Drive technology – find manufacturers and suppliers

Drive technology improves everyday life!

Depending on the area of application, a distinction is made between mechanical and electrical drive technology. In mechanical drive technology, mechanical energy is converted into a force and ultimately into a movement. In electric drive technology, the energy required for this is generated electrically either from the mains or from a battery. Applications for electric drive technology include products such as washing machines, agitators, elevators or escalators. The areas of use range from microwatts (clock) to megawatts (locomotive).

Types of drive

Manual drive is done by hand, foot or with the help of animals. Mechanical drives make use of a tensioning device with a release mechanism (e.g., torsion spring and actuator).

The most common types of drive are electrical and electromechanical. Fluid power drives include hydraulic and pneumatic drives as well as turbine and jet drives. In addition, drives based on the displacement principle are also available (internal combustion and steam engines).

Other areas of application for drive technology

The wide-ranging areas of application for drive technology also include shipbuilding, boatbuilding, metallurgy, railway engineering, space technology, medical engineering, automotive engineering, precision engineering and aeronautical engineering.

Drive technology as a fixed component in industry

Drive technology can be found both in the systems and machines of logistics and manufacturing processes. Today, life "without" it is no longer conceivable.

The drive components

The electric motor is the driving force of drive technology. As drive technology developed, other components came into use. The gearbox is connected downstream of the motor. This is a mechanical converter. Depending on the requirements, the gearbox changes the speed and torque fed in by the motor. This is done via the gearing of the gearbox. Industrial gear units are extremely powerful gear units up to 4,000 kNm.

Three-phase motor and gearbox thus form the powerful and efficient "geared motor" unit. For better control and regulation of the speed, the frequency converter was later added to the power package. This is connected upstream of the electric motor. This changes the direction and speed of rotation. In this way, working processes in conveyor lines and working machines are changed as required. If the focus is on precision, power and dynamics, then servo motors and gearboxes are unbeatable. These are usually used with highly developed frequency inverters. They make it possible to handle highly complex synchronized processes and complex multi-axis applications.

In terms of safety, brakes are one of the most important components in drive technology. They interrupt motion when it is no longer desired or becomes dangerous. Today, process control is performed automatically via so-called control technology including software. The process parameters entered in advance are based on the requirements of the respective system. These include the characteristic values - among others the speed, the current position, the torque.

Areas of application for electric drive technology

Lifting tables, vertical conveyors, cranes, stacker cranes, etc. are used in lifting technology.

Roller conveyors, belt conveyors, belt conveyors, etc. are used in conveyor technology.

Industrial robots are already found in all areas of industrial manufacturing.

Customized offerings from manufacturers

Customer requirements are varied and ever changing. Therefore, it is inevitable for manufacturers of drive technology components to adapt. Practical modular systems are just one way of offering gear units, geared motors and motors in a customer-oriented way. Other options are variants in stainless steel housings. This guarantees high-grade, rust-free quality. Explosive atmospheres are a special requirement. Of course, special designs are also available for this purpose.

Frequency inverters are offered in both programmable and simple designs to meet customer specifications. Almost all manufacturers also produce according to customer drawings.

Drive technology and mechatronics

Development is moving in the direction of mechatronic drive systems and decentralised drive technology. Frequency inverters are used both alongside the geared motor and integrated in it.

No modern drive solutions without control technology

Nowadays, it is impossible to imagine industrial production and automation technology withoutcontroltechnology or industrial communication. The most important components would be the software, controllers and operating terminals. Without the appropriate software, nothing works today! This makes it all the more important to act in a customer-oriented, efficient and forward-looking manner.

Safety technology is becoming more and more important

Many companies want to increase their productivity. With increasing production, the pressure and the vulnerability of the system naturally increase. This makes reliable solutions for maximum operational safety all the more important.

Drive trains

The task of the drive train is to transmit energy. The driveline consists of an arrangement of components that accomplish this task. This includes the transmission, which connects the drive shafts in both positive and non-positive ways, converting one form of energy or motion into another. In addition, clutches may also be present in the driveline. These make or break connections (engaging and disengaging the clutch). However, if there is no clutch or transmission in the driveline, it is a direct drive system. In this case, there is a mechanical connection of the shaft ends in the driveline. Wheel hub motors make drivelines unnecessary!

Conclusion

Drive technology can be found in almost all industrial sectors and also in everyday life. The types of drive are wide-ranging and versatile. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly important to be customer-oriented and versatile to meet the requirements. Industrial drives are among the "heavyweights" among drives and deliver extreme performance with gears of up to 4,000 kNm. Of course, control elements such as the corresponding software are also playing an increasingly important role. It is almost impossible to imagine an industrial operation without automation technology. Regular maintenance and cleaning are particularly important in the technical high-performance areas of drive technology.