B&R PRODUCT OF THE MONTH New T and C series Power Panels
A SIGN OF THE TIMES? L
iz Gallagher, senior product Expert at Brady UK, noticed a discernible upbeat atmosphere at this year’s Southern Manufacturing Show. An upturn in interest in Brady’s medium to high volume cable identification printer, the Wraptor, has given Gallagher cause to reflect on a renewed competitiveness by British
industry. She commented, “This first quarter has been very interesting for us. In general our sales are up which is great news on its own, but more specifically
we have been taking a number of queries for our volume print and apply ‘Wraptor’ machines. “It’s a significant indicator as it’s a machine specifically designed for volume
B&R is adding two new series to its successful Power Panel HMI family - the Power Panel T- Series terminals and Power Panel C-Series controllers - both featuring touchscreens. With an embedded browser, the Power Panel T30 terminal is fully web compatible and can even
be used as a VNC client. The terminal series is being offered with four TFT display sizes ranging from 4.3" to 10.1" and comes with two Ethernet interfaces, two USB ports and an extensive array of configuration options. The Power Panel C70 controller is equipped with a 333MHz Intel AtomTM
identification - environments where SMEs are looking to ‘grow smart’ i.e. increase their volume production but with a reduction in costs. It’s how the UK will keep its competitiveness on the global stage. Talking to our customers it’s evident that production is being scaled up but they need the tools to do that on the most cost effective basis. “The far east still remains a cheap factory floor but we are fighting back here in Britain
and where in 2007/8 we were seeing a lot of business going to eastern Europe, now, thanks to all the added value the UK offers in terms of innovation, training and technology, I can certainly feel confidence returning. Whereas in the past at shows like Southern Manufacturing people were enquiring about products and solutions in general terms, this year it was with distinctly more purpose.”
www.brady.co.uk
CPU, 256MB DDRAM, 16kB FRAM and 2GB onboard flash EEPROM memory. This controller provides a built-in touchscreen and is being offered in three display sizes. The Power Panel C70 also features POWERLINK and standard Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0 and X2X Link technology as well as optional RS232, RS485 and CAN connections to offer a wide range of possibilities for peripheral devices. Both device series have a compact design, minimal installation depth and an intelligent cable outlet. Because these two new series do not have hard disks, fans or batteries, they are maintenance-free. The panel front also provides IP65 protection. B&R Industrial Automation
www.br-automation.com T: 01733 371 320
SMEs SET TO INVEST IN CAPITAL EQUIPMENT
The latest Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) Barometer’s special focus revealed that small to medium sized manufacturers in England were planning to invest in capital equipment over the next twelve months, with companies looking to spend £121,000 on average. With over 80,000 firms making up the English SME
manufacturing community, this could equate to hundreds of millions of fresh industry investment between now and 2015. The main reasons driving these investment plans
were boosting efficiency and quality (31%), followed by developing new products/processes (30%) and extending existing capacity (22%). Steven Barr, head of MAS, commented, “There is a
definite feel good factor around English manufacturing at the moment and these latest figures reinforce positive reports from the Society of Motor
Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) together with encouraging Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data.” Read the full story at
www.connectingindustry.com/smeinvest.
www.mymas.org
Significant liquidity locked in industrial equipment
New research from Siemens’ Financial Services (SFS) has claimed that significant liquidity is trapped in manufacturing industry due to outright purchase of equipment and machinery. In the UK, the level of this ‘locked liquidity’ is estimated to be £10bn between 2014 and 2018. This represents 0.12% of the nation’s GDP. In comparison, locked liquidity in manufacturing in the same time period totals £23bn in France (0.30%
of GDP) and £48.4bn in Germany (0.44% of GDP). Manufacturing represents more than 22% of Germany’s economy - more than France and the UK. This trapped capital cannot be deployed in other business driven activities, and as a result, it has a restrictive effect on businesses’ competitive positioning and is a serious lost opportunity cost. Locked liquidity levels represent, on average, around three quarters of a percent of manufacturing turnover. Given that global net profit margins in manufacturing are around 10-11%, locked liquidity would therefore be equivalent to around seven percent of annual profits. Asset finance is increasingly
recognised as an effective method of liberating liquidity currently locked in outright equipment purchase. By
/AUTOMATION
spreading capital expenditure over a pre-agreed financing period, the need for a large initial outlay is reduced. Businesses can therefore access the latest technologies, without having to commit scarce capital or use traditional lines of credit. The capital preserved can then be used to fund other short term business activities. Brian Foster, head of Industry
Finance, SFS, commented, “Industrial companies need to refresh, renew and extend their equipment, plant and technology to compete in the fierce global marketplace. However, they need to fund acquisition in a way that is financially efficient using asset financing techniques. This not only allows them to conserve precious capital, but also gives them additional financial flexibility.”
www.finance.siemens.com
Nearly two thirds (61%) of manufacturing and engineering firms plan to take on apprentices in the next five years, and 39% of them intend to do so in the next 12 months. That’s according to new research recently released to mark the start of National Apprenticeship Week. The study of 600 businesses found that across all industries, 44% of employers plan to take on apprentices in the next five years. It also revealed that one fifth (20%) of SMEs plan to take on one or more apprentices in the next 12 months alone, with more than a third (37%) of larger businesses planning to do the same.
www.apprenticemakers.org.uk
Register now for the Machine Building Show, the UK's annual automation showcase, bringing together the whole industry for two days of selling and networking. With a dedicated and focused
seminar programme, and high quality visitors from all sections of industry, the show will offer everything for the machine builder and system integrator.
www.machinebuildingshow.co.uk
A recent survey conducted by industrial IT solutions specialist, SolutionsPT, has revealed that a major shift is taking place in plant environments towards thin client technology and virtualisation. SolutionsPT’s research
demonstrated that thin client technology is now widely used in plant environments, with 60% of end user respondents saying they now make use of thin clients.
www.solutionspt.com
AUTOMATION | MARCH 2014 7
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