Now more than ever, manufacturing companies are examining what steps need to be taken to ensure improvements to machine reliability by predicting system failures and minimizing downtime.

The recent trend toward using segmented laminations as a means to increase slot fill and facilitate automated fabrication of electric machines comes with a penalty of increased core loss at the segment joints.

Bearings with integrated sensors are used in a wide variety of applications, but many potential industrial uses are not yet implemented.

The complete product news section from the June 2009 issue of Power Transmission Engineering.

The complete Industry News section from the April 2009 issue of Power Transmission Engineering magazine.

Wind is the talk of the town. It has become especially relevant to the power transmission community where bearings, gears, couplings, motors and gearboxes are providing the equipment for this thriving alternative energy industry. It comes as no surprise that the Windpower 2009 Conference and Exhibition, arriving in Chicago from May 4–7, will be the largest gathering of wind energy professionals and technologies to date.

The Royal Danish Theatre has occupied the heart of Copenhagen for centuries and recently upgraded to a new control system featuring Sprint Electric DC drives to extend the lives of the existing motors, keeping replacement costs down. The Swedish stage design and technology company Visual Act retained most of the original motors and mechanics while providing a much-needed facelift to the stage.

Perhaps you don’t need convincing that sustainability is the wave of the future. But where to start? Resources of all types—from websites to trade shows to white papers—are waiting to help green your operation. Most areas are home to regional business alliances devoted to helping local manufacturing outlets contribute in an environmentally sound manner. Here are a few go-to resources for going green.

Can direct drive technology improve your bottom line? Manufacturers relying upon drive systems in their production process have long sought ways to improve gearbox efficiency. While a gearbox-driven system has been the mainstay for manufacturers, it has also been, among other things, the source of frequent breakdowns, expensive line stoppages and increasingly costly maintenance.

The complete Product News section from the February 2009 issue of Power Transmission Engineering.