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

The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA), the leading association for the industrial power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distribution channel, welcomes a new member company, MEM Industrial. 

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.

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.

The engineering community is fascinated with big, shiny, yellow machines. Walk into any manufacturing facility around the globe and you’ll find guests huddled around the biggest, loudest, and most intimidating equipment on the shop floor. These large machines must play by the same rules as everybody else—they need to reduce energy consumption, lower plant costs, and increase productivity. Many power transmission component suppliers are tasked with optimizing this equipment. 

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.  

The Houston Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) began as a 200-person Turbomachinery Symposium on the campus of Texas A&M University in 1972. The Pump Symposium was founded in 1984 and joined with Turbo for a singular event in 2011. TPS is a vital industry event that offers a forum for the exchange of ideas between rotating equipment engineers and technicians worldwide. For nearly 50 years, TPS is known for its impact on turbomachinery, pump, oil & gas, petrochemical, power, aerospace, chemical, and water industries through two pathways: the technical program and the exhibition.

We’re starting to see some encouraging signs of life from the trade show industry. Recent shows have bounced back in a big way, including Automate 2022 and MODEX 2022. Will the upcoming IMTS and Hannover Messe USA continue the trend?

Engineers often face challenges when incorporating servo motors into a new machine design, such as choosing between a conventional housed motor or a frameless design. Kollmorgen engineers examine the components of a frameless motor and review three key design considerations that would indicate a frameless solution is the best fit for a machine.