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INDUSTRY NEWS
GOODFELLOW HITS NEW EXPORT MILESTONE AS DEMAND FOR SPECIALIST METALS AND MATERIALS GROWS
Growing demand for specialist metals and materials to support global R&D projects has seen Goodfellow hit a new export milestone. The majority of the company’s current revenue is now sent overseas to 60 different countries and it is planning for a further 50% boost in the Iberian market after signing a new distribution agreement with MicroPlanet. The new deal will strengthen its presence in a
key territory that is currently home to a significant amount of research and high value manufacturing that requires some of the 170,000 different metals and materials distributed from its Ermine Business Park facility. Both firms share several synergies and values,
investing in technical knowledge and support. “Export has been at the core of our offering
for decades and, as such, we invest heavily in ensuring we have a strong ‘local’ presence on the ground in key markets,” explained Simon Kenney, chief executive officer of Goodfellow. “This is achieved by great distributors
like MicroPlanet in Iberia and through other agreements we have in place with Goodfellow GmbH, SARL and Corp in the USA. Understanding different markets and their customer requirements is critical to our expansion, with international sales increasing each year.”
including world class customer service, speed of response, quality products and the importance of
CONTROL TECHNIQUES TO TRANSITION TO NIDEC DRIVES
Control Techniques and KB Electronics are undergoing a brand elevation process, transitioning to Nidec Drives. This decision has been made with strategic initiative and progression in mind. Control Techniques and KB Electronics, with over 50 years of experience, represent innovation
and trailblazing in the drives sector. Becoming Nidec Drives aligns with their forward-thinking approach and dedication to staying ahead in an ever-evolving market. The change, however, will not affect any of the products or services currently offered by
Control Techniques or KB Electronics – their product lines will remain at the same high level of quality, innovation and service. While there will be changes to branding on social media channels, product labelling and brochures, customers can rest assured knowing the same team of drive obsessives are behind the wheel, the companies state. Becoming Nidec Drives enables Control Techniques and KB Electronics to harness the
strength and resources of Nidec, meaning greater prospects and collective possibilities. Nidec Drives remains firmly committed to its existing values of prioritising customer success and satisfaction.
www.ControlTechniques.com
WILLIAM HUGHES EXPANDS ITS BUSBAR RESEARCH, DESIGN, TEST AND CNC FABRICATION OPERATIONS
Spring and wire form designer and fabricator, William Hughes Group, is investing in and expanding its busbar research, design, test and CNC fabrication operations. The company will leverage its significant wire-forming expertise and deploy it in the creation of complex bus bar geometries, fabricated from ready-insulated, reel-fed stock. Graham Burgon, sales executive, commented:
“With battery-based systems gaining a significant foothold in a variety of markets all over the world, there is growing demand from OEMs and their tier-one suppliers for precision engineered electrical components that can be fabricated to cater for complex real-estate
6 DESIGN SOLUTIONS MAY 2024
limitations. These applications are not just for electric vehicle drivetrains, we are also seeing wider potential in marine, rail and static electrical installation, such as mining and other heavy industries.” Traditionally, bus bars are stamped, bent and then insulated, but stamping can be cost prohibitive due to expensive stamping tools/dies, and is less flexible if the geometries need to be changed or altered. These limitations make bending and forming from reel-stock a more efficient and viable process. William Hughes’ technique uses advanced
CNC technology to precisely form pre-coated copper stock in such a way that the existing insulation remains completely viable along the length of the bar. The technique has been researched and developed to exploit the fact that straight copper bar stock can be more easily coated than bar that has already been shaped. “Bus bars are a natural progression from our
wire and spring capabilities,” Burgon added. “Indeed, the fabrication techniques and processes are similar, albeit with stock materials with a different cross-section.”
www.wmhughes.co.uk www.goodfellow.com NEWS IN BRIEF
Luvata Oy has acquired UK based Dawson Shanahan Group, the producer of highly engineered and fabricated copper and metal components used in the aerospace, automotive, medical, power distribution, and industrial markets. The company will become part of Luvata’s
Formed Products Business Unit (FPBU). Dirk Greywitt, executive vice president of FPBU, said: “Dawson Shanahan’s expertise, location and deep innovative knowledge of copper component fabrication will position Luvata to meet the growing demand in Europe for highly engineered copper components used in electric vehicles.”
www.luvata.com
Lane Electronics has once again become fully registered on the JOSCAR (Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Register) accreditation register as set out by the participating buying organisations. JOSCAR is a collaborative tool used by the
aerospace, defence and security industries to function as a single repository for pre- qualification and compliance information. JOSCAR allows an OEM to quickly and simply determine if a supplier is ‘fit for business’ and a qualified Electronics Solutions Partner.
www.fclane.com
Power Integrations, a provider of high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, has announced an agreement to acquire the assets of Odyssey Semiconductor Technologies, a developer of vertical gallium- nitride (GaN) transistor technology. The acquisition supports the company’s ongoing development roadmap for its proprietary PowiGaN technology, which is featured in many of the company’s product families including InnoSwitch ICs, HiperPFS- 5 power-factor-correction ICs, and the recently launched InnoMux-2 family of single- stage, multiple-output ICs. The company introduced 900- and 1250-volt versions of PowiGaN technology and products in 2023.
www.power.com
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