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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.

NASA spacecraft that will test 'green' propellant passes major pre-flight milestone

An artist's rendering of NASA's Green Propellant Infusion Mission payload in flight aboard the Ball Aerospace BCP-100 spacecraft. [Credits: Ball Aerospace]

 

 

 

 

By Kim Newton, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL

Like all rocket engines, the small thrusters that a spacecraft or satellite fires to maintain or change positions need fuel. Currently, many use hydrazine -- a toxic and corrosive fuel that requires special handling and equipment.

NASA's Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) recently took another major step toward demonstrating the capabilities of a new propellant that is safer to handle on the ground and more efficient for thrusters in space. The GPIM spacecraft has passed a major flight readiness milestone marking the successful completion of functional and environmental testing of its systems and software, and is on track for launch in early 2017.

"We are increasingly reliant on satellites for communications, for monitoring weather and conditions on Earth, and for exploration of the universe," said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. "It's important that we develop technology that increases protections for launch personnel and the environment, and that has the potential to reduce costs."

GPIM will demonstrate the practical capabilities of a hydroxyl ammonium nitrate-based fuel/oxidizer propellant blend, known as AF-M315E, developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The new propellant is 45 percent denser than hydrazine, meaning more of it can be stored in containers of the same volume. Coupled with a greater specific impulse (Isp) than hydrazine, this means there is approximately a 50 percent increase in spacecraft maneuvering capability for a given volume. AFM-315E also has a lower freezing point than hydrazine, requiring less spacecraft power to maintain its temperature.

AF-M315E, less toxic than traditional chemical fuels like hydrazine, requires fewer handling restrictions and less special equipment. That could shorten launch processing times, resulting in lowered costs.

"There are always going to be situations in which it makes sense to use hydrazine fuel," said Chris McLean, principal investigator for GPIM and staff consultant at Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. in Boulder, CO, prime contractor for the mission. "But after GPIM, when we're planning missions where this new green propellant has the potential for significant benefits, we'll be able to say, 'This has been demonstrated on orbit. Let's take advantage of these improvements for our mission.'"

A Ball Aerospace engineer adjusts the thermal insulation on NASA's Green Propellant Infusion Mission spacecraft bus following integration of the propulsion subsystem in October 2015. [Credits: Ball Aerospace]

 

 

 

 

The GPIM propulsion subsystem and thrusters were developed byAerojet Rocketdyne in Redmond, WA, and are the primary payload on the mission's spacecraft -- a Ball Configurable Platform 100 small satellite. After launch, the five thrusters will fire in different operations to test engine performance and reliability using the "green" fuel. Planned on-orbit maneuvers also include attitude control demonstrations, spacecraft pointing and hold, inclination change, and orbit lowering.

"GPIM is the result of excellent teamwork between NASA, Ball Aerospace, the Air Force, and Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop an American-made green propellant propulsion system that can be used for multiple applications," said Eileen Drake, CEO and president of Aerojet Rocketdyne. "The spacecraft delivery marks the success of more than 10 years of research and development, and we are honored to have contributed toward engine and system technology that has resulted in a highly capable system."

"The GPIM spacecraft will go into storage for a few months, and the team will focus on the propellant's handling and loading campaign," said McLean.

Three Department of Defense experimental payloads also will fly aboard the GPIM spacecraft, set for launch in early 2017 from Cape Canaveral, FL, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy in partnership with the Army Space and Missile Defense Command. The launch is part of the Air Force's Space Test Program 2 (STP-2) mission. STP-2 also is scheduled to carry another NASA Technology Demonstration Missions payload, the Deep Space Atomic Clock.

Additional GPIM team members include the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, NM; NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland; Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, and Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

For more information about NASA's Green Propellant Infusion Mission, go here.

Published April 2016

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