Recently, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed his company’s plans for using autonomous flying drones to deliver packages to customers within a limited range. On a segment aired on 60 Minutes, Bezos explained the concept, dubbed Amazon Prime Air, to journalist Charlie Rose. The idea doesn’t seem that far-fetched. Drone technology has existed for quite a […]
Diagnosing Motor Problems with Ease
The electronic test equipment available today for analyzing electric motors and other devices has become much more powerful. Yet in many instances, these sophisticated devices have also introduced a high degree of complexity for users, requiring that highly trained and experienced personnel perform the testing. Many of today’s devices are feature rich and capable of […]
Drives Modernize Aging Mexican Port Cranes
DC drives from Control Techniques, an Emerson Industrial Automation company, were selected by Terminal de Contenedores de Yucatán (TCY) to modernize the control system on an aging ship-to-shore crane in Progreso, México. TCY, owned by Grup TCB of Spain, is a large container and cargo-handling terminal in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. David Asensio, Project Manager for […]
Motor-CAD links with STAR-CCM+
Motor Design Limited (MDL) has teamed up with CD-adapco to create a link between MDL’s Motor-CAD and CD-adapco’s STAR-CCM+ software. The collaboration aims to improve the accuracy of a fast analytical approach while simplifying the modeling process of the CFD computation. This will result in a streamlined simulation process from Motor-CAD to STAR-CCM+. Users will benefit […]
Customized Direct Drive Motors using Applimotion Motor Kits
Applimotion provides brushless direct drive motor kits for complex motion assemblies in automation, semiconductor equipment, medical devices and satellite communication systems. The company is now supplying complete assemblies with Applimotion motor kits inside for these same applications. Applimotion’s ULT, UTH, and UTS motor kits can be integrated into a customized assembly with high-resolution encoders […]
Motor and Resolver All in One
Advances in motor and feedback technology, such as encoders and resolvers, usually proceed along at an incremental pace (pardon the pun). So-called integrated servomotors have had built-in encoders for quite some time. But a new servo motion actuator integrates a resolver into the structure of a high pole count AC motor. The Mosolver™ from Quicksilver […]
Report Puts North American Power Transmission/Motion Control Market near $68 Billion
According to the newly released PTDA Power Transmission & Motion Control Market Size Report, the North American power transmission and motion control market is estimated at $67.7 billion, comprised of the U.S. market at $54 billion, the Canadian market at $6.4 billion, and the Mexican market at $7.3 billion. The research report, commissioned by the […]
How Safe are Lithium-Ion Batteries?
The recent incident of a Tesla Model S all-electric vehicle catching fire is renewing questions about the safety of lithium-ion batteries and their use in transportation applications. The Tesla story is the second high-profile case this year, the other involving Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, both of which involve incidents with lithium-ion batteries. The cases are shining […]
Raising the Costa Concordia
If you’re anything like me, you followed one of this week’s news obsessions that, unlike a typical week, involved an amazing engineering feat. I’m talking of course about the Costa Concordia cruise ship salvage operation at Isola del Giglio off the western coast of Italy. On Monday, crews began the work of righting the ship […]
Good Things Come in Threes: The 2013 Motion Control Handbook
The 2013 edition of the Motion Control Handbook is the third edition of Design World’s annual motion control compendium. Since the first edition in 2011, we’ve revised sections including either adding new information or (as sometimes was the case) condensing a lot of information down into the really essential material. (You can view the digital […]