Study
Growing market for servo drives
Almost six out of ten machine manufacturers expect demand for servo drives to increase in the future. These are the findings of a recent study.
Whereas in 2003 only 12% of mechanical engineering companies required 500 or more servo drives per year, today this figure is already 25%. This is one of the findings of a study conducted by Michaela Rothhöft, a freelance researcher at South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences. As part of this 5th edition of the study since 2003, 246 mechanical engineers and engineering firms across Germany provided information on purchasing behavior, technical requirements and future developments in the field of servo drives in January/February 2019.
There is a trend towards the use of synchronous servo motors. Four years ago, only one in two people used this type of motor; today, the figure is almost two thirds. When it comes to the use of bus systems, Profinet has now replaced Profibus as the most commonly used protocol. In the future, only 16% expect Profibus to be used. Newer Industry 4.0 technologies such as predictive maintenance and condition monitoring will soon be in greater demand in mechanical engineering. Only one in five companies would like to do without I4.0 technologies in the future.
The best-known manufacturer of servo drives is still Siemens with 85 %. In recent years, however, SEW-Eurodrive has caught up considerably from 32 % in 2003 to 57 % today. This increased awareness is also reflected in a significantly larger number of customers. In addition, traditional control system manufacturers such as Beckhoff and B&R (ABB) are becoming increasingly established in this market. It is therefore not surprising that one in two customers now cites "everything from a single source" as a reason for buying - in 2003 it was not even one in three.
Significant developments in this market include the integration of more and more safety functions in the servo drive and the increased use of Ethernet-based (also safe) protocols.
You might also be interested in
Wind power / Predictive maintenance
Bonfiglioli cooperates with Schaeffler
A compact solution package for the predictive maintenance of azimuth drives for wind turbines is the result of a long-term development partnership between Bonfiglioli and Schaeffler.
read more...New managing director at Siei-Areg
Christian Pampallona is taking over the management of Siei-Areg, a manufacturer of positioning and door drives as well as servomotors. He will also be responsible for managing the drive business in the 'Drives & Motion Control' business unit at...
read more...Dangerous movements well secured
How can dangerous movements be safeguarded? A challenge for the user, as there are a wide variety of functional and normative requirements. An overview.
read more...First half-year lays foundation for strong financial year
Siemens has announced its figures for the second quarter of 2019 and recorded increases in order intake and sales as well as a record order backlog.
read more...Strong growth in two areas
According to the company, the German ABB performed very well in terms of order intake and sales in the 2018 financial year. The company benefited in particular from business development in the areas of robotics and drives as well as industrial...
read more...B&R company founder passes away
Erwin Bernecker, founder of B&R Industrial Automation, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on March 30, 2019. Together with Josef Rainer, Bernecker founded the industrial electronics company in Eggelsberg in 1979.
read more...What about 'Drive 4.0'?
Drives are the core component in industrial production. In combination with sensors and software, they enable the digitalization of the production process and thus the transparency of technical processes. In short: Industry 4.0 only works with...
read more...Sensors are getting smarter
Smart technologies in the field of sensor technology will be in greater demand in the future. The storage of sensor data in the cloud and the use of digital sensor twins are also among the future trends - according to the results of a recent study.
read more...New approaches in drive technology
Nabtesco develops physical AI solutions
Nabtesco is working on intelligent drive systems for industrial applications. The focus here is on the use of physical AI, the combination of artificial intelligence with real physical systems.
read more...