Soon, a new “motion insights and diagnostics” service from Swiss precision-drive specialist maxon called maxon MIND will help machine builders and plant engineers add condition monitoring and diagnostics capabilities to their equipment. Electric motors are often the best sensor in a machine. After all, the motor signals a controller already reads reflect the condition of […]
Motors
PSA: Self-locking gearmotors aren’t brakes
Fractional-horsepower gearmotors must satisfy unique application requirements. In some cases, OEM design engineers specify gearmotors containing worm gearing to leverage the self-locking nature of this gear type. However, the locking characteristic of worm gears is often misunderstood and misapplied. Some engineers think, “If I get a self-locking gearbox, when I cut power, the axis […]
Servomotors bring realtime motion control to parallel-kinematics platform
To showcase the performance of a line of servomotors, a parallel platform was recently built to control the motion of a ping-pong ball in realtime. Complementing the synchronized servo actuation are visual feedback and realtime kinematic computation. Charan Bhamra · Mechatronics engineer | Monolithic Power Systems A new three-axis parallel platform demonstrates the performance advantages […]
Bodine Electric names Jeff Stahl president after retirement
Bodine Electric Co. announced that president Jeff Bodine retired effective April 10, 2026, ending nearly 48 years with the family-owned company. Bodine served as president since 2017 and will continue as chairman of the board. “Leadership transitions are significant milestones, particularly in a company like Bodine Electric with a proud family heritage, and I believe […]
More options for printed-stator motors
Belgium-based Mirmex Motor uses a proprietary approach to manufacture power-dense windings for electric micromotors. The printed circuits make for motors that are 50% more compact and 70% more dynamic than comparable slotless motors having conventional copper-wire windings — all with threefold less heat waste. Mirmex provides bare windings, stators, as well as frameless and assembled […]
The many gearmotors in warehousing equipment
Today’s automated warehouses are often designed by a small group of mechanical engineers and a veritable army of software engineers — especially where coordination of purpose-built autonomous robot fleets is involved. Even so, cruise the next MODEX or ProMat show and it will become clear that warehouse equipment relies heavily on electromechanical systems — and […]
What are transverse flux motors?
In the vast universe of electric motors, there are a number of ways to categorize different motor types; by their power source (ac or dc), how they are constructed or assembled, or by their magnetic circuit properties. For instance, most electric motors are characterized as being either radial flux or axial flux machines, which refers […]
NanoOne 3D printer uses FAULHABER drives for alignment
UpNano’s NanoOne 3D printer uses two-photon lithography to produce micro- and nanoscale structures for applications such as microfluidics and medical research. Because printing accuracy depends on precise substrate alignment, the system uses three compact FAULHABER motors to position the substrate during fabrication. The printed structures are not visible to the naked eye and require scanning […]
Minimizing outgassing from cleanroom equipment
Cleanrooms require minimization of friction-related particle generation. Now let’s consider another source of contamination — outgassing — and how to minimize it. Especially in cleanroom applications involving the manufacture of LEDs, optics, or glass, or the processing of silicon wafers, outgassing can damage end product. Outgassing is the desorption of vapors or gasses, either from […]
Beckhoff adds smart system diagnosis to AM8000 servomotors
As an optional predictive maintenance feature, Beckhoff Smart System Diagnosis (B/SSD) provides real-time monitoring to support predictive maintenance in motion control systems and machines. B/SSD can now be integrated into Beckhoff’s AM8000, AM8300, AM8500, AM8700 and AM8800 servomotor series. In-motor measurement of vibration, humidity, and temperature supports statistical evaluation of system health with TwinCAT Analytics […]
