Electrification has really brought ball bearings back into focus as the primary bearing in our drive systems. Some boxes have tapers on the slower shafts for stiffness and others are using a ball/cylindrical combo for efficiency. Regardless, we all face the same challenge on the primary shaft in dealing with the potential of 18,000–20,000+ rpm speeds coming out of the motor. Plenty of applications run 20,000 rpm; what makes the automotive motor unique is, in addition to speed, we are driving huge torques, frequent torque reversals and a huge range of temperatures both internally and geographically. Of course, this all needs to be suited for high-volume manufacturing as well. Adding full ceramic balls, a PEEK cage and a high precision classification is a really easy way to run greater than 20,000 rpm all day but is an expensive option. One bearing alone could hurt the cost competitiveness of your gearbox. In the case where a single bearing can change the landscape of your project, it is worth taking a little time to understand exactly what the drivers of our speed limitations are.

CTI Symposium Berlin starts with two introductory days dealing with the basics and practice of automotive transmissions, hybrid and electric drives for newcomers and those who want to refresh their knowledge. This is followed by the main program with keynote speeches, panel discussions and technical presentations.

Electric steel is used heavily in the manufacturing of electric motors. The material is key to producing the electromagnetic field used to turn the rotor. Without the electromagnetic properties associated with this iron alloy, the performance of electric motors would be substantially compromised. Historically, motors used in commercial and industrial applications have represented a major customer base for electric steel suppliers, and motor vendors have resultingly had little difficultly ensuring prioritized supply lines. However, the share of business held by commercial and industrial electric motor vendors is being threatened by the automotive sector in the wake of electric vehicles.

This exclusive round-up article from PTE examines the latest news and product technology involving smart bearings, motors and drives. 

Engineers often face challenges when incorporating servo motors into a new machine design, such as choosing between a conventional housed motor or a frameless design. Kollmorgen engineers examine the components of a frameless motor and review three key design considerations that would indicate a frameless solution is the best fit for a machine.

With Sinumerik One, the first digital native CNC for machine tools, Siemens works with software to create the machine controller and the associated Digital Twin from one engineering system seamlessly. The latest iteration of the CNC system was on display recently at Automate 2022 in Detroit where machine tool builders and CNC users were able to witness the product, production, and performance benefits on the show floor.