More than a billion people around the world unite to ring in the New Year, their eyes set upon the glittering New Year’s Ball in Manhattan. Thousands are gathered at Times Square — the famed “Bow Tie” of Midtown — braving the December cold and peering through glasses with numerically shaped frames. Millions more tune in from their various screens at home.
With so much riding on its descent, the Ball, along with the mechanical and electrical systems responsible for its operation, must operate like clockwork.

Continental offers the CONTI ConveyorInspect drone-based inspection system to allow operators to easily know the condition of their belts and idlers, quickly locate the exact position of failing idlers, and track changes in rotating components over time. With this real-time reporting, operators can better estimate their system’s component life and plan their maintenance. This helps prevent costly damage of conveyor system components and minimizes downtime.

Industry 4.0 is an umbrella brand grouping together sensor manufacturers, automation companies, robotics builders, software producers and users. The term gave rise to a new enthusiasm for automation and thus also for the digitization of industrial processes – inspiring many young people to sign on at industrial enterprises as a result.

There is an increasing trend toward integrating evermore compact smart components into larger, more complex motion control systems, and advances in AI, ML, and IIoT are helping with the speed and quality of their adoption.

Priorities in the construction, off-highway and agriculture sectors seem to focus on longevity, energy efficiency and maximizing speed and torque. Every press conference and booth visit so far at IFPE and ConExpo support this claim. Components need to meet strict environmental guidelines while maximizing power. Success in these markets depends on condition monitoring technologies, quick-change components and the ability to meet power density requirements. 

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies can now validate the superior performance capabilities of the intelligent seals it has under development. In addition to their core function, these seals can handle tasks such as sensor applications and monitoring their own state of wear. As a result, they enhance the reliability of machines and systems they help power by providing data about their state of performance and safety. That in turn helps eliminate mechanical failures and unanticipated downtime. A new feasibility study, conducted by Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, has verified the benefits of these sealing functions.

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS will be attending this year’s ProMat Exhibition to showcase their reliable supply chain solutions. Their modular product design delivers versatility with over 20,000,000 unique configurations of gearboxes, electric motors, and variable frequency drives – eliminating the need for costly custom components.

PT products such as gears, motors, pumps, fans and bearings will—without a doubt—continue to run through rigorous and harsh environments for the foreseeable future, but software and hardware improvements aim to disrupt unplanned downtime and machine maintenance through a series of new condition monitoring assets.

SKF continues to expand its RecondOil offer through a partnership agreement with Castrol, one of the world’s leading lubricant brands. The partnership will enable Castrol industrial customers to use integrated RecondOil Double Separation Technology (DST) systems.