Riding (or some say driving), a Segway Personal Transporter (PT) should be on everyone’s bucket list — owning one is an even better idea. Mickey Simmons, research analyst at Proctor & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio, is experiencing the fun firsthand, after winning his own Segway x2 PT at the 2013 Pack Expo. This is the second time that Kollmorgen and Segway have teamed up to give away a brand new Segway x2 at Pack Expo as a way to demonstrate the Segway x2 drivetrain servo system designed and developed by Kollmorgen.

The Kollmorgen motor technology developed for Segway has unique and critical technical characteristics integral to its successful design and manufacture. Many of these breakthrough advances offer similarly beneficial application in packaging equipment. First and foremost, is the incredibly high level of efficiency and high torque/power density for a servomotor capable of powering a large off-road tire drive train and carrying a full grown man — yet small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. Advanced winding technology, including patented dual motor windings to allow the rider to "limp" home in the event the primary winding fails, and multi-design function overmolding are among the breakthrough features of the x2 servo that provide this power and rugged compactness. The performance of the x2 servo drive train is best demonstrated by the Segway’s excellent torque performance across its full range of speed capability — from a smooth, slow speed crawl to 10K rpm — while ensuring the safety of the passenger with smooth, seamless accel/decel. An aggressive price point was another critical Kollmorgen development criteria for the servo system to ensure a successful product launch for the x2 PT in the consumer marketplace.

Throughout its design and development process, the x2 drive train provides an excellent demonstration of Kollmorgen’s expertise and capability being partnered with the creative solutions objectives of their customer. Specifically for the x2 design technology, Kollmorgen’s ability to leverage R&D breakthroughs in controls, drives, and motors from their extensive industrial applications expertise was critical. Likewise, the economies of the Segway PT motor manufacturing system originated from Kollmorgen’s high volume stepper motors manufacturing technology.

As for Simmons, winning a Segway x2 came as a real surprise, along with learning that a Kollmorgen servo is the power behind the machine and that Kollmorgen provides such technologically advanced solutions far beyond traditional electric servo motors. Back home in Cincinnatti, Simmons and his wife, along with Keary Shaub, Kollmorgen field sales engineer, and Teri Shaub, Kollmorgen technical applications specialist, were treated to a great experience with personalized Segway x2 training and a tour of the beautiful downtown Cincinnati waterfront by the local Segway dealer, Segway of Cincinnati. In short order, Simmons is planning to order another x2 so that he and his wife can both ride the local Loveland Trail in Mason, Ohio and take their x2s camping. Scratch one from the bucket list.