In it’s 30th year of business, REO UK has created a book — R30: The past, present and future of power— to map out the path that led the world here, the challenges facing modern engineers and the advancements and roadblocks of the next three decades.
The book is available on Kindle via Amazon.
This book has been written to provide insight into the problems and opportunities the industry faced over the past 30 years, and those which it will face over the next 30. Starting almost from scratch in the 1700s, the book explores the long journey from manually driven spinning-jennies to modern, 6-axis computerised robots.
Then, looking towards the future, the book discusses the advent of the internet of things (IoT), the latest revolution in industry, Industry 4.0, and what unparalleled interconnectivity will mean for industry and manufacturers. It also covers the load and frequency trials electrical grids face with the increasing adoption of electric vehicles and small-scale renewable generators.
“The internet, smartphones and electric vehicles are just a handful of technologies that have reshaped the world since REO UK’s formation,” explained Steve Hughes, managing director of REO UK and author of the new book. “To most of us, the changes have come thick and fast, but for those working in industry the ground just hasn’t stopped moving for decades now.
“Progress is inarguably beneficial, but as technology further advances and evolves it can risk outrunning its supporting infrastructure. Predicting, planning for and implementing the correct answers to such pressing questions takes a broad and thorough industrial perspective.
“As a provider of electrical and power electronic components, REO UK holds an interesting position that spans many industries. As such, we can see how developments in different industries can have knock-on effects in other areas. In an increasingly electrified world, the role of electrical and design engineers is to keep everything running smoothly — power quality is integral to that, and understanding the root cause of today’s electrical issues is imperative to achieving good power quality.”
Featuring interviews with industry figureheads from online design materials encyclopaedia, Matmatch, precision motor and actuator supplier, Electro Mechanical Systems Ltd, and bespoke battery manufacturer, Accutronics, the book provides a thorough, balanced and prescriptive overview of the prevailing winds in modern industry.
