PERSONNEL CHANGES AND EXPANSION HIGHLIGHT CICERO, ILLINOIS GEAR MANUFACTURER

Wind turbine gearboxes are subjected to a wide variety of operating conditions, some of which may push the bearings beyond their limits. Damage may be done to the bearings, resulting in a specific premature failure mode known as white etching cracks (WEC), sometimes called brittle, short-life, early, abnormal or white structured flaking (WSF). Measures to make the bearings more robust in these operating conditions are discussed in this article.

For Mark Findlay of UK specialist driveline consultancy Drive System Design, reducing gear noise to suit the low noise levels in an electric vehicle cabin has meant throwing away the rule book.

The complete technical Calendar from the September 2014 issue of Power Transmission Engineering.

University lab's motor eliminates pricey rare-earth magnets.

The growth of worldwide energy consumption and emerging industrial markets demands an increase of renewable energy shares. The price pressure coming from coal, oil, nuclear and natural gas energy - combined with enormous worldwide production capacities for components of wind turbines - make wind energy a highly competitive market. The testing and validation of gearboxes within the test rig and the turbine environment attract a strong focus to the needs of the industry. The following contribution sums up the typical process requirements and provides examples for successful system and component verifications based on field measurements.

A reader asks: I have heard that new axles no longer need a break-in period. True or false?

The Formula Renault 3.5 is seen as a crucial stepping stone on the way into the premier class, the Formula 1. Ambitious racers do not just bring their talents - they also have highly efficient motors on board to control the throttle of their 530-hp V8 engines.

The complete Product News section from the September 2014 issue of Power Transmission Engineering.

Columnist Brian Langenberg provides a current outlook update, key findings from a recent energy sector conference, and takes another look at education and employment.