YASKAWA is a world-leading manufacturer of inverter drives, servo drives, machine controllers, and industrial robots

Centa Gears

Renold Chain

ABB Drives and Motors


Technology News Archive

2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999

  2007
  Febuary 2007
Copper rotors boost hybrid truck efficiency by 40%
PI extends Profinet into process automation
"98% efficient" motors will be based on spinning discs
Modular motor controller "more efficient than a VSD"
World's largest wheel prepares to spin in Beijing
In Brief
January 2007
3D camera system could revolutionise safety technology
Silicon carbide drive is "world's first"
Sercos opts for CIP Safety
Safety encoder is "the first"
PLC squeezes onto a chip
Safe braking stops vertical axes from dropping
Program your PLCs in PowerPoint
In Brief

  2006

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  November 2006
Novel pneumatic cylinder design could halve air losses
Digital technology cuts 1-phase motor energy use by "up to 30%"
Maglev stage promises nanometre precision
Two-cable connection will add security to control systems
Free pulley tester "could save thousands"
Four-tonne cloned wormwheel is a record
In Brief
  October 2006
Hydrostatic bearings mount a challenge to roller guides
Will you have industrial software under your Christmas tree?
Industrial wireless sales head for $1bn
VSD controller squeezes injection moulding costs
Axial flux motors "will be 98% efficient"
In Brief
  September 2006
Hybrid ball-roller bearing promises 'the best of both'
Siemens plans to cram everything into wheel hubs
Ethernet-based I/O shoots ahead
High-speed sensor network gets the go-ahead
Actuators tell you when they need maintenance
In Brief
  July / August 2006
Digital technology will cut energy use by constant-speed motors
FDT group targets factory automation
Vibration-powered generator could shake up the market
ISA extends and overhauls its batch standard
Stick-on chips will store data anywhere
In Brief
  June 2006
Pneumatic fish is "more efficient than a propeller"
Google pioneers back an electric sportscar
SafeyBus p hops aboard Ethernet bandwagon
Motion profile will support 100 axes on standard Ethernet
Robot-makers turn to materials handling
In Brief
  April / May 2006
"Ultra efficient" motors have copper rotors
Torque control function gives a lift to hoisting
Superconducting bearing is "world's first"
Ethernet Powerlink standard promises "true interoperability"
RFID gets a Profinet link
"Embedded automation" is a new class of controls
In Brief
  March 2006
Open-loop drive technology "comes closed to closed-loop"
Sensors market is "exploding"
Library will simplify packaging applications
Wire-free safety system has added fibre
Roller bearings "last twice as long"
Functional safety standard is "a first"
In Brief
  February 2006
Darts machine scores a bull's-eye every time (almost)
SCADA-DCS boundary blurs as retrofit booms
Simpler escalator drive is easier to maintain
How fast are your PLCs?
Safe machinery guide gets an update
Networks will promote sensors and materials
In Brief
January 2006
Mega-motors will liquefy Norway's natural gas
Safety becomes the new networking battleground
Profidrive now works with Profinet
Light curtain has 'world's first position-based muting'
330mpg hybrid coupé will cost $20.000
In Brief

  2005

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  December 2005
Permanent magnet motors 'could replace induction machines'
'World's smallest' piezo actuator targets mass markets
Your word is the machine's command
Energy chain system is a rival to busbar
CIP Motion demo synchronises 16 axes via Ethernet
Telescopic drive is half as deep
Robot keeps pneumatics at arm's length
In Brief
  November 2005
New ODVA sensor network will use Omron technology
Rockwell aims to get factories talking
Common access technology could help to clear wireless logjam
Users "still sceptical about automation software"
ABB argues that FDT/DTM and EDDL both have roles to play
CIA spies a future in wireless networks
In Brief
  October 2005
Failsafe bearing "floats" on superconductors
Tubular linear motors drive all-in-one positioning system
Chips embed self-organising control netwoks in sensors and actuators
Advances in servo technology open up new applications
Robots rival large CNC machines
In Brief
  September 2005
Electric Transport Extra: Motoring towards a new market
Outer-rotor motors power a 4WD sportscar
Interpolation standard gets moving
Free program calculates efficiency savings
Fuel cell boat glides on Ethernet
In Brief
  July / August 2005
Electric motor propels Boeing 767- on the ground
Incompatibility clouds vision systems' rosy picture
5MW super motor passes tests; 36MW version on the way
Vibration damper is great shakes
Motor technology spins off into £1,500 wind turbine
In Brief
  June 2005
Hollow-shaft servo gearheads are "a first"
Integrated sensors keep an eye on bearings
Automatic lubrication slashes oil consumption
Sensor monitors colour intensities
Robotic inspector increases flexibility
In Brief
  May 2005
Anti-slippage bearing marries balls and rollers
40kW ironless motors will propel airships on the edge of space
Industrial Ethernet sales set to soar by more than 50% a year
Sercos III is on the chips - and distributed control is on the way
Automation standard will link "making" with "packing"
Measure your paths without magnets
In Brief
  April 2005
Novel ,pneumatic motor flexes its muscles
Holy screwjacks! It's a self-raising floor!
Nanomotor is "100 million times more powerful than a V6"
IEC accepts Ethernet PowerLink as products make Hannover debuts
Packaging library frees programmers from hardware ties
In Brief
  March 2005
Is this the world's thinnest encoder?
Wireless generators 'harvest' energy from vibrations
Gateway links Modbus to ZigBee
Ethernet PowerLink servo system goes on show
Modified induction motors 'perform like PM machines'
OPC hops aboard EDD bandwagon
In Brief
  February 2005
Motion control at the speed of a human haiir
IEEE supports analogue sensors in digital networks
OMAC gets the urge to merge with ISA
Aluminium rails do not need machined surfaces
Hydraulic-diesel vehicles will be "world's cleanest"
CC-Link extension caters for sensors
Bearings help to bring windpower home, silently
In Brief
January 2005
Memory metal technology challenges traditional drives
Patent portrays valve-free hydraulic drives
Will BiSS lead to encoder interface bliss?
Motion network will be based on CIP
Deal brings the super motor closer
Bend it like carbon
Sensor-based golf club analyses your swing
In Brief

  2004

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  November 2004
MV drive ditches the transformer
Show-goers get DeviceNet Safety previews
Remote monitor 'achieves the impossible'
In Brief
  October 2004
Pioneering servo drive is on a roll
Super motor spins closer to the sea
Aluminium ousts granite to slash air bearing costs
Tiny guides line uip for a world record
  September 2004
Lynch-assisted hybrid coupé will hit 225 km/h
Magnetic bearings give high-speed motors a lift
Robot arm 'walks' like a caterpillar
Holographic HMI is untouchable
TÜV certifies CANopen safety chip
Free tool tests Ethernet timing
RFID moves to UHF for a longer range
In Brief
  August 2004
Hold the presses: it's a printing sensation
Wireless sensor networks will predict motor failures
Industrial Ethernet sales are 'growing at 20%'
Tapered gears pose a servo challenge
In Brief
  July 2004
High-current motors demand novel sensing technology
Automation platform will find bottlenecks
Wireless sensors start to mesh
Encoder profiles extend DeviceNet and CIP
Adapted motors will harvest energy from the sea
Touch-sensitive material wins a gold gong
In Brief
  June 2004
Dyson's 'turbocharged' SR motor can phone home
The PLC is dying, long live the PAC
Clamp-on device doubles AS-i range
New entrant muscles into the market
Motor is 'first with RFID'
Dragline loses its gears
In Brief
  May 2004
Is this the dawn of the matrix converter era?
Low-energy brake wins €100,000 award
A ground-breaking gearbox - but you can't buy it
ODVA moves into motion - and demonstrates safe DeviceNet
Wireless sensors replace vulnerable robot wiring
Motion library gets an extension
In Brief
April 2004
Will this motor-drive buck the trend?
Novel direct-drive motor 'will save $10,000'
Join the Ethernet club
Interbus will be integrated 'by proxy' with Profinet
Ethernet groups will work together
In Brief
March 2004
Pick-and-place system is 'faster than a robot'
Bluetooth system slashes sensor cabling
High-speed motors head even higher
Measuring machine has accuracy taped
Fewer machine operators mean more HMIs
In Brief
January / February 2004
Novel technology 'triples power of standard motors'
Precision air muscle rivals servos and cylinders
UK-China pick-and-place robot 'costs a third less'
New Sercos will join forces with Ethernet
A cool way to eliminate lubricants
In Brief

  2003

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November 2003
Motor with a sideways force is a step forward
One rev per week, without a gearbox
Diamond power devices are a gem of an idea
£100 encoder is an absolute rival
IGBT modules promise higher drive efficiencies
Linear motor guide challenges pneumatics
Low-noise supplies could eliminate filters
In Brief
November 2003
Wireless market is 'riddled with challenges'
Rotary controls give appliances a novel spin
Extension delivers 'first real-time Ethernet'
OPC moves away from components
Crash tests controlled by super-fast PLC
Hydraulics help ferry passengers to board safely
In Brief
October 2003
Piezo actuator offers secure future for electronic locks
In brief
September 2003
'Revolutionary' encoder slashes set-up times
Patented inverter 'boosts low-speed performance'
PLC-controlled robots swing into action
GM's wheel hub motors boost torque by 60%
August 2003
New OPC spec links devices via the Net
Servo sales benefit from expanding "sweet spot"
Sensors organise themselves into wireless networks
Process users shift from Profibus to Foundation Fieldbus
A handy way to update HMIs for free
Motor can quench its own vibrations
In Brief
July 2003
World's tiniest motor could ride on the back of a virus
Smart drives grab a bigger share of the motion market
Piezo stage is 'world's smallest'
'Catapult' actuator is at the heart of novel valve
Heating headache spawns a novel fault-finder
In Brief
  June 2003
Novel multi-phase motor "could lift profits"
Electric aircraft crashes into the sea off Hawaii
Fault-finding software slashes downtime
UK's brushless pancake motor is "a world first"
Water hydraulic costs are washed away
"Next generation" Sercos will move closer to Ethernet
Coating "can double belt lives"
In Brief
May 2003
"Ultra high speed" Ethernet reaches down to I/Os
Firewire motion project nears completion
Industrial Bluetooth demos preview 2003 launches
Passive clamping produces high-torque piezo motor
CIPsync will boost real-time performance of DeviceNet
In Brief
April 2003
Pioneering "drive-on-a-plate" opens up OEM applications
Profibus promises 150-axis Ethernet-based motion control
Fieldbus Foundation launches a safety project
Assembling hydraulic manifolds is "child's play"
US Navy accelerates super motor plans
In Brief
March 2003
British balls pose an absolute challenge to glass scales
Flagship drive is 'first with standard PLC technology'
Wheelchair motors spawn low-cost resolver rival
Remote I/O role grows as Ethernet displaces Profibus
Hybrid hydraulic drive is half the weight
January / February 2003
Decentralised drives will have "a tremendous impact"
Ethernet explosion will affect automation "profoundly"
Servo actuators challenge pneumatics for welding
A gripping idea to improve vacuum lifting systems
In Brief

  2002

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  December 2002
'Walking' motor marches into the linear motion market
Levitating stages float loads without friction
European motion manufacturers draw up FireWire standard
Ballscrew return is an inside job
The PLC morphs into the PAC
Group aims to synchronise Ethernet
In Brief
  November 2002
$3.3m boost for silicon carbide drives
Web-based automation "will treble in two years"
Global effort aims to deliver new safety networks
Combining power and data could cut costs by 20%
Linear motor sales "will quadruple" by 2008
Low-cost radio network has a buzz about it
Running rings around bearing resonance
In Brief
  October 2002
Gyroscope-on-a-chip is 'a first'
  September 2002
'Breakthrough' motor delivers 10:1 speed ratio
Group backs plug-and-play sensors standard
Report gives advice on bearing currents
Rolled-coil motor eliminates windings
In Brief
  August 2002
OPC-DX 'delivers promise of truly open systems'
A cool approach to lube-free bearings
$20 card puts sensors on the air
Safety gear hooks straight onto AS-i bus
Still blowing after all these years
In Brief
  July 2002
Regenerative drive 'eliminates harmonic distortion'
DeviceNet takes to the air, eliminating cables
Copier motors will signal before they fail
Fine-tune your PLCs for a fast payback
Matrix conversion moves closer to the market
Novel actuator muscles in on Dreamieland
Smart gantry camera uses FireWire to follow the action
In Brief
  June 2002
'Safe' drives could ease shutdown blues
All-electric forklift gets rid of hydraulics
Fieldbus rivals chat via Ethernet
Holographic patent heralds touch-free controls
Molecular motors inch closer
Study looks at the future of inverters and transmissions
  May 2002
Laser sensor could save millions — on paper
Smart cable adapts starters to any bus
Piezo actuators challenge steppers
Super motor becomes a variable speed drive
Proximity sensors shed their wires
Electric aircraft charges for the runway
'First' digital LVDT eliminates A-D converters
Modular approach could simplify machine building
Cables arrive before the drive
Turn your phone into a mini-HMI
Industrial Ethernet groups collaborate
  April 2002
Variable speed PM compressor is 'a huge leap'
Switched reluctance machines will deliver brake-by-wire
Palm-sized gearbox goes boldly into space
Electro-sensitive glue is a rival to fasteners
Guide helps to make hydraulic systems EMC-compliant
'A faster eye for robot welders
  March 2002
Get ready for the incredible shrinking drive
US Navy orders $8m sea-going super motor
Where there's smoke, there's a new motor standard
'Seeing' robot eliminates operators
£200,00 project will explore industrial Ethernet
'Wearable' computer guides maintenance staff
SIs will co-develop open controls suite
Linear motors cure the high-rise shakes
  February 2002
Building drives from blocks is childs play
Boeing's electric plane is cleared for take-off
Software predicts how gears will mesh
5,000 hp superconducting motor passes tests
Robot arms scan bearings for signs of stress
Profibus releases fluid power profile
Hydraulic braking could generate $500m market
January 2002
45mm-wide module replaces star-delta starters
32-axis network 'overcomes multi-axis limitations'
Bluetooth controls drives without wires
Three voltage levels are better than two
Novel motor propels the 'human transporter'
Building drives from blocks is childs play
Boeing's electric plane is cleared for take-off

  2001

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January 2001
Superconducting naval motor project steams ahead
Will novel British screw design drive others out?
Chip-maker promises smaller, more reliable drives
DeviceNet offers a safe option for emergencies
Vibration analysis software will predict machine failures
February 2001
What am I bid for this PLC patent?
Software tie-ups bombard the motion control market
3D PLC simulator 'cuts development times'
Wireless sensors simplify machine monitoring
Siemens claims pole position in software sales
Coalition aims to harmonise industrial Ethernet
March 2001
CT offers servo chips for PC-based controllers
UK motor-driven car hopes to smash world record
Magnetically levitated trains lift off at last
Battery-powered micro-robots can spin on a coin
Cable-wound HV motor eliminates transformers
April 2001
Loudspeaker kills low-frequency noise from fans
Quick-fit starters pierce flat power and bus cable
Detachable bus interface cuts encoder costs
Swedish servo is 'six times smaller'
Low-cost torque sensor 'overcomes drawbacks'
May 2001
Fieldbus-on-a-chip simplifies interface design
Faster, cheaper chip broadens Sercos' appeal
First industrial Bluetooth product arrives
Magnetic coupling is 'cheaper than a VSD'
Sub-£1,000 linear drive challenges ballscrews
Magnaquench sues PC firms over magnet patents
June 2001
Profinet 'could cut automation costs by 15%'
Local experts keep an eye on a steel plant
Distributed drives take centre stage at Hanover
CNC lead shifts from Japan to Europe
SKF signs deal for 'harmonic-free' drive
July/August 2001
High power electronic switches are all-in-one
Machine control tool needs no C programming
Industrial Ethernet take-up remains slow
'Direct drive' ousts reduction gears and encoders
'Film coil' motors promise many attractions
September 2001
Is this the world's most accurate sensor?
High-torque synchronous motor eliminates couplings
Kiss goodbye to cage-creep in linear guides
Lab will test whether products are 'open'
Siemens builds a 400kW superconducting motor
  October 2001
Robots can follow moving conveyors to within 2mm
Future motion control sensors must be smart
PC-based motion controls supervise robots
  November 2001
Interest heats up in belt-based gear rival
HMI market undergoes 'tremendous shifts'
Fleldbus rivals join forces on Ethernet standard
Signal conditioners make their own decisions
Japanese bus aims for global leadership
  December 2001
Robots come to the rescue after WTC collapse
Ford's hydraulic hybrid could be cheaper than electric EVs
Simple coupling 'cures back torque'
US injects $2m into 'digital motor' project
Mini memory 'muscle' challenges actuators

  2000

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January 2000
Group will champion Ethernet for factories
$8m project aims to boost drive power densities
Faulty bearings are taken as red
OOPS! We've made control programming easier
Motor winding redesign 'eliminates bearing currents'
February 2000
Indramat modifies drive to tackle bearing currents
GM pulls the plug on its EV1 electric coupe
US Navy plans a $25bn electric destroyer fleet
Trenchgate technology digs into drive power losses
IEC votes for multi-part fieldbus standard
Project aims to test super magnets on line
March 2000
Picosatellites' test microrelays and wireless networks
Leap year bug hits RSView32 users
Remote sensors need no wires or batteries
AC-AC converters could shrink drives
April 2000
'Tip-driven fan is 'twice as efficient' as conventional designs
WorldFIP sees its future on the Net
Swedes shrink servomotors
ABB will sell only high-efficiency motors
IEC field bus standard "infringes patents"
May 2000
ODVA attempts to create an industrial Ethernet standard
Self-validating sensors check their own health
Pneumatic membranes muscle in on new applications
Motor condition monitor predicts machine failures
'Printer driver' simplifies drives installations
Magnetic fluids give added attraction to pneumatics
June 2000
PM motor eliminates dynamometer gears
Industrial users slam Microsoft for 'DLL hell'
Synthetic ropes replace steel elevator wires
Rockwell aims to provide software bridge
Sales spurt as faith grows in PC-based control
July 2000
Superfast chips promise better motor control
August 2000
Micro balls will sense temperature without wires
Tiny cube-shaped fuse is finger-safe
Miniature linear motor accelerates to 40G
Swash plate rethink boosts performance
1,000hp superconducting motor starts to spin
September 2000
Open gateway will link Profibus to Ethernet
Incremental encoder has go-cheaper stripes
US firms propose an industrial Ethernet connector
High-speed motors challenge gas turbines
Inventor's variable speed belt drive rivals gears
October 2000
Radio-based monitor checks machine conditions
Wireless sensors bite into Bluetooth technology
Snakes alive! Serpentine robots head for space
PLCs start chatting with mobile phones
Bogie bearing monitor warns of derailments
Foundation Fieldbus patents 'protect a monopoly'
November/December 2000
Energy-saving drive cuts injection moulding costs
Current sensors help to find leaves on the railway line
Roll your own power projects from electronic blocks
US-Swiss power module project yields its first fruits
MR servo-positioner challenges electric systems

  1999

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  August 1999
Price wars are forecast for industrial PC market
Automation suites drive the software market
  September 1999
Mains switch can be controlled from the Internet
Punto pioneers electric steering with switchable 'feel'
PLC, display and I/O combine in control panel
AS-I expands to offer analogue signalling
Capacitive switch resists water, dirt and EMC
  October 1999
'Smart' washer monitors bolt's tension
Motor-inverter market 'set to soar'
'Intelligent' chain monitor is picked as a Millennium Product
Roller bearings 'last three times longer'
  November/December 1999
Options grow for linking controls to the Web
Module adds field bus to any product
Electric ram takes on hydraulics
Profibus plans to hitch its bus to Ethernet and the Internet
Linear motor launchpad could slash takeoff costs

 
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