Motors & Drives

Did you know, the Beverly Clock has not been manually wound in more than 150 years? However the clever mechanism keeps it ticking with minimal problems. In spite of this, the clock has stopped working on a number of occasions. However by cleaning, maintenance and environmental changes the clock has been kept in operation.  To keep a Motor Control Centre (MCC) running, it’s important that maintenance is done proactively to prevent costly down-time. Here, Pat McLaughlin, operations director of Boulting Technology, explains why preventative maintenance is so important for MCCs.

Specialist in aquafeed production, Aller Aqua has replaced an ageing, damaged DC motor on its principal extruder with a Dyneo motor from Leroy-Somer, part of the Nidec group. The investment is providing the company with significant annual savings in energy costs. Aquaculture, more commonly known as fish farming, is a rapidly growing sector.

In an electric drive, magnetic fields have to be created in order to transform electric energy into kinetic energy. The magnetic properties of the motor's main components, referred to as electrical steel sheets, are the decisive factor in the efficiency of the electric motor. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have investigated the way these steel sheets are processed and have concluded that using blunt cutting tools deteriorates the magnetic properties of the steel sheets significantly.

Continuing to support industrial automation, ERNI Electronics is taking advantage of decades of electro-mechanical contact design and employing that experience in ruggedised factory applications. Industrial automation requires constant, highly reliable connectivity for high vibration environments. Miniaturisation is also challenging interconnect solutions and options, but it does not imply foregoing electro-mechanical reliability and mating integrity in order to achieve density and space saving solutions.

At this year’s Drives & Control Show, visitors who stop at the Danfoss Drives stand will be able find out about the important benefits of ‘Doing it Differently’ –  making informed and independent choices about motors and drives rather than settling for a package solution that may be less than optimal.

  The new Allen-Bradley SMC-50 smart motor controller with internal bypass from Rockwell Automation brings greater operational control over motor starts and stops. As an extension of the soft starter family, the SMC-50 smart motor controller delivers greater functionality and efficiency across industries.

It is easier to install hydraulic hoses in Hexapod test benches through dynamic movements in drive cylinder in all six degrees of freedom, a test frequency of up to 100 hertz and a tight installation area. The benches will then be used by automotive manufacturers to test suspension elements is a challenge. Oelhydraulik Hagenbuch AG therefore uses flexible high- performance hoses from Eaton's Aeroquip Triple Crown product range.

At the Anuga FoodTec trade fair in Cologne, taking place 20th to 23rd March 2018, Leybold will present its vacuum technologies for the food processing and packaging industry. The efficient solutions of the vacuum supplier are used worldwide. In a wide variety of applications, the pumps, systems and measuring devices of this long-established company make a significant contribution to sustainable and competitive products and processes in the food and beverage industry.

Market requirements and customer expectations are important to Leroy-Somer, and therefore the company has launched a new 20 Working Days manufacturing lead time service covering a large selection of the latest generation AC motors. This will be one of the quickest delivery solutions currently available on the market for low- and high-power motors with options.

As globalisation continues to advance, in the meantime high-precision positioning systems are being used all over the world, both in scientific fields and in industry. In order to be in a perfect position for the future, PI (Physik Instrumente), as solution supplier for drive technology and positioning systems, has implemented a new service concept by founding the ‘Global Services Division’.