The following article looks at the latest news on servo motors, drives and motors. How do we differentiate between the definitions? What can design engineers find between a stepper and a servo motor? Also, a quick update this summer on the benefits of closed-loop motor control. 

David Brown Santasalo Australia recently completed a full strip and rebuild of a Zollern ZHP 4.33 Rope Winch Drum for valued mining industry partner, Zollern. The 7,550 kg Winch Drum powers a coal loader, with an output torque of 400 kNm (Stat Max) and an input torque of 893 Nm. 

NORD is pleased to announce new features to the myNORD online customer portal, including additional motor connectivity options, configurable CLINCHER.1 parallel shaft gear units, and updates to the user interface to make the tool even easier to use

Force Control Industries presents a maintenance-free, no-adjustment crane brake that virtually eliminates crane downtime as well as the need to perform maintenance and adjustment at height. The MagnaShear motor brake employs oil shear technology, providing longer service life in demanding applications like the frequent start/stop cycles seen on cranes, hoists, and winches.

Electrification has really brought ball bearings back into focus as the primary bearing in our drive systems. Some boxes have tapers on the slower shafts for stiffness and others are using a ball/cylindrical combo for efficiency. Regardless, we all face the same challenge on the primary shaft in dealing with the potential of 18,000–20,000+ rpm speeds coming out of the motor. Plenty of applications run 20,000 rpm; what makes the automotive motor unique is, in addition to speed, we are driving huge torques, frequent torque reversals and a huge range of temperatures both internally and geographically. Of course, this all needs to be suited for high-volume manufacturing as well. Adding full ceramic balls, a PEEK cage and a high precision classification is a really easy way to run greater than 20,000 rpm all day but is an expensive option. One bearing alone could hurt the cost competitiveness of your gearbox. In the case where a single bearing can change the landscape of your project, it is worth taking a little time to understand exactly what the drivers of our speed limitations are.

Electric steel is used heavily in the manufacturing of electric motors. The material is key to producing the electromagnetic field used to turn the rotor. Without the electromagnetic properties associated with this iron alloy, the performance of electric motors would be substantially compromised. Historically, motors used in commercial and industrial applications have represented a major customer base for electric steel suppliers, and motor vendors have resultingly had little difficultly ensuring prioritized supply lines. However, the share of business held by commercial and industrial electric motor vendors is being threatened by the automotive sector in the wake of electric vehicles.

Print is not dead. While reading magazines cover-to-cover is a lost art—thanks to work responsibilities, 24-hour sports/entertainment coverage, and the universal time suck known as Instagram—someone, somewhere still prefers the printed word to the shiny, unfriendly artificial light of tablets and smartphones.  This publication (hopefully) provides information engineers can discuss, debate, or collaborate on for future manufacturing endeavors. There would be no words, no photographs, no advertising without the paper used to print this very magazine.

How do gearbox and gear drive providers navigate the interesting challenges found in steel, cement, paper, and construction applications? Apparently, one application at a time. Thanks to condition monitoring technology, IoT solutions and the flexibility of engineering teams today, plant downtime is not as problematic as it has been in the past. The secret to success in heavy industrial markets comes down to staying ahead of component failures.  

After receiving all the official approvals, Voith successfully completed the acquisition of the majority shares of Argo-Hytos Group on August 2, 2022. Argo-Hytos, based in Switzerland, develops and produces components for hydraulics and system solutions with a focus on the off-highway sector (agricultural tractors, construction equipment and material handling vehicles).

This exclusive round-up article from PTE examines the latest news and product technology involving smart bearings, motors and drives.