August 2012

Publisher's Page

IANA and the Increasing Relevance of IMTS

Many of you probably think of IMTS as just a machine tool show. Of course, it’s hard not to. With the majority of the show focused on metalworking equipment, tooling and supplies, there’s no doubt that IMTS is a machine tool show. But this year, the show has partnered with Hannover Messe to include IANA—Industrial Automation North America.

Technical Articles

Sleeve Bearings or Tilting Pad Bearings - Ask the Expert

A reader asks whether sleeve bearings can take the place of more expensive tilting pad bearings in a high-speed compressor application.

Wear-Resistant Bearings

More than a decade of intensive research and development has resulted in two new technologies that, when used in combination, expand the performance of rolling element bearings well beyond previous limits.

Bearing Protection Needed if Inverter-Duty Motors Are to Live up to their Name

All major manufacturers of 3-phase AC induction motors offer "inverter-duty" or "inverter-ready” models, but while these motors have inverter-rated insulation to protect the windings, the bearings--their most vulnerable parts--are too often ignored.

Feature Articles

Industrial Reality Check for Chicken Little: The Sky is NOT Falling

Columnist Brian K. Langenberg surveys the industrial economic landscape to let you know what is up, what is down, and what is coming next.

Braking Toward the Future

In the past decade, electrohydraulic braking systems--including ABS and traction control--have grown increasingly popular, due largely to the vehicle design flexibility and performance advantages they offer. The industry has seen several other instances of intelligent machine controls, unrelated to braking, over the years as well. But what all of these technologies have typically had in common is that they’ve existed as standalone, point-to-point functions that have not been integrated together. The present and future of braking is all about taking the next logical step--getting fully connected and finding ways to embed intelligence throughout a machine.

Electromagnetic Know-How

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software can be used for a variety of mechanical engineering tasks, including injection molding simulation of plastic parts, analysis of aerospace components, impact and crash analysis of automobiles and the electromagnetic analysis of motors, actuators, transformers and sensors.