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Robots think and act on the fly at moving assembly line speeds

Inbolt and FANUC are launching a manufacturing breakthrough enabling FANUC robots to tackle one of the most complex automation challenges: performing production tasks on continuously moving parts at line speeds. With Inbolt's AI-powered 3D vision, manufacturers can now automate screw insertion, bolt rundown, glue application, and other high-precision tasks on parts moving down the line without costly infrastructure investments or cycle time compromises.
Learn more.

Best high-speed rotary bearing in THK history

THK has developed its best-performing, high-speed rotary bearing ever: the High-Speed, Double-Row Angular Contact Ring BWH. This rotary bearing has balls aligned inside a cage between the inner and outer rings and is part of the THK Rotary Series, along with the cross-roller ring. The main features of this product are its ability to receive loads in all directions as well as its high rigidity and rotational accuracy, which are equal to that of cross-roller rings. By adopting a new structure to change the rolling elements from rollers to balls, this product achieves the greatest high-speed performance ever offered by THK.
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Elevating tables: Precise vertical positioning in tight spaces

As semicon-ductors and optical components become smaller and more sophisticated, the TZ Series of precision elevating tables from IKO International provides exceptional vertical positioning accuracy in a compact size. This unit features a unique wedge mechanism guided in the vertical direction by a pair of IKO C-Lube Super MX linear motion rolling guides arranged in parallel to achieve highly precise positioning with exceptional rigidity. An optional linear encoder provides full closed loop control to achieve positioning accuracy as high as 0.005 mm, with repeatability of +/-0.001 mm.
Learn more and get all the specs.

This cobot is all about safety around people

The COBOTTA PRO from DENSO Robotics is a lightweight, high-speed collaborative robot designed for communication between workers and robots while maximizing productivity. It delivers a blend of productivity and safety for both simple tasks and multi-step processes like assembly and inspection work. The 6-axis unit operates at speeds up to 2,500 mm per sec when no workers are near and slows or stops when people approach. Two models available: PRO 900 (max payload 6 kg) and PRO 1300 (max payload 12 kg). Many more functions and features.
Learn more.

Powerful, pull-type clapper solenoids handle myriad jobs

New powerful, low-profile, pull-type clapper solenoids are available from Magnetic Sensor Systems (MSS). Applications include valve control, locks, starters, ventilators, clamping, sorting, appliances, tools, HVAC, brakes, clutches, switches, mixing, fire suppression systems, door controls, detent latches, and more. The S-16-264 Series of 17 Pull-Type Clapper Solenoids have ampere turns (windings) adjusted to meet the specific force and duty cycle requirements of your application. They provide up to 130 lb (578 N) of force.
Get all the specs for these solenoids and other options.

Tech Tip: Belt, screw, or chain-driven actuator?

Bishop-Wisecarver provides a quick, very useful guide to help you evaluate the right drive strategy for your system: belt, screw, or chain-driven actuator. Each drive type has unique advantages and limitations, so evaluating all your options will help you find the most suitable actuator setup for your specific application needs.
Read the Bishop-Wisecarver blog.

Ultra-precise linear stage -- down to 0.005 microns

PI, a global leader in precision motion control and nanoposi-tioning, now offers fast delivery of the L-511 linear micropositioning stage, which is designed for applications requiring minimum incremental motion down to 20 nm, drive forces up to 22 lb, and multi-axis configuration options. The L-511 can be combined to form XY or XYZ motion systems and integrated with rotary stages. A variety of drive and encoder options (stepper and servo motors, rotary, and linear encoders) enable ultra-fine sensitivity. Applications include: metrology, laser processing, semiconductors, biotech, optical alignment, and advanced automation.
Learn more and get all the specs.

Choosing the right stepper motor: PM or hybrid?

According to the experts at Lin Engineering, there are two primary types of stepper motors to consider: permanent magnet (PM) and hybrid. But which is right for your application? Both types have their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice ultimately depends on your specific requirements.
Read this informative Lin Engineering article.

New PTFE-free linear guide for precise positioning

The new drylin WWP linear guide from igus features a PTFE-free locking carriage. Engineered from lubrication-free, high-performance polymers and aluminum, the guide offers a lightweight, hygienic, and low-maintenance alternative to complex mechanical and electronic adjustment systems. It is significantly more compact and lightweight than conventional recirculating ball-bearing systems. Applications include interior components in vehicles, aircraft, and furniture.
Learn more and get all the specs.

Heavy-duty gear units for mixing and agitating systems

MAXXDRIVE industrial gear units from NORD DRIVE-SYSTEMS are an established drive solution for heavy-duty applications. In addition to conveying, lifting, and driving, they also play an important role in mixing and agitating systems. MAXXDRIVE units feature a compact, one-piece UNICASE housing that delivers long service life, easy maintenance, and quiet operation. Their robust design handles high axial and radial loads, achieves output torques up to 2,495,900 lb-in., and powers up to 8,075 hp.
Learn more.

What are non-captive linear actuators?

According to PBC Linear, their new non-captive linear actuators are different from the more common external versions of lead screw-driven linear actuators because they allow the lead screw to completely pass through the motor. This fundamental difference offers advantages for designs that have limited space available or for engineers looking to shrink the overall size of their design package.
Read the full PBC Linear blog.

Güdel introduces Swiss-quality tracks for cobots

Güdel Inc. is highlighting new technologies at Automate 2025 booth #2418 that demonstrate its unmatched ability to solve automation engineering challenges. One is the Cobomover, a 7th-axis linear track purpose-built for collaborative and lightweight robots. Designed and manufactured in Switzerland, this unit extends the working range of robots up to 5 m, allowing them to operate multiple workstations and perform a variety of tasks without manual repositioning. Compatible with over 60 cobots and small traditional robots.
Learn more and get all the specs.

New open-center XYZ stage

ThruSight-Focus is a high-performance, compact motion platform specifically engineered for applications requiring dual-side access to the sample or workpiece. It pairs ALIO's monolithic open-center XY stage -- known for its nanometer-level precision, crossed roller bearings, and direct linear drives -- with a novel Z-wedge mechanism that converts horizontal drive force into vertical motion via direct drive. This innovative architecture eliminates backlash, enhances servo responsiveness, and delivers fast, stable Z-axis movements -- all within a low-profile footprint.
Learn more.

Eaton unveils differential engineered for EVs

Intelligent power management company Eaton launched a new differential engineered specifically for electric vehicles at Auto Shanghai 2025 in China. The innovative design addresses the unique challenges presented by EV propulsion systems, including shared low-viscosity oil environments, increased sensitivity to noise, and the demands of high and instant torque delivery.
Read the full article.

Top Product: Integrated servo system is 20% smaller than standalone unit

Applied Motion Products has introduced the MDX+ series, a family of low-voltage servo systems that integrate a servo drive, motor, and encoder into one package. This all-in-one drive is an ideal solution for manufacturers in logistics, AGV, medical, semiconductor, the solar industries, and many others.
Read the full article.

IIHS says supersizing vehicles offers minimal safety benefits -- and substantial dangers

Park a tiny Mini Cooper in the shadow of a giant Chevrolet Suburban, and it seems obvious which vehicle would offer its occupants more protection in a head-on collision. But there's a clear ceiling to the notion that bigger is safer, new research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows.

For vehicles that weigh less than the fleet average, the risk that occupants will be killed in a crash decreases substantially for every 500 lb of additional weight -- but those benefits top out quickly. For vehicles that weigh more than the fleet average, there's hardly any decrease in risk for occupants associated with additional poundage.

On the flip side, adding 500 lb to a lighter-than-average vehicle poses virtually no increased risk to people in other vehicles. However, the same weight increase for a heavier-than-average vehicle increases the danger to people in other vehicles.

"For American drivers, the conventional wisdom is that if bigger is safer, even bigger must be safer still," IIHS President David Harkey said. "These results show that isn't true today. Not for people in other cars. And -- this is important -- not for the occupants of the large vehicles themselves."

IIHS has been studying crash compatibility -- or how the interaction between different vehicles affects the relative safety of their occupants -- for many years. For this update, researchers examined two-vehicle crashes that occurred between one- to four-year-old cars, SUVs, and pickups. They looked at two periods, 2011-16 and 2017-22, and calculated driver death rates for vehicles and their crash partners per million registered vehicle years (i.e., one vehicle registered for one year).

In general, the researchers found that compatibility across vehicle types has continued to improve, a phenomenon that IIHS first documented in 2011 and analyzed most recently in 2019.

For many years, SUVs and pickups posed an outsize threat to people in cars, in part because their force-absorbing structures were not aligned. As a result, when an SUV or pickup struck a car, it bypassed the car's crumple zone and rode up over the hood of the smaller vehicle.

Beginning in 2009, as part of a voluntary commitment that IIHS helped broker, automakers changed the front ends of their SUVs and pickups to make them align better with cars' energy-absorbing structures. They also strengthened the structures of their cars and added side airbags to all varieties of vehicles to protect occupants in T-bone crashes.

Largely as a result of those changes, both SUVs and pickups are substantially less dangerous to people in cars than they were earlier.

Because the study looked at one- to four-year-old vehicles, some SUVs and pickups in the 2011-16 sample dated from before automakers changed the structure of their front ends. In those years, car occupants were 90% more likely to die in crashes with SUVs weighing more than 5,000 lb as in crashes with other cars. (SUVs of that weight include most vehicles classified as large SUVs in the IIHS rating system.)

In contrast, between 2017 and 2022, those heavy SUVs were only 20% more likely than cars to result in car-partner fatalities.

Compatibility improved almost as much for pickups, though they remained dangerous to drivers in cars.

Pickups were 2.5 times as likely as cars to result in car-partner fatalities in 2011-16 but a little less than twice as likely in 2017-22.

Now that their force-absorbing structures are better aligned with those of cars, a greater share of the risk they pose to crash partners comes from their weight.

However, improvements to airbags and other occupant protection technologies mean that the relative safety benefits of being inside a larger SUV or pickup have decreased, the study shows.

The average weight of passenger vehicles in the study sample was 4,000 lb.

For cars below that average, every additional 500 lb in curb weight reduced the driver death rate by 17 deaths per million registered vehicle years, while only increasing the death rate for crash-partner cars by one.

In contrast, for pickups above the average weight, every additional 500 lb only reduced the driver death rate by one but increased the death rate for crash-partner cars by seven.

[Credit: Graphic courtesy of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

 

 

"There's nothing magical about 4,000 pounds except that it's the average weight," said Sam Monfort, a senior statistician at IIHS and lead author of the study. "Vehicles that are heavier than average are more likely to crash into vehicles lighter than themselves, while the reverse is true for vehicles that are lighter than average. What this analysis shows is that choosing an extra-heavy vehicle doesn't make you any safer, but it makes you a bigger danger to other people."

In keeping with that observation, changes in vehicle weights account for some of the improvements in compatibility as well as the continued gap between SUVs and pickups.

The weight of the average U.S. car increased to 3,308 lb in 2017-22 from 3,277 lb in the earlier period, bringing the category closer to the 4,000-lb all-vehicle average.

As that was happening, the portion of SUVs weighing more than 5,000 lb fell from nearly 11% of all late-model SUVs in 2011-16 to 7.4% in 2017-22.

In contrast, pickups got larger. The proportion weighing more than 4,000 lb increased to 97% of late-model pickups in 2017-22 from 91% in the earlier period.

"It's a positive development that cars and SUVs are now closer in weight," Harkey said. "These numbers show that transitioning to lighter pickups could have big benefits too, especially since many drivers don't use their trucks for carrying heavy payloads."

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Published February 2025

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