Traditionally, drive technology and fluid power has been represented at Hannover Messe by a large number of companies from Germany and abroad, especially in odd-numbered years. This will also be the case in 2025 when manufacturers will present their latest applications and components for intelligent and sustainable production. All this, under the Motion & Drives label, will be focused in Halls 4, 5 and 6. 

Emerson has announced the new Series D update to the family of proven SolaHD industrial rack mount on-line uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs). The new SolaHD S4KD Series replaces the current S4KC Series, offering significant user interface improvements and other design upgrades to increase reliability and product availability. The S4KD is an on-line (double conversion) UPS, providing a zero-transfer time from external to internal power upon utility power failure to deliver a seamless flow of power for critical loads. The S4KD is available in 1000-3000 VA in 120 V and 3000 VA in 230 V configurations, each housed in a slim 2U form factor.

Columbus McKinnon will be consolidating its North American Duff Norton linear motion production activities from Charlotte, NC, with its new, state-of-the-art North American Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Monterrey, Mexico. By the end of September 2024, all production of Duff Norton linear motion products will occur out of this new facility. 

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation recently announced that it had been awarded a Guinness World Records title on May 21, 2024, for the fastest robot to solve a puzzle cube using the TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronized Motion Testing Robot (TOKUFASTbot). The previous record of 0.38 seconds was trumped by TOKUFASTbot's time of 0.305 seconds. 

The manufacturing industry often sets the trends for technology adoption in industrial settings. For example, the automation journey began a half-century ago with the first industrial robot — a 2,700-pound behemoth Unimate prototype — installed in a GM factory in 1959. Since then, robotics technology has significantly evolved and expanded beyond traditional manufacturing. Today, robots are integral to various industries, undertaking tasks like automated bricklaying in construction, efficient goods handling in logistics and warehousing and critical functions such as dispensing medication within hospitals.

ABB has launched its new OmniVance Collaborative Machine Tending Cell, providing a complete integrated solution for automated machine tending that is easy to program, install and use. The standardized solution combines a collaborative GoFa 12 robot and user-friendly software in a compact solution for fast installation and easy operation.

Fanuc America has officially unveiled its new 650,000 square foot West Campus facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The expansion increases the footprint in Michigan to over 2 million square feet and is part of Fanuc America’s strategic investment plan to support and advance industrial automation in North America. The West Campus represents a $110 million investment built on 67 acres of land.

In the machinery and plant engineering sector, ensuring reliability and performance is now at the forefront. Particularly, manufacturers of machine tools, automation systems, and general mechanical engineering have significantly increased their requirements for high-performance elastomer couplings recently.

Linear guides, bushings, ball screws, stages, tables and motion control systems continue to evolve to meet the needs of factory automation, machine tools, and mechatronics. These components will continue to add sensors, electronics and software to meet new industrial requirements. We've spent time on the trade show circuit recently to report on new innovations in linear motion technology.