UK motion market in transition

London -- With large machine builders – in particular those within the machine tool industry – now largely gone overseas, the UK motion market seems set for a major transition over the coming few years.

Nobody truly knows the current size or extent of the UK’s precision motion market, according to Paul Boylin, UK launch manager at Schneider Electric, which has recently introduced a new range of drives and motors into the UK servo motion market.

Even bodies such as the respected Gambica organisation do not demarcate the servo motion marketplace, said Boylin. “What is known is that the volume manufacturers of machinery – especially process machinery – are almost exclusively based overseas now. However, the UK still excels in the design and manufacture of specialised equipment and it is here that growth can be anticipated.”

Boylin believes there is significant growth at each end of the spectrum of motion applications. The buoyant areas, he said, include, low cost servo motors for accurate positioning or high-speed control; and at the top end for ultra high precision applications such as laboratory equipment, photonics, semiconductor and high speed packaging applications.

But, continued the Schneider manager: “The greatest growth will come from the application of new breeds of accurate, but low cost, servo motors communicating through a fieldbus, such as CANopen, replacing other technologies such as DC motors, standard AC squirrel cage types and stepping motors.”