This year saw the Hermes Award jury at Hannover Messe, chaired by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Reimund Neugebauer, president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, award a product ideally suited for applications in the rapidly growing robotics market. The award-winning TUAKA product is a fully integrated drive. New features include the gear unit, the motor and the driver with safety functions. Thanks to the product's sensor technology and thermal management, it is suitable for high-precision, sensitive applications in service robotics as well as for interaction with humans.

Nokia is introducing MX Boost for private wireless which combines disparate radio technologies and spectrum to achieve the best possible reliability and performance for demanding Industry 4.0 use cases. Using MX Boost, organizations can aggregate radio technologies, such as Wi-Fi and 4.9G/LTE, as well as spectrum, to optimize throughput and improve determinism, which is the ability of the network to guarantee performance, even in challenging radio conditions for real-time applications.

Altra has recently enhanced the scope and functionality of its virtual exhibit booth. The immersive and interactive trade show environment provides visitors around the world with convenient 24/7 access to browse the extensive portfolio of motion control and power transmission products offered by Altra’s 26 global brands.

Effective April 1, 2022, Dr. Fritz Faulhaber GmbH integrates subsidiary PDT Präzisionsdrehteile GmbH from Nürtingen and thereby welcomes 34 new specialists to the Schönaich location. Thanks to this strategically planned step, Faulhaber can, with a machining center of its own, respond more quickly to individual requests and expands competencies in the area of machining production.

Festo and Q.ANT, a wholly owned subsidiary of TRUMPF, are entering into a strategic partnership to cultivate biomass on an industrial scale. The two companies aim to achieve this using a combination of automation technology from Festo and quantum technology from Q.ANT. Algae offers significant potential in this context.

NSK Ltd. has developed a new technology that significantly extends ball screw life in high-load drive applications. Products with this technology are expected to be adopted by industrial machinery makers shifting to electric designs. Through this and other technologies, NSK continues to contribute to electrification and productivity increases industrial machinery.

The latest trends and emerging technologies in areas like robotics, automation, mechatronics and motion control will be on-hand at Automate 2022 in Detroit. The following is a preview of some of the products that will be available on the show floor in June: 

Fenner Precision Polymers announced the move of its corporate offices. The new location, is in Manheim Township, will be at 187 West Airport Road in Lititz, Pa. Approximately 100 of Fenner’s office staff are expected to move into the new offices beginning fall of 2022. Ongoing construction updates will be underway in the space through October. The company anticipates that the remaining corporate staff will have relocated to the new facility by end of 2022.

The new decentralized inverter series DGM Modular from Bonfiglioli is dedicated for asynchronous and synchronous reluctance motor control. Thanks to its various features and options our high-level performance solution is perfect for packaging, logistics, material handling, food and beverage and pumps sectors. All sizes of the DGM are characterized by high performance and safety features.

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.