Power transmission components - the mainstays of motion

Motion designs continually evolve but will always rely on mechanical devices … particularly where the drive of an electric motor engages a load to execute machine tasks. In fact, as the technical features in this 2019 Power Transmission Reference Guide explain, applications for mechanical motion components continue to proliferate as innovations make them increasingly effective.

There’s certainly increased demand for complete system solutions over components, which is changing the design of linear systems, actuators, and gearmotors … as well as subsystems such as conveyors and robotics. Consider the section on gearmotors in this Reference Guide. Here, manufacturers are predesigning more motors than ever with gearboxes. Such gearmotors are increasingly accurate as well … particularly those sporting planetary gearsets.

That’s thanks in part to how manufacturers are making gearing with the latest approaches in design, machining, and assembly. Check out the sections in this Reference Guide covering gears — including custom gear design, strainwave gearing, and planetary and other shaftmount sets. These articles detail how leading gear designs work.

Strain-wave gearing in particular continues to see expanded use in robotics applications. But even for other applications, software now helps engineers get design-specific gearing (and other power-transmission components) at lower cost than that of general-purpose offerings from just a decade ago.

In fact, today’s moving designs rely on an increasingly diverse array of mechanical components to protect expensive subsystems and change motion-system dynamics to simplify programming. These actuators, ballscrews, bearings, brakes, chains, collars, couplings, and linear slides and guides transmit power in ways that get higher performance than ever.

So use this Reference Guide as a review of basic component functions or as an update on what’s new in power-transmission designs … and to get instructions on how to make the most of proliferating features to meet evolving motion-system requirements. Also count on us Design World editors to bring you technology updates and help you specify and integrate the right components.

We invite your feedback and requests for technical information. Email me at leitel@ wtwhmedia.com or tweet to @DW_LisaEitel, @ Linear_Motion and @Motion_Control. Connect with our Design World Network Facebook page at facebook.com/DesignWorldNetwork and let us know what designs you’re using or are looking to apply.

By the way ... another brand-new option to get Design World’s technical information on power-transmission components organized in comprehensive libraries is to visit www.designworldonline.com/MC2.

MC 2 — short for Motion Control Classroom — is a new online reference series for design engineers needing information about motion components and systems. Curated by Design World’s motion editorial team, each installment is a digital content hub with comprehensive background information, trends, typical and emerging applications, and FAQs on one motion technology.

The first May 2019 installment details linear guides and slide systems; check it out at the above URL and see what you think.

Also look out for the 2019 Motion Systems Handbook and 2019 Motion Casebook coming to you in August and November for complete coverage of electronic and programming technologies for motion designs, as well as real-world application examples and illustrations to inform your next build. Otherwise, the latest motion-technology announcements (as well as technical archives) can be found on our motion tips sites — motioncontroltips.com, linearmotiontips.com, sensortips.com, bearingtips.com, and couplingtips.com.