Industrial wireless blackout looms

~ GAMBICA calls for harmonisation of EN62657-2 ~

GAMBICA, the trade body for instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology industry, has asked for the harmonisation of the new EN62657-2 industrial wireless co-existence standard, which otherwise could lead to a major industrial wireless failure. 

With the intention of preserving bandwidth, the telecommunications industry has written a harmonised standard that does not allow industrial wireless control systems to function. The European Telecommunications Standard Institute (ETSI) is now blocking the harmonisation of a European standard, which facilitates co-existence management of Industrial communication networks under the R&TTE directive. This restriction is likely to make Europe lose significant competitive ground in the industrial wireless field.

ETSI, are officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organisation and have written the harmonised standard: EN 300 328 V1.8.1, a standard that amends the existing rules for all devices using the publicly available radio band. The band includes millions of devices using WiFi, Bluetooth and Zigbee technologies. This means it will have a major impact on manufacturers from all sectors once it comes into force, on January 1, 2015.

It is a harmonized EN standard covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of the R&TTE Directive, which states that “in addition, radio equipment shall be so constructed that it effectively uses the spectrum allocated to terrestrial/space radio communication and orbital resources so as to avoid harmful interference.”

 “With the intention of effectively using the spectrum, the telecommunications industry has produced a harmonised standard, which does not allow industrial wireless control systems to function,” explains Andrew Evans, technical executive at GAMBICA. “The problem with the standard is that it introduces the concept of Listen Before Talk (LBT). LBT requires each radio device to first check whether another device is transmitting, in which case it must hold back until the channel is free. This causes random and unpredictable communication delays.

“The entire idea is simply nonviable,” continues Evans. “At times of heavy use, the result is 'graceful degradation of service'. Unfortunately, the real problem for an industrial site is that key wireless devices can never be relied upon to report their alarm or status messages in a timely fashion.”

Industry has tried to work with ETSI by submitting comments on the revision of EN300328 V1.8.1 including suggestions for exemption or optional use of LBT within defined industrial automation areas. These solutions have not been included in the new revision of the standard. V1.8.1.

Industry has also worked hard via technical committee SC65C to develop an IEC standard: 62657-2 (2013) “Industrial Communication Networks - Wireless Communication Networks - Pt 2: Coexistence Management”. This has been voted positively by CENELEC to become EN62657-2, but the harmonisation of this standard under the R&TTE directive has been blocked by ETSI.

GAMBICA is urging all member companies providing industrial wireless equipment, or whose services rely on these systems, to contact their UK trade association or other organisations on the continent. The industry needs to make further efforts to explain the possible consequences of LBT to the European Commission and call for the harmonisation of EN62657-2 under the R&TTE directive as soon as possible.


Wireless process control technology is in its infancy still, but widely seen across the process industry as a huge growth area. One only needs to glance at trade publications to see the plethora of wireless marketing material. It is a significant growth area which provides major cost savings in wiring and installation time. Many sites in the UK have wireless systems installed and more are in the pipeline.  At a stroke, these investments are put at risk and the future growth of UK based industry will be gravely harmed.

Process sector gets together to grow the market

GAMBICA, the UK trade association for instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology, will host the eleventh edition of the Measurement and Control Information Exchange System (MACIES) event, at the Siemens headquarters in Manchester on March 21, 2014. The informal gathering will review market data, estimate the UK market size for around 40 different product categories and make predictions for the next financial year. 

Companies interested in attending the event can find out more or confirm their presence by contacting Sarah Wicks on 0207 642 8080 or by e-mail at swicks@gambica.org.uk. Tickets to the event are £60 for GAMBICA members and MACIES is still open to non-GAMBICA members for £120.

It represents an excellent opportunity for process industry manufacturers and distributors to objectively analyse and discuss valuable data and look at strategic initiatives to encourage the growth of the processing sector.

Previous discussions at the MACIES gathering have included instrumentation and control products, primarily for the process industries, which includes pressure and level instruments, flowmeters, recorders, analytical instruments, smart positioners, field devices, control systems and infrared temperature measurement. This year also sees the formation of a new collection for gas chromatographs.

“The MACIES event has become a tradition for process companies. It's an excellent opportunity for well-established businesses to meet fellow industry leaders and for smaller, newer companies to become a part of the community,” enthused Andrew Evans, technical executive at GAMBICA.

“It also gives us a chance to better coordinate our efforts for the next financial year, based on very accurate and insightful industry data. This will help the industry continue to grow in a sustainable, responsible manner.”

“Industry data at the MACIES events has always been invaluable to our company,” explained David Newell, UK managing director of Endress & Hauser. “It is the only reliable source of market data for UK process instrumentation and control equipment. Equivalents are rarely found in other European countries, so we’re very lucky to be part of it.”


GAMBICA operates a range of statistics collection services on behalf of industry and exercises strict confidentiality rules to protect individual company data as well as the availability of the collated data. The information is collected off-site and not shared with any uninvolved GAMBICA employees.

Energy efficiency experts at Drives and Controls 2014

GAMBICA, the UK trade association for instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology, will host a pavilion at the Drives & Controls Exhibition, taking place at the NEC in Birmingham, between April 8 and April 10, 2014. The seven participating GAMBICA members can be found at stands number G10 to G70.

Steve Brambley, GAMBICA’s deputy director and the organisation’s Variable Speed Drives (VSD) group convener, will also present two seminars at the event. The first one will be a part of the Motor Driven Systems (MDS) day and will take place on April 9, between 11:30 and 12:00. The seminar will address ways in which intelligent control can significantly reduce energy usage.

The second session is a panel discussion that will take place on April 10, from 10:15 to 11:15 and will look at the automation trends in the UK.

The GAMBICA members pavilion will play host to seven members, each with their own stand. The participants are Danfoss, Fairford Electronics, Omron Electronics, Pepperl + Fuchs GB, TECO, Vacon Drives UK and Parker SSD Drives.

“We’re particularly looking forward to this year’s event as an opportunity to exhibit as a trade body and in partnership with some of our members,” explains Brambley. “We’ve worked with all our members to create a varied exhibit, that reflects the GAMBICA membership and we look forward to meeting as many visitors and fellow exhibitors as possible. We’re certain that the recent confidence boost in the automation and manufacturing sectors will reflect positively on this year’s Drives & Controls show.”

For the 2014 Drives & Controls show, the participating GAMBICA members will focus on issues including energy efficiency, the benefits of motor control in fixed and variable speed applications and the advantages of using automation and robotics.

An Omron Delta-style robot will be exhibited on stand G70, in a typical material handling application. Every aspect of the machine cell will be controlled by a Sysmac machine automation controller.

GAMBICA member Fairford Electronics has also prepared a particularly interesting exhibit. "Fairford are delighted to be part of the GAMBICA pavilion this year. It gives us a chance to showcase our revolutionary intelligent energy saving motor controller - Synergy. We will have a live unit with us and visitors will be able to test it and see just how compact, powerful and easy to use it is," commented Stephen Royle, sales and marketing director at Fairford Electronics.

On stand G20, Danfoss will discuss their VLT® High Power Drives and low harmonic versions of the VLT® Automation, HVAC and AQUA drives. The products actively reduce harmonic distortion in the power supply, improving power quality by continuously regulating the network to the load conditions. The VLT® Advanced Active Filter is designed to complement the VLT® series of low harmonic drives, a flexible and adaptable solution for stand-alone or group harmonic mitigation.

Teco will be launching the latest additions to the 510 family of VSD’s, namely the IP66 version of the E510 sensorless vector drive and the IP55 variant of the F510 which is designed for fan and pump control.

On stand G60, Vacon will showcase VACON 100 FLOW drives, which incorporate an extensive range of dedicated features and menus optimised for pump and fan applications, and VACON 100 X drives, which have an IP66 ingress protection rating that allows them to be used almost anywhere – even outdoors – without the need for extra protection.
Brian Hurley, general manager of Parker's SSD Drives Division announced "We're delighted to be back at Drives & Controls. This show will be the UK debut for the new AC10 drive, as well as the newly extended AC30 Series. The UK is an important market for us and this exhibition presents us with a good opportunity to show our customers how our product range has developed."

Manufacturing survey calls for support scheme awareness

GAMBICA has released the results of its recent Manufacturing Support Scheme Survey, highlighting the need to increase communications about the support schemes available. 

GAMBICA ran the survey with support from organisations such as IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology), EEF (The Manufacturers' Organisation), IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) and Intellect.

The survey was conducted to gather accurate data and assess the level of awareness and uptake of 18 key manufacturing support services provided by Government. The 446 participants revealed an average index of 34% awareness of the schemes, whilst 16% of respondents were already using or considering using them.

The most popular schemes amongst those surveyed, with 70% and 69% awareness respectively, were the Apprenticeship Service and the R&D Tax Credits. The schemes that manufacturers are least aware of are the Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot and TRS (Talent Retention Solution).

In terms of take up, 28% of those surveyed were already using the Apprenticeship Service for their company. Interestingly, the scheme to which most companies were signed up was the R&D Tax Credits, with almost a third of respondents confirming that they are involved in the scheme.

"Our aim was to create a survey that would be simple enough to complete but gather good evidence of awareness levels," explained Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA. "The results indicate a wide spread of awareness levels of the different schemes, suggesting the need for specific targeted communication actions. The really positive outcome of the survey is that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is keen to work with GAMBICA and the other survey stakeholders in order to raise awareness and promote these essential support schemes," he concluded.

A forum chaired by BIS  will kick off in November to prioritise actions based on the results of the survey.

"GAMBICA and survey stakeholders like IET, EEF, IMechE and Intellect are invited to take part in the discussions," added Steve Brambley. "We are looking forward to putting our minds together and finding the best ways to communicate the benefits of different schemes to UK plc," he said.

More information about the survey and the schemes available can be found on the GAMBICA website http://www.gambica.org.uk/ManufacturingSupport.

Lifetime cost is more important than purchase cost

GAMBICA, the association for instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology, is set to present two seminars, on energy efficiency and electric motors respectively, at The Machine Building Show in Hall 3 of the NEC, Birmingham between September 25 and 26, 2013.  

Organised by trade show expert Trident Exhibitions, and backed by a wide range of industrial media organisations, this new event is co-located with a number of other industry leading trade exhibitions. GAMBICA is one of the supporting partners.

The first seminar has the title ‘Energy Efficiency – Investing in the machine to reduce the running cost’ and will address the benefit of investing in energy efficient systems to reduce energy costs.

It will focus on the difference between purchase price and lifetime cost for motor driven systems and show that the energy consumed costs significantly more than the capital purchase. The session will also discuss why this is an important factor for the end-user and how machine builders can provide this service, using their own expertise to add value.

“If you justify an investment purely on purchase cost, the “cheaper” option could turn out to be more expensive and the most energy efficient machine would be the most cost effective over its lifetime,” explains Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA and the speaker at both sessions.

“When buying a car like a BMW saloon, the purchase cost is more significant than the cost of fuel, whereas with an electric motor, the energy cost is far more significant than the purchase price. Nevertheless, car buyers do pay attention to fuel and economy.”

The second seminar has the title ‘Electric Motors – how control and automation is the key to energy saving’, building on the financial focus of the previous seminar.

This session will look in more detail at electric motors and the options for control and automation. It will demonstrate how the major gain in efficiency is at the system level rather than component level by looking at both theory and case studies.

It will explore the different forms of motor control, examining the advantages and typical uses of each. Finally, it will look at how best to make a decision on the appropriate form of control for the application, using tools to assist in the process.

“GAMBICA, and particularly its variable speed drives group, is constantly looking for ways to collaborate with communities that use automation technology. The Machine Building Show is a fantastic opportunity to meet with stakeholders who design, build and operate machines and understand their needs.


“The many benefits of automation can be discussed and new ways to bring value can be raised. As a speaker at the event, my goal is that participants will go away having learned something new that will be useful in their work,” concluded Brambley.

GAMBICA joins drive to boost UK electronics by 55%

Graeme Philp in talks with
UK Government

GAMBICA has today joined UK Government and a number of leading trade bodies and associations in a drive to create a 55 percent boost to the UK electronic systems sector. The objective is to build a £120 billion industry within seven years. GAMBICA is the UK trade association for Automation, Instrumentation, Control and Laboratory Technology.

This will create an additional 150,000 skilled jobs across the UK if the plan is realised. Based on the Electronic Systems Challenges and Opportunities (ESCO) committee report, the strategy document reveals how the sector can grow to contribute 7.1 percent of GDP by 2020, placing it among the top five UK industries. Electronics would then support over one million skilled jobs, making it a top five UK employer.

Michael Fallon is co-chairing the electronics systems forum within ESCO and GAMBICA has led the manufacturing work stream for the report and successfully recruited Juergen Maier, managing director of Siemens UK and Ireland industry sector, into the group.

The Report was created for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills with Michael Fallon MP, minister of state for Business and Enterprise and minister of state for Energy, at the launch.

“Industrial electronics, notably instrumentation and automation, has a key part to play in the expansion of the UK’s high value manufacturing base,” explained Graeme Philp, CEO of GAMBICA.

“It generates wealth not only in automation and manufacturing but also in other sectors. The report makes several key recommendations, including measures to improve supply chains and strategic procurement, the skills pipeline and the formation of a think tank to identify future growth sectors.

“According to the Office of National Statistics, over 5,300 companies in the UK classify themselves as electronics systems manufacturers by their standard industrial classification (SIC) codes. Those companies together employ more than 220,000 people in the UK.

“The survey that we undertook as part of the ESCO report found that around a quarter of the companies that off-shored their manufacturing during the last 20 years have re-shored it. The prime reason given for this is the hidden costs associated with off-shoring such as quality control issues. These are much more difficult to manage at a distance.”


The UK is already renowned as a leading innovator in the electronic systems sector, and 14 of the world’s top 20 semiconductor companies have established design and/or manufacturing operations in the UK. However, compared to South Korea, which has a similar size, GDP and population, the UK has previously failed to create strong international electronics brands.

The report calls for a long-term strategic approach between Government and industry to ensure that the right ecosystem is in place to encourage the investment and entrepreneurship. It is believed that this will trigger the rise of these high-growth enterprises.

GAMBICA forms industrial network security group

Is your password crackable?

GAMBICA has formed an industrial network security group to identify standards and best practice for members and their customers to help counter the threats of viruses, industrial sabotage and terrorism. 

The new group already has 19 members and came about as a result of feedback from other group members suggesting that this is an area of increasing interest to the automation industry.

“I put out a proposal to GAMBICA’s membership and within hours got messages back from about 15 member companies saying they were definitely interested in participating in such a group,” reveals Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA.

“We had an exploratory meeting where it was determined that the industry is interested in spreading best practice among both vendors and their customer base.

“Defence-in-depth is what is needed; because there is no single solution to industrial network security – it is systematic. Industrial network system security is just part of the wider topic of security and needs to be integrated, not treated separately. There is no point in having an uncrackable password protection system if people write them on sticky notes and put them on their screens.”

Brambley points out that industrial networks are rarely managed in the same way as enterprise networks, and fall under different areas of responsibility in a business. Office applications are typically managed by an IT department using its approved security software, standards and codes of practice, while the industrial side tends to be looked after by an engineering department without necessarily involving the IT team.

For example, it is not uncommon for a PC controlling a manufacturing cell to be running a very old version of Windows, such as NT or XP without an internet connection.

“At some point later in its life, the engineering department may decide it wants to connect some manufacturing cells to get production information out onto the IT network,” add Brambley. “This can introduce vulnerability if the cells are managed by a PC with an old version of Windows that has not been updated.

“Industrial network systems need to be dealt with differently from IT networks in a business.

“Communications need to be continuous and without glitch for monitoring a fast process, whether the controlled process is food, oil, metalworking, paper or anything else.

“This is different to an enterprise IT environment, where it does not matter if a PC takes a few seconds to update and the user can’t access a Word document during that time!”

Brambley concludes that security measures need to recognise the needs of the system and that the automation industry has a part to play as the experts in integrating their own systems into a wider security policy. They need a voice and a presence to tackle these issues and GAMBICA’s new group provides this.

GAMBICA tops British Standards table for contributing members

A recent report from BSI, the business standards company, has revealed that GAMBICA has more members contributing to BSI committees than any other trade association. The report, entitled Structuring Knowledge: Standards Development Briefing states that GAMBICA has representation on 100 technical committees and sub committees.   

The report was published by BSI to demonstrate that standards are a crucial part of the way that business delivers value to the economy and to society.

BSI committee members are leading experts who help to create published standards. They come from industry, trade associations, government organisations, professional associations, research institutions, academia, consumer and public interest bodies.

Furthermore, the report does not only demonstrate influence over standards in the United Kingdom. In order to influence standards at a European (CEN / CENELEC) and international level (IEC / ISO), work has to be conducted at a national standards working group level through the BSI.

This has been highlighted over the last twelve months by changes in the regulatory landscape in Europe, most notably with the release of the new standardisation regulation, EU No 1025/2012, in October 2012, as well as moves in numerous countries to clarify the referencing of standards in regulation.

“This shows how well GAMBICA is ensuring that it lives up to one of its core principles, namely that our members will be provided with the best possible representation when standards which can dramatically affect their business prospects are being developed both in the UK and Europe,” argued Ron Neiger, president of GAMBICA. “This analysis shows that there is no association which does more for its members’ interests in the standards arena.”

“Advances in standardisation are only possible through the collaborative effort of our valued network of standards experts and stakeholders,” said Shirley Bailey-Wood MBE, director of publishing at BSI. “It is this work that enables us to identify and shape standards that respond to the pressing industrial and societal issues of the day, while delivering real benefits to business, industry and the general public.  Participation in a committee ensures that member’s requirements, understanding of the market and voice is heard and captured into the development of a standard, and we are actively seeking experts to get involved.”

Top 10 trade associations on BSI committees and sub committees as published by the BSI are:

1, GAMBICA Association - 100
2, UK Steel Association - 80
3, British Cables Association - 70
4, British Plastics Federation - 68
5, Safety Assessment Federation - 54
6, Energy Networks Association - 54
7, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders - 53
8, Intellect - 48
9, Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances - 46
10, Engineering Equipment and Materials Users' Association – 41

The report can be downloaded in full here.

GAMBICA publishes updated installation guide for power drive systems

Installation guide for
Power Drive Systems

GAMBICA and REMA have updated their joint publication titled ‘Installation Guidelines for Power Drive Systems’, which is available for free as a download from the GAMBICA website. The publication is an authoritative guide on best practice for the installation of Power Drive Systems.
Acceptable operation of a drive system is dependent on a satisfactory installation. Compliance with the appropriate EU Directives and with local regulations is also a legal requirement.

Each section in the report covers the requirements for a different part of a power drive system, to assist specifiers and purchasers from specification to installation and commissioning.

The new document is the result of a study carried out by GAMBICA and REMA, taking note of well-established fundamental theory and technical papers and also incorporating the results of specific investigations carried out as part of the process. It principally considers the aspects of safe mechanical and electrical installation and the avoidance of EMC problems.

“This is the 4th Edition of the Technical Guide, with updates on power drive systems including the drive, motor and load, together with cabling, site considerations, circuit protection, earthing and harmonics,” said Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA and convener of the organisation’s variable speed drive (VSD) group.

“Power Drive Systems is an IEC term which covers the VSD, motor and sensors used for feedback control information to the drive, as well as auxiliary parts like filtering and protection. The technical guide has now evolved into a comprehensive treatise for engineers and installers, giving them a VSD manufacturer’s perspective on best practice for installation.

“Since the 3rd Edition in December 2006, it has been updated with reference to current legislation, regulations and standards, and with new sections on earth loop impedance testing, bearings and power conditioning, as well as an updated section on transformers.”

REMA represents the sector of the electrical industry concerned with the manufacture of electric motors and generators, without limitation of output or voltage, excluding turbine/traction machines and those used in aircraft. Further publications are available from the GAMBICA publications page.

GAMBICA whitepaper set to highlight the importance of system efficiency, not product efficiency

GAMBICA will be launching a white paper at the 2012 Motor Driven Systems conference in which it will make an economics based analysis of the comparison between investing money in efficient systems to reap financial gain and saving capital by not investing but accepting higher energy bills.

Steve Brambley, Deputy Director

The paper, presented by GAMBICA deputy director Steve Brambley, will show how the lifetime cost of efficient equipment is lower due to the high proportion of energy costs in motor driven systems. Brambley will explain that 97% of the lifetime costs of a motor come from the energy it consumes and that energy efficient systems can deliver significant, often double digit, savings. He will also compare two example lifetime costs, the first with investment in motor control, the second without it.

“Running old or inefficient equipment is a false economy,” explains Brambley. “The real barrier to investment is the understanding of the lifetime cost of a system at a corporate and financial level. In contrast, I think engineers readily accept the benefits of motor control.”

The Motor Driven Systems conference will take place on November 8 at St. John’s Hotel, Solihull. The event, which is supported by companies from the pump, compressed air, motors, drives, controls and fan industries, aims to bring together the varied strands of legislation, standardisation, system strategies and technological developments affecting motor driven systems.

In the context of the economic downturn and subsequent cuts, manufacturers are reluctant to invest in improving their systems. However, as time passes, inefficient industrial machines consume more and more expensive energy and begin eating away at profits. One solution to this problem is the installation of a variable speed drive (VSD) or alternative fixed speed form of motor control, as GAMBICA’s white paper illustrates.

“The American industrialist Henry Ford once said that, If you need a machine and don't buy it, then you will ultimately find that you have paid for it, but don't have it,” says Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA.  “I believe that a century later, his assertion is more pertinent than ever for UK manufacturing. As our findings point out, VSDs can reduce the energy cost of most fixed speed motor driven systems by more than their own capital cost in a relatively short period - often less than a year. As energy prices continue to soar, the return on investment on a VSD application increases in proportion to the bill,” he concluded.

The price for delegates to attend the Motor Driven Systems event is £235 plus VAT. For more information, bookings and a conference programme, visit the Motor Driven Systems website.

Frost & Sullivan’s VSD report hides the deeper truth

Frost and Sullivan’s recent report on the use of Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) in the food and beverage market made headline news for all the wrong reasons. It presented the fact that VSDs are dropping in price by three per cent per year as its most significant finding. Furthermore, many of the news reports buried the most important results - the fact that electric motors consume two thirds of the energy used in the F and B sector.

A cursory analysis of a three per cent drop in price for variable speed drives demonstrates that the product is holding its own in the recession. For instance compare the price drop to the average cost of an LCD television today and its equivalent five years ago. Suddenly a three per cent drop seems like a figure that can still provide a comparatively high profit margin.

In contrast, compare the amount of energy used in the F and B sector now to the amount used five years ago, when the automation of the industry was substantially less advanced than it is today. There were thousands fewer electric motors in use, thousands fewer opportunities to save energy using VSDs and millions of pounds less being spent on energy. 

The bottom line is that 66% of all industrial energy, not just the F and B industry is used by motors and 97% of motor lifetime cost is energy. The financial gains provided by VSD control are uncomplicated and compelling. In comparison a three per cent price drop doesn’t seem like headline news to me.

Ebullient mood at Automated Britain

The announcement of Nissan’s investment of £125 million into Britain, for the unveiling of a new concept model to be manufactured at a state of the art factory in Sunderland, formed the backdrop of a Government address to elated delegates at the Automated Britain conference.

Intellect and GAMBICA held the joint event on March 6, 2012 at The Commonwealth Club in London to promote the concept of automation and its benefits to industry. Called Automated Britain – The Renaissance of UK Manufacturing the event explored whether there are any perceived obstacles that discourage industry from making more investments of this type.

Keynote speakers included Mark Prisk MP, the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise and Juergen Maier, managing director of Siemens UK Industry. Case studies were presented by major automation companies such as ABB, Emerson, Honeywell, Rockwell and Siemens in tandem with the manufactures that use their technology.

Mark Prisk told the conference, “Nissan estimates that the investment will create and safeguard 2,000 jobs. That news is, in my book, a real vote of confidence in the UK automotive sector. It vindicates the decision we took to put manufacturing back at the heart of our economic strategy.

“Modern manufacturing requires a continuing commitment, not only to technological investment, but to a culture of innovation. There are several examples here today, so we already have British firms leading the way. Despite difficult spending decisions elsewhere, we took the decision to ring-fence and maintain a science and research budget at £4.6 billion, and to increase capital investment by £500 million.

“We have taken on the principle of the Technology Innovations Centres to ensure that we smooth the path from original research to commercial success. We call them ‘Catapults’ for the simple reason that they are about propelling ideas into commercial ventures. The first is funded at £140 million over the next six years and focussed on high value manufacturing.”

The stage was then taken by Juergen Maier who forewarned that automation could become UK manufacturing’s Achilles heel, if we don’t take full advantage of the technologies available in the same that other European countries do. “What we are excellent at in this country is process improvement,” he said.

“We do not invest in the best automation and capital equipment, such as robotics, which Mr Prisk mentioned earlier. There are two reasons for this. One is that we do have an issue about getting finance, particularly to SMEs and despite numerous initiatives like Project Merlin or the growth funds.

“The other is that in the UK, we have an engineering culture of sweating our assets. We should be investing about 22 billion Euros into our manufacturing capability in the UK compared to the 57 billion Euros spent in Germany. We are a good 35 percent below that in terms of the amount that we invest in automation.

“We are still at levels of 2009 and nowhere near the pre-recession rates of 18.3 billion. And the forecast is that we are not going to lift out of it this year, whereas you can see Germany reinvesting, so its competitiveness will be better than the UK’s.”

Following the morning presentations, a panel discussion was chaired by Peter Marsh, Manufacturing Editor of The Financial Times. During the panel, Chi Onwurah, Labour MP for Newcastle Central and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Digital Infrastructure, queried the role of enhanced capital allowances (ECAs) in making automation investment decisions and their importance to productivity gains when making the business case for investment.

The view of the panel was that it tends to be the larger companies that invest in automation and robotics. Peter Marsh asked Mike Berridge, director of business improvement at the AWS Electronics Group whether his SME would have invested more than it does at present if it had access to ECAs. Berridge replied, “We probably would.”

Chris Buxton, chief executive of the British Automation & Robotics Association (BARA), said, “Customers are always looking for product repeatability. Automation and robotics leads to better manufacturing flexibility, and not only do you get improved consistency of quality but also an increased level of quality, because the performance of the machinery employed is repeatable.

“The benefits include reduced cost, particularly in terms of labour cost. Consistency of quality leads to better competitiveness, which in turn leads to better profitability, growth and more jobs. Successful companies employ people – those going out of business make people redundant. A study by BARA shows two to three million jobs created in manufacturing, as well as indirect jobs downstream.  The estimate is that between now and 2016 we will create another million jobs.”

The fact that the impact of automation on jobs in the UK formed a big part of the conference was no surprise. From Mr Prisk’s mention of Nissan’s investment in the keynote speech, to BARA’s discussion about the impact of robotics on job creation, the tone was clear. What is interesting is that there were so few dissenting voices in the crowd, from end users to MPs and manufacturers to trade bodies the view was clear; the UK’s Achilles heel can also be its jobs lifeline, provided we invest in and manage the process intelligently.

We must rebalance the UK economy whatever the economic conditions

Siemens is proud to be a key sponsor of Automated Britain, which is being held at The Commonwealth Club in London on Tuesday March 6, 2012. Here Juergen Maier, Managing Director of Siemens UK Industry Sector, explains why the UK has no choice but to move forward in order for the economy to recover.

Somebody asked me if it was possible to talk of rebalancing the UK economy in the face of an economic storm and whether the Government policies in place were sufficient to allow this to happen. I replied that the current economic conditions make it doubly important that we should aim to redress the balance towards manufacturing, which at the moment only stands at 12% of GDP compared with a European average of 25% and a world average of 31%.

As for government action, we have renewed support for apprenticeships and vocational training. For instance, there are a number of University Technical Colleges that are being set up to offer 14-19 year olds the opportunity to take a full time, technically-oriented course of study.

Each one is equipped to the highest standard and sponsored by a university or college. Thirteen new University Technical Colleges are to be opened across England including The Black Country University Technical College, which opened in the West Midlands in partnership with Siemens.

Another key initiative is the High Value Manufacturing Catapult which, in October 2011, brought seven partners together to form the new Catapult centre, bringing together their expertise in different and complementary areas of high value manufacturing.

The new centre provides an integrated capability and embraces all forms of manufacture using metals and composites, in addition to process manufacturing technologies and bio-processing. The High Value Manufacturing Catapult will draw on excellent university research to accelerate the commercialisation of new and emerging manufacturing technologies.

At Siemens we are delighted to be able to support both these initiatives and several others which are engaging with our sector.

The Automated Britain conference has already attracted significant cross-party political support from policy makers in government and industry and politicians from all parties. Mark Prisk MP, Minister for Business and Enterprise, will deliver one of the keynote addresses; 'The view from Government’. He will be joined at the event by Chi Onwurah, Labour MP for Newcastle Central and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Digital Infrastructure.

Also present will be Iain Wright, MP for Hartlepool and Keith Hodgkinson, Head of electronics, materials, chemicals and product regulation at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), who will chair the last panel session.

Automated Britain is a joint conference between GAMBICA and Intellect to promote automation as a key factor in growing the UK economy. To attend the event, go to www.automatedbritain.co.uk and click book now. GAMBICA and Intellect members and invited guests will pay a special rate of only £245 to attend.

Automated Britain promises lively panel discussions on Britain’s manufacturing renaissance

Does automation really create growth and increase employment? What are the drivers to encourage uptake of investment in automation? These and many more questions will be hotly debated at Automated Britain’s panel discussions, according to Marco Pisano, programme manager of Intellect.

Automated Britain, a joint conference between Intellect and GAMBICA to promote automation as a key factor in growing the UK economy, will take place at the Commonwealth Club in London on March 6 2012.

Peter Marsh, of The Financial Times

The first panel discussion will address the question: Does Automation really create growth and increase employment? Chaired by Peter Marsh, manufacturing editor of The Financial Times, panellists will include Alan Courts, finance director of Rittal UK, John Frieslaar, chief technical officer for Western Europe at Huawei Technologies, Atul Mehta, partner and industrial sector leader at IBM Global Business Services, Mike Berridge, director of business improvement at AWS Electronics Group and Ian Schofield, key account manager at ABB Robotics.

The themes to be discussed will include:
• Does automation drive growth in the whole supply chain (including product, equipment and services) and therefore increase employment?
• Automation may replace repetitive task labour, but does it also grow high value labour in the technical, design and service areas?
• What is the importance of investing in education and training for the right skills for this economic model?

The second panel discussion, entitled what are the drivers to encourage uptake? will address the question of investment in automation. The Chairman will be Keith Hodgkinson, head of electronics, materials, chemicals and product regulation at BIS. He will be joined by Eric Le Corre, managing director of Michelin Tyre, Myles McCarthy, MD Implementation Services at the Carbon Trust, Danny Wootton, global innovation director at Logica and Professor Mike Jackson, director of EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation at Loughborough University.

The themes the discussion will draw out include:
• To what extent is Government supporting manufacturing in the UK?
• What policy decisions could further improve the confidence to invest more in automation?
• What financial options are there to seek funding for investment? What else could be done?
• How can the manufacturing community spread best practice to encourage general industrial growth?
• What research and innovation activity will support this growth?

There will also be a table-top exhibition during the event and opportunities for networking discussion and debate during the day and at the evening drinks reception.

To attend Automated Britain go to www.automatedbritain.co.uk and click book now. GAMBICA and Intellect members and invited guests will pay a special rate of only £245 to attend.

Automated Britain attracts significant cross-party political support

Policy makers in government and industry and politicians from all parties are supporting the Automated Britain conference reports Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA.

Automated Britain is attracting significant cross-party political support. A joint initiative between GAMBICA and Intellect to promote automation as a key factor in growing the UK economy, is taking place at the Commonwealth Club in London on March 6 2012.

Mark Prisk

Mark Prisk MP, Minister for Business and Enterprise, will deliver the keynote address 'The view from Government'. Also attending will be Chi Onwurah, Member of Parliament for Newcastle Central and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Digital Infrastructure.

Julian Huppert

Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, said this about the event: “Investment in automation is crucial if our manufacturing industry is to retain its place in the competitive global market and grow in the future, bringing desperately needed new jobs.

“These are extremely difficult economic times but by embracing new technology we equip our manufacturing industry with the most up-to-date tools it needs to keep a competitive edge. And of course, this industry’s success is vital for the UK economy as a whole, not only producing the goods we need at home but holding our strong position in the extremely important international export market.

“In addition to the huge economic benefits that automation brings, there are also environmental advantages. Automation consumes less energy, controls pollution and cuts carbon emissions.”

Pauline Latham OBE, Member of Parliament for Mid Derbyshire, adds: “Automation technology has the potential to increase the competitiveness of our manufacturing industries, whilst increasing energy efficiency and reducing emissions. For this technology to be successful in Britain, it is important that there is a continued supply of motivated and well educated young people to continue the trade, and this could be done by graduate and apprenticeship schemes.”

Chi Onwurah (right)

At the event, automation users and manufacturers will team up with politicians and civil servants to demonstrate that the economy can be rebalanced by manufacturing, and that automation plays a major part in that.

The conference will also explore whether there are any perceived obstacles that discourage industry from making more of this type of investment, and will end with a panel discussion ‘Investment in automation; What are the drivers to encourage uptake?’, chaired by Keith Hodgkinson, Head of electronics, Materials, Chemicals and Product Regulation at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

To attend Automated Britain go to Intellect's website and click book now. GAMBICA and Intellect members and invited guests will pay a special rate of only £245 to attend.

Automated Britain - Where manufacturing automation users meet policy makers

Automated Britain, on March 6 2012, will provide a unique opportunity for automation users to interface with policy makers in government and industry. Here, Marco Pisano, programme manager of Intellect, argues that the Automated Britain conference, which will take place at the Commonwealth Club in London, is one of a number of factors that could herald a renaissance in UK manufacturing.

Marco Pisano

Automated systems and processes are an essential part of attracting direct investments and represent a key component for growth to rebalance the British economy. A combination of world-class R&D from the corporate and academic sectors and early adoption of automated technologies by UK manufacturers can accelerate economic recovery in Britain.

Participants at the Automated Britain conference will learn about the government's manufacturing growth strategy and get an insight into automation strategies and market trends. Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA says: “Automation users and manufacturers will demonstrate that the economy can be rebalanced by manufacturing, and automation plays a major part in that.

“The government aims to rebalance the economy away from reliance on services and towards industry, which at the moment only stands at 22% of GDP. This contrasts with a European average of 25% and a world average of 31%. The part that the financial sector played in the economic downturn has given Government a desire to be less reliant on services. What we want to show is that automation is a key player in making this rebalancing happen and to make UK business competitive in a global market.”

Automated Britain is a joint initiative between GAMBICA and Intellect and will alert the manufacturing industry, Government and the media to the economic benefits that automation offers. It will also spread best practice by having senior executives from the automation and manufacturing industries jointly present case studies on successful uses of automation to improve competitiveness.

The conference will also explore whether there are any perceived obstacles that discourage industry from making more of this type of investment. Case studies will be presented by manufacturing companies such as Rolls Royce, Kraft Foods, National Grid and Ricoh in tandem with their automation partners ABB, Emerson, Honeywell, Rockwell, PCME and Siemens.

Steve Brambley argues that there are examples where global companies have decided to invest in the UK, and adds: “The conference will positively demonstrate what is happening right now, and what is possible if we join up policy decisions with industry best practice.”

To attend Automated Britain go to www.automatedbritain.co.uk and click book now. GAMBICA and Intellect members and invited guests will pay a special rate of only £245 to attend.

The Henry Ford parable – a lesson for the manufacturing sector

The American industrialist Henry Ford once said that, “If you need a machine and don't buy it, then you will ultimately find that you have paid for it, but don't have it”. I believe that a century later, his assertion is more pertinent than ever for UK manufacturing.

In the context of the economic downturn and subsequent cuts it seems that manufacturers are reluctant to invest in improving their machinery. However, as time passes, inefficient industrial machines consume more and more costly energy and begin eating away at budgets. A solution for this problem is the installation of a variable speed drive (VSD).

VSDs can reduce the energy bill on many applications or motor driven systems by more than their own capital cost in a relatively short period, often less than a year. As energy prices continue to soar, the return on investment on a VSD application increases in proportion to the bill.

Henry Ford’s assertion should serve as a guiding rule for organisations in the manufacturing sector looking to send real savings straight to the bottom line. Failing to buy energy saving equipment, such as VSDs, as part of a system that incorporates an electric motor will cost money in the long term. And it will cost far more money than simply paying for the VSD in the first instance.

Mark Prisk set to launch Automated Britain

GAMBICA and Intellect will be holding a joint event on March 6 2012 at The Commonwealth Club in London to promote the concept of automation and its benefits to industry. Called Automated Britain – The Renaissance of UK Manufacturing the event will also explore whether there are any perceived obstacles that discourage industry from making more investments of this type. Keynote speakers will include Mark Prisk MP, the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise and Juergen Maier, managing director of Siemens UK Industry. 

The purpose of the Automated Britain conference is to alert industry, Government and the media to the opportunities that automation offers. It will spread best practice by having senior executives from the automation and manufacturing industries jointly present case studies on successful uses of automation.

Automated Britain is aimed at industry leaders in the UK manufacturing chain, including senior strategists and decision makers, investors, business consultants and Government officials. Case studies will be presented by major automation companies such as ABB, Emerson, Honeywell, Rockwell and Siemens in tandem with the manufactures that use their technology.

“In the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Review at the end of 2010, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills recognised the importance of automation as a key technology in enabling globally competitive manufacturing operations to invest and grow in the UK,” explained Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA.

Marco Pisano, programme manager of Intellect added: “Smart automated systems and processes are not only essential in attracting foreign direct investments, but represent a key component to grow and rebalance the British economy. A combination of world-class R&D, both corporate and academic, and early adoption of automated technologies by UK-based modern manufacturers can accelerate economic recovery and unleash the potential for long-term prosperity in Britain.”

Automation has a similarly important role to play in improving energy efficiency and can make a significant contribution to the carbon reduction agenda.  Most of the highest profile energy efficient technologies of the last few years, such as lean burn car engines and domestic boilers, have been largely the result of the incorporation of modern automation, sensing and control technology into the equipment.

Scaled up into major manufacturing industries, these techniques can cut energy consumption, reduce costs and improve efficiency.

This is particularly relevant given that Europe’s major polluting industries are about to face a raft of new EC directives, based on the polluter-pays principle.

Furthermore, automation technology continues to be a strength of the United Kingdom and a manufacturing industry in its own right. It contributes over £5bn per year to the UK economy and directly employs around 100,000 people.

The renaissance of UK manufacturing

GAMBICA and Intellect will be holding a joint event in February 2012 in London to promote the concept of automation and its benefits in the manufacturing chain. Called Automated Britain – The Renaissance of UK Manufacturing the event will also explore whether there are any perceived obstacles that discourage industry from making more investments of this type.

Automated Britain is aimed at industry leaders in the UK manufacturing chain, including senior strategists and decision makers, investors, business consultants and Government officials.

GAMBICA believes that the key benefits of automation technology are enhanced competiveness for UK industry, improved energy efficiency and pollution control.

The purpose of the Automated Britain conference is to alert the manufacturing industry, Government and the media to the opportunities that automation offers. It will spread best practice by having senior executives from the automation and manufacturing industries jointly present case studies on successful uses of automation.

The companies presenting at the event will be drawn from GAMBICA’s membership, which comprises the majority of the major players in the automation sector. Each vendor will present in partnership with an end user and will focus on the business benefits delivered by the equipment.

“In the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Review at the end of 2010, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills recognised the importance of automation as a key technology in enabling globally competitive manufacturing operations to invest and grow in the UK,” explained Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA.

“Smart automated systems and processes are not only essential in attracting foreign direct investments, but represent a key component to grow and rebalance the British economy. A combination of world-class R&D, both corporate and academic, and early adoption of automated technologies by UK-based modern manufacturers can accelerate economic recovery and unleash the potential to give Britain’s long-term prosperity.”

Automation has a similarly important role to play in improving energy efficiency and can make a significant contribution to the carbon reduction agenda. Most of the highest profile energy efficient technologies of the last few years, such as lean burn car engines and domestic boilers, have been largely the result of the incorporation of modern automation and sensing and control technology into the equipment.

Scaled up into major manufacturing industries, these techniques can cut energy consumption, reduce costs and improve efficiency.

This is particularly relevant given that Europe’s major polluting industries are about to face a raft of new EC directives, based on the polluter-pays principle.

Furthermore, automation technology continues to be a strength of the United Kingdom and a manufacturing industry in its own right. It contributes over £5bn per year to the UK economy and directly employing around 100,000 people.

GAMBICA launches VSD energy savings calculator

~ Easy to use calculator predicts return on investment ~

The VSD savings calculator

GAMBICA has launched a simple calculator that estimates the energy savings that installing a variable speed drive (VSD) on a relevant application can achieve. GAMBICA, the national organisation that represents the interests of the instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology industries in the UK, launched the product on behalf of the members of its variable speed drives group.

The free calculator allows potential buyers to make an informed decision before purchasing a VSD for their application. It comes in the form of an easy to use Microsoft Excel file and is available to download from GAMBICA’s website.

The new VSD energy saving calculator is intended as a first-pass indication tool to help decide if a VSD will bring energy savings to the application. The calculator can also help estimate what payback period can be expected, making it clearer that a VSD represents a guaranteed investment that will reduce energy bills by more than its cost.

Electric motors consume significant amounts of electricity; estimated to be about two-thirds of all industrial energy use. Even a simple electric motor, costing a few hundred pounds, can be expected to consume many tens of thousands of pounds worth of electricity over its useful lifetime. Variable Speed Drives can help to make significant energy savings by controlling the motor speed, particularly in pump and fan applications.

“Energy saving is currently a high priority on the British and EU agendas and VSDs are gradually being recognised as one of the most important tools for cutting energy costs,” explained Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA. “We hope this new tool will encourage non technical people, particularly in purchasing departments, to embrace the technology,” concluded Brambley.

The energy saving calculator can be downloaded for free from the GAMBICA website at http://www.gambica.org.uk/vsdcalculator.