Regardless of where you do business, when discussing, analyzing or worrying about “The Economy” these days, you’re not thinking Main Street - you’re thinking global. With that stipulation, it is also accepted wisdom that quality products and sharp pencils are not enough to be and remain competitive. Accordingly, everyone is looking for an edge, an advantage, in order to beat back - or at least keep up with - the competition.

It is a simple fact: better lubrication can lead to dramatic energy savings and an improved bottom line. This ought to interest any plant manager who is looking for ways to reduce operating costs, and it is especially significant at a time when stricter government regulations are in direct contradiction to reducing costs. Lubrication reliability is the solution; this article will describe how manufacturing plants can use “lubrication reliability best-practices” to reduce their energy consumption, emissions and operating costs—all at the same time.

A new solution has been developed around the use of microprocessor-controlled prostheses. Just like natural limbs, these can react automatically, adapting to the current situation.

Despite posting its slowest quarter since early 2007, AWEA remains optimistic that the wind industry can and will work successfully with the revolving doors in Washington.

Options abound for increased efficiency in lubrication.

This paper provides an overview of the more common position sensor options and references actual case studies to illustrate the diverse solutions available and the reasons behind some of the decisions. Three cases are used to illustrate the needs of different applications leading to the choice of a particular type of position sensor. The cases reviewed include a gantry crane, wind turbine and aerial cable car.

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

In the history of machine tools, spindles have been very good relative to other bearings and structures on the machine. So quality professionals have developed a cache of tools—-ball bars, grid encoders displacement lasers, etc.—-to help them characterize and understand the geometry of the structural loop. But as machine tools have improved in their capability and precision, and the demands of part-geometry and surface finish have become more critical, errors in spindles have become a larger percentage of the total error.

Few would now argue that what some may have perceived just a few years ago as “Chicken Little” stories regarding the depletion of this country’s skilled manufacturing workforce are now in fact firmly based in stark reality.

The complete Events section, including technical calendar, from the April 2008 issue of Power Transmission Engineering.