Mechanical Drives & Belting

Quick Links

Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 1 of 5

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010

Know what determines energy costs

Before you can decide how to best go about reducing energy costs, you need to know how energy costs are determined in the first place. The (more)

Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 2 of 5
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010

Install Premium Efficiency Motors

Premium efficiency motors save money every single time they’re running. Because of their superior design over standard efficiency mot (more)

Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 3 of 5
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010

Apply for Rebates from the Utility Companies

Believe it or not, the utility companies want to save you money! Reducing your energy demands also reduces the utility’s c (more)

Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 4 of 5
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010

Install Soft Starters

Many electrical devices will draw a large initial current when they are first started, and motors are no different. This initial power draw, called an (more)

Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 5 of 5
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010

Adopt a Long-Term View of Energy Savings

The National Small Business Association recently conducted an energy survey (http://www.nsba.biz/docs/09nsba_energy_survey_indd.pdf) of sm (more)

Flushless Seal Reduces Ethanol Plant's Downtime
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010

Abengoa Bioenergy, formerly High Plains Corporation, owns and operates five bioethenol facilities throughout the United States and Europe, with a total yearly production capacity of 195 million gallons. Given the harsh nature of its working environment, (more)

Pulsarlube Eliminates Lubrication Headaches
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 6, 2010

Proper lubrication is the lifeblood by which many applications live or die, but it’s sometimes shocking to see how few facilities take this crucial aspect of their production seriously. While most maintenance personnel and engineers are keenly awa (more)

NB Topball Bushings Set the Standard for Precision Alignment
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 11, 2010

NB's Topball linear motion mechanisms utilize the rotational motion of ball elements to create a new paradigm in self-aligning bushings. Topball bushings feature an increased load capacity and prolonged travel life that is unmatched by other slide bushi (more)

Keeping Debris Out with Cable Carriers
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 11, 2010

Cable carriers (also called drag chains, energy chains, or cable chains depending on the manufacturer) are pre-formed, flexible structures that are designed to surround and guide flexible cables, wires, hoses, and other types of support hardware used in (more)

Choosing the Correct Ball Screw
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 11, 2010

A ball screw is a mechanical device for translating rotational motion to linear motion with little friction. A threaded shaft provides a spiral raceway for ball bearings which act as a precision screw. As well as being able to apply or withstand high th (more)

Grounding Ring Ensures Maximum VFD Performance
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 18, 2010

Variable frequency drives (VFDs) add an unprecedented level of controllability to motors, however they can sometimes lead to increased maintenance costs if care is not taken to ground the system properly. Specifically, improperly grounding the mot (more)

Linear Roller Bearings Boost Load Capacity 20x
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 18, 2010

The Thomson RoundWay series of linear roller bearing packs extreme load-carrying capability into a very small package. These unique bearings are designed for high-intensity linear applications, and range in size and capacity from the tiny 3” (more)

Belt squaring, lacing, and products videos
Posted by: Willie Costa on Feb. 8, 2010

Browse through Flexco's collection of online videos that will answer all of your belting questions, including how to properly square a belt with worn or warped edges, specifying lacing types, technical hints and tips, and much more.

To view a vi (more)

Using Rawhide Gears for a Quieter, More Efficient Operation
Posted by: Willie Costa on Feb. 15, 2010

Osborne Technologies, a division of Mound Tool Company, purchased the Rawhide Gear Division formerly belonging to the Chicago Rawhide Company. With restored original product records dating back 100 years, the company is now able to manufacture gears to (more)

Four Ways to Boost the Efficiency of Pneumatic Systems
Posted by: Willie Costa on Feb. 15, 2010

Throughout most of industrial history, nearly every plant had an air system, which was fed by central compressors that operated whether production was being done or not. However, modern facilities managers are realizing that air is not free, and as such (more)

Strip Curtains Prevent Energy Cost Hangups
Posted by: Willie Costa on March 4, 2010

Plastic strip curtains are hardly high-tech - there's not a single microchip in them - but they can help you save money in ways that more expensive solutions can't match. When installed in a doorway, they provide a simple, see-through barrier between ro (more)

New Stepper Motors Beat Corrosion Without Seals
Posted by: Willie Costa on March 11, 2010

A new design technique produces corrosion-proof and waterproof stepper motors, extending motor life in harsh outdoor conditions.

Electric motors used outdoors are susceptible to temperature extremes and moisture buil (more)

Measuring a Conveyor Belt
Posted by: Willie Costa on June 2, 2010

The correct measurement of a conveyor belt is one of the most important factors that contribute to the correct operation of any conveyor. The width measurement is fairly straightforward, and involves merely measuring the with of the belt with a measurin (more)

Is Your Gearbox Robbing You Blind?
Posted by: Willie Costa on June 3, 2010

Worm gear drives are found in a variety of industrial applications, and have a torque density (a measure of speed reduction divided by volume) that almost no other solution can match. Reduction ratios of up to 100:1 for a single-stage worm unit are not (more)

Plastic Top Chains and Belts Reduce Servo Drive Needs
Posted by: Willie Costa on June 10, 2010

At least 75% of all products in your typical supermarket were conveyed with flat top chains and plastic modular belts in the course of their production and packaging. Flat top chains and modular belts can be used for most conveying tasks that require a (more)

New EW Series Electronic Valves
Posted by: Willie Costa on June 10, 2010

Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc. introduces the new EW Series electronic valves. Featuring wire leads out of the top of the valve, the EW Series is available (more)

aMsp Introduces Viscous Damned Hinges
Posted by: Willie Costa on June 10, 2010

All Metric Small Parts (aMsp) announce the availability of the MLAT08MTH130B Series of viscous dampened hinges. These compact light weight, silent dampened hinges a (more)

When to Choose Crossed Roller Bearings
Posted by: Naoki Yamaguchi on June 10, 2010

As newer motion equipment demands more in terms of precision, the crossed roller bearing has gained prominence for use in friction reducing devices. Here’s a (more)

10 Considerations for Getting the Right Gearbox
Posted by: Willie Costa on June 22, 2010

Getting the correct gearbox is crucial for any application, but how can you be sure that the gearbox you select is the right one for the job? These are so (more)

Blending the Voice of Disparate Customers
Posted by: Willie Costa on June 30, 2010

From Joseph Merts, QFD Online

Several months ago I published an article entitled “(more)

Lube-Seal Solution Optimizes Wind Applications
Posted by: Willie Costa on July 23, 2010

The Freudenberg Group embraces a natural synergy with the Lube&Seal package, jointly from Simrit and Klüber Lubrication, which combines the features of lubrication and sealing to benefit the greater system in wind turbine applications. The prod (more)

Wind Industry Makes "The Switch" to Permanent Magnet Generators
Posted by: Willie Costa on July 30, 2010

One of the primary concerns for any wind turbine manufacturer is designing the highest-efficiency drivetrain possible. Normal turbine drivetrain designs have the turbine driving a generator (which is virtually identical to a standard induction mot (more)

Plastic-top Tabletop Chains and Modular Belts Reduce Drive Needs
Posted by: Willie Costa on July 30, 2010

Up to 75% of all products in your average supermarket were conveyed with flat top (tabletop) chains and plastic modular belts during their production and packaging stages. These types of belts can be used for virtually any conveying application which re (more)

Dispelling the Myths of Teflon Hose
Posted by: Willie Costa on July 30, 2010

Teflon hoses are seldom specified in typical industrial hydraulic or pneumatic systems, yet they dominate in aerospace and tough industrial applications. Teflon (PTFE) hoses will simply outperform standard hoses in virtually any application, even in sev (more)

Dow Lubricant Increases Gearbox Efficiency
Posted by: Willie Costa on Aug. 6, 2010

Assuming that a wind turbine is going to produce electricity is reasonable to most people. But what about increasing a gearbox’s efficiency through the use of a high-quality lubricant? For most, that’s typically the farthest thing from a pre (more)

Gough-Econ's Go-Anywhere Conveyor Simplifies Material Handling Needs
Posted by: Willie Costa on Aug. 6, 2010

Most bucket-based conveyor systems require a large number of transfers and changes of direction to move product around the production floor. But what if a single bucket could move in three dimensions without transfers, without the potential for a mess, (more)

Preloading Guide Wheels in Linear Motion Applications
Posted by: Willie Costa on Aug. 6, 2010

From Leslie Lui, Design World:

Preloading is the practice of assembling mechanical systems in such a way that some or all components are held i (more)

Design Team Tackles Connector Challenge
Posted by: Willie Costa on Aug. 6, 2010

From Jim Brown

Business Unit Manager

Colder Products Co; St Paul, MN

Misconnected tubing in medical settin (more)

Kollmorgen Introduces Frameless Brushless Motors
Posted by: Willie Costa on Aug. 6, 2010

Kollmorgen’s new KBM Series frameless brushless motors present system designers and maintenance personnel with a new and high-accuracy way to optimize their available space and power budget. The KBM motors are available in 14 sizes for high or low (more)

Roller Screw Actuators: Benefits, Selection, and Maintenance
Posted by: Willie Costa on Aug. 16, 2010

Gary Shelton

Principal Design Engineer, Exlar Corp.

The choice of hydraulic/pneumatic (more)

The Top 5 Mechanical Considerations for Electrical Engineers
Posted by: Willie Costa on Aug. 16, 2010

Jared Mann

Applications Engineer, Bosch Rexroth Linear Motion and Assembly Technologies

Problems can arise in a me (more)

Zeromax ServoClass Couplings for High-Precision Servo Applications
Posted by: Willie Costa on Aug. 16, 2010

Today’s servo applications are more demanding than ever, and the proper low-backlash coupling is crucial to maintaining position accuracy. The Zeromax ServoClass couplings are ideally suited for AC and DC servomotor applications that need precise (more)

Gates LifeGuard Hydraulic Hose Protects Life and Limb
Posted by: Willie Costa on Aug. 16, 2010

Protective covers for hydraulic hose assemblies take on a whole new meaning with the Gates LifeGuard line-of-sight sleeving system. The need for higher-pressure systems to power and control ever more compact machine designs have forced design engineers (more)

Backlash vs Stiffness - What the Difference Is and Why You Should Care
Posted by: Willie Costa on Sept. 3, 2010

by Tom Solon, P.E., Application Engineer, Haydon Kerk, Waterbury, Conn.

(more)

Top 5 Electrical Considerations for Mechanical Engineers
Posted by: Willie Costa on Sept. 3, 2010

From Design World Online.

by Dan Throne, Sales and Marketing Manager, Electric Drives and Controls

(more)

Ogura Industrial presents... High-Torque Magnetic Brakes
Posted by: Willie Costa on Sept. 9, 2010

Ogura Industrial has developed two new models of the OPB family of magnetic particle brakes. These two new models - the OPB 120N and OPB 250N - are rated at 110in-lbs and 220in-lbs, respectively (the largest previous type of OPB brake was rated at a mer (more)

The Case for Hollow-Shaft Torque Motors
Posted by: Willie Costa on Sept. 9, 2010

Today's machine designers have more options than ever before when approaching a new project or a retrofit. Not only has technology advanced and opened up new avenues for the engineer, but critical areas of focus - energy efficiency, assembly time, vendo (more)

Unique Inverter-Duty AC Motors From Groschop
Posted by: Willie Costa on Sept. 10, 2010

Sioux Center, IA – Groschopp’s AC motors are inverter duty classified. The inverter dut (more)

Rack and Pinion System Cuts Servo Requirements for Gantry in Half
Posted by: Willie Costa on Oct. 11, 2010

by Design World Staff

When a manufacturer of large aircraft fuselage panels needed to build larger versions, SYN-APS Corp., Ontario, Calif., recommended a five-axis gantry-style machine that would move around a vertically mo (more)

Servomotor Suits Variable Load Inertia Packaging Applications
Posted by: Willie Costa on Oct. 12, 2010

A higher rotor inertia version of the 1FK7 servomotor family has the control response suitable for high- and variable-load inertia applications, including packaging equipment. These self-cooled 1FK7-HI servomotors have stall torque in the 3 to 20 Nm ran (more)

Universal Adaptor Enables More Drill Options
Posted by: Willie Costa on Oct. 12, 2010

by Design World Staff

Rangers Die Casting Co., based in Southern California, produces high quality “no porosity” aluminum die cast parts, including automotive fan clutches, carburetion parts for alternative fuel over t (more)

Zero-Maintenance Bearings Reduce Coupling Concerns
Posted by: Willie Costa on Dec. 16, 2010

Zero maintenance bearings are now available as an option for Schmidt Offset couplings from Zero-Max. This new coupling feature eliminates the need for periodic coupling lubrication and the resulting downtime. These couplings provide precision connection (more)

SKF Bearings Offer Less Friction and Consume Less Energy
Posted by: Willie Costa on Dec. 16, 2010

SKF ball bearings have been introduced as alternatives to standard bearings by generating significantly less friction and reducing energy consumption. These deep groove ball bearings join a growing family of SKF energy efficient bearing solutions. The b (more)

Recipe for a Green Gearbox
Posted by: Willie Costa on Dec. 16, 2010

Everyone knows that helical gearing is more efficient than standard spur gearing; most company literature, in fact, will claim that their helical gearing is up to 98% efficient (per stage of reduction). Helical gearing is machined with angled teeth, the (more)

Stronger than Aluminum, Faster than Plastic: Magnesium Injection Molding
Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 19, 2011

These days, pretty much everyone's familiar with the traditional rapid-manufacturing techniques that have come to dominate the market: stereolithography, or SLA, and fused deposition modeling, or FDM. However, these technologies have been limited t (more)

Comparing Cycloidal and Planetary Gearboxes
Posted by: Willie Costa on Feb. 13, 2011