What's the latest in software design and simulation in the power transmission market? Here's a recap of some of the latest software solutions for bearings, gears, drivetrains and e-mobility applications.

Bonfiglioli presents the new high performant 800 series which comes in five sizes from 25,000 to 160,000 Nm in marine-resistant paint, suitable for blast cleaning. Easy and fast assembly of the 800 series gearboxes into the winch drum is a key feature of their design. Maintenance requirements are made as simple as possible, e.g., with an easy access to the brake, ready-made brake replacement kits as well as easy access to oil filling, draining plugs, and oil level pipe/indicator. 

Atlanta Gear Works has announced a new working agreement with Jim McClain, general manager of McClain Industrial Technologies, Inc., DBA MiTek, a manufacturers’ rep that will help the gearbox repair and manufacturing firm spread its 34-year reputation in pulp and paper to the steel and aluminum industries.

Regal Rexnord Corporation has announced the launch of its new AirMax Pro Smart Breather, a connected device that protects industrial gearboxes from moisture and particles. 

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.

Axially space-saving, economical, IP65-compliant and designed for high radial and axial forces at the output: The Neugart WPLHE combines all the advantages of the successful PLHE, as a right-angle variant.

NORD’s LogiDrive complete drive solution reduces planning and commissioning efforts by offering an energy efficient, standardized, and service-friendly system that is Industry 4.0 Ready. Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) technology enables the LogiDrive system to maintain high efficiency even in partial load ranges and low speeds – making the solution especially suited towards intralogistics, warehousing, and airport applications.

Recently, the Swedish rolling bearing manufacturer SKF and the Swiss gearbox design software developer KISSsoft have incorporated SKF’s bearing calculation service within KISSsoft's software. With the so-called SKF Bearing Module in KISSsoft, engineers will have direct access to SKF’s bearing technology and bearing performance data.

A new version of the MESYS shaft and rolling bearing analysis software including new functionality is available. The bearing analysis software allows the calculation of the load distribution within the bearing and bearing life according to ISO/TS 16281 and it is integrated in a shaft system calculation with additional possibilities like modal analysis, strength calculation for shafts and interfaces to gear calculations. Currently the software is used by customers in 30 countries on four continents.

JIE USA has released a 3D CAD gearbox and gearmotor configurator to help engineers choose motors and drives on-demand. The online tool enables engineers to identify the correct product for their design or application based on custom parameters and deliver the CAD model or PDF datasheet they need to do their job efficiently.