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Yaskawa and Baxter join the line-up at the Drives Show
Published:  02 February, 2016

The Japanese drives and motors giant, Yaskawa, is one of the latest exhibitors to sign up to appear at the Drives & Controls Show at the UK's National Exhibition Centre in April. As well as sharing a large stand with its Vipa controls subsidiary, Yaskawa will also take part in the show’s robot demonstration zone.

Another new arrival in this zone is Baxter, the two-armed collaborative robot developed by US-based Rethink Robotics. Baxter, which has a distinctive “face” display, will be demonstrated by Rethink’s UK distributor, Active8 Robots.

Also showing some of its robots will be Mitsubishi Electric (in addition to its main stand), while RA Rodriguez has doubled the size of its display in the robotics zone so that it can demonstrate products from Cone Drive as well as Universal Robots. According to exhibition director Doug Devlin, the robotics area is now “almost full”.

Several new overseas exhibitors have joined the line-up in recent weeks, including the Indian motor manufacturer, Rotomag, the Swiss firm Technosoft, which specialises in small motors and drives, and the Chinese business, Shandong Sound Metals & Machinery, whose wide-ranging portfolio includes tools and machining equipment.

Among the companies that have signed up recently to appear at the Drives & Controls Show for the first time, are: Petersfield-based BJ Enclosures; JJS Electronics, which will be demonstrating its cabinet-building and wiring loom capabilities; the Irish and UK electrical components supplier, Demesne; the clutches and couplings manufacturer, Renold Couplings; the motors and drives supplier, Beta Power Engineering; Tamworth-based WMH Transmissions, whose portfolio includes linear actuators and planetary gearboxes; Szabo Software & Engineering, which provides automation software and systems integration services; and Fresh PR, which specialises in public relations for the industrial sector.

New faces at the NEC: Rethink Robotics’ Baxter robot (right) and its single-armed sibling, Sawyer (left)

Companies returning to the show after appearing at the 2014 event include: the bearings producer, Carter Manufacturing; Schneider Electric’s HMI subsidiary, Pro-Face; the test house and service provider, TÜV SÜD; and the Peterborough-based control and instrumentation distributor, Digital Controls.

The Drives & Controls Show takes place from 12–14 April at the NEC, Birmingham.