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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.
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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.
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What's the latest in automation? Find out at Automate 2025

Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots will debut new and AI-powered automation solutions across integrated industry workflows at Automate 2025 from May 12-15 in Detroit. This joint showcase from Teradyne Robotics companies will feature comprehensive automation solutions across Automotive, Electronics Manufacturing, and Logistics zones, highlighting the power of collaborative and mobile robotics.
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Remote automation monitoring for Android

At Automate 2025, Olis will launch a remote automation monitoring, diagnostic, and error recovery app that turns Android smartphones and tablets into gateways for any automation cell -- without the need for additional hardware. The Olis app synchronizes real-time video with system logs, collecting diagnostic data on robots and PLCs to provide a complete picture when something goes wrong. Full setup takes less than five minutes (including a simple online purchase), making this app an efficient retrofit for legacy automation systems. Many more features, including screen sharing, alert setting, and customizable workflows.
Learn more.

5 mistakes to avoid: Specifying a stepper system

Learn from experts at Kollmorgen the five most common mistakes that engineers make when specifying and working with stepper motors and drives, the problems that can result, and how you can avoid them. Will you get the rated torque, stall torque, and speed that matches the published data? Also learn about undersizing, oversizing, and mismatching. Bonus "5 best practices" also included.
Read the Kollmorgen blog.

Motors: Simplicity and efficiency for air handling

ABB has expanded its HVACR motor product line with the launch of ERH, a highly efficient, compact, and lightweight solution for fan wall applications. This advanced motor technology delivers plug-and-play, variable-speed operation for simplified installation and lower energy consumption. This synchronous brushless EC motor consumes as much as 40% less electricity than standard induction models run across the line. ABB engineered ERH by eliminating belts, couplings, and other wear components to simplify the system. Arrives pre-configured.
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Stepper motors made to handle harsh environments

The new, high-torque AW stepper motors from Applied Motion Products are an ideal choice for exposure to splash, moisture, and dust in Food Processing, Medical, and Industrial Manufacturing applications. These NEMA 23/24/34 motors feature IP65-level protection, and their M8 and M12 connectors ensure a secure connection in high-vibration dynamic systems. Variants equipped with brake and 1,000-line optical encoder are available.
Learn more.

Compact gantry system for high dynamics

Rollon's new compact and highly versatile H-Bot gantry system meets the needs of applications requiring a small footprint and a high level of efficiency. It boasts two fixed motors on the X-axis with a single belt, motorized via pulleys and easily tensioned. The option of mounting the motors on either the front or rear heads, upwards or downwards, gives H-Bot extreme versatility. The absence of a motor on the Y-axis significantly reduces moving masses, decreasing vibrations and allowing high dynamics to be achieved. Designed to handle light loads that require a high level of precision.
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Cobot 7th axis with collision detection turbocharges multitasking

Do you need to move a cobot assembly from one task location to another? Thomson Industries' new Movotrak CTU 7th axis features collision detection settings for expanded programming and control benefits. Also known as a range extender, the Movotrak CTU 7th axis features a servo motor and linear-unit-driven guide rails that move a cobot assembly. An industrial robot transfer unit has also launched.
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How do you drive multiple motors with a single VFD?

According to KEB Automation, lots of automation systems use multiple motors to distribute loads, execute different tasks, or to optimize overall efficiency. One control strategy is to use a single variable frequency drive (VFD) for each motor, or you can drive several motors with only one VFD. But when do you use which tactic, and what are the pros and cons of each? Matt Sherman from KEB has got you covered with all the details.
Read the full article.

Frameless BLDC motors for maximum system integration

Nanotec introduces the DKA series of high-performance, frameless BLDC motors designed for compact, efficient drive systems. Featuring a modular design with separate stator and rotor, these motors allow for a maximum level of system integration. Motor diameters from 25 to 115 mm are available with up to 7.8 Nm of torque and speeds to 10,000 rpm. By eliminating the need for couplings or additional mounting components, these frameless motors reduce material usage and assembly costs. Ideal for applications with limited space, including robotics, medical technology, and more.
Learn more.

Servo controllers: From basic fans to advanced robots

Implement your most innovative ideas by combining maxon's ESCON2 servo controllers and the user-friendly Motion Studio software. ESCON2 controllers use the latest technology in semiconductor and PCB manufacturing to achieve unprecedented power density and control performance in terms of torque and speed. ESCON2 controllers can be used in a wide variety of applications -- from simple analog/digitally commanded standalone applications such as fans, scanners, and pumps to sophisticated CANopen-based systems in AGVs, hand tools, or logistics and transport applications. Three ESCON2 Modules available.
Learn more.

Safety Wheel Drive simplifies payload mobility

IDEC has expanded its ez-Wheel product family with the new SWD Safety Wheel Drive for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). This system combines wheels, gearboxes, motors, encoders, controllers, and power systems into singular, extremely compact, and maintenance-free solutions, reducing component count up to 50%. Available in light/medium (SWD 125) or heavy-duty (SWD 150) models. When integrated with other safety devices, such as IDEC SE2L laser scanners or bumper/edge switches, the SWD can provide Safe Brake Control, Safely Limited Speed, and Safe Direction with a SIL2/PLd rating. A SIL3/PLe safe motor disconnection is also integrated.
Learn more.

Vertical lift stage features sub-micron resolution

Optimal Engineering Systems has released the AT20-30 series of Motorized Vertical Lift Stages featuring sub-micron resolution, very high parallelism, and a vertical lift of 30 mm. The AT20-30-01 is driven by an ultra-precise two-phase stepper motor with a full step resolution of 0.2 microns! This stage also has a knob on the motor for manual adjustment. Features a large 500 mm x 300 mm stage table and high load capacity. Also available as a complete plug-and-play system with a motion controller, drivers, keypad, and joystick.
Learn more and get all the specs.

Tech Tip: Using a step motor as a generator

Engineers at Applied Motion Products run through their lab testing procedures and results when a client requested guidance on connecting a step motor to a small gas engine for use in recharging a 12-V battery. An interesting technical walkthrough on the project and its results.
Read the full Applied Motion Products article.

Novel nuclear rocket fuel coating test could accelerate NASA's Mars mission

From back: Brandon Wilson, Bryan Conry, Pavel Shilenko, and Emily Hutchins gather around the Ohio State University Research Reactor before performing irradiation testing of the coated surrogate particles using the INSET furnace. [Credit: Maria McGraw/Ohio State University]

 

 

 

 

By Liz McCrory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

A team from the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), joined by university students, recently traveled to The Ohio State University Research Reactor to conduct a novel experiment on nuclear thermal rocket fuel coatings -- one that could help propel NASA's astronauts to Mars faster and more efficiently.

"Our experiment aimed to test a fuel coating technique and evaluate if it can withstand the intense environment of a nuclear thermal rocket," said Brandon Wilson, an R&D staff member in ORNL's Nuclear and Extreme Environment Measurement group. "Testing materials at exceptionally high temperatures is a first, and a crucial step, toward helping NASA mature and qualify nuclear fuels for manned space exploration using nuclear thermal propulsion technology."

Nuclear thermal propulsion, or NTP, is a potentially game-changing technology for NASA's crewed missions to Mars in the 2040 timeframe. NTP engines use a nuclear reactor to heat hydrogen to ultra-high temperatures and then expel the heated hydrogen through a nozzle, which generates thrust and moves the rocket through space more efficiently than a traditional chemical rocket. In effect, NTP engines could drastically reduce transit times to Mars while reducing overall mission costs and the effects of radiation and zero gravity on astronauts.

However, developing and testing materials to withstand conditions unlike anything else on Earth has remained a challenge.

ORNL has pioneered a technique to coat fuel and reactor core materials in zirconium carbide, which can protect these critical components from hydrogen infiltration and corrosion without impacting the reactor's neutronics. To test this coating under the combined effects of high temperature and high radiation, researchers in the lab's Nuclear and Extreme Environment Measurement group designed the In-Pile Steady-State Extreme Temperature Testbed, or INSET, which is a specialized, high-temperature furnace designed to operate within a nuclear reactor.

A second iteration of INSET is now the only available technology that can rapidly heat materials from room temperature to 2,200 C in about five minutes while allowing for quick handling after neutron irradiation. Developed at ORNL with significant design contributions from University of Tennessee graduate student Emily Hutchins, INSET 2.0 is a cost-effective option for conducting multiple experiments both inside and outside a reactor. Because of its versatile design, INSET can be used to evaluate any research reactor with a port diameter greater than 8 in., offering unmatched versatility for high-temperature materials testing.

Pavel Shilenko, a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy West Point, prepares an experiment at the Ohio State University Research Reactor. [Credit: Brandon Wilson/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy]

 

 

 

 

Through funding provided by the Nuclear Science User Facilities Super Rapid Turnaround Experiment program, INSET was used to perform irradiation testing of coated surrogate particles at The Ohio State University Research Reactor. There, four different nuclear thermal rocket fuel sample surrogates coated in zirconium carbide were placed in INSET and irradiated for two days under repeated temperature cycling.

The experiment team included Wilson, Hutchins, and Bryan Conry, an ORNL post-doc research associate, as well as Pavel Shilenko, a cadet at West Point. Hutchins and Shilenko were the primary operators of the experiment, setting up the INSET furnace and recording data throughout the two-day test.

In late spring, the team will conduct post-irradiation analysis at ORNL to assess the coatings' performance and its ability to protect the fuel under operational conditions.

"The findings from this experiment will represent a crucial step in advancing nuclear thermal propulsion technology for future human space exploration," said Wilson.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. For more information, go to energy.gov/science.

Published April 2025

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