Siemens has announced two key appointments at the top of its Industry Automation & Drives Technologies (IA&DT) division in the UK. It has also joined forces with several industrial companies to form a “drive train partnership”.

Andrew Peter (below, right) has been appointed director of the Drive Technologies division, while Brian Halliday (below, left) is taking on a similar role in the Industry Automation division. They are charged with leading the future strategic direction and operational delivery in their businesses, and will report to IA&DT managing director, Juergen Maier.

“The UK IA&DT business is going from strength to strength,” says Maier. “The individual merits of our industry automation and drive technologies solutions are strong and well-proven, but working more closely together we can offer an enhanced and powerful combination of broad-based expertise, technical solutions and innovative thinking to provide real and tangible answers for industry.” The IA&DT operation employs around 2,000 people in the UK.

In a separate move, Siemens Drives Technology (DT) has linked up with a number of industry suppliers and distributors in a “drive train partnership” aimed at promoting the company’s capability and delivering products and systems faster. The companies involved are Brammer, Hayley, Fraser & Macdonald, Southern & Redfern, Dorlec, Anstee Ware, CPM and MR Engineering.

The products covered by the partnership include variable speed drives, induction motors, geared motors and gearboxes. 
 
“This new partnership enables Siemens to deliver its DT products and services through a strong national and regional parts network to its large and varied customer base,” says Paul Dudley, Siemens’ channel manager for Drives Technology. “Customers will see an immediate and long-term benefit from this move.”

Siemens has also improved its service operation and now provides a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week call-out service for all of its motors. It has also increased and widened its UK stock levels to meet the additional demand it expects the partners to create. The company can now supply Eff1 industrial motors up to 200kW directly from its Bradford site, while the new partners will be able to supply motors up to 90kW from stock, along with other services such as installation and motor repair facilities.