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Ruggedized Nano servo drives for harsh environs

Copley Controls has released its R47 and R48 NanoPlus Micro Module servo drives. Designed for extreme environments and space-constrained applications, these rugged platforms operate from 9 to 180 VDC, delivering peak power up to 6.3 kW. Offering CANopen (R47) or EtherCAT (R48) communications, both feature STO SIL 3 safety and broad encoder support. Well suited for COTS military, nautical, aviation, oil refining, and vehicle-based systems.
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Simplify AC motor control with the new OMRON M1 Inverter

The OMRON M1 Inverter simplifies machine design by unifying motion, safety, networking, and motor control into a single platform. Available in M1-STD, M1-ECT, and M1-EMP models, it controls IM and PM motors with high precision. Featuring SIL3 PLe STO safety and native EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, or RS-485 communications, the M1 accelerates development within the Sysmac environment.
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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.
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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.

Utah State biofuel dragster snags land speed record running on cheesy fuel source

By Mary-Ann Muffoletto, Utah State Today

Utah State University researchers are walking on air after setting a land speed record with a novel race car of their own design. Adding to their excitement is the vehicle's fuel source: a USU-developed biodiesel crafted from surprising origins.

At Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, USU biochemist Michael R. Morgan poses beside the 'Aggie A-Salt Streamliner,' a USU-built dragster powered with USU-developed biodiesel the undergrad drove to a land speed record. [Image: Utah State Today]

 

 

 

 

"How many people get to drive a car they helped build with fuel they created from a living microorganism?" asks USU undergrad biochemist Michael R. Morgan, who drove the dragster across Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats Speedway to its landmark finish.

The Aggie A-Salt Streamliner, as it's officially known, runs on yeast biodiesel derived from the industrial waste of cheese production. The sleek, Aggie-blue hot rod was among some 200 high-tech racers competing at the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association's 2012 World of Speed event Sept. 8-11.

"This is a real pole in the ground for Utah State," says Lance Seefeldt, professor in USU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and a principal faculty mentor on the interdisciplinary project. "Setting the land speed record in this vehicle's class on sustainable biofuel produced at USU underscores the outstanding quality of our school's biochemistry and engineering programs and further validates the technology in this important sector."

At its top speed, the Aggie vehicle clocked in at 65.344 mph. At first glance, that speed may fail to impress NASCAR fans or even most interstate motorists. But make no mistake; it's a head-turning achievement for a biofueled vehicle with a one-liter, two-cylinder engine. The USU team raced the dragster in separate runs, using petroleum diesel and the yeast biofuel, respectively. Powered with the latter, the speedster was able to match its previous petroleum-fueled run.

"Developing a biofuel on a large enough scale to run in the dragster was a tough undertaking," says USU biochemist Alex McCurdy, a third-year doctoral student in Seefeldt's lab, who is supported by a National Science Foundation research assistantship and is the recent recipient of a departmental environmental chemistry award. "It's one thing to produce a small amount in the lab and discuss how it will work in theory. It's another to actually put it in a dragster, while everyone watches it take off."

With McCurdy, Morgan, and other student team members in the colleges of Science and Agriculture, Seefeldt and Bruce Bugbee, professor in USU's Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate, have been working for more than a year to perfect the production of the fuel using yeast and bacterial platforms, as well as developing fuel from carbon dioxide and the sun using microalgae platforms.

"We've recently succeeded in producing quantities of fuels from all of these sources that have superior properties in test engines, comparing favorably to biodiesel produced from soybeans," says Seefeldt, recipient of USU's 2012 D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award, the university's top research honor. "The USU fuels are a renewable, low-footprint replacement for petroleum diesel and they don't compete for food crops."

Meanwhile, student and faculty team members in USU's College of Engineering, mentored by Byard Wood, professor and head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, have been testing the USU biodiesels and report excellent horsepower and fuel emissions. The dragster team, led by Michael D. Morgan, director of USU Engineering's Student Prototype Laboratory (and, incidentally, father of Michael R. Morgan, the car's undergrad driver), built the diesel streamliner, with assistance from Utah Chassis and Mott Motorsports, in preparation for the September competition.

"It was amazing for me to have my dad check my belt and gear and give me a 'thumbs up,'" says the younger Morgan. "It's just you and the car as you feel it take off and rumble down the track giving it everything she's got. The Salt Flats lay out before you in an expanse so far that you can see the curvature of the earth."

Morgan and McCurdy praise the team effort that enabled USU to achieve the milestone.

"It really is an honor to help provide fuel for such a well-designed and engineered dragster," McCurdy says. "We're trying to get people excited about our biofuel research, and I think setting a land speed record ought to get their attention."

Published October 2012

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