4th Quarter 2012Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The landing of the Mars rover Curiosity took seven exciting minutes. Now it is looking for signs of life on the Red Planet. Encoder technology from maxon is playing a part in the successful excursion of the rover.
The new Mars rover Curiosity ended its six month long journey to Mars with a successful landing on August 6th 2012. In contrast to the rovers Opportunity and Spirit, Curiosity can travel further distances on its six wheels and run longer without solar energy, as a radionuclide battery gives energy for years.
Along with an impressive array of equipment, Curiosity also has maxon products on board. The company’s MR Encoder technology is built into the electromechanic joints of the rover. The magnetic sensors are mounted on the drive shafts and are responsible for controlling the motors. Apart from that, maxon development services for the drive systems have also played a part in the 900 kilogram rover being able to carry out its Mars Mission successfully.
For the past eight years, Curiosity’s little brother Opportunity has been exploring Mars with the help of maxon motors. A further success for maxon is the SpaceX mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Brushless EC motors were used to move the two solar panels which always have to be facing the sun. Numerous research satellites nearer to Earth will also be fitted with maxon drives. The next one is the ESA Sentinel 3 which will fly into space in 2013. Here maxon motors will be used in the event of an emergency to control and secure the fuel valves.
Beckhoff’s XPlanar boosts productivity in medical device assembly Beckhoff Automation
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The intelligent transport system, XPlanar from Beckhoff provided the basis for an innovative system concept allowing the specialists at Automation NTH to reduce the space requirement of an assembly machine for medical diagnostic devices by a factor of 10.
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Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The newly launched Konecranes S series hoist offers a large bouquet of smart features which not only increase lifting device safety but also deliver a higher level of operator protection.
Read more...Redefining industrial lifting
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The Konecranes S-series hoist redefines industrial lifting through its integration of a ground-breaking synthetic rope with smart features, a lifting capacity of 20 tons, and the ability to adapt to diverse girder configurations.
Read more...Seven years of uninterrupted service
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
A set of hydraulically operated Corflex pinch valves, installed in 2018 at a major North African gold mine, has delivered in one of the continent’s most demanding slurry-handling applications.
Read more...New generation soft starter ranges Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Schneider Electric has launched its new generation Altivar ATS430 and ATS490 soft starter ranges in Anglophone Africa, the latest innovations in motor control technology.
Read more...Reinventing the wheel
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Once a curiosity in the early automotive age, in-wheel motors are now re-emerging with real promise. From electric cars to commercial vehicles and even aircraft, they are on the verge of transforming transportation engineering.
Read more...NORD modular drives for frequently changing motor speeds Bearing Man Group T/A BMG
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
BMG has made a substantial investment over the years to ensure assembly, stockholdings and technical support for the Nord range are in line with stringent international quality, safety and environmental standards.
Read more...PC-based control for sustainable fertiliser production on an industrial scale Beckhoff Automation
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
On a farm in the USA, valuable ammonia is extracted from slurry and processed into ammonium sulphate. NSI Byosis has transformed this complex process into a flexible modular system. This modular approach requires an automation solution with flexible scalability in both hardware and software, which this Dutch company has found in PC-based control from Beckhoff.
Read more...Redefining motion control with Festo’s vision for seamless and intelligent automation Festo
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The quest for precision, flexibility and efficiency continues to shape the future of industrial automation, and Festo, as a long-standing leader in automation technology, stands firmly at the forefront of this movement, driving innovation and setting the benchmark for excellence.
Read more...The opportunity and impact of MEPS electric motor regulations WEG Africa
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
South African companies are gearing up for the new Minimum Energy Performance Standards, part of a global trend towards energy-efficient electric motors.
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