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. Each week the Power & Motion team collects some of the latest industry news to help keep our readers up to date on what's happening in the industries in which they work.
White House Announces Funding for EV Component Manufacturing
Through the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), President Biden's administration has announced the first projects to receive funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for expanded manufacturing of batteries and other components for electric vehicles (EV). A total of $2.8 billion will be provided to 20 companies to establish commercial-scale facilities for the processing and manufacture of components for EVs and the electrical grid.
Recipients will match the funding to help increase domestic production of components and materials. New manufacturing processes, such as use of recycled materials, will be demonstrated as well through some of the projects.
The funding will help to ensure domestic supply of products while also boosting U.S. manufacturing and job creation. Projects selected for the funding will support several initiatives such as development of various battery-grade materials to support production of millions of EVs each year.
In conjunction with the funding, President Biden launched the American Battery Material Initiative in an effort to align investments and activities to accelerate development of a battery supply chain in the U.S.
Motion Opens New Facility in Minnesota
Motion Industries' Motion Ai division has opened a new, larger facility in Eden Prairie, MN. The new 105,000 sq. ft. space provides an additional 55,000 sq. ft. from the company's previous location which will aid with its growing business.
With the new facility, there is more space for various aspects of the business:
- regional sales and support
- classrooms for employee and customer training
- regional fulfillment center
- assembly and fabrication
- proof-of-concept design area
- engineering labs.
In the new facility the company will also be able to large system builds as well as produce robotic and machine vision solutions, pneumatic and machine control systems and more.
"We wanted to meet the growing demands of our customers and the industry by growing every facet of automation and robotics solutions," said Aurelio Banda, Motion’s Senior Vice President, Automation Intelligence, in the company's press release announcing the new facility. "Our investments allow for future, incremental expansion within our structure up to 30% beyond our current growth plans. This will also allow us to add employees over time."
An open house at the new Motion Ai facility is currently planned for Spring 2023.
HydraForce Partners with Tan Delta for Oil Quality Monitoring
HydraForce has announced a partnership with Tan Delta Systems, a manufacturers of real-time oil quality monitoring sensors and systems. This will enable real-time data to be collected on machine oil quality and expand telematics capabilities states HydraForce in its press release announcing the partnership.
Per HydraForce's press release, the Tan Delta sensor works by providing a full-spectrum holistic (FSHTM) oil quality analysis, which continuously monitors the ratio of two key measurements, capacitance and conductance, to provide a real-time measurement (permittivity). This sensor technology enables users to observe any changes within the oil composition, including signs of contamination or abnormalities in the oil chemistry.
"This partnership allows us to offer a state-of-the-art oil conditioning sensor, that can be easily incorporated into the design of a manifold assembly using HydraForce cartridge valves to continuously monitor oil conditions," said Russ Schneidewind, Director of Business Development, HydraForce, in the company's press release.
Electronic controller architecture will be combined with telematics technology to enable real-time data collection and alerts of oil conditions which can help to prevent wear of hydraulic components as well as failures. Maintenance can be optimized as well, further benefitting the lifespan of components and machinery.
HydraForce said in its press release the new technology is suited for various industries where high-value equipment is utilized and equipment uptime is highly desired such as agriculture and construction. The company also noted the information collected by Tan Delta's sensor will be accessible through an Elevāt IoT subscription, a connected machine technology developer with which HydraForce has also recently formed a partnership.
READ MORE: IoT Enables Better Problem Solving in Fluid Power
Mack LR Electric Order for Canada
Mack Trucks announced it has received an order for its Mack LR Electric refuse truck from Environmental 360 Solutions (E360S) based in Ontario, Canada. The truck features an automated side loader from Labrie and will be put into use in a residential area in Quebec or British Columbia.
The addition of Mack's electric-powered refuse truck will enable E360S to meet its sustainability initiatives, and demonstrates the continued growth of electric vehicles in various applications.
Mack's electric refuse truck is powered by four Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) batteries delivering a total capacity of 376 kWh. Twin electric motors produce 448 continuous horsepower and 4,051 lb.-ft. of peak torque output from 0 rpm is possible, enabling optimized performance in refuse applications.
"As the industry continues to move toward electrification, Mack has an ongoing commitment to fulfill customers’ sustainability goals, as well as Mack’s goal of having 35% of its sales be for electric vehicles by 2030," said Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senor vice president of sales and commercial operations, in the company's press release announcing the truck order.
Regal Rexnord Acquiring Altra Industrial Motion
Regal Rexnord Corp. has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Altra Industrial Motion Corp. The full acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2023 after receiving regulatory approvals.
Through this acquisition, Regal Rexnord will be able to further expand its portfolio of motion control, automation and power transmission technologies. It will also have a greater product diversity and customer reach.
"This acquisition opens up many new avenues for profitable growth. In particular, Altra's Automation & Specialty platform transforms our existing automation portfolio – namely ModSort and Automation Solutions (formerly Arrowhead) – into a meaningful, global automation solutions provider. The automation business has highly attractive growth prospects and margins, serving many markets that have anticipated secular growth tailwinds, including factory automation, medical, aerospace, and warehouse & logistics," said Regal Rexnord CEO Louis Pinkham in the company's press release announcing the acquisition.
Pinkham also noted the addition of Altra Industrial Motion will significantly enhance Regal Rexnord's power transmission offering, particularly in the industrial space.
Danfoss Adds Remote Technician Access to PLUS+1 Gateway
Danfoss Power Solutions has added remote service passes for its PLUS+1 CS10 wireless gateway, enabling machine technicians to remotely connect to machines. With the new passes, technicians can more easily monitor any changes in equipment performance or operation as well as set alert triggers and enable debugging.
The passes allow a remote connection to machine CANbus data for diagnosis of issues, as well. Connection of the CS10 device to the internet via a local Wi-Fi hotspot for remote access from anywhere in the world using Danfoss' PLUS+1 Service Tool.
OEMs can benefit from the remote service passes as well; Danfoss said they can use it to help speed up machine prototyping and getting machines into the field by enabling remote updates to firmware and software configurations.
"Our CS10 wireless gateway together with the remote service passes is an easy, inexpensive solution to digitalize mobile machines," said Andrej Lawaetz Bendtsen, head of connectivity, Danfoss Power Solutions, in the company's press release announcing the launch of the service passes. "The remote service passes offer a fast and flexible entry point for remote machine servicing, helping OEMs and fleet managers experience the benefits of machine connectivity."
