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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.
Learn more.

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.

New drivetrain tech helps tractors and mowers navigate difficult terrain

The slope mower with "Line Traction" moves on where other mowers stop. [Credit: Photo by Stefan Herr, KIT]

 

 

Wet meadows, steep slopes, and loose ground often present a challenge to agricultural vehicles. A new drive system that gets off-road vehicles safely through difficult terrain has been developed by researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany, together with a partner from industry. It replaces conventional differential gears with an independent gearbox on each wheel. This way, it is possible to cope with terrain that was impassable before.

Vehicles such as tractors or slope mowers have traditionally been equipped with conventional differential gears. They ensure the wheels of an axle rotate at different speeds when cornering, which is called open differential. The drawback of this design is that if one wheel loses grip, it starts slipping, and the axis' second wheel stalls. This results in reduced traction.

A locked differential, on the other hand, ensures that both wheels of an axle are linked to each other and that they rotate synchronously. Thus, the vehicle can also manage rough terrain, for example when driving on meadows, snow, or muddy ground. However, cornering is not possible.

Two principles, one system -- Advantages in off-road terrain
The new drive system design compensates for the disadvantages of both setups: It improves wheel grip and, at the same time, enables exact speed compensation when cornering, because it has a gearbox with individual speed control on each wheel.

"The system automatically adjusts the wheel speeds to the driving situation, so that it precisely distributes the complete mechanical force from the powertrain to the wheels while controlling individual wheel speeds at the same time," says Stefan Herr, leader of the Drive Technology research group at KIT's Institute Mobile Machines. This way, all wheels rotate with optimum speed at maximum force transmission -- the vehicle is able to move even in difficult situations.

"A tractor equipped with the Line Traction System provides more performance and better safety by getting the power to the ground -- even on steep slopes or uneven ground," says Herr. "Our test vehicle moves on where others stop. Farmland that has been unusable so far or had to be mowed by hand can now be worked by machines."

Possible uses of the Line Traction System include mowing steep slopes along motorways or meadows in mountainous regions.

Another advantage of the system is that the conventional drivetrain with a central drive unit is preserved. This makes for a compact and economic overall system without an increase in weight. Either a combustion engine or an electric motor can be used as the primary drive.

"The system is also suitable for emission-free drives, and thus future-proof," says Herr.

The technology is the result of the university's partnership with Müller Landmaschinen GmbH, the company that invented the system. In a series of projects, the partners developed and studied the system from the initial idea to the pre-production series.

"Our research is closely linked to practice -- we bring knowledge to the road or field," says Herr. "In addition, students and doctoral researchers have been involved in the research work right from the start. This is an opportunity for them to provide input to ongoing projects and contribute to innovations early on."

In conjunction with the world's largest trade fair for agriculture, the German Agricultural Society conferred the 2025 AGRITECHNICA Innovation Award in Gold to Müller Landmaschinen GmbH and their integration partner Aebi Maschinenfabrik & Co. AG for the technology. The prize is one the most prestigious awards in agricultural engineering; it underscores the successful transfer of research at KIT to industry.

According to the developers, "At the heart of the system is a hydraulically controlled superimposed gearbox that replaces conventional differentials and enables individual control of torque and speed for each wheel. This allows the system to deliver optimum power to the ground with any central drive, regardless of its drive technology (combustion engine, battery-electric drive, etc.). Advantages for users include a wider range of applications for the machine, greater safety thanks to improved directional stability, and increased traction, and significantly reduced operator workload thanks to the automated drive train." Read the full project description (complete with images) at https://www.fast.kit.edu/english/mobima/288_18034.php.

Source: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Published November 2025

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