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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.
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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.
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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.
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Navy deep-sea sensor systems try to find a better way to forecast hurricane strength

A GOES satellite image taken Sept. 7, 2017, at 8:45 a.m. EST shows Hurricane Irma, center, and Hurricane Jose, right, in the Atlantic Ocean, and Hurricane Katia in the Gulf of Mexico. [U.S. Navy photo/Released. Photo by Oscar Sosa, Navy Media Content Services]

 

 

 

 

By Warren Duffie Jr., Office of Naval Research

As Hurricane Irma approached U.S. shores, researchers sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) were using air-dropped autonomous sensors to compile real-time ocean observations to help forecasters predict the strength of future tropical storms.

This marks the first time the sensors -- called ALAMO (Air-Launched Autonomous Micro Observer) sensors -- were used in hurricane-prediction research. While standard computerized prediction models rely on atmospheric data like air temperature, humidity, altitude, and wind speed and direction, the ALAMO sensors (sponsored by ONR) measure oceanographic phenomena beneath the sea surface.

Members of the ONR-sponsored research team prepare to drop ALAMO sensors. [U.S. Navy photo/Released]

 

 

"Hurricanes like this have a devastating impact on coastal regions, and our thoughts and prayers are with the affected communities," said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. David J. Hahn. "Often, there is an intersection of military and civilian needs. If we can improve the lead time and accuracy of storm forecasts, it would give national and local leadership more time and detailed information for preparations, evacuation, or shelter-in-place decisions."

Fully developed tropical cyclones -- called hurricanes or typhoons, depending on their region -- can grow as wide as several hundred miles and sustain winds greater than 150 mph. With historically high winds, Hurricane Irma was one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.

Such storms are notoriously difficult to predict, presenting a volatile meteorological cocktail that can change direction, speed, and strength -- quickly and unexpectedly. One reason is that current forecasting models focus on the atmosphere instead of the underwater properties that contribute to the creation of hurricanes, which are difficult to observe.

In addition to the potential catastrophic damage to coastal communities, hurricanes also pose a severe threat to U.S. Navy fleet operations. Accurate forecasting is critical for protecting ships at sea, evacuating vulnerable bases, and performing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The new ALAMO sensor bests previous Navy float sensors in that it can measure 1,000 temperature profiles in a deployment and can directly measure pressure (a proxy for depth). Previous solutions used fall-rate equations to calculate depth.

 

 

 

 

When Hurricane Irma was headed for U.S. landfall, the ONR-sponsored research team, composed of U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen and scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, dropped 10 ALAMO sensors from an Air Force C-130 "Hurricane Hunter" aircraft into Caribbean waters off the coast of Florida, ahead of the storm. The sensors were also used to track ocean dynamics in Hurricane Jose.

Short, metal tubes crammed with sensors and scientific instruments, each ALAMO sensor sank nearly 1,000 ft underwater and then rose again. They've been tracking ocean temperature, salinity, and pressure, and then transmitting this data via satellite for use by the Naval Research Laboratory to update the Navy's coupled ocean-atmosphere forecasting models.

"The ALAMO sensors will enable us to get an accurate picture of conditions in the water column -- before, during, and after a hurricane," said Capt. Elizabeth Sanabia, an oceanography professor at the Naval Academy, who is overseeing the research. "For the Navy, this improved forecasting will increase operational readiness and mitigate risk. For the nation, it will result in better response planning and potentially save lives."

The participating Naval Academy midshipmen were Casey Densmore, Kelli Wise, and Rachel Boushon.

Now that Hurricane Irma has passed, the information accumulated by Sanabia's team will be used to improve the Navy's Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System-Tropical Cyclone -- COAMPS-TC, for short. COAMPS-TC, developed with ONR support, uses complex algorithms to predict hurricane intensity by processing real-time and historical meteorological data, fed by information from satellites.

"Our goal is to improve ocean and atmosphere modeling and prediction for fleet operations," said Dr. Ronald Ferek, a program manager in ONR's Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department. "The real-time COAMPS-TC forecasts for Hurricane Irma help the Navy issue operational guidance for fleet safety and improve understanding of the complex air-sea interaction processes that drive the intensity of tropical hurricanes."

ONR's sponsored hurricane research is part of the Task Force Ocean initiative, which seeks to strengthen the Navy's oceanographic capabilities in ocean sensing and modeling technology.

Published September 2017

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