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Optical Surfaces is a leading provider of high precision optical components for terrestrial and spaceborne telescope spectrographs.

Spectrographs are the ‘go to’ scientific instruments used to study the chemical / physical conditions that exist through a cross-section of space. Combined with a terrestrial or spaceborne telescope a spectrograph can reveal the details that are stored in the spectral distribution of light from a distant star or galaxy.

Instrument performance matters in all scientific research, but none more so than in space exploration. New discoveries in space today are only possible using spectrographs that incorporate ultra-smooth optics able to collect the faintest light signals from distant astronomical entities.

With manufacturing and test facilities situated deep underground in an area excavated from solid chalk, temperatures in Optical Surfaces Ltd. production facility remain constant year-round and vibration is practically non-existent. These are important considerations when making, mounting and testing high precision telescope spectrograph optics. Benefiting from this unique stabilised environment Optical Surfaces Ltd has developed a reputation for designing, producing and testing large and demanding telescope spectrograph optics (aspherics, mirrors, prisms, lenses and flats) that would stretch the limits of conventional optical fabrication techniques.

Combining these natural advantages with a highly experienced team of optical designers, engineers, and production staff – Optical Surfaces Ltd. are regularly selected to supply ultra-high precision telescope spectrograph optical components by many international space research groups. Notable projects where Optical Surfaces Ltd. has supplied key optics for include the Narval stellar spectropolarimeter installed on the 2m Bernard Lyot Telescope in the French Pyrenees, the High-Resolution Optical Spectrograph (HROS) based on the 8m Gemini Telescope in Chile, the Fibre-fed Extended Range Optical Spectrograph (FEROS) at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the ESPaDOnS spectrograph at the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope (CFHT).

To read a case study please visit https://www.optisurf.com/index.php/spectrograph-record-near-ir-spectrum-stars-single-exposure/. 

Sensor technology in the process industry is often exposed to humid, aggressive environments. In industries such as food or pharmaceuticals production, but also in medical applications, it is therefore often necessary to protect certain components against corrosion. Circular connectors in stainless-steel design can withstand humidity, chemicals, and cleaning agents. For data transmission, shieldable products whose outer parts are all made of stainless steel are recommended.

binder, a leading supplier of industrial circular connectors, offers M5, M8, and M12 products for sensor cabling that feature threaded locking rings – and other design parts – made of stainless steel. Unlike conventional connectors, with nickel-plated locking rings and housing parts made of die-cast zinc or brass, they are suitable for use under conditions that explicitly require media resistance. Connectors in stainless-steel design withstand corrosive environmental influences, such as contact with chemicals or aggressive detergents.

Applications with potential for corrosion

The term stainless steel is used as a generic term for corrosion-resistant chromium-nickel or chromium-nickel-molybdenum steels. They are used in machine engineering for components that have to be resistant to water and steam, food acids, and weak organic or inorganic acids. Their typical applications can be divided into two categories:

• on the one hand, applications in generally demanding environments where the components are exposed to humidity and may come into contact with aggressive media,
• on the other hand, applications that are subject to regular cleaning processes with corrosive agents.

Examples can be found in the food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics industries, for example in sensors for level or flow metering. Also, stainless-steel connectors are used in hygienically demanding medical environments.

In order to meet the high-level hygienic requirements of these applications, manufacturers such as binder adopt particular design details. For example, no or only a few undercuts are permitted to prevent contaminants from accumulating there. In addition, smooth surfaces and a hexagon instead of the usual knurled contour are advantageous.

Numerous types of binder’s M5, M8, and M12 designs are available as stainless-steel variants: in the M12 segment, for example, the 713/763 and 715/766 product series with panel mount connectors and overmolded cable parts as well as wireable connectors.

Stainless-steel variants on the example of M12

M12 panel mount connectors are available as stainless-steel versions as either male or female parts, which can be screwed onto the front or rear, with different pin counts, and both with or without wires. These connectors are available with A, B and D coding. As a special feature, binder also offers panel mount connectors with protective caps.

Overmolded cable parts are also available with stainless-steel threaded locking rings – instead of zinc die-cast. In these cases, the respective locking ring features a hexagon contour allowing the M12 thread of the connector to be easily attached and the torque to be applied. The stainless-steel locking rings are available for both male and female parts, in straight and angled designs. To provide connectors in the food and beverage industry with the mandatory protection against detergents, appropriately resistant plastics are used for their cables and overmoldings.

Wireable connectors are, on the one hand, designed as unshielded plastic components, with locking rings made of stainless steel instead of zinc die-cast. Since most connector elements are made of resistant plastic, it is sufficient to use the stainless-steel locking ring to achieve high media resistance. Here, male and female cable connectors are available in A-coding: 4-, 5-, and 8-pin, straight and angled, as well as duo versions. On the other hand, binder has a variant completely made of stainless steel in its portfolio.

M12 all stainless steel

In this M12 segment speciality, not only the threaded locking ring is made of stainless steel, but also the housing and pressing screw – and thus all external parts. This M12 overall metal version also allows for electromagnetic shielding and is thus suitable for transmitting high-frequency data.

In addition to the individual parts made of stainless steel, the cable clamp and its seal are also made of resistant materials here, namely the clamping element made of PTFE and the seal made of Viton. Thus, these connectors are very resistant to aggressive, corrosive environmental conditions. As a design detail that facilitates cleaning, they are almost entirely equipped with rounded surfaces.

This M12 stainless-steel version is available as male and female cable connectors, A-, B-, and D-coded, and with pin counts of 4, 5, 8, and 12. Only straight versions with a cable outlet between 3.0 and 8.6 mm are offered.

AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, has announced Caspar Herzberg as CEO.

With more than 25 years’ software and industry experience, Caspar brings a deep understanding of how technology can transform and reshape industries, enabling innovation and driving responsible use of resources.

 Caspar joined AVEVA in 2021 as Chief Revenue Officer and assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2022. AVEVA has recently been acquired by Schneider Electric, and as AVEVA CEO, he will also be a member of the Schneider Electric Executive Committee.

Prior to joining AVEVA, Caspar led all aspects of Schneider Electric’s business in over 80 countries as President, Middle East & Africa. He started his business career at Accenture based out of its London office and worked in extensive digital transformations for the global energy sector. At Cisco, Caspar led sales and services for over ten years, developing smart cities strategies, technology innovation and business master plans for the private and public sector in China, Asia, Japan, Australia, the USA, and Europe.   

Caspar replaces Peter Herweck, who will become CEO of Schneider Electric from May 4^th, 2023.  

Caspar Herzberg, CEO of AVEVA, said: “It is a privilege to take over from Peter Herweck, who has led the company through a time of transformation and renewal. We have a great opportunity ahead of us, having brought together three market-leading software portfolios– Schneider Electric Software, AVEVA and OSIsoft. We are now one of the world’s top industrial software providers, trusted by over 90% of industrial companies from energy, water and food to manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and smart cities. We plan to drive value for our customers with integrated data, AI-infused applications, accelerating their journey to the cloud and providing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) to reduce total cost of ownership.

“My vision for the future is a completely connected world, where industrial teams use integrated data to collaborate beyond their own four walls. Together with suppliers, partners and customers, they uncover new synergies, reduce waste and create new opportunities. At AVEVA, we are uniquely positioned to enable our customers to thrive in this new connected industrial economy. I’m looking forward, alongside our hugely talented teams, to empowering our customers to design better, operate more efficiently and solve the most critical challenges for industry, infrastructure and our planet.” 

Shipping costs between China and the UK increased by over 350 per cent between 2020 and 2021, according to China-Britain Business Council. Largely due to the pandemic, but also the war in Ukraine and Brexit, these issues have created component shortages and forced many manufacturers to raise prices. Here, Jonathan Parry, Senior Vice President & MD Europe for electrical connector specialist PEI-Genesis, discusses three steps businesses can take to give customers stability in uncertain times.

The war in Ukraine has caused fuel prices to surge, forcing an increase in freight costs for all modes of transportation. It has also disrupted the rail transport route connecting China and Europe, which had already become competitive due to the rise in consumer demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although global shipping prices have started to stabilise in 2022, data provided by Freightos indicates that transpacific and transatlantic rates are still 180 and 240 per cent higher, respectively, than early December 2019.

In the US, labour disputes, rail backlogs, and rising diesel prices are all causing supply chain problems.

These are all issues businesses have no control over. However, there are steps and strategies that can help to mitigate these and build a secure operational platform to provide stability for customers.

Localisation

Over the past two years, mismatching lockdowns worldwide have caused many containers to become stranded at ports. Similarly, competition to fill the gap caused by issues in the China–Europe route has forced ships to be diverted to parts of Africa or South Asia.

This dependence on a global supply chain has increased the time it takes for many companies to service their customers, forcing them to localise. By bringing their manufacturing process closer to consumers, businesses can ensure a continuity of service and speedy supply, regardless of future global challenges.

The Just in Case strategy

Before the pandemic, many businesses relied on the just-in-time (JIT) strategy. This inventory management strategy allows manufacturers to align materials orders from suppliers with their production schedules, increasing efficiency and minimising inventory costs.

This strategy works well when supply chains are reliable. However, the pandemic forced manufacturing to shut down, and when the markets reopened, there was a jump in demand. This, coupled with the other issues mentioned previously, means that JIT no longer works for many companies.

To help ensure a continuity of service for customers, manufacturers can invest in holding more stock, also known as the just-in-case (JIC) strategy. JIC aims to minimise the likelihood that a product will sell out, serving as a cushion in the event of supply disruptions.

By ensuring the availability of products, businesses can avoid permanently losing customers and suppliers. They can also prevent a supply chain collapse.

Reconnect with customers

Pandemic lockdowns prevented businesses from meeting with their clients and building relationships. With most restrictions now lifted, it is a great opportunity for companies to reconnect with their customers by investing in their field sales coverage.

This is especially important for companies who operate in regions that contain different languages and cultures, as having localised sales teams can provide a tailored service based on the needs of the customers in these regions.

PEI-Genesis is taking these steps to invest in providing stability for its customers globally. These investments are centred around its three pillars: speed, inventory, and being a trusted advisor to its customers.

To provide speed and keep its 48-hour promise to its customers, it has opened an additional manufacturing facility in Philadelphia, USA, alleviating the pressure on its existing South Bend facility. It has also opened a facility in Zhuhai, China, because customs clearance meant it took over ten days to ship products from its other sites in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

PEI-Genesis has also invested in its inventory. It has ten million dollars more component stock than it did this time last year. This offers unrivalled availability for customers as it can offer the widest range of part numbers and selections.

Finally, the company is investing in being a trusted advisor. This means having experts in each market to drive customer relations. For example, in APAC, the company has expanded its sales force to cover ten out of fourteen APAC markets, opening its most recent sales office in Singapore. This enables it to bring solutions with new and existing products, while allowing it to give a more bespoke service to customers of different languages and cultures.

To find out more about how PEI-Genesis is mitigating the effects of global issues on its customers by holding a large stock of its electrical connectors, visit www.peigenesis.com.

Agile Analog, the analog IP innovators, has extended its range of data conversion IP with the introduction of the first customisable, process agnostic, 12-bit Analog to Digital Converter (ADC).

Barry Paterson, CEO at Agile Analog, said, “We are pleased to introduce the latest product in our data conversion range, building on the success of our 8-bit and 10-bit ADCs. There is growing demand for 12-bit ADCs as these provide the higher resolutions that next generation products require. This development opens up more application areas and is a key part of us expanding our IP product portfolio to meet the changing needs of our customers across the globe.”

The agileADC is a traditional Charge-Redistribution SAR ADC that achieves 12-bit resolution at sample rates up to 64 MSPS and a signal to noise ratio of 70 dB. It includes a built-in reference generator and an optional multiplexor with support for up to 16 input channels. Each input channel can be configured to be buffered or unbuffered, and to support differential or single-ended inputs. There is a choice of digital output formats including interface options for APB and TileLink.

The agileADC can be customised to meet the customer’s specific project needs for Power, Performance, and Area (PPA). The sample rate can be adjusted as can the number of inputs and bits.

“The customisation opportunities are very popular with customers,” added Chris Morrison, Agile Analog’s Director of Product Marketing. “Our highly configurable analog IP gives customers the IP they want rather than needing to choose from the limited selection of off-the-shelf IP available from our competitors. In particular, the ability to adapt the power, performance, and area of the ADC allows our customers to have the optimal ADC for their design requirements.”

Barry concluded: “Our novel technology allows analog IP to be automatically generated so it is more verifiable, robust, and reliable. We are also the only analog IP company that can quickly re-target our IP to different process options, which is a major benefit for chip designers.”

Over the last few years, ADCs have become increasingly popular, and are used across multiple applications, including industrial automation, sensors, controls, and communications systems. A recent report showed that the overall sales of Analog to Digital Converters are projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% over the next decade.

For more information on the Agile Analog 12-bit ADC please visit: www.agileanalog.com/ip-by-product-type/agileadc-12bit-sar-analog-to-digital-converter

After their work to develop a highly successful track bike for the Tokyo Olympics, global engineering technologies company, Renishaw, and the Great Britain Cycling Team have extended their partnership. As an official supplier to the Team, Renishaw will use its expertise in additive manufacturing (AM) to create lightweight, complex parts for an upgraded track bike design, which aims to reduce drag and improve overall speeds for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In 2019, British Cycling, the national governing body for cycling in Great Britain, invited Renishaw to join the Olympic bike development team. Renishaw’s expertise in metal 3D printing and advanced engineering was seen as vital to enable the production of lighter, more complex components than traditional manufacturing methods, allowing the team to increase the bike’s speed.

For the Tokyo bike, Renishaw used its in-house expertise to rapidly produce plastic and metal prototype parts to undertake aerodynamic testing of the new design and ensure that parts were light, geometrically correct and strong enough to endure the strain from riders. Once it confirmed the parts were viable, the company then used its RenAM 500Q AM systems to manufacture aluminium and titanium parts, including handlebars, for the competition bikes, with parts customised for individual athletes.

Looking ahead to the Paris Olympics, the goal is to increase the bike’s speed through an enhanced design that will further improve the Great Britain Cycling Team’s performance and its chances of success, following the seven medals achieved at the Tokyo Olympics.

“We’re really excited to be working once again with the British Cycling team after the success in Tokyo,” explained Ben Collins, Senior Applications Engineer for Renishaw’s Additive Manufacturing Group. “Creating a bike light enough for Olympic competition that also stayed within the Union Cyclist International guidelines was a challenge, but it also gave us the chance to showcase how beneficial additive manufacturing can be across all industries.”

“It was great to see how well the bike performed at the Tokyo Olympics, where the team won three gold medals, three silver and one bronze. It was a huge triumph for both the team and us. Now that we’ve renewed the partnership, it will be really exciting to see how we can help improve the bike’s performance for the Paris Olympics,” concluded Collins.

In 2020, the Hope-Lotus track bikes helped to make British Olympic history in Tokyo. Laura Kenny became the most successful British female Olympian of all time after winning a gold medal in the madison with Katie Archibald, and silver medal in the women’s team pursuit. Jason Kenny also became Britain’s most successful male Olympian, winning gold in the men’s keirin and silver in the men’s team sprint.

Stephen Park, Performance Director for British Cycling, said: “We have a fantastic relationship with the team at Renishaw. They’ve been integral in helping create what we believe is the fastest track cycling bike in the world and one which we are now refining towards Paris. The partnership allows us to create world leading parts that allow us to optimise our bike for each individual rider, which is unlike anything we’ve been able to do in the past. The key benefits of working with Renishaw is the experience of the engineers, designers and all the employees, along with the incredible technology in terms of manufacturing capability.”

For further information on Renishaw’s additive manufacturing products and services, visit www.renishaw.com/am

Distrelec, one of Europe’s leading distributors of electronics and electronic components, will showcase at embedded world 2023 some of the most advanced and powerful tools and devices for power distribution and waveform generation as well as minimal form factor oscilloscopes.

Distrelec has taken a larger booth than last year to show a wider range of products. The company will be putting on display various technically advanced solutions from such manufacturers as leading power supply specialist Traco Power, RND Lab (provider of various soldering solutions, test & measurement products and power supplies), innovative IoT technology company Seeed Studio, and Tektronix, currently celebrating 75 years of developing highly innovative oscilloscopes.

Distrelec will have on show Traco Power products capable of delivering from 1W to 600W in various form factors, including PCB-mount and chassis-mount devices. Products also combine isolated, regulated DC load with wide AC input and wide DC input. For medical equipment power distribution, Traco products displayed on the booth will include signal interfaces, AC/DC or DC/DC power supplies, power back-up units and devices for human interface, display and control. Visitors will be able to see Traco Power’s TRV 2M series 2W high isolation DC/DC converters for medical and industrial applications while also on show will be the TMPW series compact 5W-50W AC/DC modules for industrial and household applications.

Among the RND products featured on the Distrelec stand will be the RND 360-00002 arbitrary waveform generator, which delivers a maximum frequency output of 35MHz, a sample rate of 500MSa/s with 1uHz vertical resolution and modulation functions that include AM, FM, PM, FSK, 3FSK, 4FSK, PSK, OSK, ASK, BPSK, PWM, sweep and burst. The generator also has an integrated high-accuracy frequency counter, supporting from 100mHz to 200MHz, as well as optional 7-inch (800 x 480 pixels) multiple LCD touchscreens.

Among other Seeed Studio products, Distrelec will showcase the SenseCAP S2120 Weather Sensor. The 8-in-1 weather station collects air temperature, humidity, wind speed/direction, rainfall, light intensity, UV index, and barometric pressure data in one device and uploads them via LoRaWAN. Suitable for outdoor use, the reliable weather sensor is easily deployed and capable in harsh environments such as high UV exposure, heavy rain or dusty conditions.

Tektronix equipment shown on the Distrelec booth will include the recently launched 2 Series mixed signal oscilloscope (MSO) designed to free up bench space through its thin and lightweight design. The 2 Series MSO offers bandwidths from 70MHz to 500MHz and a maximum sample rate of 2.5GS/s. Available with either two or four channels, the oscilloscope incorporates an easy-to-use capacitive 10.1-inch touchscreen. An optional battery pack makes it possible to use the portable oscilloscope in the field.

Products from other leading manufacturers will also be featured including Moxa’s EDS-20005-EL, a 5-port entry-level unmanaged Ethernet switch with metal housing, and Moxa’s EDS-2008-EL – an 8-port entry-level unmanaged Ethernet switch with metal housing. Bourns products shown by Distrelec include various power inductors, particularly the SRN semi-shielded series and the SRP series of high-current shielded SMD inductors, plus Chip LAN power transformers, common mode chokes and transient voltage suppression (TVS) diode arrays.

Lastly, visitors to the Distrelec booth will get the chance to play on the world’s largest PAC-MAN game console with a huge video billboard. All players of the game will be entered into a raffle for a €50 Amazon voucher. Plus, anyone visiting the booth can enter a raffle to win an RND 360-00002 arbitrary waveform generator.

“We are looking forward to meeting visitors face to face again and coming into direct contact with other industry experts” said Holger Ruban, CEO of Distrelec. “We will be delighted to demonstrate to customers and potential customers alike how well we are equipped to meet their specific requirements, especially with our focus on IoT as evidenced by revenue growth of over 60% on industrial communication products in the last year. Plus, with 10,000 products being added to our web shop every month, we truly have a solution for everyone.”

RS has renewed its support for Team BRIT, an all-disabled racing team which aims to change motorsport to make it truly accessible for all.

The package comprises financial support, and access to components like connectors and electronic products for hand controls. In addition, RS has provided a rapid prototyping machine (3D printer) so the team can design and test parts.

This support will help the team – which is the only competitive team of all disabled-drivers in the world – build on the success of 2022, in which it made history as the first all-disabled team to enter the British GT Championship. And it became the first ever all-disabled team to win a national racing series.

In 2023, Team BRIT will be fielding four teams in four championships, with 10 drivers competing at different levels of racing. For the first time, it will race in the Citroen C1 Championship, adding a new, entry-level offering for rookie drivers.

Emma Botfield, managing director for RS UK & Ireland, said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting Team BRIT for the next three years, helping the team to achieve its ambitious goals. We were compelled to get involved in 2022 after we heard the story of the engineer who used RS parts for a design change to an internal mechanism in the race car, to enable driving equality within the sport. We have been and continue to be inspired by Team BRIT who are role models, demonstrating that anything is possible with the right mindset, outlook and support. I am so excited about what the team will do this season.”

Team BRIT will be racing in the British GT Championship, the British Endurance Championship, the Britcar Trophy and the Citroen C1 Championship. Its race car portfolio comprises two McLaren 570S GT4s, a BMW M240i and a Citroen C1. It has also introduced four new drivers to the team, including two women.

Mike Scudamore, commercial director at Team BRIT, said: “This year will be pivotal for us in the ongoing journey towards making history with a team entry in the Le Mans 24 hour race, as the first ever-disabled team to compete. We are thankful RS has decided to continue its support and join us again on this exciting journey. It is support such as this that enables us to build our ladder of opportunities for disabled drivers, break down barriers into racing, and set even more records.”

Team BRIT aims to create equal opportunities in motorsport for people with physical and psychological disabilities, using technological innovation to enable them to compete on equal terms and supporting disabled racing drivers not just in accessing, but also in returning to motorsport. Team BRIT has developed the world’s most advanced hand control technology to facilitate this.

For more information about Team BRIT, the technology it uses, the team drivers and 2023 events, visit https://teambrit.co.uk/.

Analog Devices has launched a fully integrated open radio unit (O-RU) reference design platform that enables radio designers to reduce risk and time to market. The platform is a complete solution from the optical fronthaul to RF and allows for hardware and software customisation for macro and small cell radio units (RUs). The platform leverages industry-leading technologies that drive advanced 4G and 5G RU requirements and includes support for all sub 6GHz band and power variants, including multi-band applications.

With the timeline for O-RUs becoming more stringent, and operator requirements more demanding and complex, RU developer resources are stretched thin. By leveraging this complete RU solution with comprehensive collateral resources, designers can focus on innovation, enabling their companies to compete for more RU design opportunities.

The ADRV904x-RD O-RU reference design platform includes ADI’s fifth generation 8T8R RadioVerse® SoC with advanced digital front end including field proven digital pre-distortion (DPD). ADI’s fully featured, commercial O-RAN 7.2a IP Stack is hosted on Intel’s Agilex 7 F-series FPGA, delivering superior performance/watt. The platform has been tested with Radisys® Layer 2/3 software running on Intel FlexRan server hardware for 8T8R macro deployment scenarios.

“The design resources required to complete advanced RU designs are significant. ADI, together with Intel and Radisys, is enabling a more robust O-RAN ecosystem by offering a complete RU design platform with confirmed interoperability. We are pleased to work together with Intel and Radisys to accelerate Open RAN’s potential,” said Joe Barry, Vice President of Marketing, Systems & Technology in the Communication and Cloud Business Unit at ADI.

“In the radio market, customers need the ability to build cutting edge systems that fit the dynamic standards we see today. ADI’s ADRV904x-RD O-RU complements our high performance Agilex 7 F-series FPGA in achieving this goal. Our broad silicon portfolio, in combination with ADI’s fifth generation 8T8R RadioVerse SoC with DFE, enables customers to accommodate a broad set of applications with differentiating feature sets,” said Mike Fitton, VP and GM of Intel’s Network Business Division.

“Radisys is pleased to continue the collaboration with Intel and ADI to provide our award winning, Release 17 compliant, Connect RAN 5G software. Ease of integration and performance benchmarking with this advanced open radio design is an important step towards unlocking the full potential of Open RAN,” said Munish Chhabra, SVP and General Manager, Software and Services at Radisys.

Visit ADI’s O-RU Radio Platform web page for details. The interoperability proven platform with fully functional end to end calls is on display at Mobile World Congress (MWC) within ADI’s booth (Hall 2, 2B18). For more information, visit ADI’s MWC 2023 web page.

WEG, a leading global motor manufacturer, will supply two drive motors for the world’s most powerful test rig. This test rig is being developed by Danish wind turbine test specialist, R&D Test Systems, a company that develops projects and validates new technology with turnkey test systems. With two 30 MW motors from WEG, the test rig will be the world’s most powerful powertrain and gearbox test bench and — at 60-meters long — will also be the largest.

ZF Wind Power, an international technology group and market leader in driveline and chassis technology, is the final user of this test rig. This 30 MW powertrain and gearbox test bench will be housed in ZF Wind Powers’s Test and Prototype Center in Lommel, Belgium. The test rig is capable of simulating the multiplicity of wind loads that a nacelle powertrain might experience in its lifetime, helping to improve product reliability and shorten time to market.

The test rig sees two nacelle components, for example two powertrains or two gearboxes,  tested simultaneously. The two 30 MW motors are positioned on each end of the nacelle components under test, with an additional load unit located between the two components that simulates wind loads comparable to real-world conditions Together, the motors and load unit can stimulate not only harsh wind loads, but also the effect of wind coming from different directions.

Marek Lukaszczyk, Europe and Middle East marketing manager for WEG, commented on the announcement: “WEG has extensive experience in supplying motors for renewable projects, so we are confident that our motors will help to ensure that this test rig operates at peak performance.

“Rigorously testing new technologies for renewable energy generation is essential for our planet’s future. The two motors from WEG will be delivered in October 2023, and the system will ultimately be delivered to ZF Wind Power in 2024.”

Explaining the need for such a powerful system, Ralf Nieschler, Key Account Manager, R&D Test Systems said in the press release from R&D Test Systems, “The wind loads and directions can vary greatly, and each change creates loading on the nacelle powertrain.  This new test rig must be much more powerful than the powertrain it tests, providing proof that the next generation of offshore turbines are capable of operating reliably in extreme offshore conditions over the defined lifetime.

“The force of gusts of wind can push the blade around. This twisting and bending of the powertrain in all possible directions in the test rig will simulate the effect of 20 years of wind conditions, in just a few months,” concluded Nieschler.

The test rig is scheduled to be delivered in 2024 and will provide a reliable platform to test and validate wind turbine technology. WEG’s motors will be a key component of the test rig and will be instrumental in helping to ensure wind technology is up to future standards.