Mechanical Power Transmission News

General Electric has introduced wind turbine towers with hub heights in excess of 130 m (415 ft). The company says the tall towers put the blades into higher energy air and lessen the impact of turbulence found closer to the ground. The result will be increased energy production from the towers and an expansion of sites potentially viable for wind power farms. Initial markets for the tower structures, which are "hybrids" of pre-cast concrete and tubular steel, are Germany, Scandinavia, Poland, Romania, and Canada.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to the GlobalSpec e-Newsletter, DirectU2 The world of Alternative & Renewable Energy.

KEB spring applied Type 17 Combistop brakes conveniently mount between C-face motor and gearbox. Eliminating the need for double shaft motors or hard to replace integral brake motors. Washdown construction available in 56C to 254C frames with torque ranging from 3 to 75 ft-lbs.

Allied Sinterings is a recognized world leader in the manufacture of custom-engineered powder metal products for small applications, including small gears and miniature components for planetary drives, assemblies, and sub-assemblies for medical devices and a number of industrial, commercial, and consumer products.

The Ferrari FF grand touring car has several firsts for the company, including a hatchback design with all-wheel drive and a new "modular" transmission configuration. The front wheels are powered (along with the rears) only in the first four gears. In fifth to seventh gears, just the rear wheels are driven for more performance handling. (Vrrooom video)

For more on this subject, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter, DirectU2 The world of Automotive Technology.

Helical gears offer energy, maintenance, and longevity savings compared to worm and spur gears. Initially costlier, helical gears are more economical in the long term and run cooler and quieter. Worm gears are typically bronze, causing wear and hysteresis; spur gears have fewer teeth engaged, leading to vibration and noise. Helicals are angle-engaged for smoother meshing with higher torque capability.

A belt and pulleys for higher speed to cut brush replaces the chains and sprockets driving a power tiller rotovator shaft. The "hard" cutting blades were also replaced with circular cutting plates that "flail" out at the end of mild steel chains, which provide "give" for the cutters when impacting objects found on uneven terrain.

Dual rows of ball bearings at each end of the "Aerospace Hub" for bike wheels mitigate against the hub shaft flexing — which imposes increased stresses on balls in conventional, single row bearings (see video) — when traveling over bumps. The 0.5 mm gap between shaft and hub body eliminates interference if any residual deflection does occur during extreme impacts.

Ortlinghaus fail-safe brakes deliver excellent results in tough environments including mining, construction, and agriculture. These totally enclosed units provide high braking torques (1,000,000 lb.-ins.) in very compact sizes in both wet and dry configurations. They offer maximum design flexibility plus maximum safety for your equipment and your operators!

Precipart engineers develop motion control solutions for worldwide customers who rely on the company for their critical gear specifications and demanding requirements. Custom gears and gearboxes are our core competency...and we dedicate our resources and expertise in providing you with the exact motion control solution for your project or application.

Stopping farm trailers often is problematic because of inadequate brakes, compounded by the need to slow both tractor and trailer simultaneously to prevent the trailer from "pushing" on the single pivot of the tractor. One innovative solution is to control trailer air brakes with tractor hydraulics using a hydraulic-to-air relay modulation valve.

Zero-Max wind turbine coupling steel elements act like slip clutches, serving as torque limiters to prevent excess loads from the gearbox being transmitted to the generator. The devices, featured in this video, are also designed to handle high misalignment, thanks to composite flex elements (disc packs) at the ends of the center spacer.

It's been estimated that heat treatment of gears accounts for about one-third of manufacturing cost. Thus tailoring the process is important for economy as well as performance. Bringing a skilled fabricator into a program early in the design phase helps optimize material selection, gear hardness profile, and processing. View video.

GE researchers demonstrated a dual battery concept in a hybrid bus test bed. The system uses sodium and Li-ion batteries for high energy density paired with high power, respectively. The investigators say dual batteries can optimize driving range and acceleration for heavy vehicles and cut overall battery size as well as cost — the latter by 20%.

Stainless steel right angle gearboxes for demanding applications. Corrosion resistant, very rugged, and used in wet, hostile, and sterile operating environments. Widest selection of models and bore sizes based on 1.0, 1.5, and 2.5 in. center line bore dimensions. Metric bore sizes too. Contact W.C. Branham today!

The ever growing trend to miniaturization is no small detail to ignore. As electronic components in both industrial, medical, and consumer devices and products continue to become smaller and more portable, the demand for small scale power transmission mechanical components continues to grow. Learn more about Custom Micro Gears from Kleiss Gears, Inc.

With the manufacturing sector leading the U.S. economy out of the recession, progress could be hindered by lack of skilled workers — ironic with the country's unemployment rate still around 9%. A Fluid Power Journal article posits that young people need to be educated that these jobs are "cool," from working with computers and manufacturing robots, to using laser technology for measuring and processing materials.

Submarine race watching has been a euphemism for parking at the beach on a date. But there is, in fact, a "race" competition for human-powered subs — the recently concluded 11^th International Submarine Races, which spurs competition among engineering schools and other organizations. The Foundation for Undersea Research and Education presented awards for speed, design, materials innovation, and team spirit. View soggy video.

Skilled Workers in Short Supply?

Is there a dearth of skilled workers despite high unemployment?

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