The new KISSsoft release 2024 is coming soon! This April will bring you the new system module KISSdesign, accelerating the calculation of complex drive trains and replacing the previous KISSsys software.

Modern spindle applications of rolling bearings require very high speeds and very high loads, often combined with poor lubrication conditions and/or high solid contamination. Examples of these applications are high-speed and high-cutting rate machine tools, where rolling bearings need to survive very though conditions. Rolling bearings in high speed and high load conditions might suffer from poor lubrication and potentially surface distress and adhesive wear. 

Manufacturing, chemical processing, food and beverage, construction, mining, oil and gas, agriculture, and power generation industries all employ the use of turbomachinery. Reliability and minimizing downtime are critical in these applications. Rolling bearings are integral to the operation of pumps and compressors and must be able to withstand moderate to heavy loading and harsh operating environments. A wide variety of ball, roller, and needle bearings can be found in these machines; however, this article will focus on the most common type of bearing used, the deep groove ball bearing.

Solid Edge is a portfolio of affordable, easy-to-use software tools that address all aspects of the product development process. Solid Edge combines the speed and simplicity of direct modeling with the flexibility and control of parametric design – made possible with synchronous technology. The following Q&A discusses Solid Edge 2024 with Dan Staples, vice president, mainstream engineering, Siemens Digital Industries Software.

A good 20 years have passed since the web-based calculation software eAssistant saw the light of day in the digital world. The software is probably the oldest commercial online solution for the design, recalculation and optimization of machine elements such as shafts, bearings, shaft-hub connections, gears, bolted joints, springs, etc. The calculations are based on internationally accepted standards and guidelines as well as technical literature.

Gearmotors are used in processes to produce, manufacture, convey, package and store products used every day and are used frequently in small packaging applications due to their compact size. These units need care via preventive maintenance just like any asset used on a production site.

The loaded tooth contact analysis (LTCA) is crucial in understanding the deformation of gears and its impact on various factors such as noise generation, contact patterns, contact shocks, and torque variations. With the contact analysis feature in KISSsoft, users can calculate tooth contact under specific torque and speed levels, thereby assessing the performance of gears and gearboxes.

Digital data models and the latest calculation methods lay the foundations for a further improvement in the performance of Generation X.e. SEW-Eurodrive continuously factors the findings of field/test stand trials and simulations into its own calculations, thereby improving their accuracy and reliability. The mechanical and thermal design of the X..e series was once again precisely evaluated on this basis. In conjunction with the component optimizations already implemented in the past, this results in even higher thermal limit ratings, a much longer bearing service life, and higher nominal torques. Moreover, larger application angles are now permissible with the maximum overhung load. 

In everyday life and in the technical fields we often discover that certain decisions are based on “scientific data” when, in fact, they are often founded on historic conclusions that have not been challenged or re-evaluated in a long time. One such common myth is that for a stable and well-tuned drive you should match the motor’s inertia to the load inertia, which is typically done using a gearbox. Two factors lead to that conclusion: a. there is an optimization formula using the time constant of the motor and the load torque that shows that the best acceleration will be achieved if the reflected load inertia matches the rotor inertia; and b. a PID controller, which was commonly used when electric servos entered the marketplace, tend to perform best and appear to be most stable when the inertia are close or matched.

Shorter delivery times because of more efficient production was the explicit aim of the Iwis Czech plant. Iwis has invested massively in the automation of production in Strakonice in recent months to further reduce manual operations. New automatic machines for inner and outer links were taken into operation to produce JWIS-branded accumulation chains, and chain assembly was also further automated.