The global site of the UK's leading magazine for automation, motion engineering and power transmission
28 March, 2024

LinkedIn
Twitter
Twitter link
News » UK News 

Sewtec will double in size as it moves to Wakefield

22 November, 2019

The British industrial automation specialist Sewtec is relocating to a 75,000ft2 (7,000m2) facility in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, as part of a transformation strategy. The new building is more than twice the size of its current site in Dewsbury, also in West Yorkshire.


Japanese drive-maker sets its sights on the UK market

22 November, 2019

The Japanese drives-maker Fuji Electric has announced a pair of multi-purpose variable-speed drives as part of a concerted effort to boost its presence in the UK market. After being represented in the UK by distributors for many years, Fuji set up its own UK office three years ago, headed by industry veteran, Stuart Cardall, who was previously UK sales manager for B&R and earlier in his career worked for IMO.


Mistry succeeds Montag as Gambica’s automation head

21 November, 2019

Nikesh Mistry has been appointed to succeed Victoria Montag as head of industrial automation activities at Gambica, the trade organisation that represents the sector in the UK.


Motion control firm rescues Jena Tec from administration

23 October, 2019

A new Mansfield-based business, Motion Control Engineering, has acquired the business and assets of Jena Tec Precision, the Nottingham-based manufacturer of linear and rotary motion products that was placed in administration last month, following financial difficulties.


Stainless-steel servo gearboxes come with 5-year warranties

21 October, 2019

At the PPMA show earlier this month, Uttoxeter-based Apex Dynamics UK made its public debut with a range of servo gearboxes that it claims are the first in the world to come with a five-year warranty. The portfolio includes a series of stainless-steel, planetary servo gearboxes that it describes as “a game-changer for the food, pharmaceutical, packaging and automation sectors,” partly because they do not cost much more than standard steel boxes.


Nord aims to double the size of its UK business

21 October, 2019

The geared motors and drives specialist Nord Gear is aiming to almost double the size of its UK business to around £30m in the five years to 2023. The company, which is celebrating its 25th year in the UK this year, currently employs almost 50 people and assembles up to 30 geared motors every day. Together with ready-built assemblies delivered from its parent company in Germany, these account for about 80% of Nord’s UK business.


Free BSI guide will help manufacturers to go digital

18 October, 2019

BSI has issued a free guide to help UK businesses to plan for digital transformation. Called PAS 1040:2019 Digital readiness – Adopting digital technologies in manufacturing – Guide, it will help them to assess and improve their readiness to adopt technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence), robotics, and the Internet of Things.


Siemens CEO Maier retires early, Ennis is his successor

24 September, 2019

Siemens UK CEO, Juergen Maier, is taking early retirement at the age of 55, after 33 years with the company. He will be succeeded on 1 January, 2020, by Carl Ennis, currently UK & Ireland head of Products & Systems Sales for Siemens Smart Infrastructure.


Control Techniques extends drives warranties to 5 years

23 September, 2019

The drives-maker Control Techniques has announced a free five-year warranty on its Commander range of general-purpose drives. Anyone who buys one of these drives will be able to register to extend its warranty from two years to five, at no extra cost. The offer relates to the C200 and C300 general-purpose drives that CT launched last year when it reintroduced the Commander name.


Ballscrew-maker Jena Tec Precision enters administration

23 September, 2019

Jena Tec Precision, the Nottingham, UK, based manufacturer of linear and rotary motion products, including ballscrews, spindles and actuators, has been placed in administration. The joint administrators – Mike Solomons of restructuring, recovery and insolvency firm, BM Advisory, and James Robinson of Finn Associates – are hoping to sell the business and its assets as a going concern.


UK electrical manufacturers make net-zero pledge

23 September, 2019

Two dozen electrotechnical manufacturers with UK operations – including ABB, Eaton, GE, Mitsubishi Electric, Schneider Electric and Siemens – have pledged to reduce their emissions to net-zero by 2050. The announcement was made at the London launch of a new report from Beama, the trade body for the sector, which warns that setting targets in legislation alone will not be enough to achieve net-zero emissions.


MTC sets up production support base in Liverpool

18 September, 2019

The UK's Manufacturing Technology Centre is setting up an operation in Liverpool to support manufacturing growth and innovation in the area. The new facility, with a staff of more than 60, will be located at Liverpool Science Park (LSP) in Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool). It will be one of the biggest lettings for the science park in more than five years.


Tea company brews up a packing machinery business

16 September, 2019

A UK company that sells tea on a subscription basis has entered the packaging equipment market after it had to develop its own machinery because it couldn’t find any affordable systems on the market.


‘Ground-breaking’ programme will help UK businesses to adopt industry 4.0

13 August, 2019

Siemens Digital Industries has joined forces with the analytics specialist Atos and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Hartree Centre, to launch a “ground-breaking” Industrial Digitalisation Accelerator (IDA) programme that will offer UK businesses of all sizes a practical, collaborative space in which to explore Industry 4.0 technologies. They claim it is the first time that experts in the fields of IoT, analytics and computing have come together to help industry to discover new pathways to growth.


£35m facility will focus on safety of robotic systems

13 August, 2019

The University of York in the UK is to establish a £35m research facility aimed at ensuring the safety of robotics and other systems that use artificial intelligence. The York Global Initiative for Safe Autonomy will house specialist laboratories and testing facilities – bringing together industrial partners and experts in the field. The UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) will provide £10.5m of the funding, with the rest coming through match funding from industrial and philanthropic partners.


Magazine
  • To view a digital copy of the latest issue of Drives & Controls, click here.

    To visit the digital library of past issues, click here

    To subscribe to the magazine, click here

     

Poll

"Do you think that robots create or destroy jobs?"

Newsletter
Newsletter

Events

Most Read Articles