This Week in Power & Motion: RISE Robotics Bringing Electric Actuator Technology to Air Force Ground Support Equipment

There is much going on in the world of fluid power and motion control from technology introductions and industry advancements to new trends and industry leaders. To keep our readers as informed as possible, the Power & Motion team has collected some of the latest news which could be pertinent to their work. 

Keep an eye out for a new edition each week to ensure you stay up to date on what's happening in the world of fluid power and motion control.

Danfoss Restarts Business in Ukraine

Danfoss has announced the restart of its business activities in Ukraine. Like many other companies, it had halted operations there when the conflict with Russia began. However, Danfoss has now chosen to restart activities there with a focus on restoring critical infrastructure in damaged cities and towns, the company states in its press release announcing the restart of business in Ukraine. 

"It is key for us to continue supporting our customers in Ukraine. It is not only the right thing to do, but our products are also key components for the critical infrastructure which needs to be rebuilt. Thanks to Danfoss’s products, residents in some of the most badly damaged areas of Ukraine will again have access to heating and hot domestic water," says Adam  Jedrzejczak, president, Danfoss East Europe Region, in the company's press release. 

Danfoss says most of its employees based in Ukraine chose to stay, but their families were evacuated through the help of the company. Some employees who did relocate to other countries have started coming back to Ukraine as the situation has improved in some areas, states Danfoss in its press release. The company notes it has stayed in contact with those who have remained and evacuated and to date all are fairing well. 

The company say many of the solutions it provides aid with the rebuilding of energy infrastructure, commercial and residential buildings, and water and wastewater treatment utilities. Employees and the company are eager to help with the rebuilding of Ukraine by making products available to those who need it. Danfoss says it continues to monitor the safety of its teams in the region. 

READ MORE: Manufacturers Do Their Part to Aid Ukraine

Ansys Acquires Motor Design Ltd.

Engineering simulation company Ansys has announced the acquisition of Motor Design Limited (MDL). This will enable MDL's Motor-CAD to be a part of Ansys' software portfolio, and will be an especially beneficial addition to its electric machine design products. 

Ansys states in its press release announcing the acquisition that this production addition will enable customers to design and bring to market more efficient electric machines leading to a more sustainable use of rare materials.

More on the acquisition from Ansys' press release: 

Ansys' acquisition of MDL will...provide customers with an industry-leading comprehensive multiphysics workflow for electric machine design. Combining Ansys solvers with MDL's Motor-CAD into an end-to-end solution will enable customers to not only design more efficient electric machines but also apply them to more applications, which reduces environmental impact and cost for consumers, companies and governments.

From user interface to a unique combination of finite element solvers and analytical algorithms tuned specifically for solving electric machines to the motor specific post-processing capability, Motor-CAD was developed specifically for electric machine design. The product contains coupled electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical modelling capabilities — tuned for rapid design of electric machines across the full operating range. 

"Motor-CAD is the leading electric machine design tool. Bringing its technology into the Ansys family of multiphysics analysis software solutions will allow us to deliver tighter integrations and seamless workflows for all aspects of electric machine design," said Shane Emswiler, senior vice president of products at Ansys. "Together, we will provide customers with the most comprehensive solution for electric machine design, which is critical as industries and companies around the world pursue more electrification and sustainability initiatives."

RISE Robotics Contracted to Modernize Air Force Ground Support Equipment

RISE Robotics, developer of electromechanical alternatives to hydraulic components, has received funding to help modernize the U.S. Air Force's Ground Support Equipment. The company's technology will be used to update the MHU-083 Jammer, a piece of equipment utilized for transporting and lifting bombs into aircraft. 

John Deere Inverters Used in Mercedes-Benz Hydrogen Truck

John Deere Electronics' PD400 Dual inverters are currently being utilized in Daimler Truck's Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, a prototype hydrogen fuel cell truck. 

According to the company, its inverters are beneficial for high-voltage/high-power electric vehicles such as the GenH2 which is undergoing road testing in Germany. John Deere says the inverter provides space savings and design flexibility, both important aspects for engineers developing electric vehicles as there typically needs to be a re-evaluation of the vehicle design to incorporate necessary components. 

Per John Deere's press release announcing use of its inverter in the fuel cell trucks, the inverter controls two electric machines sharing the same shaft, with one of the inverters acting as a leader and the other one as a follower. The company says this allows system designers to optimize design integration and machine performance in heavy-duty applications.

John Deere is also providing high-voltage and high-ampacity cables and connectors as well as technical consultation.