Kalamazoo earned the nickname “Paper City” thanks to a papermaking industry that dominated its economy for more than a century. The industry began in 1866 when the Kalamazoo Paper Co. built the city’s first paper mill. The area was well-suited to papermaking because of abundant water from the Kalamazoo River, good rail access, and proximity to timber resources in northern Michigan.
Customization may not always be top of mind when machine designers are selecting motion control vendors. The hope is usually that they will find exactly what they need in the catalog and avoid what they believe to be the higher costs, delays and risks associated with custom solutions. But, given that more than 25 percent of motion system projects end up requiring at least some degree of customization, it could be beneficial to prepare for that eventuality from the outset.
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SEW-Eurodrive is helping power one of the most ambitious bulk material handling projects in North America through its contribution to the Dune Express conveyor system, a record-setting 42-mile single-flight conveyor designed to transport frac sand across the Permian Basin. Developed by Atlas Energy Solutions in collaboration with system integrator Voith Turbo, the Dune Express system is designed to move up to 13 million tons of frac sand annually from Kermit, Texas, to the New Mexico border.
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Few things say good morning like a glass of fresh orange juice. Thanks to the rise of in-store juicing machines, you no longer need an orange grove out back, let alone a hand press and strong forearms to enjoy one. Just walk into any Sam’s Club in the country and you’ll find gallons of fresh juice in the cooler, squeezed on-site that same day.
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Testing is a powerful tool for improving equipment reliability and reducing the risk of costly, unplanned downtime. When a bearing fails, it’s important to figure out why. Without an investigation or testing to determine the cause, there is a greater likelihood that the same problem will happen again. That’s why SKF Global Labs and Testing plays such a critical role in helping customers maximize the performance and service life of their rotating equipment.
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The earliest example of a gear train dates to at least 2,000 B.C. when Chinese engineers built a chariot that used a complex planetary mechanism made of wooden gears to let a dragon head continuously point south when driven around (Ref. 1). In Greece, a surprisingly advanced Antikythera gearbox mechanism, incorporating at least 37 precisely crafted bronze gears, was built years later, between 205–60 B.C. (Ref. 2).
Atlanta Drive Systems, Inc., Farmingdale, NJ, offers rack and pinion systems, actuators, gearboxes, servo reducers and lubrication systems for many different industries including machine tool, automation, aerospace, woodworking, material handling, robotic, food, packaging, stone and special machinery. PTE recently discussed the company’s lubrication solutions with Peter Alfano, senior applications engineer.
Greetings 2026! As expected, EV demand has waned following some deregulation and tax credits being dropped as of September 2025. For us industry folks, this is simply reality catching up with the narrative. On the plus side, 2025 was a very good year for global vehicle sales–the best since 2019 (Ref. 1). A good economy can forgive many blunders. As gearbox designers, our work continues as our EV offerings are likely a permanent part of our product lineup, even if at a reduced volume.
Servo drives are electronic devices that control the precise motion of motors in automated systems, and they have become one of the most influential technologies behind today’s industrial transformation. Their rise reflects a broader shift toward flexible, intelligent, energy-efficient production. Demand for advanced motion control is accelerating fast, with global industrial automation projected to surpass 400 billion dollars within a few years. That growth is fueled by factories seeking accuracy, repeatability, speed, and the kind of reliability required for round-the-clock manufacturing.
In this white paper from Dunkermotoren, readers will learn how a modular motion platform helps an OEM develop its machine by providing a coordinated combination of motor, gearbox, brake, encoder, electronics, communication and software. The OEM starts with documented compatibility and defined interfaces instead of having to reconcile independent components from multiple suppliers.
Dunkermotoren explores the concept of EtherNet/IP, its history, key components, and its impact on modern manufacturing. As industries increasingly adopt automation and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions, EtherNet/IP emerges as a vital communication protocol, seamlessly connecting factory devices and equipment to Ethernet network.
Discover how R+W bellows, elastomer, disc pack and safety couplings support demanding motion control and industrial applications. Explore the defining characteristics, performance capabilities and design advantages of each coupling type and find the right solution for your requirements. Learn more about precision coupling solutions engineered for reliability, accuracy and performance.
See how SEW-EURODRIVE engineering and X.e Series industrial gear units helped power the 42-mile Dune Express conveyor. Discover how application-specific drive technology, thermal engineering, condition monitoring, and support from design through commissioning helped meet the demands of this record-breaking application.
This white paper explores the often-overlooked role of a critical, yet underestimated component in industrial automation systems. It highlights how this element impacts performance, reliability, and efficiency, and provides insights into optimizing its use. The paper emphasizes its strategic importance in designing resilient, precise systems.
The robust performance of the robot welder at Centerline Brackets led the Florida-based manufacturer to an exceptionally rapid return on investment, achieved in less than three months. The Universal Robots' collaborative robot dramatically cut production time and addressed labor shortages while ensuring consistent weld quality for heavy-duty brackets.
Oct 28, 2026
Schaeffler has opened a state-of-the-art lighthouse factory for humanoid robotics in Taicang, China. It houses an intelligent assembly line, a training and data acquisition center, a platform for digital twins, and a data center across approximately 7,500 square meters of floor space. The building covers the entire process from testing of individual robot skills to application in the actual manufacturing environment, showing what “humanoids making humanoids” looks like in practice: humanoid robots assembling key joint modules – including actuators – for the next generation of humanoid robots
Mitsubishi Electric US Inc., Industrial Automation Division has expanded its EM-A series sensorless servo motor lineup with new 400V models, extending the availability of its high-efficiency motor technology for industrial automation, material handling, HVAC, water and wastewater, and general manufacturing applications.
Feb 17, 2027 - Feb 19, 2027
Motor, Drive Systems and Magnetics (MDSM), Orlando, features the latest technical advancements in motor, drive systems, motion control, magnetic applications, technology,
and rare earth materials.
Feb 23, 2027 - Feb 25, 2027
Feb 9, 2027 - Feb 11, 2027
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Power Transmission Engineering is THE magazine of mechanical components. PTE is written for engineers and maintenance pros who specify, purchase and use gears, gear drives, bearings, motors, couplings, clutches, lubrication, seals and all other types of mechanical power transmission and motion control components.
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