The complete Industry News section from the June 2010 issue of Power Transmission Engineering.

Manufacturing employees have always kept their eyes on the robotic systems that continue to pop up in assembly lines and industrial workspaces. These metallic, low-maintenance robotic employees don’t waste time with smoke breaks or catching up on episodes of Lost. They tend to stick to the task at hand with little argument or attitude, giving human counterparts a bad name when they gripe about factory temperatures or lack of a decent dental plan.

The SMMA – Motor and Motion Association is ditching the slickers and galoshes for this year’s Spring Management Conference, themed “After the Storm: Navigating in the New World.”

Before Mike Cicco was involved on the engineering side, he used to sell robotic systems to manufacturers. Most of his sales pitches were met with hesitation and skepticism as he tried to explain the “benefits” of replacing employees on the shop floor with an automated system.

The complete Product News section from the February 2010 issue of Power Transmission Engineering.

The Magnetic Gearing and Turbine Corp. (MGT), founded by Australian inventor Andrew French in 2000, manufactures injection molded gears and couplings based entirely on magnetic technology. The repulsive magnetic forces are used to transmit power without losing any energy, and drive shafts rotate completely independently of each other.

The Bearing Specialists Association explains the role of bearings in ensuring the efficient operation of machinery.

Sunnen grows product portfolio with motion control solution from Siemens.

Scientists have been hard at work creating a robotic system with the capabilities to sweep and collect garbage in urban environments. This real-world Wall-E is known as the DustBot, aimed at designing, developing, testing and demonstrating a system for improving the management of urban hygiene.

While gear and bearing manufacturers engage in a wind energy arms race, the robotic automation industry has its sights set directly on the sun. Solar power—wind energy’s somewhat neglected step brother—has been gaining ground in alternative energy since 2001.