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Conveying: Drive system enables two synchronous movements with max performance

The new FAULHABER DualGear drive system optimizes automated warehouse logistics, enabling two synchronous, powerful movements in one compact unit. Combining a BX4 motor with two GPT planetary gearheads, it is ideal for storage/retrieval machines and autonomous logistics. Hall sensors ensure exact positioning for compact, efficient, and reliable performance in demanding, small-space environments.
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Decentralized drives offer seamless integration

NORD DRIVE-SYSTEMS' NORDAC LINK motor starters, plus NORDAC LINK and NORDAC FLEX variable frequency drives, feature a plug-and-play design for rapid commissioning and high system availability. With onboard AS-Interface (ASi) functionality, these modular products integrate seamlessly into existing or new systems, supporting ASi standards V2.0 and V3.0 with integrated follower profiles for connectivity.
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Non-Magnetic ball slides made in the USA

Del-Tron's USA-made, non-magnetic ball slides prevent magnetic interference in medical, semiconductor, military, and laser applications. Featuring silicon nitride ceramic bearings, titanium shafts, aluminum components, and brass fasteners, these lightweight slides come in seven sizes with travels from .5 to 12 in., providing an ideal solution for sensitive environments.
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What's new in robotic efficiency and advanced gauging systems?

Renishaw will highlight its latest solutions for maximizing robot performance and manufacturing efficiency at Automate 2026, taking place June 22-25 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Highlights will be demonstrations of its Robot Calibration System for cell recovery and in-field robot calibration, the Equator-X dual-method gauging system for high-throughput production environments, and position and motion control encoders.
Read the full article.

New Titanium servo-drive line for harsh environs

The Elmo advanced Titanium line of harsh-environment servo drives offers optimal performance with advanced power density, providing exceptional intelligent and compact servo drives that are operational within minutes. These single-axis and multi-axis servo drives, featuring top-performance multi-core processors, deliver superior productivity, Functional Safety, advanced networking, and local intelligence in a compact package for operation in extreme conditions.
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Top Tech Tip: Automating winding, unwinding applications

From paper mills and textiles to sheet metal and plastics manufacturing, winding and unwinding mechanisms play critical parts in many industries. Jonathan Bullick from KEB America examines the automation architecture behind industrial winding applications, with particular emphasis on motor selection, variable frequency drive (VFD) configuration, and control system design. Tension, winding loads, torque speed, regen energy, bus load sharing, and more are all addressed in this excellent technical overview.
Read the KEB America article.

3D printing and 5-axis milling get highly portable

Powered by Siemens' SINUMERIK ONE CNC platform and Ingersoll's MasterPrint^® industrial 3D printer, a new generation of deployable machines is bringing additive and subtractive manufacturing directly to the point of use for defense, disaster relief, and infrastructure and industry.
Read the full article.

Double the force capacity: New RSX50 linear actuators

Tolomatic's RSX50 is the newest, most powerful addition to the RSX Extreme Force electric actuator family. Delivering 50 tons of force within the compact footprint of its 25-ton predecessor, it offers industry-leading power density. Built with high-precision planetary roller screws, the RSX50 provides high-force reliability and environmental compliance, eliminating the mess and maintenance complexity of traditional hydraulic systems.
Get all the specs from Tolomatic.

Integrated drive system for next-gen robotics and human-like motions

Engineered for modern robotics, the BXI is FAULHABER's most powerful integrated drive. Delivering up to 20 Nm of torque, it ensures dynamic, precise control. This compact unit combines a motor, stepped planetary gearhead, and high-res encoder into one functional system. Its strength lies in systematic integration, offering maximum performance in minimal space -- ideal for humanoid robot joints and demanding applications.
Get all the specs from FAULHABER.

Important Qs about linear motor actuators that design engineers should ask

Many design engineers overestimate how accurate traditional motors and actuators stay over long travel runs, mistakenly believing that if the solution works well for short runs, it will work equally well on long ones. Do you know what type of actuator you should use for your application? Patrick Lehr, Product Manager, Precision Mechanics at Parker Hannifin, has some really good tips for you.
Read the full article.

Cobots get 4 m tall with the 8th-Axis Vertical Robot Transfer Unit

Designed to optimize industrial processes across various sectors, the 8th-Axis Vertical Robot Transfer Unit (RTU-V) from Bishop-Wisecarver features a vertical travel length of up to 4 m, enabling a single small robot or cobot to cover large areas traditionally requiring multiple robots. This innovation not only boosts productivity but also offers considerable cost savings, making it an ideal solution for industries such as logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, packaging, and more. Extended reach allows robots to perform tasks on oversized workpieces, such as rocket tubes, boat hulls, and aerospace structures, with ease.
View the video.

UR AI Trainer for robotics: First lab-to-factory AI model trainer

Universal Robots unveiled the UR AI Trainer last week. Developed in collaboration with Scale AI, the AI Trainer marks a tectonic shift as robots move from pre-programmed applications to fully AI-driven tasks. These systems are powered by robust data generated in AI training cells where robots imitate humans.
Read the full article.

BLDC motors with advanced safety features built in

Dunker-motoren has built advanced safety functions directly into its BG75 and BG95 BLDC motors, so you no longer need a separate safety controller or complex wiring. This means faster installation, lower costs, and simpler designs. With features such as safe stop and speed control, plus secure digital communication, dSafe motors are ready for automation, robotics, and mobile systems worldwide. It's safety that scales with your future.
Learn more.

Mobile robotic platform with contactless charging

MAXOLU-TION, an SEW-EURODRIVE company, has introduced the modular Mobile Robot Platform 1600 (MR P1600). It is designed to move heavy loads such as pallets through factories and warehouses, with less manual handling and more consistent material flow. The platform supports configurable load-handling options, including conveyor transfer, lift, drive-under, and precise docking, using standardized material transfer attachments or custom-engineered load handling. Max load is 1,600 kg.
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Configurable modular precision linear stages

PI's Modular Precision Linear (MPL) stage family is a configurable platform that simplifies specifying and integrating high-precision linear positioning systems. Engineers can select mechanical, drive, and feedback options online, creating application-specific stages without the cost of fixed designs. The MPL series offers 50- to 300-mm travel ranges and servo or stepper motor options -- with linear motors planned for future release -- while maintaining high precision, stiffness, and reliability.
Learn more.

Electric ships spur natural-gas-tanker boom

By GE Reports

Electric cars are still rare, but giant electric ships are a different matter. "We started the marine electric propulsion story," says Jean-Philippe Chaignot, a leader in GE's power conversion unit. Electric motors built by GE engineers power some of the biggest and most sophisticated vessels, from aircraft carriers and destroyers to tankers, cruise ships, and Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner ever built and the fastest one in service.

RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner ever built and the fastest one in service, is using GE electric propulsion systems. [Image courtesy: GE Reports]

 

 

Electric ship propulsion is also helping to stoke a global boom in liquefied natural gas (LNG). Ten years ago, the power conversion unit built a propulsion system for the first electric LNG tanker. Today, the GE technology is powering 30 such ships. These seafaring behemoths will soon have more company. Korean ship builders Daewoo and Hyundai just ordered motors and other technology for 23 new LNG ships. "All those ships will have a fully electric propulsion," Chaignot says.

Modern ships have employed different modes of propulsion, from steam turbines and diesel engines to nuclear reactors. The first electric ships sailed a century ago. In 1914, the collier USS Jupiter became the U.S. Navy's first electrically propelled ship. But the early systems were bulky, and ship builders largely stuck with steam and diesel.

But Converteam, a century-old French specialist in building heavy-duty systems that convert mechanical motion into electrical energy, kept improving on electric ship propulsion. Now part of GE, the company slimmed down and perfected the technology, and in the 1980s started making electric motors for cruise vessels.

The concept took off. Today, there are more than 70 electric cruise ships with GE propulsion, and dozens of other merchant, military, and offshore vessels. Cruise lines and navies like electric propulsion because it cuts weight, noise, and vibrations, improves ship efficiency, and saves precious space. "Having an electric propulsion system allows you to mechanically disconnect the power generator from propulsion," says Chaignot. "You don't have to have the main engine right next to the propeller." As a result, the ship's engines and the motor with the propeller can be located in different parts of the ship and connected with electrical cables. This can save shippers as much as 5% in cargo space.

Electric ships make their own electricity; imagine a floating power plant below deck. Each of the new LNG ships has four engines that burn both natural gas and diesel. The engines spin generators that produce electricity. The electricity powers GE electric motors that drive the gearbox, the shaft, the propeller, and other equipment. The GE propulsion systems inside the new tankers will generate a combined 700 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 600,000 households.

Power conversion has many other applications. Outside shipping, GE power conversion technology is helping utilities smooth out variable power produced by wind farms and feed it to the grid. Steel makers use the technology to control high-precision rolling mills.

See more about how electric propulsion is benefitting the LNG trade here.

See more GE Reports here.

Published August 2012

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