If you put two magnets in close proximity to each other, you know that they’ll experience an attractive force when opposite poles are near each other and a repulsive force when like poles are near. If you hold one magnet stationary and rotate the other, pole-over-pole, the rotating magnet will tend to stop when its […]
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Report examines role of engineering technology, calls for increased awareness
While workers in the engineering technology (ET) field play an important role in supporting U.S. technical infrastructure and the country’s capacity for innovation, there is little awareness of ET as a field of study or category of employment in the U.S., says a new report from the National Academy of Engineering. There are numerous similarities […]
Nidec completes acquisition of Emerson Electric Co. motors, drives and power-generation businesses
Nidec Corp. has now completed acquisition of Leroy-Somer and Control Techniques — Emerson Electric’s motors, drives, and generator businesses. The acquisitions broaden Nidec’s motor offering and product lineup … including variable speed drives. Nidec plans to accelerate Emerson Electric growth with synergies including complementary product fit with a full lineup of industrial products and geographic fit — and […]
FAQ: Where and why are miniature hydraulic shock absorbers useful?
Recently, I sat down with our editorial director Paul Heney to explore how shock absorbers improve industrial and consumer designs for warehouse storage and retrieval; conveyor and steel-mill end stops; packaging and plastic-bottle machinery; and various robotic and crane setups. We reviewed three small hydraulic shock absorbers from ITT Enidine: Unlike vibration (those small oscillations from […]
High-precision CNC human machine interface (HMI) from ACS
ACS Motion Control has developed a customizable CNC HMI Platform for high precision machining and processing applications. Designed with simplicity, flexibility and ease of customization in mind, the SPiiPlusSMC (smart motion commander) software platform significantly reduces the effort and time spent by the machine builder on developing and maintaining HMI software. Leveraging a SPiiPlus EtherCAT® […]
FAQ: Where do wire-rope isolators work best?
It’s expensive to keep equipment perfectly balanced, and it’s often inefficient to add structural reinforcements. But adding wire-rope isolators is a cost-effective way to address vibration — and when done upfront, it can save machine structures from fatigue. In the video below, I join my colleague Mary Gannon to review several wire-rope isolators from ITT Enidine and where they […]
How one programmable Accu-CoderPro encoder makes design setup easier
In a recent video, my esteemed colleague Miles Budimir and I reviewed the features of an Accu-CoderPro encoder from Encoder Products Company. Contained within the rugged industrial housing are advanced electronics that let designers program the encoder to exact application needs. Using EPC’s optional programming module, users can select output type, 32 different waveforms, and […]
US Digital expands its miniature optical encoder line
US Digital introduced the new E8T miniature optical encoder at ATX West 2017. Combining small form factor and resolutions up to 720 CPR, the E8T is well suited for medical and other space sensitive applications that require reliable position and velocity feedback. The E8T’s small package footprint fits motors as small as NEMA size 11 […]
Global motion control shipments grow 10.3% in 2016
Global shipments for motion control products increased by 10.3% to $3.3 billion in 2016, according to new statistics released by the Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA), the industry’s trade group. “New opportunities in automation for motion control and motors help drive this growth,” said Dana Whalls, Vice President of MCMA. “Automation technologies are enabling […]
MD&M West for Wednesday February 8th — What stands out on tradeshow floor
MD&M West is in full swing in Anaheim, and new products for use in medical devices (or medical-device manufacture) abound here. This is some of what we saw at our second day at the show. Online configurability increasingly common from manufacturers I started the morning at an informative session hosted by maxon precision motors and led […]