Air bearings provide a more-precise view of print head variations.

At a Midwestern producer of tubular steel products, measures taken to counteract the effects of impact on a quench tank roll made it difficult to remove and replace the conventional pillow block bearings that support the roll’s shaft.

The availability of high-strength shaft materials, in combination with bearings with high carrying capacity, allows use of slimmer shafts. However, the modulus of elasticity remains the same, so seat design for bearings and gears must be given close attention.

Welcome to the first installment of Market Update - a by-the-numbers, in-the-now snapshot of industrial markets worldwide, along with some prognostication to assist in planning your next moves - when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, etc. Look for Market Update in future issues.

Motion control systems engineers work chiefly in two well-defined areas: 1) new designs and 2) redesigns or retrofits. This article examines the best approach for each option.

The complete Technical Calendar section from the December 2011 issue of Power Transmission Engineering.

It is a simple fact: better lubrication can lead to dramatic energy savings and an improved bottom line. This ought to interest any plant manager who is looking for ways to reduce operating costs, and it is especially significant at a time when stricter government regulations are in direct contradiction to reducing costs. Lubrication reliability is the solution; this article will describe how manufacturing plants can use “lubrication reliability best-practices” to reduce their energy consumption, emissions and operating costs—all at the same time.

Bearings used to support main spindles on machine tools must be capable of higher speed and greater rigidity. This is true in that any main spindle that turns together with a tool or work piece mounted onto it is one of the critical machine tool components that directly affects machining efficiency and accuracy of the machine tool; and, the bearings that support the main spindle are the most critical machine elements on the machine tool.

At first glance, ball bearings are relatively simple mechanisms. However, an analysis of their internal geometries reveals that they are quite complex. For example, the ball to raceway conformity, the radial play, and the number of balls all impact the ability of a ball bearing to support loads under a variety of conditions.

This special product news section takes a look at the latest in motion control products.