For a few years now, Spot—the agile, mobile robot—has been surveying show floors at Automate, CES and Promat. Last year, Boston Dynamics presented a slew of additional technologies at IMTS 2024, showcasing robotic innovations key to scaling autonomous industrial inspection for components such as bearings, motors, pumps, gearboxes and conveyor systems.
SmartSights, a provider of operational intelligence software that helps industrial teams improve response times, is integrating WIN-911 autonomous alerts notification software with PEER," an issue management and resolution accelerator.
At Bauma 2025, Nord Drivesystems will be presenting powerful and energy-efficient drive solutions for demanding industrial applications. The exhibition highlights presented by the drive specialist from Bargteheide include Maxxdrive industrial gear units as well as the versatile Nordac Pro SK 500P frequency inverter. With its comprehensive modular products and global presence, Nord is a partner for companies from the construction machinery and heavy-duty industry.
In the fast-paced world of industrial operations, efficiency and cost savings are paramount. Enter OPTIFY, Dodge's complete portfolio of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions, designed to revolutionize how global manufacturers manage their operations. With advanced sensors, breathers, automatic lubricators, gateways, and a robust condition monitoring platform, OPTIFY sets new standards for operational excellence.
Nord Drivesystems offers a full, comprehensive range of after-sales services and support to ensure efficient performance and longevity of their products. Services include commissioning, maintenance, spare parts management, digital solutions, and more. They also provide self-service options, with FAQs addressing common inquiries via easy, 24/7 online access.
SKF has secured EUR 430 million financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) with a tenor of up to ten years. The financing will support SKF’s research and development (R&D) to increase the focus on high-growth segments and accelerate the design and development of enabling technologies particularly for the green transition and sustainability.
Liebherr’s components product segment supplies the heart of the rotating pillar for the bridge Friesenbrücke, which is being erected for Deutsche Bahn in Weener. It comprises a 5-meter, 12.5-ton combined roller and ball bearing along with eight matching pinions. This rotating pillar and the associated mechanical systems by Hermann GmbH Maschinenbautechnologie support the 145 meter long, 1,800-ton central section of Europe’s largest lifting swing bridge to date.
There’s a delicate balance in the constant evolution of today’s assembly line. Once dominated by hydraulics, manufacturing floors are incorporating a growing number of electromechanical solutions to supplement legacy hydraulic components, particularly in lower force, linear motion applications. Manufacturers that recognize this trend and harness the benefits of both hydraulic and electromechanical solutions position themselves to optimize future operations, regardless of market trend demands.
Thordon Bearings has unveiled a new wireless propeller shaft bearing wear measurement system, marking a significant advancement in hull and propeller shaft condition monitoring.
Bonfiglioli is present at SPS Nuremberg from November 12-14. At Booth 450 in Hall 3A, Bonfiglioli showcases its comprehensive mechatronic proposal covering AMRs, material handling, logistics automation and packaging along with IIoT capabilities. Eyes also on electronics, with the solutions developed by Selcom.
Updating existing rail vehicles with a modernized drivetrain helps to improve fleet efficiency while keeping costs and service interruptions down. This approach is known as “repowering”. At this year’s InnoTrans, the international trade show for transport technology, ZF and Irish Rail signed a Memorandum of Understanding about a potential new repowering project starting in 2025. The partnership revolves around ZF’s new EcoWorld 2 six-speed powershift transmission, which decreases fuel consumption, improves ride comfort and reduces maintenance efforts.
At MINExpo 2024, Continental recently highlighted solutions tailored for the mining industry, including conveying systems, digital monitoring platforms, fluid hose solutions, and more. These products are designed to withstand the toughest environments while boosting efficiency and productivity.
Recently I’ve had a number of people tell me how much they enjoy our work here at PTE. While it’s always nice to receive “attaboys,” these recent unsolicited compliments have been both thoughtful and specific, which is especially gratifying because they validate many of the choices we make as publishers.
Coverage of IMTS and MINExpo International will continue on the PTE website through the end of the year and into 2025. We're excited to share the stories and new technologies discussed at both trade shows in September.
MINExpo boasts 1,900+ companies involved in the global mining industry. Opening sessions allow the industry to come together to debate global challenges, market fluctuations and the future of mining. Resources include exploration, mine site development, open pit mining, underground mining, smelting and refining, processing and preparation and reclamation. Here’s a sample of the companies exhibiting and the products/technologies they will be featuring in Las Vegas from September 24–26, 2024.
Digital Transformation. IIoT. Industry 4.0. While they may seem like trending buzzwords, the technologies are critical to operations being efficient and competitive, and reducing unplanned downtime. Every industry strives for maximum efficiency; be that manufacturing, oil & gas, or water/wastewater. For capturing production data, the days of the clipboard and manual data analysis are gone.
To help railway engineers maintain their catenary system - the circulatory system that keeps everything moving - Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK) has created its Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) Pantograph Measurement System.
Liebherr will be sharing its latest news, products, services, and innovations for the mining sector at the world’s largest mining exhibition, MINExpo International, this September. Visitors will experience over 29,000 sq. ft of Liebherr exhibits at Booth #7832. Daily masterclasses and live demonstrations will take place at the Liebherr booth each day, showcasing the company’s latest product updates and providing insights into these technologies and services with the latest information from the field.
Red Lion is pleased to announce the launch of two new programmable Remote Terminal Units (RTUs), VT-MIPM-138-D and VT-MIPM-248-D. Equipped with onboard I/O and designed for uncompromising performance in extreme environments, the industrial controllers are ideal for a wide range of rugged, process-oriented applications in water and wastewater processing, oil and gas production and other advanced automation settings.
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.
Regal Rexnord Corporation has launched the next generation Perceptiv Intelligent Reliability and Maintenance Solution for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance in industrial manufacturing.
SKF is presenting its technologically innovative solutions tailored for customers in focused industrial segments at the virtual SKF Tech & Innovation Summit. The solutions are developed to address the needs of greater reliability, energy efficiency, and high-performance as well as to support customers on their sustainability journey.
Festo is working hard to equip its automation components with a digital twin – a digital representation in the form of administration shells. The company has joined forces with other German automation partners and the Industrial Digital Twin Association because standardization is what machine and system builders expect.
While the factory has received a modern makeover in recent years, it’s no surprise various industrial segments are taking advantage of digital tools to promote efficiency, sustainability, and productivity. The farming and agriculture community has embraced automation, robotics, IIoT, drones and autonomous vehicles to address global food demands and production limitations.
PCB Piezotronics (PCB) is introducing the new Endevco Model 7330 triaxial angular rate sensor. It provides accurate measurement of rotational velocity in a small, lightweight package rugged enough for extreme environments, such as automotive safety testing.
Nord Drivesystems supports post and parcel distribution centers with modular products adaptable to individual application specifications. Their high-efficiency products increase the energy efficiency of conveyor systems, effectively lowering CO2 emissions and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
SKF has expanded its portfolio of Condition Monitoring solutions with the SKF Enlight Collect IMx-1-EX sensor solution. Wireless monitoring of assets helps predict machine failure before it can escalate into a serious problem, such as an unscheduled shutdown. This can deliver multiple benefits, including reduced costs and a more sustainable operation of equipment.
ONYX Insight has unveiled a new upgrade to its fleetMONITOR technology which will enable wind operators to monitor the health of their turbines using data from Bently Nevada System.
ABB Robotics has released its new modular OptiFact software platform, which streamlines data collection, visualization, and analysis in automated production facilities. The platform enables users to collect, manage, and analyze data from hundreds of factory devices, including ABB robots, to determine key performance indicators including cycle time and overall equipment efficiency (OEE). By speeding up diagnostics and decision making, OptiFact increases the production line uptime with less engineering effort, ensuring production can keep pace with customer demand.
There is growing financial risk to maintaining operational wind turbines. The average lifespan of a wind turbine is around 20 years and as components within turbines begin to approach the end of their lifecycle, performance can decline resulting in reduced productivity. Meanwhile, recent reports have highlighted that new, larger capacity machines could lead to a rise in component failures and mechanical breakdown issues as manufacturers push to develop bigger turbines, faster.
Digital transformation is one of the most effective approaches to help today’s CPG companies solve productivity and sustainability challenges. There are new and emerging automation technologies that CPGs can integrate within production lines to reduce energy consumption, streamline processes, increase machine availability and drive new levels of productivity and sustainability.
The Dune Express is a 42-mile long, fully electric conveyor system that is expected to transform the Permian Basin and substantially improve the unacceptable safety risk existing on the Permian roadways. Originating from the Kermit, Texas facility and spanning into New Mexico, the Dune Express is intended to eliminate millions of truck miles driven across the Permian resulting in avoided traffic, accidents, injuries, and fatalities within the communities.
The Timken Company has acquired Des-Case Corp., a Nashville, Tenn.-based manufacturer of specialty filtration products for industrial lubricants. Founded in 1983, the company serves customers across a variety of industrial end markets. Des-Case's revenue for the calendar year 2023 is expected to be around $40 million.
Mechanical motion components, though relatively small, contribute immensely to the safety of multiple systems like automobiles, manufacturing systems, elevators, water treatment facilities, etc. Motion components experience wear and tear over time caused by:
With an innovative technology package from SKF, Ningbo Rail Transit has extended the service life of critical refurbished bearings on eight trainset vehicles from 800,000 to 1 million km. The project is the first commercial application of SKF’s Insight Metro wireless condition monitoring system, which has been developed in China specifically for the needs of the domestic rail sector.
Nord Drivesystems will be exhibiting at Pack Expo Las Vegas from September 11-13, 2023, in Booth #7863 in the South Upper Hall.
The prediction and prevention of catastrophic failures and unplanned downtime has vastly improved areas like mining, energy, off-highway, and other industrial segments for MRO departments across manufacturing thanks to cutting-edge condition monitoring technology and predictive maintenance.
Nearthlab, a leading provider of autonomous drone technology, announced that the company is scaling up its strategic partnership with ONYX Insight, a global provider of predictive maintenance solutions (PdM) beyond North America to Europe and APAC. The expansion comes a few months after the initial kick-off in March.
Heidenhain announces EnDat 3, a new version of its popular absolute position encoder interface. The new EnDat 3 interface has all the benefits of previous versions, but is even faster and more robust, with simplified functional safety features.
Pumping systems are responsible for over 20 percent of the world’s electrical energy demand, and in some industrial plant operations, they can account for up to 90 percent of energy usage. Improving the energy efficiency of pumping and mixing systems is crucial in reducing production costs and supporting a more sustainable future. Several options can be available and with energy prices reaching new heights, the return on investment is rapidly reducing.
Gates announces the launch of the mobile version of the award-winning Gates Design Power, putting advanced digital design tools to support the engineering of belt drive systems on customers’ mobile devices.
Sulzer and Siemens Large Drives Applications (LDA) are using their collective expertise to provide operators of large centrifugal pumps with an enhanced digital value proposition: Bringing together their respective IoT-platforms and services, Blue Box and Sidrive IQ, the two companies are collaborating to deliver an integrated solution that improves equipment reliability and cuts operations costs.
SKF has extended its Microlog Analyzer family of data collection devices with a new model that offers faster measurement collection and greater diagnostic power.
Deutsche Messe is reporting 4,000 exhibitors in 2023 and 130,000+ attendees searching for the latest developments in electrification, sustainability, and digital solutions. While one might wonder if the show will ever reach pre-pandemic levels again, it was obvious there’s still a very focused global manufacturing network looking to solve climate, energy, and automation challenges in the coming years.
This year, the Hermes Startup Award goes to the Netherlands. The young company MantiSpectra from Eindhoven was awarded the coveted Startup Award for its ChipSense product by the jury.
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.
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS delivers intralogistics solutions that focus on high-efficiency, intelligent automation, and reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Their innovative drive solutions are extremely versatile and used throughout the world in a wide variety of applications including storage and retrieval systems, transfer carts, and conveyor systems. NORD’s modular product portfolio consists of reliable, UNICASE gear units with long service life, powerful high-efficiency motors, and dynamic variable frequency drives that optimize automation. Easy to service and maintain, NORD drives reduce standstill times and contribute to an increased efficiency and availability of entire systems.
ABB is now enabling customers to remotely monitor the health and performance of general machinery with the ABB Ability Smart Sensor, a key element of the ABB Ability Digital Powertrain.
On September 19th, Todd Hamlin, BSA president, and senior vice president of DXP Enterprises, announced the Annual BSA Excellence Awards for outstanding service by bearing distributors and bearing manufacturers to end-users.
SKF and Televic GSP have announced an intent to collaborate with the aim to drive development and innovation to advance condition-based maintenance capabilities for rolling stock operators. The aim of the potential future collaboration is to combine of SKF’s 100+ years of rotating machinery expertise excelling in proven algorithms and smart solutions for railway bearing damage detection and diagnosis with Televic GSP’s expertise in bogie mounted hardware solutions for data collection and edge computing.
Sulzer has partnered with CELLiCON to scale up its manufacturing technology for nano structured cellulose – a highly sustainable, plant-based alternative to conventional polymers. The technology slashes the traditionally high costs and footprint associated with nanocellulose, allowing it to be scaled and used as a building block for a wide variety of everyday products, from textiles to glues.
SKF announces the appointment of Annika Ölme as CTO and senior vice president, technology development.
Regal Rexnord Corporation has announced the launch of its new AirMax Pro Smart Breather, a connected device that protects industrial gearboxes from moisture and particles.
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has announced the latest addition to their industrial gear unit family, MAXXDRIVE XD. These new, parallel shaft industrial gear units have extended center distances engineered specifically for reliable operation of cranes and hoists.
How do gearbox and gear drive providers navigate the interesting challenges found in steel, cement, paper, and construction applications? Apparently, one application at a time. Thanks to condition monitoring technology, IoT solutions and the flexibility of engineering teams today, plant downtime is not as problematic as it has been in the past. The secret to success in heavy industrial markets comes down to staying ahead of component failures.
SKF recently launched SKF Axios, a solution that reinvents the fields of industrial machine reliability and predictive maintenance based on a collaboration between SKF and Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS). SKF showcased Axios during Hannover Messe 2022.
Questex’s Sensors Converge recently announced it brought 5,000 attendees from over 40 countries together in-person June 27-29 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California to network, discover technologies, share ideas and define the future roadmap of the sensors and electronics industry.
Bosch Rexroth will offer a free webinar on July 28, 2022, "How Self-Contained Actuators Simplify Your Engineering." The webinar takes place 9:00 - 9:45 AM EST.
Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) is highly recommended when embarking on a digital transformation journey and modernizing the architecture of your machines. By doing so, companies can make sure they will be able to support both information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) communications on the same network while delivering reliable, unmatched performance in data sharing. This means that they will be able to smoothly integrate any asset they want at any stage of their digitalization.
ONYX Insight examines how digital tools can provide wind energy solutions, from day-to-day problem solving to future-proofing operations and maintenance (O&M) strategies through condition monitoring technologies.
Bosch Rexroth has expanded its range of standardized self-contained actuators by adding the CytroMotion system solution. With the help of the new compact actuator, linear movements involving forces of up to 110 kN can be achieved in a range of machines and systems in smaller spaces, more efficiently and more sustainably. These benefits can be seen over the entire life cycle. Thanks to fully electric control, CytroMotion also makes engineering and commissioning easier. The efficient power-on-demand drive and the maintenance-free, hermetically sealed design help to save CO2 and minimize operating costs
Voith’s OnCare.Health monitoring solutions include an easy-to-use system for industrial fan and pump drivetrains. It employs state-of-the-art sensor technology and connected components to increase the system’s availability. This allows for easy and reliable monitoring of operating data as well as use in advanced IIoT applications such as predictive maintenance.
June 22 was Climate Action Day at all Schaeffler locations worldwide, from Herzogenaurach, Germany to Taicang, China, and from Port Elizabeth, South Africa to Fort Mill, USA.
Sensors Expo & Conference got its start 37 years ago with a focus on sensor technology. Over the years it has expanded and diversified to include the electronics technologies and embedded systems that work hand-in-hand with sensors, as well as new and emerging application areas such as IoT, Connectivity, Autonomous, Medical, and more. Join us as we explore the entire ecosystem, from sensing to processing to analyzing and connecting.
Showcasing its engineering capabilities for the electric motor repair industry, global industrial and automotive supplier Schaeffler is presenting an array of advanced solutions for manufacturers and rebuilders of electric motors at the EASA 2022 Convention & Solutions Expo in St. Louis.
NTN has announced the receipt of a 2022 Content Excellence Award from the Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN). BCA Bearings received the Silver Award for its Web-Based Catalog at the 2022 ACPN Knowledge Exchange Conference.
Nokia is introducing MX Boost for private wireless which combines disparate radio technologies and spectrum to achieve the best possible reliability and performance for demanding Industry 4.0 use cases. Using MX Boost, organizations can aggregate radio technologies, such as Wi-Fi and 4.9G/LTE, as well as spectrum, to optimize throughput and improve determinism, which is the ability of the network to guarantee performance, even in challenging radio conditions for real-time applications.
A new digital service from ABB is enabling industrial operators to maximize energy efficiency and boost sustainability by identifying motor-driven equipment in their facilities with the best energy-saving potential. The ABB Ability Digital Powertrain Energy Appraisal service draws on data measured from fleets of digitally connected electric motors and variable frequency drives (VFDs) to show where and how much energy can be saved by upgrading to the latest high-efficiency technologies. Industrial operators can then make data-driven decisions when prioritizing investments.
The latest in control technology from Sulzer allows pumping stations and wastewater treatment facilities to talk to each other, providing a better picture of real-time conditions and enabling smarter, more proactive management of the whole network.
The CC-Link Partner Association’s (CLPA) open industrial network technologies will play a key part in Mitsubishi Electric Automation’s new mobile showroom, also known as Solutions in Motion. The centerpiece of a North American roadshow, which will bring the latest automation technologies direct to customers’ doorsteps, offers a unique platform for companies to learn more about Mitsubishi Electric’s and CLPA’s innovations.
The range and flexibility of lubrication and sealing technologies continues to expand as companies look to scale down production times while increasing productivity. The industry is focused on environmental impact, automation and compact systems. Here’s just a few of the latest technologies in the industrial market:
One of ONYX’s customers and a leader in driving up the reliability and asset performance of the wind industry, Pattern Energy, uses ONYX turbine monitoring for over 1,100 wind turbines. Across this fleet ONYX connects several CMS hardware types to fleetMONITOR, a multi-brand solution for drivetrain monitoring. Two of the wind farms were retrofitted with ecoCMS in 2018, the technology with which ONYX disrupted the CMS industry.
The automotive industry is reshaping faster than ever before. Technology advancements are redefining transportation from traditional mechanics to complex sustainable, entertaining, and connected mobility enabled by electronics and software. To stay relevant in this fast-changing market, automakers must revisit how they approach all aspects of product design, development, and manufacturing.
Global industrial and automotive supplier Schaeffler was honored by the Bearing Specialists Association (BSA) with the 2021 “Bearing Manufacturer Excellence of Innovation in Product Design Award” for its breakthrough OPTIME condition monitoring device.
SKF RecondOil’s technology, which removes even the smallest impurities from circulating oil, is now available in a compact form.
Regal Rexnord Corporation has announced the new Perceptiv Sentry S2100 platform for cost effective wireless vibration and temperature monitoring. Users, primarily in light duty applications, will benefit from early detection of asset problems for predictive maintenance, resulting in increased productivity and efficiency as well as reduced downtime and maintenance costs.
Want to improve reliability, productivity and profitability in your manufacturing operations? Register for this free webinar to learn how Industry 4.0-based condition monitoring systems, such as OPTIME from Schaeffler, can prevent unplanned machine downtime. Experience cutting-edge technology that can monitor your balance of plant assets across entire manufacturing facilities – seamlessly, cost-effectively and completely automatically!