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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.
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World first: Researchers use neutrons to peer into a running engine to test aluminum alloy performance

Researchers used neutrons to probe a running engine at ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source, giving them the opportunity to test an aluminum-cerium alloy under operating conditions. From left, researchers Orlando Rios, Ke An, and Lt. Eric Stromme show off a cylinder head made from the new alloy.

 

 

 

 

In a first-of-a-kind experiment, researchers have used neutrons to investigate the performance of a new aluminum alloy in a gasoline-powered engine -- while the engine was running.

A team from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory worked with industry partners to perform the test, which looked at whether a high-performance alloy that is promising for automotive applications held up under the heat and stress of an internal combustion engine.

The feat was a first for the Spallation Neutron Source, said Ke An, lead instrument scientist for the facility's VULCAN instrument. "This was the first time an internal combustion engine has been run on our diffractometer, and, as far as we know, on any other," he stated.

The unique properties of neutrons allow them to penetrate materials in a nondestructive fashion, revealing fundamental details about a material's atomic structure. VULCAN uses neutrons to measure strain and stress on large industrial samples, which made it ideal for evaluating a cylinder head cast from an aluminum-cerium alloy ORNL developed in partnership with Eck Industries.

VIDEO: Neutrons peer into a running engine (ORNL).

ORNL materials scientist Orlando Rios, who has been working through the Critical Materials Institute to explore the use of cerium as a strengthening agent for aluminum alloys, led the experiment.

"Our experiment confirmed that our alloy outperforms other aluminum alloys at elevated temperatures," Rios said.

"The automotive industry is currently interested in alloys that can hold up to high-heat demands of new, energy-efficient technologies," he explained. "Our aluminum-cerium composition shows exceptional stability at temperatures above 500 deg C [932 deg F], which is unheard of for aluminum alloys."

Lt. Eric Stromme, a Navy Tours with Industry Fellow who assisted on the project, added, "With an aluminum alloy stable at high temperatures, engines could run hotter and components could be made lighter, boosting efficiency and fuel economy."

Aided by colleagues at ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility and the National Transportation Research Center, Rios' team cast the Al-Ce cylinder head using 3D-printed sand molds and retrofitted the component to a prototype engine designed specifically for VULCAN.

Over the three-day experiment -- with the engine stopping and restarting via a remote ignition from VULCAN's control room -- neutron diffraction allowed the researchers to "see" the high-temperature stability of Al-Ce during the engine's operating regime.

Materials experience complex forces and extreme temperatures during internal combustion, so the researchers wanted to measure material performance during actual operating conditions.

"We really took the engine through its paces. It was probably the loudest experiment to take place at SNS," noted Rios, who worked on the project with ORNL postdoc Michael Kesler and University of Tennessee Bredesen Center Fellow Zachary Sims.

"The entire team was impressed by the quality of the data from VULCAN, especially given that the neutrons had to travel through an entire engine structure before being observed by our detectors to supply information on the cylinder head at work," Rios said. "That is truly remarkable."

An added, "What we have accomplished is a proof-of-concept to prove the feasibility and value of this kind of experiment."

An noted the effectiveness of collaborating across disciplines between ORNL and industry partners to support the effort. He is currently working to streamline the process for future VULCAN users.

"This was a fundamental experiment not only to better understand this alloy but also to provide some broader analysis that will allow new alloys, not only aluminum compounds, to be processed in this way," Rios said. "The experiment demonstrates the benefits of coupling fundamental science with early stage research and development of new materials and technologies. We hope what we are learning through this experiment can be applied to many other materials in a wide range of applications."

This research was sponsored by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy through the Critical Materials Institute, a DOE Energy Innovation Hub, with additional funding from the DOE Office of Science. Partners include Ames National Laboratory, ORNL, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and Eck Industries.

Source: ORNL

Published October 2017

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