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Overhung load adaptors provide load support and contamination protection

Overhung load adaptors (OHLA) provide both overhung radial and axial load support to protect electrified mobile equipment motors from heavy application loads, extending the lifetime of the motor and alleviating the cost of downtime both from maintenance costs and loss of production. They seal out dirt, grime, and other contaminants too. Zero-Max OHLAs are available in an extensive offering of standard models (including Extra-Duty options) for typical applications or customized designs.
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Why choose electric for linear actuators?

Tolomatic has been delivering a new type of linear motion technology that is giving hydraulics a run for its money. Learn the benefits of electric linear motion systems, the iceberg principle showing total cost of ownership, critical parameters of sizing, and conversion tips.
Get this informative e-book. (No registration required)

New AC hypoid inverter-duty gearmotors

Bodine Electric Company introduces 12 new AC inverter-duty hypoid hollow shaft gearmotors. These type 42R-25H2 and 42R-30H3 drives combine an all-new AC inverter-duty, 230/460-VAC motor with two hypoid gearheads. When used with an AC inverter (VFD) control, these units deliver maintenance-free and reliable high-torque output. They are ideal for conveyors, gates, packaging, and other industrial automation equipment that demands both high torque and low power consumption from the driving gearmotor.
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Next-gen warehouse automation: Siemens, Universal Robots, and Zivid partner up

Universal Robots, Siemens, and Zivid have created a new solution combining UR's cobot arms with Siemens' SIMATIC Robot Pick AI software and Zivid's 3D sensors to create a deep-learning picking solution for warehouse automation and intra-logistics fulfillment. It works regardless of object shape, size, opacity, or transparency and is a significant leap in solving the complex challenges faced by the logistics and e-commerce sectors.
Read the full article.

Innovative DuoDrive gear and motor unit is UL/CSA certified

The DuoDrive integrated gear unit and motor from NORD DRIVE-SYSTEMS is a compact, high-efficiency solution engineered for users in the fields of intralogistics, pharmaceutical, and the food and beverage industries. This drive combines a IE5+ synchronous motor and single-stage helical gear unit into one compact housing with a smooth, easy-to-clean surface. It has a system efficiency up to 92% and is available in two case sizes with a power range of 0.5 to 4.0 hp.
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BLDC flat motor with high output torque and speed reduction

Portescap's 60ECF brushless DC slotted flat motor is the newest frame size to join its flat motor portfolio. This 60-mm BLDC motor features a 38.2-mm body length and an outer-rotor slotted configuration with an open-body design, allowing it to deliver improved heat management in a compact package. Combined with Portescap gearheads, it delivers extremely high output torque and speed reduction. Available in both sensored and sensorless options. A great choice for applications such as electric grippers and exoskeletons, eVTOLs, and surgical robots.
Learn more and view all the specs.

Application story: Complete gearbox and coupling assembly for actuator system

Learn how GAM engineers not only sized and selected the appropriate gear reducers and couplings required to drive two ball screws in unison using a single motor, but how they also designed the mounting adapters necessary to complete the system. One-stop shopping eliminated unnecessary components and resulted in a 15% reduction in system cost.
Read this informative GAM blog.

Next-gen motor for pump and fan applications

The next evolution of the award-winning Aircore EC motor from Infinitum is a high-efficiency system designed to power commercial and industrial applications such as HVAC fans, pumps, and data centers with less energy consumption, reduced emissions, and reduced waste. It features an integrated variable frequency drive and delivers upward of 93% system efficiency, as well as class-leading power and torque density in a low-footprint package that is 20% lighter than the previous version. Four sizes available.
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Telescoping linear actuators for space-constrained applications

Rollon's new TLS telescoping linear actuators enable long stroke lengths with minimal closed lengths, which is especially good for applications with minimal vertical clearance. These actuators integrate seamlessly into multi-axis systems and are available in two- or three-stage versions. Equipped with a built-in automated lubrication system, the TLS Series features a synchronized drive system, requiring only a single motor to achieve motion. Four sizes (100, 230, 280, and 360) with up to 3,000-mm stroke length.
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Competitively priced long-stroke parallel gripper

The DHPL from Festo is a new generation of pneumatic long-stroke grippers that offers a host of advantages for high-load and high-torque applications. It is interchangeable with competitive long-stroke grippers and provides the added benefits of lighter weight, higher precision, and no maintenance. It is ideal for gripping larger items, including stacking boxes, gripping shaped parts, and keeping bags open. It has high repetition accuracy due to three rugged guide rods and a rack-and-pinion design.
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Extend your range of motion: Controllers for mini motors

FAULHABER has added another extremely compact Motion Controller without housing to its product range. The new MC3603 controller is ideal for integration in equipment manufacturing and medical tech applications. With 36 V and 3 A (peak current 9 A), it covers the power range up to 100 W and is suitable for DC motors with encoder, brushless drives, or linear motors.
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When is a frameless brushless DC motor the right choice?

Frameless BLDC motors fit easily into small, compact machines that require high precision, high torque, and high efficiency, such as robotic applications where a mix of low weight and inertia is critical. Learn from the experts at SDP/SI how these motors can replace heavier, less efficient hydraulic components by decreasing operating and maintenance costs. These motors are also more environmentally friendly than others.
View the video.

Tiny and smart: Step motor with closed-loop control

Nanotec's new PD1-C step motor features an integrated controller and absolute encoder with closed-loop control. With a flange size of merely 28 mm (NEMA 11), this compact motor reaches a max holding torque of 18 Ncm and a peak current of 3 A. Three motor versions are available: IP20 protection, IP65 protection, and a motor with open housing that can be modified with custom connectors. Ideal for applications with space constraints, effectively reducing both wiring complexity and installation costs.
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Closed loop steppers drive new motion control applications

According to the motion experts at Performance Motion Devices, when it comes to step motors, the drive technique called closed loop stepper is making everything old new again and driving a burst of interest in the use of two-phase step motors. It's "winning back machine designers who may have relegated step motors to the category of low cost but low performance."
Read this informative Performance Motion Devices article.

Intelligent compact drives with extended fieldbus options

The intelligent PD6 compact drives from Nanotec are now available with Profinet and EtherNet/IP. They combine motor, controller, and encoder in a space-saving package. With its 80-mm flange and a rated power of 942 W, the PD6-EB is the most powerful brushless DC motor of this product family. The stepper motor version has an 86-mm flange (NEMA 34) and a holding torque up to 10 Nm. Features include acceleration feed forward and jerk-limited ramps. Reduced installation time and wiring make the PD6 series a highly profitable choice for machine tools, packaging machines, or conveyor belts.
Learn more.

Army lab converting JP-8 fuel to hydrogen for portable electric power

By Joyce P. Brayboy, U.S. Army Research Laboratory

What if Soldiers could convert Jet Propellant 8 to clean hydrogen fuel for fuel cell applications anywhere and anytime they need it?

A small team of scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory are collaborating with counterparts at the Communications-Electronics and the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Centers (TARDEC) to develop technology for lightweight, portable prototype systems that would convert Jet Propellant 8, commonly referred to as JP-8, to hydrogen on the spot.

"There is a growing demand for portable electrical power for both commercial and military applications," says Dr. Deryn Chu, fuel cell team leader. "Our challenge is, 'How can we remove the many impurities in JP-8 so it can be effective in a fuel cell?'"

Dr. Dat Tran, U.S. Army Research Laboratory electro-chemistry, shows two samples of materials that combine to extract sulfur from JP8, or Jet Propellant 8, that is a fuel widely used in the Army. [Photo credit: Joyce P. Brayboy]

 

 

 

 

JP-8 is widely used by the U.S. Army as a fuel for powering aircraft, engines of tactical ground vehicles, and electrical generators. It comes with a set of problems like the logistics resupply chain it requires and the high cost associated with force protection of convoys, Chu says.

The Pentagon's most-used jet fuel costs roughly $15 per gallon, but "... the cost multiplies to hundreds of dollars by the time you move it to and around operational locations," Chu says.

For the Army "... the smallest gain in efficiency is important. But fuel cells -- when the concept is fully developed -- may yield huge gains, potentially doubling the efficiency of diesel generators," he says.

The chance for a game-changing technology is why fuel reformation is one of three high-risk, high-reward projects that the laboratory is pushing toward in search of operational energy solutions for the battlefield. The other two are called "Smart Battlefield Energy on-Demand" and "Long-Lived Power."

Researchers already knew the value of fuel cells for increasing efficiency, as that kind of approach has been explored since the 1960s. They also knew of ways to convert the high energy density of hydrocarbons into hydrogen for fuel cells like the process that Bloom Energy and others use on the commercial market, says Dr. Zachary Dunbar, a team member who is exploring palladium membrane technology, using a rare metallic element as part of a purification system.

The challenge is developing a practical fuel reformation process for better energy conversion that would have to be portable, quick, and easy to use, he says.

Last year, Army Research Laboratory's research reached a milestone when they figured out a way to reduce the production costs associated with fuel reformation by using palladium membranes to purify hyrogen-rich reformate, Dunbar says.

In their work, scientists developed a new supported palladium membrane composite structure for purification technology to produce high-purity hydrogen from a feedstock of hydrocarbon fuel. Before this discovery, designing affordable, leak-free, and high-flux membranes was much more difficult, he says.

A large palladium membrane, like the one shown here, uses less than $1 worth of palladium metal, due to the ultrathin deposition processes used for its fabrication in the Army Research Laboratory Clean Room. [Photo credit: U.S. Army Research Laboratory]

 

 

 

 

"While it is a significant milestone, the research is in its early stages. Fuel reforming is a complex problem that we don't expect to solve quickly," Dunbar says.

The team tests materials that may reduce the sulfur concentration in JP-8. Dr. Dat Tran has tested at least 300 different combinations of materials during the last four years he has been investigating with the team, he says.

"JP-8 is a complicated and dirty fuel. The sulfur is a huge problem, because it can hurt the fuel cells," Tran says. "Sulfur has many different compounds that behave differently. The compounds in sulfur make it hard to find an agreeable material."

JP-8 is a logistical fuel for the Department of Defense under its one-fuel policy. It is a unique problem for the Army. Industry is focused on natural gas, Chu says.

The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's Communications-Electronics center Command, Power and Integration experts demonstrate a novel power unit for other defense experts in the industry. [Photo courtesy: CERDEC]

 

 

 

 

The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's Communications-Electronics Center, Command, Power and Integration (CERDEC CP&I) experts are integral to the research because they transition mobile power systems from the lab to the field, says Dr. Terry Dubois, fuel reforming and combustion engineer at CERDEC.

Everything from man-worn to multikilowatt systems comes through CERDEC, he says.

CERDEC CP&I enables the quick transition of optimum capabilities to the warfighter in support of ongoing operations.

Army units often wind up in places overseas with no infrastructure and limited supplies. The Army needs to explore and develop high-efficient fuel cell systems to reduce logistical supply. Scientists continue to grapple with the question of the best way to rid JP-8 of its organic sulfur compounds after it is in theater, Chu says.

Published October 2013

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