of the 23 are in China. None of the latest additions to the network are in Western Europe or North America, but India has three, and Vietnam, Turkey and Azerbaijan have one each. The Lighthouse network, launched in in 2018, now consists of more than 220 factories in more than 30 countries that are intended to act as benchmarks for global manufacturing. The scheme, co-founded by McKinsey, has an advisory board that includes representatives from Siemens and Schneider Electric. Based on eight years of data from the Lighthouse plants, WEF has now launched an AI-powered “industrial intelligence platform” called Lumina to help industrialists to progress from pilot plants with a lower risk. It is designed to help them to benchmark performance, prioritise investments, scale proven use cases, and avoid common pitfalls as they accelerate their industrial transformation. WEF says the launch of Lumina reflects a broader shift among manufacturers towards multi-technology deployment and data-driven decision-making. The data shows that 94% of successful industrial transformations combine multiple technologies, with AI being deployed most often, alongside IoT, the cloud and digital twins. Lighthouses that combine these technologies with workforce and sustainability initiatives outperform their peers by an average of 16% or more, the Forum adds, “demonstrating that competitiveness increasingly depends on integrating technology, talent and emissions reduction”. Lumina will evolve as new data is added from Lighthouse sites and industrial transformations. Although all of the new Lighthouse additions are in Asia, several are owned/operated by Western companies including Unilever (which has two plants in India and one in China), Schneider Electric, Ford (in Turkey), Michelin and Carl Zeiss. One of the new Chinese Lighthouse plants is Siemens’“digital native” factory in Nanjing – the company’s largest research and production centre for drives, electric motors and CNC systems outside of Germany. The 73,000m2 site has been chosen for its continuous digital transformation and AI-driven adaptive manufacturing, which has cut timeto-market by 33%. The site was designed, tested and optimised entirely virtually before a single brick was laid. “This approach not only enabled us to construct the factory faster and with outstanding cost-efficiency but also to build it under the toughest pandemic conditions,” says Cedrik Neike, CEO of Siemens Digital Industries. “By combining our global manufacturing expertise with local insight and a digital-first mindset, we continuously optimise every part of the operation, making it one of the most efficient and flexible factories in the world.” The Nanjing factory needed to overhaul its production processes to react to mounting pressures, including increasingly varied customer orders that required its production lines to be reconfigured every four weeks. Another challenge was that delivery windows had shrunk from 45 days to 10, while market demand was fluctuating. To address these challenges in what is a high-variety, low-volume manufacturing operation, Siemens deployed digital twins, modular automation, manufacturing management systems, and more than 50 AI applications. Compared to 2022, the initiative has cut lead times by 78% and time-to-market by 33%. Productivity rose by 14% by 2024, while field failures dropped by 46%, and the factory cut its direct and energy-related carbon emissions by 28%. The Nanjing plant is the fifth Siemens manufacturing site to be named a Lighthouse Factory by the WEF, following sites in Amberg, Erlangen and Fürth in Germany, as well as Chengdu in China. https://centres.weforum.org/centre-foradvanced-manufacturing-and-supplychains/lumina p The global market for AC drives was worth $24.3bn in 2023 and will reach $52.7bn by 2033 – a CAGR of 8% from 2024-2033 – according to a new report from Allied Market Research. Despite the strong growth potential, the market still faces several restraints, including high installation and integration costs (especially for SMEs), and the need for skilled professionals for installation, configuration and maintenance, according to the report. www.alliedmarketresearch.com p Teradyne Robotics, the owner of the Danish-based cobot manufacturer Universal Robots (UR) and the AMR (autonomous mobile robotics) specialist, MiR, is opening a US operations hub in Detroit, Michigan, where it will manufacture UR cobots, and possibly MiR AMRs in the future. The site will also serve as a training centre, service hub and visitor experience centre. Teradyne says that the strategic expansion reflects its commitment to operating close to its customers and meeting a growing demand in the US and the Americas. p The US-headquartered automation group AIR (Automated Industrial Robotics) has acquired the Ireland-based business, Kaon Automation. The acquisition strengthens AIR’s presence in Ireland, and expands its activities in the medical and life science markets. AIR brings together the former Totally Automated Systems (TA Systems) in the US, Modular Automation in Ireland, and Sewtec Automation in the UK, which it acquired in 2024. AIR now has 550 employees in the US, Ireland and the UK. p The University of Birmingham has inaugurated a facility for separating and recycling rare-earth magnets, intended to help to reduce the UK’s reliance on imports of rareearth metals, alloys and magnets. The recycling facility uses a “groundbreaking” hydrogen-based process developed by researchers at the University. It extracts rareearth magnets from end-of-life products without needing to disassemble them completely, transforming waste into an sustainable UK source of rare-earths that can be used to manufacture new products while reducing environmental impact, cost and supply chain risk. p Global shipments of collaborative robots (cobots) hit new lows in 2024, falling by 13.8%, defying earlier predictions that market would bottom out in 2023, according to new data from Interact Analysis. The sector has come under increasing pressure in recent years amid economic uncertainty and supply chain disruptions. However, Interact is predicting a return to a growth rate of 23.9% in 2026 – the strongest year in the forecast period to 2029. NEWS BRIEFS Siemens’ drives, motors and CNC factory in Nanjing is one of the new additions to the WEF’s Global Lighthouse Network of advanced factories n NEWS List of world’s cutting-edge plants has none in the West
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n NEWS THE GOVERNMENT IS LAUNCHING a competition to decide who will run about five Robotics Adoption Hubs across the nation. The hubs, expected to cost around £52m over four years, were first announced in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan that the government published in June 2025 as part of its Modern Industrial Strategy. The government has also revealed plans to cut “outdated”regulations that it says are blocking innovation in the robotics and defence sectors. Research suggests that wider adoption of robotics in seven key sectors of UK industry could add £150bn to the economy. But many businesses – particularly smaller firms – don’t know where to start with adopting these technologies. They can see the potential of robotics but need support to take the first step – whether they are a small manufacturer looking to automate part of their production lines, a farmer wanting to explore new ways to monitor crops, or a hospital wanting to know how robots could free up staff time. The new hubs will be run by universities, businesses, or public sector organisations chosen in a competition run by Innovate UK. The hubs will give companies of all sizes access to expert advice, live demonstrations and networking opportunities, helping them to take the first steps in adopting robots. Each hub will receive at least £2m per year for four years, with extra funding available for ambitious bids. The hubs are expected to be operational from the second half of 2026. “From manufacturing to healthcare, robotics can help British businesses work smarter and grow faster,” says science minister, Lord Vallance. “These hubs will make sure companies of all sizes can access the support they need to embrace automation, wherever they are in the country.” Innovate UK will launch the competition to identify the organisations to run the robotics hubs “in the coming weeks”. In another announcement, the Government says it is aiming to cut back the regulations that, it believes, are holding back innovations such as robots for inspecting wind turbines and autonomous vessels. The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), launched in October 2024, has announced robotics and defence as new priorities aimed at making the UK safer and more productive. This builds on its mission to remove outdated rules that are holding back the technologies that drive growth, to lift living standards and improve public services – a central mission of the Modern Industrial Strategy. The RIO has already engaged with more than 150 businesses and is working to unlock the potential of sectors worth over £100bn across its initial priority sectors. The government says that robotics and defence are two areas where British companies are worldleaders, but where outdated and complex regulations can hold back innovation and slow the path to market. Currently, businesses developing robotic technologies must navigate different regulatory frameworks across multiple bodies. The RIO is aiming to streamline overlapping requirements to bring products to market safely, but more quickly. “British innovators shouldn’t be held back by needless red tape,” says the minister for the digital economy, Liz Lloyd. “We have world-leading robotics and defence tech firms, but regulations haven’t kept pace with their innovations. “We’re updating the rules so they work for modern technologies, cutting the barriers that stop these firms from growing and competing globally.” February 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 Competition will pick who will run UK’s £52m robotics hubs EVENTS Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 26 3–5 February, 2026 Farnborough, UK The regional event is expected to attract more than 500 exhibitors from a variety of sectors including mechanical engineering, electronics, electrical engineering and production hardware. More than 10,000 visitors are likely to visit the Farnborough site where they can hear talks from over 50 experts, as well as attending the exhibition. www.southern-manufacturingelectronics.com/en National Manufacturing Summit 26 February, 2026 MTC, Coventry The event brings together leading UK manufacturing and engineering experts to discuss, debate and set the agenda for the key subject areas that will drive the country’s manufacturing competitiveness forwards. https://nmsummit.co.uk MACH 2026 20–24 April, 2026 NEC, Birmingham The manufacturing technologies event, organised by the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), has sold more than 90% of its floorspace. More than 30,000 members of the UK manufacturing community are expected to attend. Spread across five halls will be a series of interactive Knowledge Hubs providing visitors with impartial advice. One Hub will be dedicated to Automation and Robotics; another will focus on Data and AI. https://www.machexhibition.com Hannover Messe 2026 20-24 April, 2026 Hannover, Germany The industrial mega-show returns to its North German venue and is expected to attract around 4,000 exhibitors (including more than 300 start-ups) from the engineering and digital industries, as well as the energy sector. AI will be a common thread. There will be three main exhibition areas: Automation & Digitalisation; Energy & Industrial Infrastructure; and Research & Technology Transfer. The partner country for 2026 is Brazil. www.hannovermesse.de/en CWIEME Berlin / EEMODS 26 19-21 May, 2026 Berlin, Germany The world’s largest coil-winding and electrical manufacturing exhibition will host the biennial EEMODS (energy efficiency in motor-driven systems) conference for the first time in 2026. The conference is expected to attract experts and policymakers from around the world to discuss efficiency and regulatory issues regarding motors, pumps and compressors. 2026 also marks CWIEME Berlin’s 30th anniversary. https://berlin.cwiemeevents.com/home Lord Vallance: helping UK businesses to work smarter and grow faster
NEWS n THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR humanoid robots, currently worth $2–3bn, could hit $200bn by 2035 “under the most optimistic scenarios”, according to a new report from Barclays Research. It also suggests that Europe could hold a competitive edge in the humanoid supply chain thanks to its expertise in precision engineering and automotive manufacturing – particularly in actuator systems, which account for around half of humanoid production costs. The report, The Future of Work: AI Gets Physical, identifies humanoid robots as the next frontier for AI. They are moving from labs into real-world settings, with the potential to reshape sectors from manufacturing to healthcare, it suggests. The report points out that breakthroughs in AI reasoning, actuator technology and battery systems have cut production costs 30-fold over the past decade, paving the way for commercial adoption. As ageing populations and labour shortages intensify, humanoids could take on repetitive, physically demanding tasks – augmenting rather than replacing humans in labourintensive industries. “Humanoid robots represent a structural shift in automation,”says Zornitsa Todorova, head of thematic FICC (fixed income instruments, currencies and commodities) research at Barclays. “As they move from concept to commercial reality, the implications for labour markets and industrial strategy are profound.” Barclays says that as humanoid production scales, physical AI is emerging as the next major industrial theme – shifting value creation from software to hardware. This could open opportunities for actuator makers, precision component suppliers, and automation leaders who were largely absent from AI’s first wave. Although most humanoid headlines so far have come from China and the US, Barclays points out that humanoids share complexity with automotive manufacturing, “offering Europe a natural advantage”. Several recent developments highlight European manufacturers’ growing involvement in the humanoid robot market. For example: n The UK robotics and AI company, Humanoid, has formed a technology partnership with Schaeffler, and will deliver hundreds of humanoids to Schaeffler’s production facilities over the coming five years. (For more details see www.drivesncontrols.com) n Humanoid has also completed a proofof-concept with Siemens demonstrating the use of humanoid robots in industrial logistics. Humanoid’s wheeled HMND 01 Alpha robot was deployed in real operations in a Siemens facility. The collaboration is the first step in a broader partnership between the two companies aimed at testing and validating how humanoid robots can be used in real-world environments. n The German humanoid developer, Neura Robotics, has entered a strategic technology and development partnership with Robert Bosch Robotics to drive the industrial scaling of humanoid robots and physical AI. They will jointly collect real-world work, movement and environmental data in Bosch facilities and use it to train humanoids. They will also co-develop AI-based core and functional software, as well as intuitive user interfaces. n Neura has also formed a technology partnership with Schaeffler for the next generation of industrial humanoids. The collaboration covers the development and supply of key humanoid components such as actuators. Schaeffler will also deploy Neura’s humanoids across its global production network and integrate thousands of humanoids into its operations by 2035 n And, separately, Schaeffler has unveiled an actuator developed specifically for humanoid robots. The actuator, capable of delivering 60-250Nm of torque, combines a two-stage planetary gearbox, electric motor, encoder and controller. While conventional actuators often have limited or no ability to move the drive in reverse, Schaeffler’s new actuator allows smooth back-driving with high precision. Schaeffler points out that every humanoid needs 25 to 30 actuators for joints such as the knees and hips. “Schaeffler aims to secure a key position in the rapidly growing humanoid robotics market,” says its COO, Andreas Schick. “Thanks to our decades of manufacturing expertise, we are able to deliver the highest quality in large volumes and within the shortest possible production times. The innovative planetary gear actuator is a production-ready key product within our portfolio and will make humanoid robots even more capable and powerful.” 9 www.drivesncontrols.com February 2026 Schaeffler has developed this actuator specifically for humanoid robot applications SEW-Eurodrive has appointed Andy Turner as its new UK managing director, succeeding John Pickup, who has retired. Turner joined SEW in 2008 as an external area sales manager and rose through the ranks to become operations director in April 2025. In his new role, he will be responsible for leading the company and for the performance of SEW’s UK division. This includes defining strategy in line with the Germanheadquartered group’s global objectives and overseeing operations and financial performance. Mitsubishi Electric has appointed Tomohiro Yoshida as the new president of its Factory Automation business in the EMEA region. He brings more than 30 years of experience working at Mitsubishi, having started his career at the company’s Nagoya Works in 1992. Since then, he has held a variety of senior managerial positions, including running the inverter development department in 2017, and being appointed managing director of Mitsubishi’s Indian factory automation business in 2021. Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD), the developer of highefficiency GaN (gallium nitride) power devices has appointed Fabio Necco as CEO, succeeding Giorgia Longobardi, who co-founded the business. He joins from onsemi, the US semiconductor company specialising in intelligent power and sensing technologies, where he was vicepresident and general manager. Longobardi will now act as chief marketing officer, focussing on bringing advanced power electronics to market. Milton-Keynes-based Helix, which claims to make the world’s most power-dense electric motors and inverters for transport applications, has appointed Warren Roberts as chief operating officer to help deliver growth in the next phase of its global expansion. He joins Helix after eight years as MD of the composites division at Prodrive. His previous roles included group manufacturing director of JCB, MD of Alumasc’s precision engineering division, and MD of Mahle UK. Europe could be a leader in $200bn humanoid robot market
n NEWS February 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 10 SIEMENS AND THE CHIP-MAKER NVIDIA have expanded their strategic partnership to bring AI (artificial intelligence) into the real world. Together, they aim to develop industrial and physical AI systems that will bring AI-driven innovation to every industry and industrial workflow, as well as accelerating each others’ operations. They say they are reinventing the entire industrial chain, from design and engineering to manufacturing, production, operations and supply chains. Nvidia will provide the AI infrastructure, simulation libraries, models, frameworks and blueprints, while Siemens will commit hundreds of its industrial AI experts, as well as its hardware and software capabilities. The development was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the US, where Siemens’ Siemens and Nvidia build Industrial AI OS ‘to reinvent entire industrial chain’ WEG HAS COMMISSIONED a facility in Portugal for testing large motors and inverters that is intended to expand its operations and influence across Europe. The laboratory will act as a showcase, with WEG’s customers being invited to view products in operation, and being tested. About six years ago, WEG decided to expand from its original Portuguese base in Maia, near Porto, after identifying a critical need to enhance its inspection processes and improve its production capacity. This led to the establishment of the new lab in Santo Tirso, co-located with a 22,680m2 factory where the company is manufacturing MV and HV drives and motors, as well as LV electrical panels. WEG has invested €23.5m in the site. The new lab, which commenced operations in 2024, is one of WEG’s most advanced test facilities globally. It has a 410m2 test area, as well as 82m2 of offices. The lab also has 560m2 of “technical areas” dedicated to medium- and low-voltage automation and control, and 525m2 to electrical machinery. The facility can test motors weighing up to 43 tonnes. In future, this could be extended up to 63 tonnes. The site can test the performance of both low- and highvoltage equipment up to 15kV, and perform direct load tests on motors and inverters up to 7.5MW. The facility can also perform string tests on complete drivetrains including transformers, inverters and motors, as well as special tests such as high-voltage and sound-level testing of larger machines. The lab is equipped for advanced vibration testing and analysis to ensure compliance with international standards. It can also assess water-cooled systems and lubrication systems. Around 80% of the investment in the new facility has been supplied from within the WEG group – most of the MV equipment, UPSs, PLCs and control systems were procured internally. The laboratory has been designed with future expansion in mind, with space for new test platforms. For example, WEG is developing a new dual-frequency testing method, and is preparing to address emerging areas such as testing battery storage systems and EV chargers. It is also preparing to assess next-generation motor technologies. president and CEO, Roland Busch, explained: “Together, we are building the Industrial AI operating system – redefining how the physical world is designed, built, and run – to scale AI and create real-world impact. “By combining Nvidia’s leadership in accelerated computing and AI platforms, with Siemens’ leading hardware, software, industrial AI and data, we’re empowering customers to develop products faster with the most comprehensive digital twins, adapt production in real time, and accelerate technologies from chips to AI factories.” “Generative AI and accelerated computing have ignited a new industrial revolution, transforming digital twins from passive simulations into the active intelligence of the physical world,” added Nvidia’s founder and CEO, Jensen Huang. “Our partnership with Siemens fuses the world’s leading industrial software with Nvidia’s full-stack AI platform to close the gap between ideas and reality – empowering industries to simulate complex systems in software, then seamlessly automate and operate them in the physical world.” Siemens and Nvidia will work together to build AI-accelerated industrial systems covering the entire lifecycle of products and production, enabling faster innovation, continuous optimisation, and more resilient, sustainable manufacturing. They are aiming to build the world’s first fully AIdriven, adaptive manufacturing sites globally, starting this year with Siemens Electronics’ factory in Erlangen, Germany. Using an “AI brain” powered by software-defined automation and industrial operations software, combined with Nvidia’s Omniverse libraries and AI infrastructure, factories will be able to analyse digital twins continuously, test improvements virtually, and turn validated insights into operational changes on the shopfloor. This will result in faster, more reliable decision-making from design to deployment – boosting productivity, while cutting commissioning times and risk. Several customers are already evaluating some of these capabilities, including Foxconn, Hyundai, Kion Group and PepsiCo. Siemens will accelerate GPU performance across its simulation portfolio and expand support for Nvidia’s CUDA-X libraries and AI physics models, allowing users to run larger, more accurate simulations faster. Building on this, the companies plan to move towards generative simulation by using Nvidia’s PhysicsNeMo and open models to provide autonomous digital twins that deliver real-time engineering design and autonomous optimisation. Siemens’ president and CEO Roland Busch (left) with Nvidia’s president and CEO Jensen Huang at CES 2026 WEG’s Portuguese test lab will act as a showcase for Europe
NEWS n MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC HAS INVESTED IN – and formed a strategic alliance with – the US nocode manufacturing platform developer, Tulip Interfaces, with the aim of overhauling digital transformation (DX) in manufacturing. Financial details of the agreement have not been released. Mitsubishi has also announced plans to accelerate its own digital transformation with the aim of improving its development and production efficiency, and strengthening its competitiveness through enhanced humanresource development and other initiatives. Its goals are to develop and deploy DX technologies in a variety of fields, thus accelerating its transformation and expanding activities related to its Serendie digital platform. Tulip Interfaces’ platform allows manufacturers to achieve real-time situational awareness, improve quality and enhance their operations continuously. Its applications combine the functions needed to build systems and services flexibly. It also facilitates rapid responses to operational changes. Tulip also has an expertise in manufacturingtargeted microservices, which split large-scale systems into small, independent services to enable flexible development and operations. Tulip points out that manufacturers today are facing the dual threats of volatile supply chains and critical labour shortages. It argues that traditional systems and paper-based workarounds often cannot respond adequately to the speed and flexibility demands of modern manufacturing, creating bottlenecks that lead to delays and stagnation. In response, manufacturers are increasingly turning to digital technologies and data. In particular, there is a growing demand for cloud-based development platforms that avoid complex programming, thus helping to reduce the effort needed to build systems manually. Tulip embeds AI into frontline operations, allowing rapid problem-solving and turning complex data into insights and actions. Through the new partnership, Mitsubishi will use Tulip’s platform to roll out scalable, AIdriven applications, marking a shift towards agile, human-centric innovation. “Tulip Interfaces’composable platform development technology will enable us to respond to the speed and flexibility demanded by manufacturing sites,”says Satoshi Takeda, Mitsubishi Electric’s chief digital officer, and president of its Digital Innovation group. “By combining the technologies that both companies possess, we aim to accelerate DX and innovation as well as strengthen our competitiveness beyond the boundaries of the manufacturing industry.” Massachusetts -based Tulip, established in 2012, has a staff of more than 300. Mitsubishi takes a stake in US no-code specialist to ‘overhaul’ manufacturing Tulip’s AI-based platform allows manufacturers to digitise processes, collect real-time data, and drive improvement, without writing any code Opt ed co m close timize your torqu ooling machine ass r e moto s e m b ly w i th o ur G W EA W Water pip ASY INS solution. leakage-free Guaranteed GHTNESS e ce. WATER TI rfa leakage free pes Plug-and-Play inter N STALLATIO emoves the need T R MACHINE COS on controlle and hig ers cated to moti is 100% dedi dmotor. ETEL for special casting aroun gh-end motion system products Our w ology. o direct drive techn provides a portfolio to meet yo ide range of linear and torque m ur needs. motors, position and ETEL Torque Motors ar HEIDENHA buted in the UK by re distri b T: 01444 2477 • AIN GB Limited sales@heidenhain.co.uk • 711 www.etel.ch
HOW MUCH ENERGY DO YOUR MACHINES USE WHEN YOU’RE CLOSED? It is all too easy to leave industrial machinery in a live operating condition between shifts. But according to a new analysis, this practice could be costing UK manufacturers hundreds of millions of pounds on their energy bills every year. FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics calculates that UK manufacturers lost up to £408m in 2025 by failing to power down their machines when their factories were closed. FourJaw’s analysis – which draws on its own machine monitoring data as well as other sources including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – suggests that machinery left idling when not in use wastes up to 1.8TWh of electricity every year. This accounts for about 0.64% of the UK’s electricity usage, and would be enough to power around 500,000 British homes for a year. FourJaw – founded in 2020 as a spinout from the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre – believes that the failure to isolate machinery between shifts is a major cause of wasted energy in UK factories. Its analysis shows that the issue primarily affects around 180,000 small and medium-sized manufacturers that operate single-shift production schedules without implementing off-shift switch-off policies. This is a particularly costly issue for UK manufacturers because they pay around twice the average EU price for energy. FourJaw estimates that UK manufacturers spent about £14.7bn on electricity in 2025, with more than half of this being used to power production machinery. “Traditionally, manufacturers left machines idling off-shift because they considered it better than powering them off and on again,” points out FourJaw’s CEO, Chris Iveson. “This approach is wasteful when applied to all machinery – particularly given the high energy costs now. “Most large manufacturers have implemented systems to monitor machinelevel consumption that allow them to compare the cost of a warm-up run with several hours of idling and take the most cost-effective course of action,” Iveson adds. “But it is SME manufacturers running single-shift operations that have most to gain from powering down machinery when not in use. Idling energy use may seem small, but at a typical 50kWh per machine per week in a single-shift factory, that’s £450 in unnecessary spend per machine per year. Iveson reports that new regulations compelling manufacturers to calculate perunit carbon emissions have driven the use of machine-level productivity and energy data. “We see manufacturers using this data to inform how they manage machines off-shift and making big savings and sustainability gains doing so.” FourJaw has a vested interest in persuading manufacturers to take a closer look at how much energy their machines are using – it offers a plug-and-play machine-monitoring platform for machines of any brand or age. The system is currently being used by more than 160 manufacturers around the world. So the relatively simple practice of switching off machinery when it is idle could have a significant impact on UK manufacturers’ energy bills, especially for SMEs. Tony Sacks, Editor n COMMENT
Drives&Controls & BACK TO BASICS n SPONSORED BY There’s more to efficiency than the datasheet When choosing the most efficient motor-and-drive package, you would think it would be as simple as taking the drive and motor with the best nominal efficiency values, and pairing them together. However, as Martin Richardson, water framework manager at ABB, explains, sometimes things are not quite as easy in practice. Datasheets are a valuable tool for helping to determine what type and size of drive and motor will be the right choice for your application. But when it comes to choosing the most efficient motor-and-drive package, the datasheet may only tell half the story. Nominal load efficiency figures are calculated at a fixed operating point, in line with current European standards for efficiency. If your drive and motor only spend 20% of their time running at this point, then it follows that they will spend 80% of their operating hours running at a different – and likely lower – efficiency. As such, the most efficient motor or drive on paper may not necessarily be the most efficient one in practice. In the water industry, we frequently encounter motors that are oversized for their application, on the basis that a larger motor provides insurance against worst-case scenarios. If those scenarios don’t come around very often, then the system will spend the vast majority of its time running at a lower efficiency than it could be. Moreover, each component in a motor-driven system will affect others within the same system. Matched pairs are matched for a reason, and are carefully designed to work optimally together. The ideal choice of equipment for a particular application will depend not only on the nominal torque and speed requirement of the system, but most importantly the intended use profile for different scenarios during operation, and the control philosophy. You won’t find this sort of insight on the datasheet, but you will find it by talking to your supplier, who should have a deep understanding of what their products can and cannot do, and the nuances of how they actually operate in the field. As suppliers of both motors and drives, ABB’s experts and partners can provide assistance with choosing and dimensioning the right package for optimal results and ROI. ABB’s Ecodesign tool allows you to input the details of any ABB motor and drive, and calculate the losses and efficiency for complete drive modules, LV motors, and package efficiency at different operating points. Search for “ABB Ecodesign tool”. pot en ti a l o f y o Are you inve our workforce? esting in the mproves Comp Creates an Adaptable a ncreases Productivi mproves Safe W Industry recognised co I I a I any Reputation nd Flexible Workforce y and Performance orking Practices ourses from the BFPA W t a p Please call 01608 6479 00 or bfpa.co.u RITISH FLUID POW B email enquiries@bfpa.co.uk k/training WER ASSOCIATION / Drives&Controls Follow us on LinkedIn @Drives & Controls Join us on Facebook Drives & Controls Follow us on X @DrivesnControls For the latest news visit www.drivesncontrols.com Drives& Controls
Industrial automation stands at a transformative crossroads, where the relentless demand for efficiency, connectivity, and safety meets the need for proven reliability. Into this landscape, IMO Precision Controls introduces the Jaguar NXG Series Inverter Drive, a product that does more than simply control motor speed; it marks the rebirth of a legend. With over four decades of heritage and five million installations globally, the Jaguar name returns to lead the next generation of inverter control. A Legacy of Innovation: The History of the Jaguar Inverter Drive The story of the Jaguar inverter drive is a story of consistent evolution. First launched in 1984, the Jaguar quickly carved a niche as a benchmark for excellence. In an era where inverter equipment was often bulky and required high maintenance, the Jaguar soon earned a reputation for its compactness and reliability. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, IMO continued to evolve the Jaguar and lead the industry: 1984: The launch of the VL series, one of the first miniature analogue 3-phase drives. 1988: The launch of the first digital inverter drive with the CD Mk1. 1993: The introduction of the first DIN-rail mountable micro drive, a revolutionary step for panel builders. 1995-2000: The arrival of advanced torque vector technology, providing the precision control needed for complex production lines. The IMO Jaguar led the transformation to reliable, compact inverter technology and the market’s response was immediate and loyal. Engineers increasingly asked for "Jaguar dependability", updated for a world defined by Industry 4.0. The NXG Series is IMO’s definitive answer to that call. Performance at its Core: Power and Precision The Jaguar NXG is engineered for highperformance motor control across a wide range of power requirements, from 0.2kW up to 22kW (1/4HP to 30HP). This range covers the vast majority of standard industrial applications, from small standalone machines to integrated factory systems. High Starting Torque and Sensorless Vector Control At the heart of the NXG's performance is its Sensorless Vector Control (SVC). Traditional V/f control is often insufficient for demanding applications that require high torque at low speeds. The NXG’s SVC technology delivers a massive 200% starting torque at just 0.5Hz for asynchronous motors. Torque Response: The drive responds to torque changes in less than 10ms. Speed Regulation: It offers a 1:100 speed regulation ratio for asynchronous motors and 1:50 for synchronous motors. Precision: Speed control accuracy is maintained at ±0.2%. Dual Rating for Maximum Versatility Understanding that different applications place different stresses on a drive, the NXG features Dual Rating as standard: 1. Heavy Duty (HD - Constant Torque): Designed for loads like conveyors or cranes that require high torque throughout the speed range. Overload capacity is 150% for 1 minute or 180% for 10 seconds. 2. Normal Duty (ND - Variable Torque): Ideal for centrifugal pumps and fans where torque requirements decrease with speed. Overload capacity is 110% for 1 minute or 150% for 10 seconds. Safety Without Compromise: Integrated STO and Fire Mode In modern manufacturing, safety is paramount. The Jaguar NXG eliminates the need for expensive, space-consuming external safety components by integrating Safe Torque Off (STO) into every unit. n COVER STORY IMO Unveils the Jaguar NXG Series Inverter Drive The Evolution of Excellence:
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