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Flexible planetary gearheads: Quiet, extremely robust

FAULHABER GPT gearheads for miniature and micro motors deliver high power density, exceptional flexibility, and excellent cost efficiency. Designed for seamless integration with diverse motors and encoders, these compact planetary drives feature hardened stainless steel components that reliably withstand extreme torques and abrupt load changes. Offered in standard, low-noise, and high-torque variants, they ensure precise, durable performance across wide operating temperature ranges.
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What is a low-waving linear motion guide?

If you are having a problem with your linear guides not always staying perfectly straight during use, it may be due to a phenomenon called waving -- a problem that is particularly critical in high-precision markets such as semiconductor and LCD equipment-related applications or machine tools. Thankfully, THK has an answer.
Read the full article.

NORD serves up sweet energy and cost savings for industrial bakeries

NORD DRIVE-SYSTEMS offers robust, highly configurable drive solutions designed to optimize efficiency, ensure hygiene, and reduce the TCO for automated bakery systems. From industrial-scale mixing and portioning to baking, cooling, and packaging, NORD's modular product portfolio delivers precise, reliable performance across every stage of production.
Read the full article. You may learn something even if you are not in the baking industry.

Key considerations for battery-powered motors

Battery-powered motor applications require careful design considerations to pair motor performance and power consumption profiles in concert with the correct battery type. This Power Electric article covers power requirements, performance considerations, and battery choices to assist you in selecting an efficient motor and a battery with the appropriate capacity. Good technical info.
Read the Power Electric technical article.

Driving next-gen pump and fan applications: Sinamics G210X

The Sinamics G210X is a new frequency converter for advanced pump, fan, and compressor applications, combining easy engineering with robust design. Integrated functions, seamless TIA Portal integration, and a web server reduce PLC effort to speed up commissioning, operation, and diagnostics. IP55 protection, 3C3 coating, and S2 system redundancy ensure reliable operation in demanding environments.
Learn more.

New Exlar food-grade actuator

Curtiss-Wright's Actuation Division has expanded its Exlar line with hygienic electric actuators using FDA-approved materials and finishes. Designed for food, beverage, packaging, and pharmaceutical automation, the new GTF unit enables economical USDA, 3-A, BISSC, and EHEDG certification. Its IP69K washdown option, inverted roller screw, and compact servo-driven design deliver reliable, high-performance motion for hygienic machinery.
Learn more.

New Texas conveyor system is 42 miles long!

SEW-EURODRIVE is helping power one of the most ambitious bulk material handling projects in North America through its contribution to the Dune Express conveyor system, a record-setting 42-mile single-flight conveyor across the Permian Basin.
Read the full article.

Compact servo drives for harsh environs

Built on Copley's proven NanoPlus platform, the compact, 1.2-oz R-Series Nano servo drives withstand extreme temperatures, vibration, shock, and humidity. Available in R47 (CANopen) and R48 (EtherCAT) models, they suit space-constrained, harsh environments such as mil/aero robotics and gimbals. This commercial off-the-shelf series provides a hardened option without defense-specific development lead times.
Learn more from Copley Controls.

Hybrid actuator with force up to 14,726 lb

Kyntronics' new all-electric HyCore hybrid actuator is a compact, low-cost alternative to traditional hydraulic, pneumatic, and electro-mechanical systems. Engineered for OEMs, it delivers up to 14,726 lb of force. The self-contained design eliminates leaks and wear, providing precise control, shock-load tolerance, and high efficiency. It simplifies integration and lowers operating costs for mobile equipment, packaging, assembly automation, and more.
Learn more.

SDP/SI motion products: Best sellers

SDP/SI's best sellers aren't just popular -- they're proven. These are the motion components their customers return to time and again for precision, reliability, and unbeatable value. From belts and pulleys to gears, bearings, and couplings, each product has earned its place through consistent performance in real-world applications.
Learn more and see the full products list.

Automated part grinding and finishing in one unit!

Grinding large fabrications is a classic dull, dirty, and dangerous task perfectly suited for automation, yet traditional setups require multiple costly robots. At Automate 2026, Güdel debuted a single-robot solution that utilizes two extra degrees of freedom to finish massive surfaces without complex part repositioning.
Read the full article.

Rockford RBS ball screws and nuts now available

Automation-Direct now offers US-manufactured RBS ball screws and nuts for precise linear motion in OEM and maintenance applications. Achieving over 90% efficiency, they feature low friction, high accuracy, and minimal wear. Available in various diameters, lengths, and leads, these precision-matched components handle axial loads with minimal backlash, providing a dependable solution that reduces maintenance and extends operational life. Great prices too.
Learn more.

Next-gen conveyor transports 3,000-kg payloads

Building on its established portfolio of twin-strand conveyors that are currently used in a variety of industry verticals, Bosch Rexroth is introducing the TS 7plus transfer system, which is the world's first freely configurable, fully electric conveyance solution to workpieces weighing up to 3,000 kg. TS 7plus transports material via conveyor rollers on freely configurable modular sections with lift/transverse, rotary, and positioning units, as well as stop gates. Great for automotive, battery, aerospace/defense, and more.
Learn more.

Next-generation air bearing linear slide

The A-123 noncontact nanoposi-tioning stage integrates a brushless motor, air bearings, and a 1-nm encoder, supporting 40-kg payloads over 750-mm travel. Its pressurized air film eliminates the friction, wear, and vibration of mechanical stages, ensuring zero particle generation. Customizable with options such as granite bases and isolation systems, it is ideal for semiconductor metrology, inspection, photonics, and more.
Learn more.

How to implement redundancy in stepper motors

Some of the recent research activities in the area of electric motor drives for safety-critical applications (such as aerospace and nuclear power plants) are focused on looking at various fault-tolerant motor and drive topologies. After discussing different solutions, this article focuses on a miniature permanent magnet (PM) stepper motor design that provides increased redundancy.
Read this informative FAULHABER article.

DOD seeks to inspire youth for career in hypersonics: Competitions set for high school and college students

The Defense Advanced Research Products Agency's Falcon Hypersonic Test Vehicle emerges from its rocket nose cone and prepares to reenter Earth's atmosphere. [Credit: Image courtesy of DOD]

 

 

 

 

By David Vergun, U.S. Department of Defense

The Defense Department (DOD) is sponsoring a Hypersonics Horizon High Speed Video challenge, open to high school and undergraduate students, with cash prizes.

"The Hypersonics Horizons High Speed Video Challenge is integral to building an enduring advantage by investing in the workforce of tomorrow," said Aprille Ericsson, the assistant secretary of defense for science and technology. "The Joint Hypersonics Transition Office [JHTO] continues to cultivate and invest in future talent by utilizing our Smart Scholarship program and partnering with Academia, which develops pathways for both a diverse and technically proficient workforce to protect both our national security and American prosperity for years to come."

"The challenge is designed to inspire the next-generation workforce in hypersonics," said Mark A. Glenn, director of the Joint Hypersonics Transition Office.

Glenn said instructions for high school teams, of up to three students, involve making a three-to-five-minute video explaining the type of challenges a spacecraft might encounter on Mercury, Venus, Titan (Saturn's moon), Ceres (asteroid), or Pluto. They would also have to address how the spacecraft design would be impacted by challenges of their chosen celestial body's environment and would need to explain how they would overcome those issues.

A X-60A hot fire test is conducted at Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, FL, Jan. 14, 2020. The X-60A, developed through an Air Force Research Laboratory Small Business Innovation Research contract, is an air-launched rocket designed for hypersonic flight research. [Credit: Image courtesy of U.S. Air Force]

 

 

 

 

For post-secondary student teams, Glenn said students are required to make a three-to-five-minute video discussing a design for a plane-like spacecraft engineered to launch, reach hypersonic speeds, and safely touch down on Mars. Then they must address challenges the spacecraft and astronauts may face upon landing. He added that the problem sets involve multidisciplinary challenges and solutions, so students can pull from diverse subject matter, not just physics and engineering.

Lori Michelle Stiglitz, JHTO workforce development lead, said this is the second year for a challenge involving hypersonics.

Last year's challenge involved ways to transport people at hypersonic speeds. Many college and high school students applied, and the students as well as their science and engineering teachers were enthusiastic about it. The students conducted research, delving into many open-source documents on the topic and related topics, she said.

One of last year's university students who participated in the challenge looks to pivot to hypersonics in grad school, Stiglitz added.

Last year's high school winner knew nothing about hypersonics, "so he took a deep dive into hypersonics and he's sharing his knowledge with all of the students, teachers, and administrators at his high school. Some of the physics teachers didn't even know about the topic. So that knowledge is spreading," she said.

"Kids are very creative and enthusiastic about hypersonics. We get to gather their unique mindsets in hypersonics problems," she said.

Awards are planned to be announced in February after evaluators who work across the DOD hypersonics community provide their feedback and assessment. They might also gain novel insights by this challenge, she added.

About a month ago, Stiglitz said she spoke to about 300 mechanical engineers at Montana State University and shared the upcoming challenge with them, and they all started chatting eagerly about it.

For more details about the competition, Hypersonic Horizons 2024: The High Speed Video Challenge, visit the challenge entry web page here.

Published October 2024

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