CBCC

Closing the loop with optical rotary encoders

12 Dec,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251214/1765692549110419.png" title="1765692549110419.png" alt="4.png"/>Many SMLAs can be outfitted to provide feedback by adding a rotary encoder. Rotary encoders, also known as shaft encoders, convert the angular position of a shaft to analog or digital output signals. Optical rotary encoders are the most common option for adding feedback functionality to SMLA assemblies. Figure 4 illustrates how adding an encoder to an SMLA can provide feedback to the controller and share important motion data such as position, speed or direction.

Open loop linear actuation

11 Dec,2025

Figure 2 depicts open-loop SMLA architecture that applies to all configurations. Users interact with the system through a human machine interface (HMI). They program the desired motion sequence into the motion controller, which sends it to the stepper motor drive for conversion and amplification before transmitting it to the SMLA, which makes the moves. The communication pathway is unidirectional; neither the motion controller nor the HMI ever receives any notification that the intended move has been completed successfully.

Knowing exactly where a load is positioned is critical for many high-precision applications such as medical instruments, measuring devices and laboratory equipment. Also, certain applications can power off unexpectedly or have their load forced out of position. In such scenarios, it would be impossible to know the exact position of the load without using a feedback mechanism.A good example of an application that benefits from the functionality of an encoder is automated pipetting machine. (Figure 3) These devices utilize an encoder on the horizontal axis to accurately track the location of the dispensing pipette and ensure fluid is transferred to the proper test tube. Other examples include fluid pumps, 3D printers and XY stages.

SMLA core configurations

10 Dec,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251214/1765692318642163.png" title="1765692318642163.png" alt="2.png"/>Figure 1 (above) shows three of the most common SMLA constructions: a motorized lead screw (MLS), motorized lead nut (MLN) and motorized linear actuator (MLA). Each of these constructions has a stepper motor, lead screw and nut at its core, but differ in how it obtains motion.For MLS units, the lead screw attaches directly to the motor shaft, which translates the nut on rotation. MLN units integrate the nut inside the motor shaft, which when rotated, translates the lead screw instead of the nut. MLA configurations are essentially MLS units with additional components that house the lead screw and nut while also providing integrated support and guidance.

Stepper motor linear actuators

09 Dec,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251214/1765692204108659.png" title="1765692204108659.png" alt="1.png"/>Stepper motor linear actuators (SMLAs) combine a stepper motor, precision lead screw and nut in one compact envelope, providing a highly configurable, customizable and robust solution for linear motion. With the help of a motion controller and a stepper driver, all SMLAs can be programmed to position a load to a precise location. However, standard configurations do not provide a feedback mechanism that tells the operator whether the move is completed or not.Although not essential for many applications, feedback can be a powerful tool to utilize in more sophisticated linear motion systems. Because of this and the increasing demand for precise load positioning information, outfitting an SMLA with an encoder can be an effective and simple solution to get real-time motion feedback about your application.

Stator housing holds both bearings in line, keeping lathe bore diameter and straightness variance to within 1 to 2 microns.

08 Dec,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251208/1765183573106288.png" title="1765183573106288.png" alt="4.png"/>A ground shaft can normally meet a straightness requirement of less than 5 microns. Bearings have a positive effect on runout however, greatly reducing runout.Mount both the front and rear bearings in a stator bore that has a single diameter. The single bore lines up the bearings precisely with each other. It is possible on certain lathes to hold that bore to within 1 to 2 microns of diameter and straightness variance.Use a threaded bearing preload adjuster and wave spring to precisely set the preload. Until now, most designs use spacers and wave springs. There may be several thicknesses of spacers and wave springs stacked. An adjustable threaded spacer, combined with a single wave spring, is screwed into position while monitoring the effect on motor starting torque to reach a target close-loop preload.

Gearbox Example

05 Dec,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251207/1765078684120131.png" title="1765078684120131.png" alt="11.png"/>In a final step, the response of the housing in a stage railway gearbox is studied. In a prior step in the project, the original gear macro- and microgeometry was optimized. A forced response analysis was conducted using the gear mesh force variation during the meshing cycle as excitation. The housing response was calculated for both the original and optimized gear macro and micro geometry and the gearbox equivalent radiated power as an indicator for airborne noise was compared. No waviness was applied to the gears.Using the same methodology and tools, the gear mesh force variation was calculated using the optimized gear, once without waviness, once with waviness applied. For this, the LTCA as implemented in KISSsoft was used. For the gear without waviness, the gear mesh force variation was 2,110 N, whereas for the gear having waviness, it was 2,500 N (rounded to 10 N each).Left column: results without waviness. Middle column: results with waviness, amplitude = reference amplitude. Right column: results with waviness, amplitude = 2 x reference amplitude. First row: Profile modification, superimposition of profile crowning plus waviness. Second row: Contact force over mesh. Third row: Transmission error. Fourth row: Amplitude spectrum of transmission error.The variation in gear mesh force, calculated in the forced response analysis in KISSsoft, resulted in variation of bearing forces as shown on the left side of Figure 15. The bearing forces (in the time domain) are exported from KISSsoft and imported into RecurDyn, where the housing is subjected to dynamic analysis. On the housing, several virtual accelerometers are placed at critical locations and displacement, velocity and acceleration in the nodes where these virtual accelerometers are placed are recorded in the time domain.Converting the time domain results by Fourier transformation into a frequency domain result allows for plotting of the e.g., velocity vs. frequency. On the left side of Figure 16, the velocity of the node where the virtual accelerometer is placed is shown for the gear without waviness applied. We see a few peaks at low frequencies and then a peak at the gear mesh frequency of 825Hz. We see the same peak, but at a higher amplitude, for the gear with waviness applied on the right side of Figure 16. The velocity increases from 3.58 m/s to 4.75 m/s, an increase of 33 percent.With this, we may conclude that the process, methods and tools are likely to be suitable for the assessment and optimization of waviness aiming at a reduced gearbox noise level. Obviously, further work to deepen the understanding of the approach and results is needed. Also, this approach is not automatized and requires experience and engineering judgement for the assessment of results. It is currently suitable for specific projects or troubleshooting, but not for use in quality control of thousands of gears. In sound critical applications where a few units of gears are used, e.g., marine gearboxes, the above process looks promising. It also looks promising for critical applications where many units with consistent manufacturing are manufactured, e.g., for aerospace or EV gearboxes.

Gear Mesh Example

04 Dec,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251207/1765078550125553.png" title="1765078550125553.png" alt="9.png"/>To illustrate the effect of waviness on calculated performance characteristics like transmission error and load distribution, we use a pinion gear mesh. Both gears are spur gears. As a reference calculation, only profile crowning is applied to the pinion. For a second calculation considering gear waviness, a waviness is applied on the pinion, having a reference amplitude. For a third calculation, the waviness amplitude is doubled. An LTCA for the three meshes is performed and the results are shown in Figure 12.We observe that the line load changes very little, far less than what would be needed to indicate the need for a change in design. It is interesting to note that the PPTE value does not change proportionally to the waviness amount. The most interesting result is that for the gears having waviness, the higher-order amplitudes in the spectrum of the transmission error increase. Here, we see the influence of the waviness on the transmission error.Approximation of the measured waviness by superimposition of a few sinus-shaped forms with different amplitude, phase and wavelength. Right: Same form of waviness but increasing amplitude to study the effect of e.g., tool wear.The above is not a systematic approach to the phenomenon of waviness and its influence on the performance of a gear mesh. Far more extensive parameter studies are required. However, it does illustrate thatThere is an influence of the waviness on performance characteristics.They are accessible through LTCA.Results are plausible and encouraging.The influence of waviness is negative (stresses and PPTE increase).The increase in PPTE indicates that the excitation of a gearbox housing by the gear mesh will be more in case waviness is present. This aspect is investigated in detail in the next section.

Definitions and Description of Waviness

03 Dec,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251207/1765078428868768.png" title="1765078428868768.png" alt="8.png"/>The waviness is shown as a three-dimensional image. The vertical axis shows the deviation of the manufactured and measured geometry from the designed geometry. Note the waviness in one direction. Note that the plane is twisted due to the natural twist from manufacturing. Note that this waviness is concerning one flank. In a mesh, several flanks are in contact at one point in time, and the waviness in one contact and the waviness in the next contact (for contact ratio above unity) overlap. On the right side of Figure 9, the definition of waviness on the flank, inclined by an angle, is shown. The amplitude, wavelength, inclination angle and phase shift are needed to define the waviness where the shape is a sinusoidal form. If the angle is set to zero, a waviness in profile direction results; if set to 180 degrees, a waviness in lead direction results.Several such waviness definitions may be superimposed. On the left of Figure 10, waviness patterns in lead and profile direction are superimposed, creating a “rough” gear flank. Depending on the amplitude of this “roughness”, different maximum peak stresses result. Such an approach may be helpful to explain the formation of micropitting in a pattern resembling grinding marks. In the right of Figure 10, several waviness definitions having different phase shift, amplitude and wavelength are superimposed in the profile direction. This results in a composite waviness in profile direction that is not intuitively recognized as a superposition of sinusoidal shapes but looks realistic.To represent the measured waviness, e.g., in profile direction, the user must come up with several sinusoidal curves and superimpose them. By adjusting phase shift, amplitude and wavelength for each sinusoidal curve, different patterns for the resulting waviness are achieved. With this approach, by increasing the amplitude, wear of a tool and an increase in waviness in production between dressing of the tool may be considered. Currently, the software lacks the functionality to create the individual sinusoidal shapes, again, a function to be added.

Measuring Flank Waviness as Next Step

02 Dec,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251207/1765078332900224.png" title="1765078332900224.png" alt="7.png"/>In the above process, only 8 × 8 = 64 points are measured and the shape of the flank between the measured points is not known. A more refined approach is to not only transfer individual points of information from the measurement but whole traces in lead and profile directions (which is just a much higher number of points). Traces are measured and displayed in Gleason GAMA software, see the yellow lines on the left side of Figure 8. These traces show a waviness; they may also be visible in printouts, as shown in the top right of Figure 8. These traces are now to be represented in the gear design software so that the gear model there also includes the waviness as it is present in the manufactured gear. At the time of writing this paper, this was not yet automatically possible but required a manual approximation of the shape of the trace in the gear design software, using functions to approximate it there. Note the comment in the section on “Future Work” where this point is addressed as a subject for improvement of the software interface.With this approach, the digital twin contains far more information on the manufactured gear since a much higher number of data points is considered. At the time of writing this paper, however, it is only possible to import one trace in lead and one trace in profile direction (or one trace with an inclination as explained in the following section). This is again a shortcoming of the current software version to be addressed in the future. The underlying assumption is that waviness is a systematic result of the manufacturing process, manufacturing machine and tool properties. Hence, it is reasonable to assume, in a first approximation, that the waviness in profile direction is constant along the face width or the waviness in lead direction is constant in profile direction. In the next section, definitions and descriptions of how the waviness is defined in the gear design software are given.

Experiments at supersonic speed

01 Dec,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251201/1764523643123750.png" title="1764523643123750.png" alt="8.png"/>The operating principle of the tube wind tunnel uses the interaction of pressure and vacuum, where the accumulator tubes serve as pressure vessels in which the air is compressed. To prevent air condensation in the ultrasonic nozzle, which occurs due to the strong expansion and the associated cooling of the air, the accumulator tubes must be heated to simulate high supersonic velocities.The accumulator tubes are connected to the ultrasonic nozzle via a quick-action slide valve. The measuring section is found at the end. This is where experiments are carried out. At the end of the measuring section is the vacuum vessel, which the vacuum pump is connected to. A vacuum slide valve between the measuring section and the vacuum vessel enables access to the measuring section as required. The vacuum vessel is evacuated using the vacuum pump. A COBRA NX screw vacuum pump from Busch Vacuum Solutions is used for this. It generates vacuum of approximately 10 to 40 mbar in the vacuum vessel. In the accumulator tubes, there is overpressure of approximately 2 to 40 bar.To perform a test, the test model is placed in the measuring section using a movable model holder. Test models include aircraft models, sensors or material samples. Opening the quick-slide valve creates a running dilution wave that flows into the accumulator tube and accelerates the accumulator air towards the nozzle. Due to the differential pressure between the accumulator tube and the vacuum vessel, and thanks to the specially shaped ultrasonic nozzle, an ultrasonic flow is created in the RWG measuring section. Speeds of up to Mach 7 can be achieved – corresponding to seven times the speed of sound. Measurement times of up to 350–400 milliseconds are realized in the RWG. This is a peak value for wind tunnels of this type and gives researchers enough time to study the flow around the test models. During this time period, statistically relevant data or image sequences can be recorded to enable reliable data averaging and analysis.

A Different Type of Wind Application for Aerospace Research

28 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251201/1764523552759683.png" title="1764523552759683.png" alt="7.png"/>Two accumulator tubes of more than 80 meters in length run over an open space next to the building and pass through the solid outer wall to the inside: The enormous dimensions of the research facility become clear as soon as you enter the site around the Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology at the DLR in Göttingen. Inside, a giant vacuum vessel with a volume of 50 m³ is connected to the tubes. Detailed and fundamental studies are carried out there to investigate the fluid mechanics phenomena that are essential for adequately predicting the performance of supersonic aircraft. How can the aerospace vehicles of tomorrow become more environmentally friendly, safer and more efficient? And how can you use precise computer simulation of supersonic flight to evaluate new configurations while still in the design process? The scientists want to provide answers to these questions, and many others, with the tube wind tunnel. Vacuum technology from Busch is an indispensable part of these research projects.The large-scale research facility was opened in the 1950s. Göttingen-based physicist and flow researcher Prof. Hubert Ludwieg developed a revolutionary drive system for intermittently operating high-speed wind tunnels, which enabled studies with supersonic and hypersonic flows to be carried out. He called this principle a tube wind tunnel – which to this day is also known around the world as a “Ludwieg tube.” In 1968, the Ludwieg Tube Wind Tunnel, Göttingen (RWG) was the first of these large-scale aerodynamic research plants in the world to be put into operation. It is still in use at the DLR to this day.

Definitions and Description of Waviness

27 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251127/1764241855124435.png" title="1764241855124435.png" alt="4.png"/>On the left side of Figure 9, the waviness is shown as a three-dimensional image. The vertical axis shows the deviation of the manufactured and measured geometry from the designed geometry. Note the waviness in one direction. Note that the plane is twisted due to the natural twist from manufacturing. Note that this waviness is concerning one flank. In a mesh, several flanks are in contact at one point in time, and the waviness in one contact and the waviness in the next contact (for contact ratio above unity) overlap. On the right side of Figure 9, the definition of waviness on the flank, inclined by an angle, is shown. The amplitude, wavelength, inclination angle and phase shift are needed to define the waviness where the shape is a sinusoidal form. If the angle is set to zero, a waviness in profile direction results; if set to 180 degrees, a waviness in lead direction results.Several such waviness definitions may be superimposed. On the left of Figure 10, waviness patterns in lead and profile direction are superimposed, creating a “rough” gear flank. Depending on the amplitude of this “roughness”, different maximum peak stresses result. Such an approach may be helpful to explain the formation of micropitting in a pattern resembling grinding marks. In the right of Figure 10, several waviness definitions having different phase shift, amplitude and wavelength are superimposed in the profile direction. This results in a composite waviness in profile direction that is not intuitively recognized as a superposition of sinusoidal shapes but looks realistic.To represent the measured waviness, e.g., in profile direction, the user must come up with several sinusoidal curves and superimpose them. By adjusting phase shift, amplitude and wavelength for each sinusoidal curve, different patterns for the resulting waviness are achieved. With this approach, by increasing the amplitude, wear of a tool and an increase in waviness in production between dressing of the tool may be considered. Currently, the software lacks the functionality to create the individual sinusoidal shapes, again, a function to be added.

Measuring Flank Waviness as Next Step

26 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251127/1764241759675168.png" title="1764241759675168.png" alt="3.png"/>In the above process, only 8 × 8 = 64 points are measured and the shape of the flank between the measured points is not known. A more refined approach is to not only transfer individual points of information from the measurement but whole traces in lead and profile directions (which is just a much higher number of points). Traces are measured and displayed in Gleason GAMA software, see the yellow lines on the left side of Figure 8. These traces show a waviness; they may also be visible in printouts, as shown in the top right of Figure 8. These traces are now to be represented in the gear design software so that the gear model there also includes the waviness as it is present in the manufactured gear. At the time of writing this paper, this was not yet automatically possible but required a manual approximation of the shape of the trace in the gear design software, using functions to approximate it there. Note the comment in the section on “Future Work” where this point is addressed as a subject for improvement of the software interface.With this approach, the digital twin contains far more information on the manufactured gear since a much higher number of data points is considered. At the time of writing this paper, however, it is only possible to import one trace in lead and one trace in profile direction (or one trace with an inclination as explained in the following section). This is again a shortcoming of the current software version to be addressed in the future. The underlying assumption is that waviness is a systematic result of the manufacturing process, manufacturing machine and tool properties. Hence, it is reasonable to assume, in a first approximation, that the waviness in profile direction is constant along the face width or the waviness in lead direction is constant in profile direction. In the next section, definitions and descriptions of how the waviness is defined in the gear design software are given.

Creating the Digital Twin

25 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251127/1764241623280352.png" title="1764241623280352.png" alt="2.png"/>Measuring a Grid of Points on the Flank as State of the ArtTo create a digital twin, it is state of the art to measure a grid of points on the flank, compare their measured coordinates to the coordinates calculated based on the gear macro and micro geometry, and feed the deviations back to the designed gear to convert it to a digital twin. This approach has been available for some time. The gear macro geometry, as designed in the gear design software, is exported as a Gleason GAMA software-compatible file or through GDE format, along with VDI/VDE 2610 guideline. Furthermore, direct export and import of a grid of points (rather than their coordinates and normal vector) from KISSsoft to GAMA is available.With this approach, the gear measurement machine knows the grid, the grid point designed coordinates and the grid point normal vectors. The measurement of the as-is coordinates of these points is then performed using a tactile probe. In Figure 7, the grid indicated consists of 8 × 8 points (green dots). The output is then an 8 × 8 table showing the deviation of the measured grid point coordinates from the designed grid point coordinates or rather the deviation as a scalar, to be understood in the direction of the normal vector of the corresponding point. This table is then imported into the design software, where the designed gear is modified by the imported deviation table to generate the digital twin.Such a digital twin is suitable for the assessment of tooth contact patterns and load distribution on the flank and will already be most helpful to assess manufacturing deviations like errors in pressure angle, helix angle, crowning or twist.

Closed Loop as Solution

24 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251127/1764241520364436.png" title="1764241520364436.png" alt="1.png"/>If, however, the manufactured and measured gear geometry could be looped back into the original KISSsoft gear design and combined with the designed gear to create a digital twin of the manufactured gear(s), then this twin—or these twins—could be subjected to the same calculations. And the resulting performance characteristics, e.g., contact pressure, may be compared to those of the designed gear. Strength rating methods, e.g., ISO 6336, would then allow for the calculation of gear strength of the manufactured gear and a degradation may be assessed by a gear designer familiar with the requirements. A decision, whether a batch of gears having a geometric deviation needs to be scrapped, is then based on relevant performance characteristics (strength, lifetime, reliability, scuffing safety, etc.), not only on a gear quality number.The calculation of the above-mentioned performance parameters of the designed gear as the reference and of several gears or batches of gears as manufactured and measured is done in KISSsoft through variants of the geometry. This means that simultaneously, several gears are defined in one calculation. All have the same gear macro and micro geometry, but each has a different amount of deviation from the reference gear (of course, the reference gear has zero deviation from itself and is variant No. 1), as measured. This means that in a single calculation file, the reference and as many digital twins as required are managed.The reference design and the digital twins are then subjected to an LTCA. Transmission error, contact stress levels or contact pattern shape and position of the digital twins are then compared to the results of the designed gear. If deviations in the performance parameters are within acceptable limits, the gear or batch of gears is approved. If deviations are too high, the gear or batch of gears is rejected. With this approach, quality control is far more target-oriented compared to using only a gear quality number. It also requires more experience to assess the performance characteristics.

American National Standard pipe

21 Nov,2025

Regarding American National Standard pipe, ASME B1.20.1 covers the following series: NPT, NPSC, NPTR, NPSM and NPSL. All of these thread series specify threads with a 60° angle between the flanks (see Figure 2). Among these, NPT is the most common and indicates a tapered thread for both internal and external threads. NPT threads are designed to be fitted together wrench-tight and require a sealant for a pressure-tight seal (Ref. 10). NPSC threads are parallel internal threads, which are designed to be fitted wrench-tight with an external NPT thread. As with NPT/NPT connections, a sealant is required for a pressure-tight seal (Ref. 9). NPTR (tapered threads for railing joints), NPSM (straight threads for mechanical joints), and NPSL (straight threads for mechanical joints with locknuts) have the same thread profile dimensions as NPT or NPSC, but have certain modifications for specific applications (Ref. 10).A separate standard, ASME B1.20.3, covers inch Dryseal pipe threads, which can create a pressure-tight connection without a sealant. The series covered by this standard are NPTF, PTF-SAE SHORT, NPSF and NPSI (Ref. 11).ISO, British Standard, and JIS pipe threads are commonly used outside of the US. These thread standards all specify a 55° flank angle and specify two families of pipe threads: those for pressure-tight joints and those for non-pressure-tight joints. Pipe threads where pressure-tight joints are made on the threads are defined in ISO 7-1, BS EN 10226-1, BS EN 10226-2, and JIS B 0203. These standards all define identical thread series which are designated with R for external tapered thread, Rp for internal parallel thread, and Rc for internal tapered thread. For these connections, thread sealant is required to achieve a pressure-tight seal (Refs. 1, 2, 5, 7). ISO 228-1, BS EN ISO 228-1, and JIS B 0202 define pipe threads where pressure-tight joints are NOT made on the threads. These standards define identical thread series which are parallel for both internal and external threads and are designated with G. If a pressure-tight joint is required with these threads, then an external seal or gasket is required (Refs. 3, 6, 8).With the latest standards listed in the previous paragraph, BS and JIS have adopted the same symbols as the ISO standard (namely R, Rp, Rc and G), but the historical symbols previously specified in the standards are still frequently used. In the British Standard, the historical symbols are BSPT and BSPP (Ref. 4). In the Japanese Industrial Standard, the historical symbols are PT, PS and PF (Refs. 7, 8). The characteristics of these series are shown in Table 1, which also defines the equivalent ISO thread series for each.<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251123/1763900301993173.png" title="1763900301993173.png" alt="6.png"/>To begin to address the confusion regarding pipe threads, it is helpful to take a step back and investigate some of the reasons for this confusion, some of which are listed below:Different designations use the same nominal sizes (e.g., 1/2), even though they may have different thread profiles, dimensions, and tolerances.Some of the designations have similar letters in the nomenclature but are not necessarily equivalent (NPT, BSPT, PT).Certain historical designations are still extensively used, such as BSPP and BSPT.Certain sizes of different thread standards can be screwed together, but not in a leak-proof manner. This means that physically fitting two threads together does not guarantee proper fit and leak prevention.Different thread types require different sealing methods (sealant, O-ring, etc.).Within each standard, the relationships between thread series are clear. Problems mainly arise from attempts to combine threads from different standards. The next section will address some of these problems and clarify which thread series are equivalent and compatible, and which are not.

Pipe Threads: Standards and Compatibility

20 Nov,2025

Have you ever been confused about pipe thread nomenclature? Have you wondered what is the difference between NPT and PT? What about BSPT? If you have asked these questions or similar ones, you’re not alone and this paper is for you! Several different pipe thread designations are used around the world, and some are equivalent or compatible while others are not. A few of the most common types of pipe thread are listed below:American National Standard (ASME)NPTNPSCInternational Standard (ISO)GRRpRcHistorical British Standard (BS)BSPPBSPTHistorical Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS)PTPSPF <img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251123/1763900162109313.png" title="1763900162109313.png" alt="4.png"/>Figure 1—Typical threaded pipe connection with thread sealant.In the U.S., American National Standard pipe thread is the most common, but other designations are also used. This is especially true of overseas companies (or their U.S. subsidiaries), where ISO, British Standard, and JIS pipe threads are often much more prevalent. Certain pipe thread designations are equivalent and compatible, some are not equivalent but partially compatible, and others are neither equivalent nor compatible. It can be confusing to determine what is true of a particular designation. This paper aims to eliminate this confusion.

Full wheel assembly model within SolidWorks

19 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251123/1763899977548353.png" title="1763899977548353.png" alt="3.png"/>Figure 3—Full wheel assembly model within SolidWorks.Another major advantage of modeling the whole system accurately within KISSsoft was the ability to apply tip and root relief to the gear profile design based on shaft deflection under loading. Using the microgeometry tool, tip and root relief were applied to the gear profile, which removed contact shocks as shown .Tip and root relief added to remove contact shocks (circled in red).Being able to implement tip and root relief into the gear design within KISSsoft is advantageous for them based on their manufacturing capabilities which are restricted to wire-EDM. Given their limitation to wire-EDM for manufacturing, they heavily depend on the accuracy of the gear involute model. KISSsoft’s capability to provide precise DXF files of the involute profile, including flank modifications, allows them to confidently send their designs for manufacture. This has been proven by the successful implementation of their first planetary gearbox in their electric vehicle. The support provided by KISSsoft had been crucial for the team to design highly refined gear train solutions.

Technical Problem

18 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251123/1763899808120476.png" title="1763899808120476.png" alt="2.png"/>The drivetrain team faced an important technical challenge in designing an appropriate gear train that will be used when they transition to hub motors. Hub motors refer to electric motors being mounted within each wheel assembly, and the motors provide drive to the vehicle’s hubs via a gear train, avoiding the conventional drivetrain setup, which involves driveshafts.With the electric motor and gear train being constrained to fit within the ten-inch magnesium wheels that they currently use, a compound planetary gear train was required and modeled within KISSsoft, as shown in Figure 1. Due to each planet gear consisting of two stages that are constrained in terms of the center distance for each stage, the macrogeometry tool within KISSsoft allowed them to obtain appropriate gear sizes according to the ISO 6336 standard whilst meeting our desired gear ratio. By defining the required safety factors followed by the specific conditions, the macrogeometry tool provided ear sizes that minimized and balanced the specific sliding of the gear mesh and provided hunting tooth ratios to improve wear distribution and minimize gear vibration. For their first electric vehicle entry last year, the drivetrain sub-team designed a custom planetary gearbox using KISSsoft. Following this design, they had a specific oil supplied by one of their sponsors in terms of yellow metal protection and viscosity. For the design of this new gear train, they wanted to incorporate the properties of this oil into the gear calculations. Within KISSsoft, they were able to add their own oil data into the software through the “own input” function which allowed them to alter the gear design to ensure their contact, bending and scuffing safety factors were met. Figure 2 shows the list of gear sizes obtained for the first stage of the planetary gear train.

UGRacing’s Gear Train Solutions from Combustion to Electric

17 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251123/1763899630126569.png" title="1763899630126569.png" alt="1.png"/>UGRacing is the University of Glasgow’s Formula Student team. Since its inception in 2005, the team has been working to compete at Formula Student UK (FSUK). Over the last decade, the team has grown to over 150 members across ten disciplines. With a strong focus on knowledge transfer and iterative design, the team has worked year after year to develop new technologies and a more refined package. In 2022, the team saw a culmination of all their hard work when they placed first overall in FSUK with their final internal combustion vehicle. The following switch to an electric powertrain brought new challenges. Through the constraint of a new powertrain architecture, the team has explored and innovated drivetrain concepts which, in future years, will improve vehicle performance.

Tuning Flank Waviness for Minimized Mesh Force Variation

14 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251114/1763129515106180.png" title="1763129515106180.png" alt="4.png"/>Loaded tooth contact analysis of gears, considering or neglecting gear misalignment, may be performed by gear design software such as KISSsoft or other similar tools. Approximately a dozen such commercial software programs are used in an international environment, most of them based on analytical approaches. Very few are based on FEM approaches. With this, the performance characteristics of a gear design are assessed, considering:Transmission error TE and its spectral content.Peak to peak transmission error PPTE.Contact stress, its maximum value and distribution.Gear mesh force variation over a meshing cycle.Micropitting and scuffing safety, flank and root strength, considering the calculated load distribution.Others.In principle, it is possible to measure the above performance characteristics also on manufactured gears. Costs in time, equipment and money typically do not allow for this approach in a manufacturing environment. This means that deviations in the geometry of the manufactured gear compared to the designed gear are assessed only in the sense of whether the manufactured gear meets the quality grade stipulated on the manufacturing drawing, e.g., along ISO 1328. But a question “… we manufactured a batch of gears, we measured a form error of xyz μm, is the resulting degradation of gear strength acceptable or do we need to scrap the batch?” cannot be answered.Closed Loop as SolutionIf, however, the manufactured and measured gear geometry could be looped back into the original KISSsoft gear design and combined with the designed gear to create a digital twin of the manufactured gear(s), then this twin—or these twins—could be subjected to the same calculations. And the resulting performance characteristics, e.g., contact pressure, may be compared to those of the designed gear. Strength rating methods, e.g., ISO 6336, would then allow for the calculation of gear strength of the manufactured gear and a degradation may be assessed by a gear designer familiar with the requirements. A decision, whether a batch of gears having a geometric deviation needs to be scrapped, is then based on relevant performance characteristics (strength, lifetime, reliability, scuffing safety, etc.), not only on a gear quality number.The calculation of the above-mentioned performance parameters of the designed gear as the reference and of several gears or batches of gears as manufactured and measured is done in KISSsoft through variants of the geometry. This means that simultaneously, several gears are defined in one calculation. All have the same gear macro and micro geometry, but each has a different amount of deviation from the reference gear (of course, the reference gear has zero deviation from itself and is variant No. 1), as measured. This means that in a single calculation file, the reference and as many digital twins as required are managed.The reference design and the digital twins are then subjected to an LTCA. Transmission error, contact stress levels or contact pattern shape and position of the digital twins are then compared to the results of the designed gear. If deviations in the performance parameters are within acceptable limits, the gear or batch of gears is approved. If deviations are too high, the gear or batch of gears is rejected. With this approach, quality control is far more target-oriented compared to using only a gear quality number. It also requires more experience to assess the performance characteristics.Creating the Digital TwinMeasuring a Grid of Points on the Flank as State of the ArtTo create a digital twin, it is state of the art to measure a grid of points on the flank, compare their measured coordinates to the coordinates calculated based on the gear macro and micro geometry, and feed the deviations back to the designed gear to convert it to a digital twin. This approach has been available for some time. The gear macro geometry, as designed in the gear design software, is exported as a Gleason GAMA software-compatible file or through GDE format, along with VDI/VDE 2610 guideline. Furthermore, direct export and import of a grid of points (rather than their coordinates and normal vector) from KISSsoft to GAMA is available.With this approach, the gear measurement machine knows the grid, the grid point designed coordinates and the grid point normal vectors. The measurement of the as-is coordinates of these points is then performed using a tactile probe. In Figure 7, the grid indicated consists of 8 × 8 points (green dots). The output is then an 8 × 8 table showing the deviation of the measured grid point coordinates from the designed grid point coordinates or rather the deviation as a scalar, to be understood in the direction of the normal vector of the corresponding point. This table is then imported into the design software, where the designed gear is modified by the imported deviation table to generate the digital twin.Such a digital twin is suitable for the assessment of tooth contact patterns and load distribution on the flank and will already be most helpful to assess manufacturing deviations like errors in pressure angle, helix angle, crowning or twist.Measuring Flank Waviness as Next StepIn the above process, only 8 × 8 = 64 points are measured and the shape of the flank between the measured points is not known. A more refined approach is to not only transfer individual points of information from the measurement but whole traces in lead and profile directions (which is just a much higher number of points). Traces are measured and displayed in Gleason GAMA software, see the yellow lines on the left side of Figure 8. These traces show a waviness; they may also be visible in printouts, as shown in the top right of Figure 8. These traces are now to be represented in the gear design software so that the gear model there also includes the waviness as it is present in the manufactured gear. At the time of writing this paper, this was not yet automatically possible but required a manual approximation of the shape of the trace in the gear design software, using functions to approximate it there. Note the comment in the section on “Future Work” where this point is addressed as a subject for improvement of the software interface.With this approach, the digital twin contains far more information on the manufactured gear since a much higher number of data points is considered. At the time of writing this paper, however, it is only possible to import one trace in lead and one trace in profile direction (or one trace with an inclination as explained in the following section). This is again a shortcoming of the current software version to be addressed in the future. The underlying assumption is that waviness is a systematic result of the manufacturing process, manufacturing machine and tool properties. Hence, it is reasonable to assume, in a first approximation, that the waviness in profile direction is constant along the face width or the waviness in lead direction is constant in profile direction. In the next section, definitions and descriptions of how the waviness is defined in the gear design software are given.

Bosch Rexroth Expands ctrlX Automation Platform

13 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251113/1763026711961674.png" title="1763026711961674.png" alt="1.png"/>Industrial automation is becoming increasingly software-centric, connected and enhanced by Artificial Intelligence. Bosch Rexroth is driving this change with the open automation platform ctrlX Automation and is now introducing a number of new features. These include extensive additions to the hardware portfolio, AI functionalities, a software-based safety solution, new apps in the ctrlX OS Store, as well as preconfigured solution sets.  Bosch Rexroth’s goal with its automation solution ctrlX Automation comprising hardware, software and apps, is to significantly simplify automation – for shorter project lead times and faster time to value. The latest innovations underpin this goal.Hardware expansions for ctrlX Automation – AI functions added to the controls  The control platform ctrlX COREplus is now available with AI functions at all performance levels. An optional AI module enables efficient integration of Artificial Intelligence directly at the edge, enabling data to be processed and evaluated locally. In addition, ctrlX COREplus now offers increased computing power for AI and vision applications, as well as more memory and storage capacity for local data handling and additional communication options.  At the same time, scalable IPCs with an NVIDIA 2000A GPU increase computing and image processing power for demanding vision and AI workloads at the edge. Furthermore, IPCs with integrated ctrlX OS are now available. And the new line-up of HMIs offers double the performance with a smaller footprint.The ctrlX I/O portfolio is being expanded with 23 new modules, opening up extended application options in automation and infrastructure.    The ctrlX DRIVE portfolio is also growing to include more compact, more energy-efficient, cabinet-free and highly modular variants. This means that drives are available to meet almost all individual requirements.The ctrlX FLOW family, which offers various motion systems for intralogistics, is also being enhanced. The planar system ctrlX FLOW6D now has a smaller mover size and the linear motion system ctrlX FLOWHS sees the addition of a switch for specific topologies and arrangements.New apps in the ctrlX OS Store  The ecosystem that surrounds the open operating system ctrlX OS is constantly being expanded with new apps. The ctrlX OS Store already boasts a total of 86 apps. The wide selection of products ranges from IoT and communication solutions to innovative vision and engineering apps. When it comes to security, the new Security Scanner provides the option of conducting a complete inventory of machines at the network level during acceptance and having the security status of the whole machine park assessed. Potential attack vectors can thus be identified and addressed at an early stage.Practical complete solutions with solution setsA further focus of the innovations is on preconfigured complete solutions. These solution sets combine optimally coordinated hardware and software components, thereby reducing integration risks and project runtimes.One example is the solution set “Mobile Robots”. It combines control, I/O modules and laser-based localization software that precisely positions mobile robots and manual forklift trucks. “Our solution sets dramatically accelerate time to value. They are based on typical use cases and enable the rapid implementation of projects,” emphasizes Winkler.AI assistance for engineering and supportIn addition to hardware and software functions, Bosch Rexroth is also expanding the services that accompany ctrlX Automation. An AI virtual assistant, “Ask iXi,” was first shown at the SPS 2025 trade fair. It is integrated into both the website and the ctrlX WORKS engineering tool. It answers questions about products, functions and documentation around the clock, and supports users in both the decision-making phase and with day-to-day engineering tasks.  “With Ask iXi, our customers now have a digital co-pilot by their side to help save time and to provide all the knowledge of our platform right when it is needed,” says Winkler. “In addition, new AI apps are constantly being added to the ctrlX OS Ecosystem. We are integrating artificial intelligence at all levels of automation, from configuration through to implementation.”

Dynamic tire management with Bonfiglioli’s drives

12 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251112/1762954388836451.png" title="1762954388836451.png" alt="7.png"/>Bonfiglioli’s wheel drive comes with integrated Central Tire Inflation System which allows the operator to monitor and adjust tire pressure according to the soil condition and operation needs, while he’s driving and without leaving the cabin. Thanks to its features, such as automatic over-speed protection, multi-channel pressure control and integrated diagnostics alerts, it grants several advantages, including better mobility through increased traction while driving off road, on sand and mud, and allows higher vehicle speeds and fuel saving during on-road transfer. Moreover, it enhances performance because it eliminates tyre leak down. Indeed, seals and control hoses are isolated from tyres and not pressurized during normal operation or when parked. Finally, it allows continuous vehicle operation with less tyre wear.Thanks to its broad portfolio of solutions, cutting-edge technology and extensive expertise, Bonfiglioli is the ideal partner for manufacturers of agricultural machinery. With decades of industry experience, Bonfiglioli consistently delivers robust, tailor-made solutions designed to meet the specific needs and expectations of its customers.

From tractors to smart attachment drives: the electrification process takes center stage

11 Nov,2025

Responding to the rapid growth in autonomous and electric agricultural machines, Bonfiglioli is delivering electric drives tailored for 1.5 to 6-ton autonomous vehicles. The company’s solutions are helping OEMs, startups and R&D departments within big companies meet rising expectations for intelligent, electric and connected farming attachments, i.e. next-gen trimmers, mowers and other precision tools which are typically used in vineyard and orchard maintenance. In this context, the company offers the BMD motor Series for steering drives and the BPM motor Series for pump drives. These products drive the next generation of agricultural attachments, delivering precision, efficiency and sustainability. Bonfiglioli’s drives provide precise speed and torque control for outstanding performance, while offering zero local emissions, reduced noise and enhanced energy efficiency. With fewer moving parts and no hydraulic oil, they minimize maintenance requirements, downtime and overall operating costs.

At Agritechnica, Bonfiglioli offers an overview of its most appreciated drives and motors, dedicated to a wide range of applications in the agricultural sector, such as sprayers and feed mixers. For sprayers a wheel drive of the 600WT Series is showcased. The new drive unit features a spring-applied, hydraulically released integrated parking brake that ensures safety and reliability in all operating conditions. It includes a mechanical gear disengagement system for enhanced serviceability. With input speeds up to 4,000 rpm and gear ratios ranging from 22 to 53, the system delivers exceptional flexibility and performance. Additional options include customizable brake configurations and an integrated speed sensor for precise motion control. For feed mixer, Bonfiglioli delivers auger drives of the 700T Series. Characterized by a compact, rugged design, high torque and load capabilities, the series provides the safest, most effective solution for vertical and horizontal feed mixers. Its broad versatility is guaranteed by its different interfaces and by the two-shaft configuration for both in-line and multi-auger models.

High-performance wheeled and tracked robots for agriculture and forestry

10 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251112/1762954133622798.png" title="1762954133622798.png" alt="5.png"/>Bonfiglioli returns to Agritechnica 2025 reaffirming its commitment to innovation, sustainability and close collaboration with OEMs shaping the future of agriculture. Bonfiglioli is showcasing its most recognized solutions for agricultural robots and machinery – particularly for sprayers and feed mixers – while also highlighting a key technological evolution: the electrification of small autonomous agricultural vehicles and attachment drives. This segment has seen significant growth since the last edition of Agritechnica, particularly in France and Italy, and is expected to gain momentum globally.High-performance wheeled and tracked robots for agriculture and forestryAgri-robots are transforming modern farming by automating key operations such as planting, harvesting and crop monitoring. These machines enhance productivity, reduce resource consumption and support more sustainable agricultural practices. With a range of reliable products for wheeled and tracked AGV robots, Bonfiglioli provides machine builders with high-performance drive solutions.The Bonfiglioli portfolio ensures outstanding performance, delivering high torque in a compact design with minimal axial dimensions. The electric drives feature a maintenance-free, space-saving electric motor offering dimensions comparable to hydraulic systems. For wheeled agri-robots Bonfiglioli offers a complete solution consisting of a planetary drive of the 600WE Series, a precision planetary gearbox of the MP Series and a BMD brushless servomotor for steering drives. This permanent magnet synchronous motor features extremely compact dimensions and high torque, meeting the most stringent demands for precision, dynamics and speed settings. Suitable for 48-400 Vdc batteries, it boasts a protection rating >IP65 and precision steering thanks to low backlash. The solution proposed for tracked agri-robots includes a track drive of the 700CE Series, characterized by compact design and high torque, as well as integrated electromagnetic parking brake and speed and temperature sensors, and a BPM electric permanent magnet motor for pump drives. Specifically designed for mobile pump applications, it offers high protection degree - >IP65 - and cooling concept, as well as optional SAE flanges and EM failsafe parking brake.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation Introduces Real-Time NC Access Tools for Enhanced Productivity and Minimal Downtime

07 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251109/1762621453972518.png" title="1762621453972518.png" alt="4.png"/>The NC Software Solution offering is ideal for Industry 4.0 initiatives, enabling advanced read/write capabilities for Mitsubishi Electric NCs. It supports cloud-based remote monitoring, data visualization, and integration with leading monitoring/OEE software.Here is a closer look at the tools included in these software offerings:IMA Adapter family: Enable real-time data collection from Mitsubishi Electric NCs, including standard (M7, M8, and Citizen M8 NC), Citizen M7, Citizen M6, and C-Series adapters. These MTConnect compliant adapters easily integrate into end-user visualization tools.CNC Manager suites: Software development libraries (dynamic-link library function) for third-party developers to create custom applications to access and change machine settings such as, work & tool offsets, variables, programs, and tool life management, enabling remote performance enhancements.NC API access: API libraries for developing advanced applications to read and write information to NC controls, offering flexibility for integration and automation. This is available for standard M7 and M8 (non-Citizen OEM) NC and Citizen M7 OEM NC.All products in the offerings are designed specifically for Mitsubishi Electric NCs, allowing end-users and OEMs to remotely monitor and control machine data with minimal downtime. The IMA Adapter products provide real-time data that monitors critical machine performance and delivers production insights. Meanwhile, CNC Manager suites and NC API access empower users to remotely monitor real-time NC data, enabling them to make changes to machine parameters and performance. All offerings meet the latest MTConnect 2.2 standard and provide software development kits for seamless third-party integration. Mitsubishi Electric Automation’s modular approach allows for quick installation and minimal disruption to production.“As manufacturing environments become more connected and data-driven, our IMA Adapter and NC software solutions offering empowers customers to unlock the full potential of their Mitsubishi Electric NCs. With real-time access and control, manufacturers can drive productivity, optimize performance, and accelerate their digital transformation,” said David Simak, product manager for service solutions at Mitsubishi Electric Automation.

Harnessing Noether’s Theorem for Gear Optimization

06 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251106/1762396157120062.png" title="1762396157120062.png" alt="4.png"/>In gear design, efficiency often comes down to a battle with vibration. High-speed gears in transmissions, turbines, and robotics inevitably bleed energy through friction, heat, and unwanted oscillations. These losses may look like background noise, but they add up to reduced performance, accelerated wear, and shortened service life. What if the key to reducing those losses came from a century-old breakthrough in theoretical physics?In 1918, mathematician Emmy Noether proved a deceptively simple principle: whenever a system has a symmetry, something is conserved. Time symmetry means energy is conserved. Rotational symmetry means angular momentum is conserved. Physicists regard this theorem as foundational to everything from particle physics to relativity, but its relevance doesn’t end there. For gear engineers, it offers a surprisingly practical lens for thinking about energy conservation and vibration control.In an ideal gear system, energy would slosh cleanly back and forth between kinetic rotation and elastic tooth deflection, without any net loss. But in the real world, gears are never perfectly symmetrical. Materials flex, lubricants shear, surfaces rub, and losses creep in. Each small asymmetry breaks the neat conservation that Noether described. The result is energy leaking away in the form of noise, heat, or premature wear.The real power of Noether’s perspective is in its diagnostic potential. If energy is to be conserved in a perfectly symmetric, time-invariant system, then any observed energy loss becomes a signal. It tells the designer exactly where the symmetry has been broken, in tooth geometry, material properties, lubrication, or resonance behavior. In other words, vibration is not just a nuisance; it’s a map of where efficiency is being stolen.Modern simulation tools make this practical. Finite element analysis (FEA) doesn’t just show stresses and deflections; it tracks how energy moves through a system. By plotting kinetic and potential energy over time, engineers can see how quickly energy decays and pinpoint where losses are doing the most damage. If the plot reveals energy vanishing too quickly, it’s a clue to stiffen a tooth, adjust the geometry, refine lubrication, or switch to a material with better characteristics.Take a spur gear subjected to sinusoidal loading, simulations will often show energy declining steadily as vibrations die out. By adjusting tooth stiffness or geometry, that rate of decay can be slowed, meaning less energy wasted. The gear runs smoother, quieter, and with lower wear. What began as an abstract theorem about symmetry becomes a very concrete design tool for optimization.Aerospace gears running at extreme speeds can be tuned to avoid resonant frequencies that would otherwise bleed efficiency. Automotive transmissions can be made quieter by treating vibration as a conservation problem, not just a noise-control issue. Robotics can benefit from lighter, more efficient gearing where every bit of conserved energy extends battery life.Noether’s theorem reminds us that every vibration carries information. In the perfect symmetry of mathematics, energy is eternal. In the imperfection of steel and lubrication, it is not. By treating the loss of symmetry as a diagnostic, gear engineers gain a sharper way to understand and minimize waste.It’s a striking example of how theory and practice can collide in unexpected ways. A century-old insight from mathematical physics is now a fresh tool in the engineer’s kit, turning abstract symmetry into quieter, longer-lasting, and more efficient gears.

Pack Expo Las Vegas 2025

05 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251105/1762333692132197.png" title="1762333692132197.png" alt="4.png"/>Celebrates packaging and material handling solutionsPack Expo Las Vegas, one of North America’s most comprehensive packaging and processing events is celebrating a milestone: 2025 marks 30 years since the show’s debut. Today, Pack Expo Las Vegas continues to be a global hub for industry innovation and collaboration. Show producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, has elevated Pack Expo Las Vegas from a regional trade show to a global industry force—expanding its scale, influence, and relevance across international markets. This year, the show spanned over 1 million net square feet, featuring 2,300+ exhibitors.“Pack Expo Las Vegas has always been more than a trade show—it’s where the future of packaging and processing takes shape,” said Jim Pittas, president and CEO, PMMI. “For 30 years, we’ve been proud to drive innovation, foster collaboration, and spotlight the technologies shaping tomorrow’s supply chains. As we look ahead, we remain focused on the forces transforming our industry: automation, AI, sustainability, and workforce development.”

Communication Without Restrictions

04 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251104/1762228965859258.png" title="1762228965859258.png" alt="16.png"/>Bodine Electric Company gearmotors deliver precise motion for satellite antennasC-COM Satellite Systems, a manufacturer of mobile satellite antennas, has integrated several models of Bodine Electric motors across a variety of platforms. These motors are primarily used to drive the Azimuth and Elevation axes on their Fly-Away (portable) and Drive-Away (vehicle-mounted) systems. At the push of a button, these antennas automatically deploy and begin scanning the sky to acquire a satellite signal. Within minutes, users can establish a strong, stable connection, a process made seamless and reliable thanks in large part to the performance and precision of Bodine’s motors.“C-COM needed a small and lightweight gearmotor from us in order to accommodate a highly portable, easily assembled Fly-Away satellite antennas,” said Terry Auchstetter, director of marketing and product development at Bodine. “Our DC planetary gearmotor is the ideal combination of a small permanent magnet DC motor—which is capable of a momentary peak torque much greater than its continuous rating and a small planetary gearbox—which is also capable of a very high momentary peak torque by virtue of the load distribution of the multiple planet gears.”The Bodine type 24A4BEPM-60P2 measures only 2.4 inches in diameter, 7.7 inches long and weighs only five pounds, but it is capable of a peak torque of 245 lb.-in.“C-COM’s Fly-1202 antennas are deployed in some of the world’s most challenging environments, from the subzero temperatures of the Arctic, to the hot and humid regions of South America, to the dry, dusty terrain of Australia,” said Warren Rawlings, purchasing and production manager at C-COM. “We required a motor that could perform reliably in all these conditions. It also needed to deliver enough torque to rotate the antenna while remaining compact enough to fit within our transportable systems. Bodine Electric’s gearmotors met all these demands and more. Their motors offer high precision and minimal backlash, which is essential for acquiring and maintaining a stable satellite connection. As our antennas evolved, so did our collaboration with Bodine, now many of the motors we use today are custom-built to meet C-COM’s exact specifications.”

Curating a responsible supply chain

03 Nov,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251104/1762228807126926.png" title="1762228807126926.png" alt="15.png"/>Scope 3 emissions account for 95 percent of GKN Automotive’s total emissions. The majority of these emissions are generated by downstream Scope 3 in the in-use phase of a market that is still predominantly internal combustion driven. The extraction and processing of metals such as steel and aluminum dominate our upstream Scope 3 emissions from our supply chain. As the automotive industry moves away from fossil fuels, these proportions will shift from in-use to upstream and manufacturing.We, therefore, treat Scope 3 emissions as a key systems engineering challenge to be optimized alongside traditional fundamentals, such as cost and performance. This requires a fundamental shift in engineering attitude – sustainability must be embedded in every objective, with the carbon impact considered from the outset. Here, developing product LCA can help to reveal the embedded emissions associated with every variable of a product. This unearths the cost and impact associated with sourcing resources globally.Using these insights, companies can then identify opportunities to localize inputs to minimize transport costs, reduce emissions, and improve the resilience of their supply chains. In 2023, 67 percent of GKN Automotive’s global business was sourced locally, achieved by engaging with strategic suppliers to bring their manufacturing operations closer to our plants, thereby reducing transportation mileage and emissions.Working closely with suppliers across their value chains also allows manufacturers to ensure that products and materials are responsibly sourced, whether already localized or not. To help with this, we work closely with our strategic suppliers to ask that they provide us with their sustainability roadmaps and targets, enabling greater transparency across our value chain.Building out the capability to deploy LCAs for every product design is a significant challenge for manufacturers that requires a great commitment. This requires teams to use commercial data sets from across the supply chain and work with suppliers to create “primary data” of specific products and processes. A repeatable, standardized process must synthesize data from these various sources to develop LCAs reliably and at a scale that can be used to support strategic procurement and manufacturing decisions.While posing its respective challenges to manufacturers, suppliers and customers alike, the drive for sustainability will help to deliver a better future while catalyzing cost reductions and improved performance. For innovators like GKN Automotive, it’s a differentiating factor alongside cost, quality, and performance, and one that pushes the automotive industry to reduce waste, control energy usage and better understand production throughout all tiers of the supply chain.The bottom line is that challenges associated with prioritizing sustainability within the supply chain are not only necessary but something that must be faced head-on to guarantee a sustainable future for transport and mobility.

GKN Automotive Examines Life Cycle Analyses in Automotive Applications

31 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251104/1762228701313916.png" title="1762228701313916.png" alt="14.png"/>With the average car containing close to 30,000 parts, the automotive manufacturing sector has one of the most complex supply chains, creating challenges not limited to quality control, performance and cost. Sean Worrall, chief engineer of product sustainability, GKN Automotive, recently examined life cycle analyses in automotive applications.Today, total life cycle impact – for both vehicles and components – is a prominent consideration for stakeholders and customers alike, with regulations such as the European Green Deal acting as critical drivers. This is asking new questions of designers and will influence the technologies we see in vehicles moving forward.To this end, Life Cycle Analyses (LCAs) are a powerful tool, enabling manufacturers to unearth the environmental impact of every variable of a product across its entire life cycle. Using these insights, manufacturers can identify opportunities to reduce the total emissions – both embedded and operational – associated with a product.Worrall explores three cases of how LCAs can deliver tangible results in the drive for sustainable manufacturing:Curbing embedded emissionsAdopting a recover, remanufacture, reuse approachCurating a responsible supply chainCurbing embedded emissionsTraditionally, initiatives to make the automotive industry more sustainable have focused on reducing in-use greenhouse gas emissions, such as optimizing fuel economy. This comes as no surprise when you consider that road transport is currently responsible for more than 15 percent of global energy-related emissions, with most of that occurring at the tailpipe. However, for net zero emissions to be achieved by 2050, electric vehicle (EV) sales will need to reach around 60 percent of total sales of light-duty vehicles.This is an area that GKN Automotive can make a real difference. Our core offering of side shafts to global OEMs is powertrain-agnostic, and we have expanded our product portfolio to support EV production. To date, more than 2.5 million electrified vehicles have been produced with GKN Automotive’s eDrive systems, and since 2010, we have supplied components for over 15 million electric vehicles.As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads continues to rise, embedded emissions in the manufacturing process will represent a much larger portion of lifetime emissions. It is here that manufacturers can make improvements to curb their embedded emissions.For example, by upgrading energy-intensive production equipment, as well as heating and air conditioning systems, our team at GKN Automotive contributed to a reduction in direct (Scope 1 and 2) CO2 emissions by 30 percent in 2024. Further reductions towards our 2045 net-zero target are being achieved through process optimizations, such as leakage reduction during compressed air production, furnace standby temperature reduction, and new manufacturing shutdown procedures to reduce energy use and emissions.Enabling the global transition goes hand in hand with achieving our own emissions reduction targets and by using Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) and LCA analysis at the design stage of a product, optimizing design, weight and material choices, we can show a significant reduction in embedded emissions.Adopting a recover, remanufacture, reuse approachManufacturers can also take a ‘recover, re-manufacture, and re-use' approach. By taking parts from end-of-service vehicles and re-manufacturing them for a second life, teams can achieve significant savings.At GKN Automotive, we remanufacture 300,000 side shafts annually, resulting in a 63 percent reduction in embedded CO2 emissions compared to new products. This saves about 6.72 kg of CO2eq per part or over 2,000 tons yearly. Our plants also clean and recycle all the water used in the remanufacturing process, saving 40,000 liters per year.The use of LCAs here can help identify ways to improve the ease of removal, replacement, and installation of components, shifting to modular units that are designed to be dismantled and reused, thereby reducing the lifetime embedded emissions.

ABB Vertical Hollow Shaft Motors Deliver Deep-Well Pump Performance

30 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251104/1762228495127606.png" title="1762228495127606.png" alt="13.png"/>ABB’s new vertical hollow shaft (VHS) motors are built for vertical turbine pump applications where performance, reliability and longevity are critical. The line reflects ABB’s commitment to innovation, energy efficiency and customer-centric engineering.ABB VHS motors reduce downtime with a top-mounted coupling and hollow shaft that provide quick, direct access to the pump shaft. This design simplifies work for operators, making routine service faster and easier.VHS motors offer NEMA Premium (IE3) efficiency, high-thrust capability and drop-in design compatibility, filling a critical market need for durable, low-maintenance solutions in water, agriculture and industrial pumping systems. With a compact, robust design, VHS motors deliver smooth power transmission, require minimal upkeep and offer extended service life in harsh environments.“ABB vertical hollow shaft motors are purpose-built to elevate operations across multiple industries,” said Terry Bell, ABB product manager. “From irrigation systems to municipal water supply, these motors offer unmatched reliability and performance, helping customers reduce maintenance and overall operational cost.”ABB VHS motors use heavy-duty, extra high-thrust bearings designed to withstand the intense axial loads of deep-well and vertical-turbine pumps. Designed to match industry-standard dimensions, ABB VHS motors provide a true drop-in fit, cutting installation time for new builds and motor replacements.Key features include:•    NEMA Premium (IE3) efficiency: Delivers consistent torque and energy savings•    High-thrust capacity: Provides 175 percent extra thrust on 360 frames and above; double-stacked bearings on 440 frames and above•    Stationary and non-reverse ratchet: Prevents reversing due to backspins•    Standard NEMA P-base flange: Allows easy drop-in replacement of existing motors•    Inverter duty rated: Supports modern variable speed drives•    User-friendly design: Top-mounted coupling for shaft and impeller access, plus oversized conduit box and sight glass •    Durable construction: Heavy-duty cast iron frame; UL Listed and Weather Protected Type 1 (WP1) ratings•    Wide range of configurations: Available in 15 to 500 horsepower with multiple voltage and frame optionsApplications include:•    Deep-well vertical turbine pumps•    Agricultural irrigation systems•    Municipal water and wastewater systems•    Industrial cooling towers•    Fire protection systems

The Pattern of Necessity

29 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251104/1762228314633384.png" title="1762228314633384.png" alt="12.png"/>Step into an autumn landscape, and it quickly becomes clear that nature has little regard for tidy rules. Leaves spiral unpredictably, pumpkins swell into odd asymmetries, and apples wrinkle and pucker around their stems. Yet engineers have long clung to the comforting principle that form follows function, as if everything were designed purely to serve its purpose without deviation. Harvard’s L. Mahadevan, professor of applied mathematics, physics, and biology, reminds us that this is rarely the case. Through studies of crumpled paper, folding brains, termite architecture, and the trajectories of coins, he shows that what first appears chaotic often obeys a hidden logic—intricate, surprising, and unexpectedly beautiful.Take the brain. As the cortex grows, it expands faster than the underlying tissue. The result? Compression, then folding. Those wrinkled ridges aren’t arbitrary; they increase surface area for processing power. But the exact patterns of folds emerge from a balance of growth, physics, and constraints. The form isn’t chosen; it’s forced.The involute tooth form tells a similar story. It isn’t the product of aesthetic whim but of inevitability. Given the constraints of rotation, rolling contact, and load transfer, the involute emerges as the only workable solution. Much like the folds in a brain, its elegance is less about choice than about necessity.Or consider termites. Individually, they are simple creatures. Collectively, they build towering mounds that regulate airflow, temperature, and carbon dioxide. No foreman termite draws up blueprints; instead, the mound grows through local feedback loops, with workers responding to humidity and pheromone cues. It’s an example of what engineers’ term stigmergy, where individuals coordinate not by talking but by leaving traces that guide the next action. Out of these simple interactions, grand patterns and complex structures emerge, as if the environment itself were the conductor of a silent orchestra. Function, in this case, doesn’t dictate form from the top down, it emerges through interaction.Sound familiar? A gear is never alone. Its performance depends not just on its tooth form but on assembly, lubrication, housing stiffness, and operating environment. Noise, vibration, and wear emerge not from the tooth itself but from the dance of components working in concert. Like termite mounds, gearboxes are systems where form and function co-evolve through feedback.Mahadevan has even built robotic swarms inspired by termites and ants, machines that, following only simple rules, can construct surprisingly complex outcomes. In the gear industry, we’re beginning to see a parallel: AI-driven optimization, where iterative algorithms tweak microgeometry, modify profiles, and adjust materials in search of performance gains. Instead of a master plan, better designs emerge from cycles of feedback and adjustment.So, what’s the lesson for engineers designing quieter, stronger, more reliable gears? Perhaps it’s humility. In nature, there is rarely a single correct form. Systems adapt, evolve, and self-organize. Our gear teeth may be involutes out of necessity, but everything around them—their interactions, environments, and feedback loops—remains negotiable. Form and function rarely follow a simple order; like leaves twisting unpredictably in autumn, gears too find their shape through subtle adjustments, emerging over time from a quiet interplay of forces and feedback.

ContiTech Plans to Expand Manufacturing Operations in Mount Pleasant, Iowa Facility

28 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251104/1762228118967784.png" title="1762228118967784.png" alt="11.png"/>Continental’s group sector ContiTech announced that it plans to invest more than $85 million USD to expand its manufacturing operations in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.The plant expansion includes construction of a state-of-the-art compounding center that will integrate production, warehouse and office operations. It underscores ContiTech’s commitment to delivering high-performance, material-based technologies, with a focus on hoses and belts. This advanced facility will further strengthen ContiTech’s competitiveness and reinforce its position as customer’s first choice for material-driven solutions.The expansion is expected to create approximately 50 new, high-quality jobs. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board has approved a package of loan and tax incentives through the IEDA’s High-Quality Jobs program to support the initiative.“In today’s dynamic economic environment, we are investing in advanced capabilities not only to drive innovation and competitiveness across our industrial product lines, but also to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Philip Nelles, member of the Continental Executive Board and CEO of ContiTech. “This expansion reflects our long-term commitment to the U.S. and the North American markets in general and our confidence in the strength of our team in Iowa. This project also contributes to local economic development, reinforcing our role as a reliable partner to the community we work in and live.”The new facility will significantly enhance ContiTech’s ability to manufacture essential components, particularly hoses and belts, which play a critical role in supporting reliable flow and total conveyance across a wide range of industrial applications.“At ContiTech, our commitment to customer centricity is foundational, and this expansion enables us to respond more quickly and effectively to our customers’ needs,” said Andreas Gerstenberger, CEO of ContiTech USA and Head of Business Area Industrial Solutions Americas. “By investing in this facility, we’re not only enhancing our operational capabilities, competitiveness, and supply chain resilience, we are also reinforcing our ability to deliver material-driven solutions. This expansion is a critical part of that process and a key enabler in our vision to become the first choice for our customers.”ContiTech’s investment in a new compounding center in Mount Pleasant will strengthen its internal compounding capabilities, optimize its North American mixing footprint and support future growth. The facility will feature two state-of-the-art mixing lines integrated with an automated warehouse. The new compounding center will play a central role in ensuring consistent quality and efficiency in the production of rubber-based products. Engineered to withstand high-shear forces and temperatures, the mixers enable thorough integration of ingredients. The result is a compound with uniform physical and chemical properties, ready for downstream processes such as extrusion, molding or calendaring.Construction is anticipated to begin Q2 2026. The Mount Pleasant site plays a key role in ContiTech’s global supply chain, serving a wide range of industrial customers.

DN Solutions Acquires German High-End Machine Tool Manufacturer Heller

27 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251027/1761542077138385.png" title="1761542077138385.png" alt="4.png"/>DN Solutions recently signed an agreement to acquire Heller Group, a German cutting-edge machine tool manufacturer. Heller, founded in 1894, is a 130-year-old company recognized for its world-class machining center technology, specializing in demanding, high-precision processes.Once the integration is complete, DN Solutions’ consolidated sales are expected to approach $2.3 billion USD.On August 26th, Won-jong Kim, CEO of DN Solutions, met with the Heller family, the largest shareholder of Heller Holding SE & Co. KGaA in Nürtingen, Germany, and signed a contract to acquire all its shares.With this deal, DN Solutions will gain Heller’s world-class machining center technology, developed over more than 130 years. This integration will broaden DN Solutions’ portfolio and strengthen its position as a top-tier brand in the global machine tool market.By combining their production networks, the two companies will become an even stronger global partner for customers. Heller operates five major plants in Germany, the UK, the U.S., Brazil, and China, while DN Solutions runs facilities in Korea and China and is constructing a new plant in India.This global production footprint will provide both companies with the flexibility to respond effectively to regional demand shifts, supply chain dynamics, and trade policy changes. In particular, the U.S. plant is expected to act as an effective safeguard against the impact of recent changes in U.S. tariff policies.With more than 130 years of experience in the machine tool industry and a broad installation base, Heller brings deep customer service expertise and resources. This will serve as a catalyst for DN Solutions’ ongoing innovation in pursuit of service excellence.Heller also has an extensive track record of working with leading global companies in the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries – sectors that demand the highest levels of technological capability. This experience will enable DN Solutions to gain stronger insights into key customer industries.For Heller, DN Solutions provides financial stability and synergy through its strong capital base, global sales network, and broad product portfolio. Together, the two companies expect to achieve stronger sales, greater cost competitiveness through economies of scale, and improved profitability.DN Solutions CEO Won-Jong Kim said: "DN Solutions has been competing on the global stage. By combining our strengths with Heller’s 130 years of expertise in machining centers, this partnership will deliver groundbreaking innovations to the manufacturing industry. Furthermore, the two companies will offer unique value to customers and reinforce their position as a high-end brand in the global machine tool market."Heller CEO Dr. Thorsten Schmidt said: "This partnership gives us the opportunity to accelerate innovation and expand our global reach. By uniting Heller’s process expertise with DN Solutions’ strong resources and fast-moving spirit, we will set new standards for the machine tool industry.”

Greener steel arrives in Canada to a market in turmoil and future unclear

24 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251025/1761403930930906.png" title="1761403930930906.png" alt="3.png"/>Like some superhero channelling the power of lightning, Algoma Steel Inc. has started using the heat cast off by the arcs of powerful electric currents to make greener steel.Electric arc furnaces are nothing new — the technology is more than a century old, and there’s already a few in Canada — but Algoma is calling the achievement of production from its first of the kind furnace last month a win as it faces an existential threat from U.S. tariffs.“We have reached a truly pivotal milestone for Algoma and the Canadian steel industry,” said chief executive Michael Garcia on a recent earnings call.“Despite the uncertainty that the trade war has unleashed, this achievement reinforces our confidence in our transformation strategy.”Part of that strategy has been to dramatically reduce emissions in an attempt to differentiate its products; it even trademarked Volta as the name for its cleaner steel that it plans to produce from a mix of low-emission iron feed and scrap metal.But experts say the project is coming online as the market for green steel, and the metal more generally, faces turmoil from tariffs and price pressures, making it unclear what financial advantages producers may get from the big upfront investments needed.“The question is, will the demand be there? Is there going to be sufficient demand in North America for green steel?” said Chris Bataille, who researches the steel transition as an adjunct research fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.“The U.S. was starting to move fairly quickly in terms of moving to electric vehicles and to cleaner steel and everything else under the last administration, but now we’ve got a complete U-turn.”Steel emissions had been a priority in the U.S., and remains one in Canada, because using coal to produce steel is so emissions intensive. Globally, steel production makes up about eight per cent of carbon emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.But while it makes sense from an emissions perspective, buyers willing to pay a premium for the more eco-friendly steel have mostly been limited to the auto sector, said Bataille.European automakers have been paying a premium of as much as 40 per cent for the cleaner material, since they can use it for marketing while only adding a little to the end cost of a car, but the more important building sector has been more hesitant, he said.There is still demand in Europe, a region Canada has looked to diversify its exports, but with tariffs causing disruption there too it’s not clear how much potential there is, said trade expert Tommaso Ferretti.“There is a structural demand in Europe, but to what extent that structural demand will remain in place, it’s a big question mark,” said the assistant professor at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management.Garcia himself has warned that Algoma doesn’t see much potential to sell to Europe, or anywhere else internationally.“We can put our steel on an ocean-going ship here in Sault Ste. Marie, but getting it to an export customer in Europe or elsewhere, there just aren’t those opportunities right now. I don’t think that there’ll be a lot of those opportunities going forward, to be frank,” he said.The challenges help explain why the other flagship green steel project in Canada, at ArcelorMittal’s Hamilton, Ont., operations, is stuck in neutral.The company made a big show of announcing in 2022 that it was moving ahead with a $1.8-billion project to move to green steel — but the last updates show the project is still at the engineering stage, with a spokesperson confirming there are no new milestones to report.Wider oversupply issues in the industry that have pushed down prices is part of the problem, as are doubts about policies like carbon pricing, said Bataille.“There’s some uncertainty about how fast the transition will go. … It’s just a difficult business to make a buck, to be honest.”ArcelorMittal said in its latest sustainability report in April that it doesn’t expect green steel projects to be economical until the 2030s, and that policies will be needed to address the high capital and operational costs.Federal and provincial governments in Canada have already stepped in to help out with capital costs. Algoma received $420 million to help cover the more than $880 million cost of its project, while ArcelorMittal was offered $900 million to help ease its overall costs.But unlike Algoma, ArcelorMittal’s plans also include building a plant in Hamilton to remove oxygen from iron ore using hydrogen, rather than coal — a process that remains expensive, leading to several recent project cancellations.ArcelorMittal itself just cancelled two green steel projects in Germany in June, citing high electricity prices, while last year it noted the future of several other of its European steel projects is unclear because “there is limited willingness among customers to pay premiums for low-carbon emissions steel.”Cleveland-Cliffs, which bought Hamilton-based Stelco Holdings Inc. last year, recently shelved plans for green steel conversion at a U.S. plant that already had US$500 million in government funding secured.Lourenco Goncalves, chief executive of Cleveland-Cliffs, cited the lack of clear hydrogen supply as part of the reason for cancelling the project. He said on a July earnings call that plans to revamp the operation using existing resources, including “beautiful coal,” generates a very good conversation with the current U.S. Department of Energy.Ferretti worries that the pressures the industry is facing will also mean less investment in research and development to try and bring costs down.He said there needs to be even greater collaboration between the public and private sector for the critical industry to chart a path forward.“The real question in fact is to see … the collaboration between the companies, the steel manufacturers, Canadian government, and their ability to reinvent themselves.”For Bataille, that path could include using Canada’s vast renewable energy and iron ore deposits to build a direct reduction plant for processing closer to the source, and then shipping the already oxygen-reduced iron around the world.“You could triple the value of those exports,” said Bataille.“So on the one hand we face headwinds and the Chinese overcapacity continues, but on the other hand, I think there’s new possibilities open in shipping green iron places that, you know, we hadn’t considered before.”

Trump hitting medium and heavy trucks with 25 per cent tariff on Nov. 1

23 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251023/1761207986710282.png" title="1761207986710282.png" alt="11.png"/>U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Friday to slap a 25 per cent tariff on imported medium- and heavy-duty trucks beginning Nov. 1, with a carveout for vehicles traded under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.Trucks compliant with the trade agreement, better known as CUSMA, will be tariffed only on their non-American parts.The latest levies will not hit auto parts that are compliant under the North American trade pact for now. A fact sheet from the White House said that exemption will be in place until Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in consultation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, establishes a process to apply tariffs to the non-U.S. content of the parts.A 10 per cent tariff will be placed on buses and motorcoaches.The administration also included a tariff discount for companies that produce and sell completed automobiles in the United States, a move that intends to offset the impact of duties on imported parts.Trump used Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose the latest truck tariffs — which will hit semi-trailers and big pickup trucks — mirroring the levies he had already slapped on smaller automobiles earlier this year.It adds to a growing list of sector-specific duties that include steel, aluminum, copper and lumber.Friday’s proclamation also allows for some relief from 50 per cent steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico.A White House official speaking on background said it gives Lutnick discretion to reduce those duties to no lower than 25 per cent for steel and aluminum from Canada or Mexico for companies that are investing in those industries in the United States. The tariff relief would also only be for steel and aluminum used in automobiles.The official said the intent is to give temporary relief and should not be interpreted as a pathway to broader countrywide steel or aluminum tariff rate reductions for Canada.William Pellerin, a trade lawyer and partner at the firm McMillan LLP, said in an email that the move appears to further incentivize movement of production to the United States, with the “carrot” being lower steel and aluminum tariffs.It is not clear whether and when the reduced tariff rate for steel and aluminum would be implemented.Trump threatened the heavy truck levies last month, saying it would protect American industry from “unfair outside competition.”“President Trump is fortifying America’s ability to manufacture medium- and heavy-duty trucks and essential parts, which is vital for America’s military readiness, emergency response capabilities and critical infrastructure for economic activity,” the White House fact sheet said.The American Trucking Association has voiced its opposition to the duties, saying it could drive up prices in an industry that is already being slammed by steel and aluminum tariffs.In a May submission to the government, it said the American trucking industry operates on thin margins and was in a freight recession for years, with falling rates and increased costs for operating trucks.The trucking lobby group wrote that it “does not believe that the importation of heavy-duty trucks poses a national security threat, as outlined below.”The North American automobile industry is deeply integrated and many of the trucks were already being made in the United States with parts from other countries.The effects of the latest tariffs are more likely to be felt in Mexico — although some heavy– and medium-duty vehicle companies do have operations in Canada.Paccar, which produces large commercial trucks, has divisions in Canada. It laid off employees at its Ste-Thérèse, Que., plant in August.

Ontario broadens skilled trades certification with on-site exam program

22 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251023/1761207854252424.png" title="1761207854252424.png" alt="10.png"/>As of Oct. 17, Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) is expanding on-site certification exam delivery to all Training Delivery Agents (TDAs) that offer a final level of in-class apprenticeship training.The announcement was made by Skilled Trades Ontario CEO Candice White during remarks at the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario’s 66th Annual Convention in Windsor on Oct. 16.“This expansion marks another important milestone in our work to modernize and improve Ontario’s apprenticeship system,” said Candice White, CEO of Skilled Trades Ontario. “By bringing exams directly to where apprentices train, we’re removing barriers, reducing wait times, and helping more skilled trades professionals get certified and into the workforce faster.”This expansion reportedly builds on a pilot launched under the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), which began with 31 TDA locations across the province. Since assuming responsibility for exam administration on April 2, 2025, Skilled Trades Ontario has reportedly broadened on-site delivery to 54 TDA locations.As of Oct. 17, the program has been made permanent and is now available at all Training Delivery Agents authorized to provide final-level apprenticeship instruction — more than 100 locations across Ontario — allowing eligible candidates to write their certification exams directly at their training site.”“Skilled trades workers are essential to building Ontario’s future. We’re helping apprentices reach certification faster and with fewer barriers,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “This investment gives apprentices more flexibility to get the training they need and delivers more certified workers ready to take on the jobs that keep our economy growing.”

Schneider Electric opens distribution centre in Ont.

21 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251023/1761207698461085.png" title="1761207698461085.png" alt="9.png"/>On Oct. 15, Schneider Electric Canada officially opened a new 130,000 square-foot distribution centre in Halton Hills, Ont. In a press statement, the company stated that “the strategic investment strengthens Schneider Electric’s Canadian operations by improving delivery timelines and contributing to national energy sustainability”.Located at 6 Cleve Court in Georgetown, Ont., the facility will aim to serve customers across commercial, industrial, residential and infrastructure sectors. Operated in partnership with CEVA Logistics, the facility will handle the distribution of electrical components and equipment across Canada, with a focus on improving delivery efficiency and reliability.CEVA’s Halton Hills facility is also among the first of several global locations deploying Manhattan Associate’s Active® Warehouse Management and Order Management systems. The advanced platforms accelerate the integration of new technologies aimed at improving operational efficiency.“The opening of the Halton Hills distribution centre demonstrates our commitment to Canada and to providing fast, reliable access to critical electrical infrastructure components,”said Emily Heitman, President of Schneider Electric Canada. “This investment will help support Ontario’s growth, strengthen local supply chains and create new jobs for the community.”The inauguration ceremony on October 15, 2025, was attended by several distinguished guests and government representatives, including Bertrand Pous, Consul General of France in Toronto; Kristina Tesser Derksen, Federal Member of Parliament for Milton East—Halton Hills South; Joseph Racinsky, Member of Provincial Parliament, Wellington-Halton Hills; Mayor Ann Lawlor, Town of Halton Hills and Melanie Frazer, CEO, Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce“This new distribution centre represents a powerful step forward in our partnership with Schneider Electric,” said Jeff Wiedwald, Vice President of Contract Logistics for North America at CEVA Logistics. “By combining Schneider’s commitment to sustainable energy with CEVA’s global logistics expertise, we’re enabling faster, smarter, and more resilient supply chain solutions across Canada. Together, we’re not just moving products—we’re powering progress and supporting communities.”

Nortera announces five-year investment to expand Quebec plant

20 Oct,2025

<img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20251020/1760939971220322.png" title="1760939971220322.png" alt="4.png"/>Nortera, a processor and marketer of canned and frozen vegetables, announced a five-year $28 million investment to optimize its Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu plant.The Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu plant specializes in vegetable and legume canning and the preparation of soups and sauces. With this project, Nortera will plans to expand the plant’s capacity from 6 million to 10.6 million case equivalents.“This major investment marks an important step for Nortera and for Canada’s entire agri-food sector. We are committed to offering a sustainable future for our Canadian producers and growers while continuing to showcase their expertise and the quality of locally grown vegetables,” said Hugo Boisvert, CEO of Nortera. “The Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu plant will become a key site in our Canadian industrial network, equipped with modern equipment and enhanced production capacity.”Nortera also announced that its Saint-Césaire plant is set to close by late January 2026. This transition will eliminate approximately 100 positions at Saint-Césaire, and create approximately 70 jobs at the Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu plant, according to the company.