UGRacing’s Gear Train Solutions from Combustion to Electric

UGRacing is the University of Glasgow’s Formula Student team. Since its inception in , the team has been working to compete at Formula Student UK (FSUK). Over the last decade, the team has grown to over 150 members across ten disciplines. With a strong focus on knowledge transfer and iterative design, the team has worked year after year to develop new technologies and a more refined package. In , the team saw a culmination of all their hard work when they placed first overall in FSUK with their final internal combustion vehicle. The following switch to an electric powertrain brought new challenges. Through the constraint of a new powertrain architecture, the team has explored and innovated drivetrain concepts which, in future years, will improve vehicle performance.

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Interact Analysis Forecasts Growth in Global Gearbox and Geared Motor Markets

The landscape of the global precision gearbox and geared motor market is undergoing significant transformation and is expected to grow by over 10 percent in , as it recovers from an earlier than anticipated dip in and . According to the latest data from market intelligence specialist Interact Analysis, strong demand will generate a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9 percent - with the market increasing from $3.29 billion to $4.8 billion - between and .

Lights, Cameras, Action

Unless you work for a major network, you’ve probably never heard of them. But without the efforts of Drew Farrow and the team at ShowFab many of your favorite Broadway shows, news programs, and broadcast sporting events would not be possible. That’s because there’d be no colorful backdrops, no glitzy displays, and no lights or cameras moving silently overhead. The reason they’re silent? Nord Drivesystems whose gearmotors position the massive scenery seen moving in and above the sets of The Today Show, Fox News, Fox Sports, The NFL Network, and NewsNation, to name a few. 

Harmonic Drive Releases Mini Gearhead

Harmonic Drive LLC, a leading provider of precision motion control solutions, is proud to announce the release of its CSF-2XH mini gearhead designed for servo and stepper motors.

Available with an output shaft or flange, the CSF-2XH miniature gearheads are offered in 4 sizes with gear ratios 30:1 to 100:1 and peak torque: .5~28Nm. These mini strain wave gears are ideal for semiconductor and robotics applications.

How to Achieve Longer Gearbox Service Life

This paper examines the selection process, operation, maintenance practices, and state of a Sumitomo gearbox after over 24 years of operation. It is demonstrated that a quality product and careful consideration of all these factors are essential for a longer service life of the gearbox. Detailed information is provided on the operation of the gearbox, as well as the maintenance practices that should be taken to ensure its longevity. Finally, the paper examines the state of the gearbox after over two decades of use and how all these factors result in lowering carbon emissions.

Faulhaber Drive Units Adjust Shutter and Focus for Camera Application

Sports fans want to see every little detail, and the TV cameras deliver whether the goalie is clenching his jaw before the spot kick or how many millimeters the serve cleared the net in a tennis match, everything is captured in detail. Images like these are only possible when the camera is up-close and doesn’t interfere with the action. Many major tournaments and Olympic Games use miniature devices, which even fit in a corner flag, from the Wiesbaden-based specialist LMP Lux Media Plan. Drive units from Faulhaber are used to adjust the shutter and focus.

Planetary Gear Rethought

Designers of robotics and automation solutions are often faced with a choice: cycloid or planetary gears? In the last few decades, the answer has often been cycloidal drives. But the planetary gears have caught up and are now superior in many ways. The Hamelin company Schaeffler Ultra Precision Drives (previously Melior Motion) has revolutionized the planetary gear and with its PSC series, produces extremely precise, quiet and durable drive units.

Having a Ball: The Technology Behind the Ball Drop

More than a billion people around the world unite to ring in the New Year, their eyes set upon the glittering New Year’s Ball in Manhattan. Thousands are gathered at Times Square — the famed “Bow Tie” of Midtown — braving the December cold and peering through glasses with numerically shaped frames. Millions more tune in from their various screens at home.
With so much riding on its descent, the Ball, along with the mechanical and electrical systems responsible for its operation, must operate like clockwork.

On the Potential of High-Ratio Planetary Gearboxes for Next-Generation Robotics

The earliest example of a gear train dates to at least 2,000 B.C. when Chinese engineers built a chariot that used a complex planetary mechanism made of wooden gears to let a dragon head continuously point south when driven around (Ref. 1). In Greece, a surprisingly advanced Antikythera gearbox mechanism, incorporating at least 37 precisely crafted bronze gears, was built years later, between 205–60 B.C. (Ref. 2).

Cortec Offers Valve Strategy for Oil and Gas Industry

Ball valves, gate valves, globe valves, butterfly valves, check valves, and valve assemblies: all these are common and critical components in the oil and gas industry. Their job of regulating hazardous fluid flow in pipelines and piping systems underscores the importance of keeping them in peak operating condition. Unfortunately, one of the most common enemies of valve integrity is rust, which can attack and deteriorate valves during hydrotesting, shipping, and layup. 
The following tips from Cortec Corporation make it easy to achieve successful preservation during the three main phases of a valve’s non-operational lifecycle.

JW Winco Introduces Gears and Gear Racks Made from Polyamide

Gears and gear racks used for transmitting torque and forces within gearboxes are typically made of hardened steel. For many other uses and applications, gears and racks made from plastic are the better choice. These generally require no lubrication and are lighter, quieter, less expensive, and more resistant to corrosion than metal gears. This is why JW Winco is expanding its range with polyamide gears and racks that can transmit high forces and torques.

Visser Precision Purchases Velo3D Sapphire Printers

Velo3D, Inc. has announced Visser Precision, a contract manufacturer serving major industries from the racetrack to outer space, has purchased and received two Sapphire printers to expand its 3D-printing capabilities for its aerospace customers. One of the printers delivered is the first Sapphire printer calibrated for Haynes 214 (UNS N), a nickel-based superalloy that is now available as a powder option for all Velo3D customers. The other Sapphire printer is calibrated for Inconel 718, which is commonly used in many aerospace and industrial applications for its high strength and corrosion resistance.

Hannover Messe Takes a Closer Look at Artifical Intelligence in Manufacturing

Hannover Messe presents the ideal networking hub. This is where AI developers, software engineers get together with users to jointly develop industrial-grade AI products or processes. Whereas in the past, the focus was on use cases in which errors or anomalies were detected or prognostications were made, industry in is focusing on the optimization of processes and the use of AI methods for simulation, testing and product development.

Vesconite Marine Rudder Bearings

Vesconite Bearings, through its supply of marine rudder bearings to the MN Colibri charter vessel in June, is proud to be associated with an exciting communication satellite launch that took place in September . The MN Colibri has historically transported launcher components, including communications satellites, for various heavy-lift space launch vehicles, and outfitted with the Vesconite rudder bearings allowed it to transport the Eutelsat Konnect VHTS satellite, which is regarded as an important addition to global telecommunications infrastructure.

A Look at Heat Dissipation Through E-Drives

Heat is also generated in an e-motor, sometimes quite a bit. In demanding applications, the motor electronics cause the power to be throttled or even shut down completely. But there is another clever way to protect an electric motor from overheating without losing power: using a thermally conductive casting resin as a heat transfer medium. The principle can also be called a static solid cooling system.

Indonesian President Scheduled to Attend Hannover Messe

Indonesia is this year’s Partner Country at Hannover Messe. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has confirmed his personal attendance at the world’s leading industrial trade fair and will speak at the opening ceremony in April. In addition, together with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, he will also take part in the traditional chancellor’s tour the next day – opening day Monday – at the fair. The last time these two heads of government met was at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November .

Schaeffler Climate Targets Validated by Science Based Initiative

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated the Schaeffler Group’s targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions as being in conformity with SBTi criteria and recommendations and hence in line with what the latest climate science considers necessary in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The global automotive and industrial supplier is committed to cutting its absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by , with as its base year. The company has also set itself the target of reducing its absolute Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel- and energy-related activities, and upstream transportation and distribution by 25 percent over the same period. 

Iwis Examines Predictive Maintenance for Drive and Conveyor Chains

Industrial maintenance consists of keeping equipment running as long as possible. Corrective, preventive and now predictive maintenance has taken a long time to be recognized as an activity in its own right. Since then, it has shown its importance and added value to the point of being a lever for continuous improvement and development in companies.

Velo3D Hires Dr. Robin Stamp as Director of Solutions Engineering

Velo3D, Inc. has appointed Dr. Robin Stamp as director of solutions engineering to help grow the adoption of Velo3D’s metal additive manufacturing technology with new customers and in new industries. In his role, Dr. Stamp will oversee the development of new standards with regulatory agencies, qualification of new metal alloys for use in the Sapphire family of printers, and the collaboration with partners and agencies.

Bearing Quality Control Helps Green Energy Initiative

The Dudley, UK factory of The Timken Company supplies the engineered bearings it manufactures into a multitude of industries including mining, food and beverage, pulp and paper, cement, marine, and wastewater. Recently there has been a significant increase in demand for larger bearings up to 1,200 mm in diameter for use in the construction of wind turbines, which promises exponential growth in the coming years as countries across the globe work towards meeting their green energy targets.

FVA Presents Transmission Design Considerations

For optimal gear design in accordance with requirements, it is essential to consider load spectra under the most realistic conditions possible as early as the virtual basic design phase. This is the only way to ensure that all components are loaded as evenly as possible to avoid overdimensioning.

Optimized design saves resources and costs and improves the CO2 balance – an aspect that is becoming increasingly important in the current environment and can offer a competitive advantage. Load spectrum calculations are also important for replacing complex time and cost-intensive experiments by simulating test rig damage tests.

NORD Exceeds $1 Billion in Sales in

has proven to be another record-breaking year for NORD DRIVESYSTEMS as they achieved over $1 billion dollars in sales for the first time in company history. NORD sees this as confirmation from their customers that they are a reliable, competent partner with a wide range of efficient, highly configurable drive solutions that are available for over 100 specialized industries worldwide. 

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Melior Motion Becomes Schaeffler Ultra Precision Drives GmbH

At the beginning of this year, the automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler acquired Melior Motion GmbH, an innovative manufacturer of precision gearboxes for robotics and automation applications, among others. As of December 1, , Melior Motion GmbH will operate under the name of Schaeffler Ultra Precision Drives GmbH. The aim of the acquisition is to continuously expand the Industrial division’s portfolio of precision gearboxes and to secure a strategically strong position in the dynamically growing market for industrial automation.

Highlights of Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia

Overall, the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia saw 3,815 attendees, hosted 94 technical sessions, and had 274 exhibiting companies. Many attendees commented on the value of networking conversation at the show. From to , TPS saw an increase in international delegates, with just 19 countries represented in , to 44 countries represented in . Below is a taste of the booths we had the chance to visit.

Determination of the Longitudinal Load Distribution of Planetary Stages

The goal of increasing the power density of a gear unit demands that extraneous material reserves can be detected and reduced to the necessary level. In this context, it is important to know the influences acting on the gear unit and the resulting loads. FVA examines the precise knowledge of the longitudinal load distribution in the gear meshes during operation, and specification of suitable microgeometries for its optimization, play a decisive role.

Wind of Change

Wind-turbine drivetrains undergo severe transient loading during start-ups, shut-downs, emergency stops, and during grid connections. Load cases that result in torque reversals may be particularly damaging to bearings, as rollers may be skidding during the sudden relocation of the loaded zone. Seals and lubrication systems must work reliably over a wide temperature variation to prevent the ingress of dirt and moisture and perform effectively at all rotational speeds in the gearbox. Many wind-turbine gearboxes have also suffered from fundamental design issues such as ineffective interference fits that result in unintended motion and wear, ineffectiveness of internal lubrication paths and problems with sealing. Improving the resistance of future gearbox designs to all these issues is a key to the future cost of energy generated by wind turbines.

More Than Just Motor Size

When your equipment calls for a right angle gearbox, proper sizing makes a difference. A wide range of application factors must be considered, or you will face problems down the road. Possible problems can include increased maintenance, worn teeth and reduced mean time between failure (MTBF). Additionally, an oversized gearbox will cost more money than necessary. This article will provide an overview of how to apply application information to accurately size an Andantex Anglgear right angle gearbox for your installation.

ZF Develops New E-Drive Technologies

ZF presents the latest generation of electric drives for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. It sets standards through outstanding power density and energy efficiency. ZF achieves this thanks to numerous innovations at both the component and system level. These include the compact design of the drives, the "discrete approach" in power electronics, and a resource-saving use of materials, which also makes the production of the drives more sustainable. With their modular concept, the new ZF e-drives support automotive manufacturers in customizing the further electrification of their entire model range. For end customers, the new technologies offer higher efficiency, more power, and shorter charging times.

Bonfiglioli Introduces the Winch Drive Series 800

Bonfiglioli presents the new high performant 800 series which comes in five sizes from 25,000 to 160,000 Nm in marine-resistant paint, suitable for blast cleaning. Easy and fast assembly of the 800 series gearboxes into the winch drum is a key feature of their design. Maintenance requirements are made as simple as possible, e.g., with an easy access to the brake, ready-made brake replacement kits as well as easy access to oil filling, draining plugs, and oil level pipe/indicator. 

How Standard Gearboxes Can Be Modified for Food-Grade Applications

Gearboxes are essential components for machines in practically every industry. They must comply with the environmental, safety, and production/efficiency regulations and standards for these industries. Environmental performance can be especially challenging because the operating conditions are harsh or extreme. Fortunately, standard gearboxes are extremely sturdy components that can be modified to fulfill almost any application or requirement. In this white paper, we discuss the many challenges food and beverage industries present for gearboxes, and how to mitigate them.

Ball Bearing Limiting Speeds

Electrification has really brought ball bearings back into focus as the primary bearing in our drive systems. Some boxes have tapers on the slower shafts for stiffness and others are using a ball/cylindrical combo for efficiency. Regardless, we all face the same challenge on the primary shaft in dealing with the potential of 18,000–20,000+ rpm speeds coming out of the motor. Plenty of applications run 20,000 rpm; what makes the automotive motor unique is, in addition to speed, we are driving huge torques, frequent torque reversals and a huge range of temperatures both internally and geographically. Of course, this all needs to be suited for high-volume manufacturing as well. Adding full ceramic balls, a PEEK cage and a high precision classification is a really easy way to run greater than 20,000 rpm all day but is an expensive option. One bearing alone could hurt the cost competitiveness of your gearbox. In the case where a single bearing can change the landscape of your project, it is worth taking a little time to understand exactly what the drivers of our speed limitations are.

A Preview of the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia

The Houston Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) began as a 200-person Turbomachinery Symposium on the campus of Texas A&M University in . The Pump Symposium was founded in and joined with Turbo for a singular event in . TPS is a vital industry event that offers a forum for the exchange of ideas between rotating equipment engineers and technicians worldwide. For nearly 50 years, TPS is known for its impact on turbomachinery, pump, oil & gas, petrochemical, power, aerospace, chemical, and water industries through two pathways: the technical program and the exhibition.

Helpline Operator

How do gearbox and gear drive providers navigate the interesting challenges found in steel, cement, paper, and construction applications? Apparently, one application at a time. Thanks to condition monitoring technology, IoT solutions and the flexibility of engineering teams today, plant downtime is not as problematic as it has been in the past. The secret to success in heavy industrial markets comes down to staying ahead of component failures.  

The Optimization of 70 Tons of Scrap

The engineering community is fascinated with big, shiny, yellow machines. Walk into any manufacturing facility around the globe and you’ll find guests huddled around the biggest, loudest, and most intimidating equipment on the shop floor. These large machines must play by the same rules as everybody else—they need to reduce energy consumption, lower plant costs, and increase productivity. Many power transmission component suppliers are tasked with optimizing this equipment. 

Always Fit to Print

Print is not dead. While reading magazines cover-to-cover is a lost art—thanks to work responsibilities, 24-hour sports/entertainment coverage, and the universal time suck known as Instagram—someone, somewhere still prefers the printed word to the shiny, unfriendly artificial light of tablets and smartphones.  This publication (hopefully) provides information engineers can discuss, debate, or collaborate on for future manufacturing endeavors. There would be no words, no photographs, no advertising without the paper used to print this very magazine.

Oil Analysis Interpretation for Gearboxes

In every industry, the phrase "time is money" has never been more accurate. With unscheduled downtime haunting every operation, being prepared, and using various Condition Monitoring techniques is your first line of defense. Some companies use temperature monitoring, vibration monitoring, and noise monitoring--but what about oil analysis?

Analyzing the oil is just the first step since a one-time collection will only show you so much about your gearbox. The key to correctly using your oil analysis data is to trend the data over time.

Using and Specifying Flexible Couplings

The technical division of AGMA directs the committees that develop and maintain standards and information sheets pertaining to the gear industry. Although often viewed as an accessory for gearboxes, flexible couplings are critical components of any machinery system, since they connect two separate pieces of rotating equipment. The Flexible Coupling Committee is responsible for 12 standards and one information sheet that are specific to flexible couplings. Six of those standards encompassing three subjects will be highlighted in this article.

Sumitomo Cyclo Drive Germany Wins Hermes Award at Hannover Messe

This year saw the Hermes Award jury at Hannover Messe, chaired by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Reimund Neugebauer, president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, award a product ideally suited for applications in the rapidly growing robotics market. The award-winning TUAKA product is a fully integrated drive. New features include the gear unit, the motor and the driver with safety functions. Thanks to the product's sensor technology and thermal management, it is suitable for high-precision, sensitive applications in service robotics as well as for interaction with humans.

The Extreme Ends of Turbine Condition Monitoring

One of ONYX’s customers and a leader in driving up the reliability and asset performance of the wind industry, Pattern Energy, uses ONYX turbine monitoring for over 1,100 wind turbines. Across this fleet ONYX connects several CMS hardware types to fleetMONITOR, a multi-brand solution for drivetrain monitoring. Two of the wind farms were retrofitted with ecoCMS in , the technology with which ONYX disrupted the CMS industry.

Introductory Video on Mechanical Circuit Breakers

Preventing unplanned downtime in industrial processes only gets more important during times of high demand. The cost of gearbox, motor and drive shaft replacement often pales in comparison to that of the lost production resulting from mechanical torque overload failures caused by jams, collisions and binding in the driveline. This makes mechanical circuit breaking technology more important than ever since a fast, tool free reset and recovery from torque overload minimizes interruption.

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Servo Reducer Solutions for Demanding, High Performance Applications.

Find out about the benefits of a high performance Servo Worm Gearbox, and get an understanding of what applications & industries are ideal for this gearbox. By watching this webinar you will be able to identify applications well-suited for a high performance servo worm reducer and understand the construction differences among each model of DieQua's servo worm gear reducer.

Gearboxes - Customized Solutions for Demanding Real-World Applications

Because gearboxes are used in practically every industry, engineers often have to come up with creative solutions to a wide variety of unusual challenges. Perhaps you are facing problems with lifespan, environment or safety in your own applications. Diequa president Meikel Quaas will share multiple examples and case studies of gearbox inventions his company has built for customers from around the world.

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