We’re in the middle of industrial trade show season, and our team has been traveling to various events around the country to uncover the most relevant new technology related to power transmission and motion control. But we’re not done yet. In fact, I’d like to call your attention to two upcoming events that are of particular note.

Gear drives are fundamental in most processing operations, connecting the prime mover to the driven equipment and ensuring that the system has enough torque to effectively move product. Correctly specifying and selecting the proper gear drives for critical applications leads to reliability, greater uptime and profitability.

Predictive analytics will be all over IMTS 2024 including the Automation Sector, accelerated by SPS—smart production solutions. Visitors will find a broad range of digital solutions at IMTS 2024 at McCormick Place in Chicago on Sept. 9–14.

A roller chain can handle a lot of weight, but it has some significant downsides. It’s noisy and needs regular maintenance. It’s expensive, and when it breaks, workers can be injured. Even its performance is a problem.

Demand for specialty wire and cable—fueled in part by data center expansion as well as new charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs)—is in turn creating greater demand for cable production capacity. As you design machines that will satisfy the demand, you’ll want to incorporate an effective driving method that controls speed and torque with the highest precision.

Verification of a drive system should include all main elements of the system, which are gears, bearings, shafts, and depending on the application other parts such as screws, couplings, and connections. Gears are clearly the most complicated parts for verification, but in many cases, a gearbox failure has its origin in a shaft or bearing failure. The subject of this paper is to explain how verification of a drive system based on measured or simulated torque-speed-time data can be handled. 

Bodine Electric Company introduces 12 new brushless DC hollow shaft gearmotors with hypoid gearing. These type 42B-25H2 and 42B-30H3 geared motors combine a new brushless DC, 130 VDC motor with two hypoid gearheads. 

Engineered with precision and versatility in mind, the MTB 105 is specifically designed to integrate into multi-axis medium- to large-sized Cartesian Gantry systems, providing robust support for medium to high payloads. Its fully enclosed design ensures reliability even in contaminant-prone environments, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications. Precision extrusions for each aluminum actuator body ensure all sides and bottom surfaces are flat and perpendicular giving accurate installations.

ABB Robotics launched OmniCore, an intelligent automation platform that is faster, more precise and more sustainable, to empower, enhance and futureproof businesses. 

Schaeffler recently presented its extended product range for off-highway technology at iVT Expo Cologne 2024. The focus was on systems for the electrification and digitalization of mobile agricultural and construction machinery and for materials handling technology. Schaeffler is emphasizing its commitment to sustainability and supporting the transition to a highly efficient and climate-neutral economy in the off-highway sector.

LogiDrive complete drive solutions from Nord Drivesystems reduce planning and commissioning efforts through cost-effective, standardized designs engineered to industry standards and application requirements. These solutions are especially well suited for post & parcel, airport, and warehouse logistics as they are specifically aligned with the intralogistics and material handling requirements of these industries.

Thomson Industries, Inc. has announced the availability of new German-engineered precision ball screw sizes with US-based distribution and machining that provide best-in-class load capacity in a small footprint. The Thomson miniature metric ball screw line uses a unique multi-start ball return design that maximizes support for higher loads. This design provides precise, smooth and quiet operation for applications requiring high precision and load handling in confined spaces.

FVA GmbH has released mechanicus, an intuitive online calculation tool for machine elements and standard calculations. The new web application is available for free now here and marks a significant milestone in the world of drive technology. 

In major ports around the world, there is a growing need for autonomous goods handling. The vehicles in the ports, which are operated around the clock and have largely been manually operated.

The Lego Technic NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle—LRV set is a detailed 1:8 scale model of the original moon buggy used by NASA’s last three Apollo crews. Comprising 1,913 pieces, this set follows Lego’s earlier releases of the Saturn V rocket and Apollo 11 lunar module. The new Lego set will be available in stores on August 1.