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 

UK motor-maker abandons Sunderland production line plans

14 February, 2024

The British electric motor developer and manufacturer, Saietta, has abandoned plans to manufacture electrical steering pumps at a former ZF Automotive plant in Sunderland. It says it has been unable to reach commercial agreement on a contract to manufacture the pumps for a customer and that it has received a £600,000 offer for the production line. Following the news, Saietta’s share price fell by more than half.


Tool helps to assess careers in controls, drives and machines

06 February, 2024

An online tool that helps people assess their prospects for a career in drives, controls, power electronics and machines, has been launched by the Electric Revolution Skills (ERS) Hub – the UK Government-backed platform that provides a national skills resource to help attract people into the “electrification” sector.


Southern Manufacturing has a new owner

11 January, 2024

Easyfairs, which describes itself as the world’s largest privately owned exhibition organiser, is buying European Trade & Exhibition Services (Etes), which organises the UK’s annual Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition. The 2024 event, which takes place at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre from 6–8 February, will be run by Etes, but Easyfairs will take over after that. The details of the transaction have not been revelaed.


Edwin James buys ACS to boost SI and digitalisation services

08 January, 2024

The Scottish engineering services provider Edwin James Group has bought Burton-on-Trent-based Automated Control Solutions Holdings and its subsidiaries Automated Control Solutions and ACS Electrical Engineering (together trading as ACS), for an undisclosed sum.


Manufacturers see UK becoming a more competitive base

08 January, 2024

British manufacturers are viewing the UK as a more competitive place to locate their activities than they did 12 months ago, with an growing number believing they are moving ahead of their European rivals. However, they remain wary of the threats posed by the US, India and China.


AI tool will simplify the use of hazardous area standards

04 January, 2024

The Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) is working with the British Standards Institute (BSI) and Innovate UK’s Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge, to develop an AI-powered tool to help electromechanical repairers ensure that they repair hazardous area motors to the correct standard.


Motor-maker Parvalux opens new £30m HQ in Poole

02 January, 2024

The UK motors and gearboxes manufacturer, Parvalux, has officially opened a new £30m headquarters building in Poole, Dorset, which brings together operations which were previously spread across three sites. The company, which was acquired by the Swiss motor-maker maxon in 2018, is hoping to double in size by 2030.


Pumping station upgrade wins AEMT project of the year

18 December, 2023

A project which solved frequent tripping problems at a water company pumping station has been chosen as project of the year in the annual AEMT (Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades) awards, which were presented recently at ceremony in Coventry.


Yaskawa moves UK HQ to EV hotspot in Sunderland

11 December, 2023

Yaskawa, the Japanese manufacturer of drives, motion controls and robotics, is moving to a new 35,000ft2 (3,250m2) UK headquarters and manufacturing facility in Sunderland. The site, at Hillthorn Park, is next to Nissan UK and the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP).


ABB and UK firm will use gravity to store energy in old mines

11 December, 2023

ABB has signed an agreement with the UK-based gravity energy storage firm Gravitricity to explore how hoist technologies could accelerate the development and implementation of gravity-based energy storage systems operating in former mines.


PPMA is reborn as Automate UK, making automation central

04 December, 2023

The PPMA (Processing & Packaging Machinery Association) Group of Associations is changing its name to Automate UK to better represent the needs of its membership and their customers. The move follows the PPMA’s publication of a Manifesto for Automation earlier in the year, which set out its goals and commitment to make the UK more productive. It also set out the central role that automation has to play in the UK manufacturing sector.


£145m cash injection aims to boost UK innovation

28 November, 2023

Innovate UK, working with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, is investing £145m in UK innovation in a series of schemes, including £27m for the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult to lead net-zero and industrial transformation projects that support the manufacturing and construction sectors. The investments also include £45m of support for industries and dedicated hubs, institutes and centres across the UK.


Coventry’s ‘Faculty on the Factory Floor’ gets a £6m expansion

22 November, 2023

Coventry University has relaunched its Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) with a £6m expansion aimed at helping UK manufacturers on their journeys to a clean, sustainable and digital world. The latest funding – which takes the total invested in AME so far to £18m – adds nearly 2,000m2 of space which is being used for a digital twin pilot environment, a robot testing area, AI and VR stations, laser welders and six new laboratories.


Free directory will help manufacturers to find suppliers

22 November, 2023

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult has launched a free-to-use tool that makes it easier for UK manufacturers to connect with suppliers of goods and services. The UK Supply Chain Directory brings together hundreds of thousands of UK industrial businesses in an easy-to-search online resource.


UK developer of rare-earth-free motors wins £23m of funding

21 November, 2023

The British electric motor developer Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) has secured £23m of new investment which it will use to scale up production, establish a global sales operation, and boost its R&D capabilities.


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