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.

Thomson Industries, Inc. has added advanced controllability options to its Electrak LL line of long-life electric linear actuators. In addition to the 600 km of maintenance-free life and 100% duty cycle performance inherent to all the Electrak LL models, machine designers can now get absolute position feedback, CAN bus integration, reduced current flow and higher speeds. 

Nidec’s U.S. Motors division recently promoted two long-time staffers to senior roles. Cory Kniepp is now director, strategic planning and marketing operations, and Patrick Hogg is senior marketing director, industrial OEMs and distribution. The U.S. Motors brand offers electric motors featuring advanced technology, from variable speed electronically commutated motors to NEMA Premium efficient motors. 

The miniature GVCM-019-032-02 Linear Voice Coil Servo Motor has been released by Moticont. It is only three-quarters of an inch (19.0 mm) in diameter and features a 0.875 in. (22.2 mm) stroke.  Also called an electric cylinder, this miniature linear servomotor, features a continuous high-force-to-size ratio of 7.4 ounces (2.1 N) and 23.3 ounces (6.5 N) of peak force at a 10 percent duty cycle.

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.

Bodine Electric Company introduces 12 new brushless DC hollow shaft gearmotors with hypoid gearing. These type 42B-25H2 and 42B-30H3 geared motors combine a new brushless DC, 130 VDC motor with two hypoid gearheads. 

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.

Binder announces the latest enhancements to its panel mount connectors in M12 size. These connectors now feature assembled wires, an advanced sealing concept, safety features, and sustainable materials. Users in process, sensor, and drive technology also benefit from optional shielding and customization.

In major ports around the world, there is a growing need for autonomous goods handling. The vehicles in the ports, which are operated around the clock and have largely been manually operated.