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.
For every online retailer, warehouse logistics is part of the critical infrastructure: If the conveyor lines come to a standstill, it generally won’t be possible for any more packages to get out. To prevent this, an Australian office equipment supplier has retrofitted the warehouse logistics installation of its central warehouse. In its role as project manager, Layer Seven Automation replaced the proprietary decentralized controllers of the conveyor lines with PC-based control from Beckhoff, based on powerful EtherCAT communication.
With over 20 years’ experience in the food processing industry, Mike Mitchell has filled many roles in his career. Now, as the key accounts manager for Middleby Food Processing brand, MP Equipment, Mitchell has been pivotal in advancing food technology. He understands the demands of frequent, late-night repairs on first generation equipment.
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.
Flexible couplings are one of the most critical components in mechanical drivetrains. Yet they're also one of the most overlooked during maintenance and inspection. In the marine and power generation industries, neglecting coupling health can be costly. Understanding your couplings and their requirements can ensure a smooth inspection and maintenance cycle. And in turn, can lead to longer coupling life and more uptime.
Clearing the world’s waterways of invasive vegetation, algae, refuse, and other pollutants is essential work with enormous impact. Healthy marine environments are a lifeline for so many things—from jobs such as farming, fishing, and shipping; to clean water and wildlife habitats; to property values, tourism, and recreational opportunities. Regular herbicide use, chemical runoff, and basic evolution have caused numerous plant species to develop resistance, leading to clogged waterways and other hazards. Removing the offensive materials mechanically is ideal, but that method poses different challenges. Fortunately, Weedoo Greenboat, Inc. found an environmentally friendly solution that is also cost effective from Renewable Lubricants.
UGRacing is the University of Glasgow’s Formula Student team. Since its inception in 2005, the team has been working to compete at Formula Student UK (FSUK). Over the last decade, the team has grown to over 150 members across ten disciplines. With a strong focus on knowledge transfer and iterative design, the team has worked year after year to develop new technologies and a more refined package. In 2022, the team saw a culmination of all their hard work when they placed first overall in FSUK with their final internal combustion vehicle. The following switch to an electric powertrain brought new challenges. Through the constraint of a new powertrain architecture, the team has explored and innovated drivetrain concepts which, in future years, will improve vehicle performance.
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.
The Danish company FLSmidth wants to be in constant dialogue with their customers in the mining and minerals industry to develop individual and pioneering solutions for better productivity as well as the responsible and efficient use of natural resources. As the drive is the heart of the crusher, the bevel gear is one of its most important components, making gear quality crucial to the design and manufacture of reliable crushers. This means that FLSmidth wants to use only the best and most reliable partners to supply those gears.
Half a million global visitors visit Aiguille du Midi as an access point for skiing in the winter and hiking, rock climbing and paragliding in the spring, summer, and autumn seasons. The mountain—part of the French Alps—boasts the current title of employing “the world’s highest vertical ascent cable car.” This unique transportation takes passengers from 3,396 to 12,605 ft. above the clouds. The planetary gearboxes needed for the cable car operation are provided by CMD Gears.
Vesconite Bearings, a global supplier of bearing and wear materials located in Johannesburg, South Africa, is taking strides towards sustainability and environmental responsibility by implementing a comprehensive solar energy solution. The initiative, spearheaded by Factory Manager Robin Crabb and CEO Dr Jean-Patrick Leger, involves a significant investment in solar infrastructure to reduce the factory’s reliance on the power grid and make substantial progress in becoming more environmentally friendly.
Developing a new gearbox series is costly and time-consuming. This is especially true in marine propulsion, as classification society certifications must be achieved in addition to the required verifications. For this reason, Reintjes offers the same drives for various types of ships. In gearbox development, this means that each application requires different loads and usage profiles, with different service lives and maintenance intervals. Thus, each drive must be designed and calculated with advance consideration of every possible profile.
Transfluid LLC was approached by Palmer Johnson to provide a competitive quote to the BAE system for the fishing vessel, The Western Flyer. The ship was chartered by author John Steinbeck for an expedition he chronicled in the book, The Log from the Sea of Cortez.
In paper mills throughout the country, gearboxes provide an integral solution for power transmission. Each is selected particularly and directly to perform a specific task in the production of paper. Due to the critical nature of the equipment, all gearboxes are heavily monitored and periodically inspected for preventive maintenance. If necessary, gearboxes can be reconditioned by replacing or repairing components with the intent to rebuild the entire gearbox to OEM specifications.
A sneak peek into the factory of the future has a sweet spot—so to speak. Several conveyor belts transport chocolate bars that are part of a demonstrator machine that shows how artificial intelligence can be used for motion control. What remains to be done in a real factory is to automatically pack the chocolate bars. In this Intelligent Infeed Demonstrator machine from Siemens Digital Industries, the chocolate bars must be placed in evenly spaced slots on the outfeed belt.
KISSsoft helped AGH Racing students in Poland develop steering column gears in the RTC7.0 race car powered by an internal combustion engine. Then they used the software to develop a gearbox for their new electric AWD drivetrain in the upcoming RTE3.0 car. Most importantly, they could optimize the micro geometry of the gears and analyze the influence of different factors on the durability of the gear tooth. KISSsoft made it easier to apply quick changes in the project, as it adapts other tooth geometry to the ones they were working on.
This paper examines the selection process, operation, maintenance practices, and state of a Sumitomo gearbox after over 24 years of operation. It is demonstrated that a quality product and careful consideration of all these factors are essential for a longer service life of the gearbox. Detailed information is provided on the operation of the gearbox, as well as the maintenance practices that should be taken to ensure its longevity. Finally, the paper examines the state of the gearbox after over two decades of use and how all these factors result in lowering carbon emissions.
The 2023 AT&T Cybersecurity Edge Ecosystem Insights Report presents a perspective that recognizes the essential characteristics and key differences among edge architectures and provides a realistic picture of the state of edge.
With its flexible multiproduct line for rotary encoders, Sensata has developed a sustainable solution. The heart of the precise sensor assembly system: The Smart Function Kit for pressing processes. The complete mechatronic package with preinstalled software reduces the programming to a minimum. Engineering, commissioning, and quality assurance become quicker, easier, and more cost-effective.
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.
NYCU (National Yang Ming Chia Tung University) Vulpes Racing—founded in 2008—is a Formula Student Team that combines mechanical engineering, industrial design, public relations, video production and marketing expertise.
Stöber Antriebstechnik GmbH + Co. KG rely on the FVA-Workbench for dimensioning and verification of their drives. The calculation and simulation software allows Stöber engineers to develop their innovative gear unit solutions more quickly and efficiently. The result: higher quality products.
Swiss company relies on electric drives for postal delivery and electric sports cars.