The solar-powered butterfly is a 30-foot-long tiny house in the shape of a butterfly, which charges the electric vehicle it tows. The tour is focused on reaching millions of people, alerting them to the companies and individuals that are integral in transitioning societies away from fossil fuels towards clean energy technologies. Presently on a four-year journey around the world, the SolarButterfly plans to identify, record, and publicize at least a thousand climate protection pioneers and their solutions. 

Kollmorgen has announced ATEX certification and IECEx/cETLus listing for the explosion-proof Goldline EBH 480 Vac servomotor. These new explosion-proof approvals for the high-voltage Goldline EBH servomotor exemplify Kollmorgen’s commitment to advancing the state of the art in motion control and meeting the most demanding application requirements.

Fred Young, 80, former president and CEO, Forest City Gear passed away on July 17, 2023. A graduate of Harlem High School, class of 1961, Young obtained his BA in English Literature from Rockford University, class of 1965, and went on to spend a year in the Navy Reserves. After spending nearly 40 years as an adventuring bachelor outdoorsman, he met the love of his life, Wendy Nutter, marrying her on the banks of the Wolf River on June 6, 1981. Fred’s greatest joys were his three daughters, whom he taught to always seek adventure, bestow kindness and generosity, treasure friendship, and work hard and play hard. Fred took over the family business, Forest City Gear, in 1967. Founded by his parents in 1955, Fred took the small mom-and-pop shop to a global level, leading the company to manufacture some of the world’s most difficult gearing for amazing end uses from NASA’s Martian rovers and space station to robotic arms and racing yachts.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG (ZF Group), one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers, and Hon Hai Technology Group (“Foxconn”), the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, recently announced a 50-50 partnership in passenger car chassis systems, a key move aimed at accelerating and expanding automotive and supply chain opportunities with top-tier customers.

Harsh operating conditions are present in many industries such as food and beverage, bakery, automotive parts washing, chemical, water treatment, marine, car wash, and pharmaceutical industries. Applications in these environments are often subjected to intensive cleaning, high-pressure washing, and disinfection processes to meet the highly regulated, hygienic standards. To prevent gear motors from material destruction due to the rigorous cleaning agents and disinfectants, Nord Drivesystems developed nsd tupH – a sealed surface conversion system that ensures easy yet safe cleaning, ultimate surface durability, and wear resistance.

The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) – the premier technical society serving the needs of the tribology and lubrication engineering field – is pleased to announce the release of its 2023 Report on Emerging Issues and Trends in Tribology and Lubrication Engineering. The key conclusion from the 56-page report is that the application of existing and novel tribology approaches has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, as a consequence, play a prominent role in helping organizations implement sustainability practices and achieve climate change mitigation goals.

Croix Gear, recognized as a leader in the custom manufacturing of loose gears, is excited to announce new branding for the organization. Ruthie Johnston, CEO/Owner, stated, “We are excited to have our brand reflect how Croix Gear has grown and developed over the past several years. It is a new look, but the same commitment to our customers, team members and industry.”

Fixtureworks (Fraser, MI) a North American manufacturer and supplier of clamps, fixturing accessories, machine tool components and rollers & bumpers, now offers a line of mechanical linear actuators.

After a long and successful OEM partnership with Ansys, RBF Morph has two proprietary products featured among the world simulation leader's offerings: Ansys RBF Morph Fluids and Ansys RBF Morph Structures.
The two simulation tools are based on RBF Morph's 10+ years of experience with 100+ global customers, including some of the top players and OEMs in the automotive and aerospace industries.

Ogura’s new MCNB-Z series Spring Applied Brakes are changing the way robotics and medical equipment designers look at power-off holding brakes. These are used for both safety and precision motion control. For decades, permanent magnet type brakes were the only reliable solution. This is no longer the case, thanks to this new breakthrough design.