BMW recently launched a pilot program in Germany where AI-powered humanoid robots began working the assembly lines. Previously, the company ran a similar 10-month testing program in a U.S. plant in Spartanburg, SC. These steadfast and efficient machines worked for up to 10 hours a day handling rigorous tasks such as placing sheet metal components for welding.
In a belt drive system, the motor, belts, pulleys, and sheaves all receive engineering attention during design and specification. The motor base typically does not. It is the overlooked component, selected on frame size and bolt pattern, specified late in the process, and treated as a passive structural element, something that holds the motor in place and sets belt tension at installation.
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.
Airports where hundreds of airplanes take off and land around the clock require perfect planning and coordination—and the tailor-made drive technology to process thousands of passengers and their baggage securely, every day. The growing focus on capacity and security issues, as well as shorter ground times, are presenting major challenges for the airport industry.
Pack Expo East drew more than 7,300 attendees and 2,700 exhibitor personnel to highlight the latest advancements in automation, smart manufacturing, sustainable materials, and AI-driven solutions. The regional event provided new machinery, breakthrough materials, advanced automation, and smart manufacturing technologies transforming the industry in 2026.
As someone who has spent more than four decades involved in the robotics industry, I can say unequivocally that this is the most exciting time ever. From a technology that was originally used predominantly by U.S. automotive companies, robotics has now spread to nearly every industry and every country around the world.
Leaders from across the construction and heavy equipment manufacturing industries gathered in Las Vegas recently for ConExpo-ConAgg 2026. The show celebrated the innovation, economic impact and workforce powering the $2.2 trillion U.S. construction sector today.
The New Year’s Ball Drop wouldn’t be possible without a sophisticated electromechanical system that must operate reliably during the most critical 60 seconds of the year. In 2023, SEW-Eurodrive was featured in an article in PTE on the mechanical and electrical systems responsible for assisting the famous New Year’s Ball Drop in Times Square:
powertransmission.com/having-a-ball-the-technology-behind-the-ball-drop
Faulhaber expands its successful GPT family with two high-performance models that stand out with their exceptionally quiet operation: the 22GPT LN and 32GPT LN. These new gearheads have been specifically designed for applications where noise reduction is crucial such as in laboratories, optical devices, medical applications, or testing and measuring systems.
Turntide Technologies (Turntide) will unveil the Turntide Axial Flux Electric Drive Unit (EDU) during CONEXPO-CON/AGG (CONEXPO). This Axial Flux EDU provides electric and hybrid system manufacturers of any size with a configurable, proven and scalable platform that can remove months, if not years, of component-level testing, decreasing time and cost to market.
Greene Tweed has announced the successful development and deployment of its Metal-Spring-Energized (MSE) seals for McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team’s limited-slip differential clutch pack. The collaboration represents a significant milestone in the ongoing partnership between Greene Tweed and McLaren Racing, which continues to fuel advancements in motorsports engineering.
Sensor Technology Ltd. introduces the SGR523, a rotary torque sensor equipped with an integrated incremental angle encoder. This addition to the TorqSense SGR series provides torque and angular position monitoring across various industrial applications.
When people talk about mechatronics, it’s often framed as something futuristic — the next big leap in automation. In truth, it describes something engineers have been working toward for decades: designing machines where the mechanical, electrical, and control systems work together as one.
RoboDK has launched RoboDK CAM, a comprehensive software solution that significantly reduces deployment times for automated machining cells.
Concrete and aggregate producers operate in high-dust, high-vibration environments where crushers, conveyors and pumps run under constant load. At ConExpo, ABB showcased motor solutions engineered to cut downtime, improve efficiency and extend equipment life in these demanding applications. Built for heavy inertia starts and continuous-duty cycles, ABB technologies give facility managers and plant engineers greater reliability, easier maintenance planning and stronger control over total lifecycle costs.
ConExpo visitors learned about the full range of advanced solutions and components Bosch Rexroth offers the construction, agriculture and off-highway equipment industries recently. Bosch Rexroth technologies continue to transform mobile machines, offering solutions for increased power, safety, efficiency and intelligence. Visitors observed how Bosch Rexroth technology platforms are tailored to seamlessly integrate and scale.
Forest City Gear, a manufacturer of fine- and medium-pitch custom gears, announced that Kika Young, president and shareholder, has joined the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) board of directors. In addition to her board role, Young will contribute her expertise as a member of both the GRCC’s Talent Committee and the Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN).
The Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University has entered the two-year “NAFTech” research project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Together with the Institute of Electrical Energy Conversion (IEW) at University of Stuttgart and the Chair of Manufacturing Automation and Production Systems (FAPS) at FAU Erlangen, the PEM team will be developing an electric motor as a traction drive that does not require the use of rare-earth elements and will still offer a great degree of compactness, efficiency, and high torque density.
The gear industry has lost one of its most respected figures. Robert Errichello, founder of GEARTECH and a leading authority on gear design, failure analysis, and tribology, has passed away. He was 84. With a career spanning nearly 60 years, Bob made contributions to gear engineering and standards development that will endure for generations.
Voith announces the addition of Michal Kalita as Voith Turbo’s new vice president of sales for the industry division in North America. Kalita will be based at Voith’s Houston, TX location.
Contact | Privacy Policy
©2026 Power Transmission Engineering
