My first trip to the CTI Symposium USA six years ago was eye-opening regarding the ambitious forecasts for electrification in the automotive industry. Hybrid transmissions took center stage back then with a hint at a fully electric future on the horizon. Individual components were showcased in the expo hall as well as the technology sessions. Optimism for self-driving vehicles, e-mobility and the switch from ICE to electric vehicles was somewhat restrained. Today, the future of EV and HEV drives and components looks much more attainable.

Charging power. Infrastructure. Longer battery life. Every time the industry comes together for the CTI Symposium, we get a clearer picture of the technology development toward our electric future.

Eaton has introduced a battery disconnect unit (BDU) that can be combined with upgraded Breaktor circuit protection technology to provide circuit protection in electrified vehicles (EVs) while reducing overall complexity and cost. 

E-commerce consumers expect goods to be delivered faster and more flexibly than was the case just a couple of years ago. Organizations, retailers, and their warehouse service providers therefore need to find new ways to move, store, and dispatch goods with agility and accuracy. Add the widespread shortage of labor and you have an indisputable case for automated solutions to meet the myriad of challenges. Kollmorgen examines interoperability in the age of automation. 

Helukabel recently announced two acquisitions to further grow its core competency in the field of industrial automation. The two latest companies to join the Helukabel Group are ekd gelenkrohr GmbH, a drag chain manufacturer, and Sangel Systemtechnik, an industrial cable assembly manufacturer.

The drive system manufacturer Heinzmann has introduced a new wheel hub motor with integrated transmission, which was developed in close collaboration with Framo Morat. The compact, high-performance drive provides ensures efficient operation in automated guided vehicles (AGV) and autonomous mobile robots (AMR). 

Seegrid Corporation has received Frost & Sullivan’s prestigious Technology Innovation Leader Award for 2022. The global research and consulting firm recognized Seegrid for leading the North American AMR market for material handling with complete, connected automation solutions that drive operational resiliency for global leaders in logistics, e-commerce, and manufacturing.

Rexroth North America’s MP1000R is a new 1,000 kg payload capacity autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that can automate material handling applications without additional external infrastructure.

The mobile machine market encompasses equipment supporting the movement of materials and components. This includes agricultural machinery, construction vehicles, municipal machinery, etc. These non-road mobile vehicles—tractors, cranes, forklifts and material handling equipment—often require personalized solutions focused on machine safety, automation and electrification. 
Manufacturers today are merely scratching the surface when designing electric drive equipment for these challenging environmental applications.