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.
Electrification continues to grow in a variety of applications, such as heavy-duty trucking, as seen by the news that Volvo Trucks North America has received it largest order to date for its VNR Electric. The Class 8 electric truck has undergone testing with several customers in various parts of North America, and has proven its capabilities in more regional applications as there continue to be more and more announcements from the company regarding new customer orders. And Cummins' recent announcement about its new powertrain testing facility serving both engine and new powertrain technologies shows the ongoing demand for a variety of power solutions.
Although alternative energy technologies tend to dominate the news these days, there is still much to say about more traditional tech as seen by Bosch Rexroth's recent release of its 2021 financial results. The company saw strong growth during the year, and is expecting the same for 2022 and beyond, indicating there is still value in hydraulic solutions.
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.
Emerson Introduces New Three-way Miniature Solenoid Valve
Emerson recently announced the expansion of its ASCO Series 090 line of miniature solenoid valves with a new three-way Series 090 valve configuration. The new valve is designed for use in lighter, space-efficient applications for gas control in oxygen therapy, compression therapy and gas analyzer devices utilized in the medical field.
The valve measures a compact 10.8 mm while offering a 50 million-cycle life to ensure optimal reliability. It is capable of performing the same mixing and diverting functions as a pair of two-way valves, the company explains, which helps to simplify designs by now having one component which can do the same work.
"The introduction of the three-way Series 090 miniature solenoid valve offers product designers greater freedom to develop new valve and manifold solutions for analytical and therapeutic applications," said Sven Richter, vice president of Emerson’s analytical & medical business, in the company's press release announcing the launch of the new valve.
Bosch Acquires Autonomous Driving Technology, Sees Growth for Bosch Rexroth Brand
Engineering company Bosch has announced plans to acquire Atlatec GmbH, a developer of high-resolution digital maps for driver assistance and automated driving. Atlatec will be an independently operated company within Bosch and help it to advance development of autonomous driving systems.
The company says automated driving is a strategic area in which it is focusing development efforts. It is working on both near-term solutions which can make driving safer as well as longer-term technologies that will enable fully autonomous operation of vehicles.
"The planned acquisition of Atlatec further expands our expertise in the field of high-resolution digital maps and makes us even more diversified. It makes Bosch the only company that can offer its customers all the necessary building blocks of automated driving – from actuators and sensors to software and maps – from a single source. We are thus consistently expanding our strong position in this area," said Dr. Mathias Pillin, president of the Cross-Domain Computing Solutions division at Bosch—of which Atlatec will become a part—in the company's press release announcing the acquisition.
Bosch's drive and control brand Bosch Rexroth recently announced its 2021 financial year results which showed further growth during the year. Order intake rose 44% and sales were up 20%, bringing the company back to its pre-COVID levels the company reports.
Double-digit growth rates were seen in all global regions. The largest year-over-year increase in Europe outside Germany was achieved at a rate of 23.5%. Sales in Germany rose 18.2% while in the Americas they increased 18.3%. A rise in sales of 15.9% was reported in Asia.
Bosch Rexroth saw strong demand from its high-volume hydraulics business as well as factory automation. Both areas are expected to grow further in the coming years which will benefit the company and other manufacturers in the industry.
READ MORE: Positive Market Conditions Will Continue for Hydraulics and Pneumatics
In addition to sales growth, the company plans to increase research and development investments 5.8% with a focus on the following areas:
- electrification of mobile machinery
- factory automation
- portfolio based on ctrlX AUTOMATION platform
- integrated axis systems in industrial hydraulics.
Bosch Rexroth is optimistic about further growth in 2022, but notes there are uncertainties remaining due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Overall though, the company sees many opportunities going forward in various areas, including government-funded infrastructure projects which will drive construction equipment demand—a key user of hydraulic components—as well as efforts to regionalize supply chains in Europe and North America. The digital transformation taking place in several industries will also offer opportunities the company says.
American Battery Solutions Re-launches Ohio Manufacturing Facility to Meet Growing Battery Demand
Battery systems manufacturer American Battery Solutions (ABS) has re-launched an upgraded 170,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Ohio. The company originally acquired the facility in 2019 and has made investments into equipment as well as the facility itself to meet growing demand for lithium-ion batteries.
These investments enabled the company to quickly begin production of its recently launched ALLIANCE Intelligent Battery Series. At full capacity, ABS says the facility will be able to produce 8 GWh of power each year which is enough to power over 150,000 electric vehicles.
"With our initial investment several years ago and subsequent investments in additional equipment and production capacity, we see the Springboro facility as a critical strategic link in our ability to meet the growing demand in underserved markets such as light electric vehicles, autonomous robotics and telecom, and to continue ABS' unbroken growth trajectory," said Subhash Dhar, founder, president and CEO of ABS, in the company's press release announcing the re-launch of the facility.
Cummins Opens New Powertrain Test Facility for Clean Energy Technologies, Forms New Electric Bus Partnership
Cummins Inc. recently announced it will open a new Powertrain Test Facility at its Darlington, UK location. The new facility will be focused on advancing cleaner, next -eneration technologies.
Hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric powertrains will be tested at the new facility, as well as engine platforms capable of operating on various fuel types. Cummins says it will install advanced dynamometers to test chassis-installed powertrains and vehicles as well as powertrain systems. The dynamometers will be able to test a range of vehicle sizes from SUVs to heavy trucks weighing over 44-tons. Testing of double decker buses and off-highway equipment will also be possible.
The company says the new testing facility will aid its efforts to provide reduced- and zero-emissions solutions to various markets.
In addition to helping Cummins create more sustainable technologies, the facility itself will also help to reduce emissions. Energy recovery systems will be incorporated into the dynamometers and test cells to generate electricity which can be exported to the main site. Rainwater harvesting will be utilized to aid with the water consumption needs of the cooling towers.
On the subject of sustainability, Cummins has also announced its battery-electric system will be utilized to power the Axess Battery Electric Bus from ElDorado National (California; ENC), a subsidiary of REV Group. The companies have worked together for several years with the goal now of creating a zero-emissions transit bus.
ENC's 40-ft. low-floor bus uses a 518 kWh capacity battery. DC rapid charging is built into the bus to ensure it can go about its route without fear of losing battery power.
"Working with ENC is yet another opportunity for Cummins to demonstrate our long-term commitment to the development and transition to new zero-emissions solutions," said Brian Wilson, general manager of Electrified Power at Cummins, in the company's press release announcing the collaboration.
Linamar Acquires Interest in Joint Venture Casting Facility
Advanced manufacturing company Linamar Corp. plans to acquire GF Casting Solutions' 50% interest in the joint venture it owns with Linamar, GF Linamar LLC (GFL). GFL combined the two companies' expertise in high pressure die casting and machining to create lightweight solutions for automotive and commercial vehicle applications. It manufactures structural and powertrain components in aluminum and magnesium.
Linamar says it sees the acquisition as a means of securing its long-term growth plans in Lightweight Structural Castings to further increase business for electrified vehicles where lightweighting is important. The company plans to rebrand GFL which will be integrated into Linamar's Mobility Segment.
Volvo Trucks Receives Record Order for Electric-Powered trucks
Volvo Trucks North America has received an order for 110 Volvo VNR Electric trucks, the company's all-electric Class 8 model, from logistics company Maersk. The company says this is the single largest commercial order it has received to date for its electric truck.
Maersk's Performance Team will utilize the trucks in California for various port drayage and warehouse distribution assignments. It expects to have its first trucks in operation by the second quarter of 2022, and will have a total of 126 electric trucks deployed by the beginning of 2023. The order for 110 trucks is on top of 16 previously ordered by the company.
This latest electric truck order shows the continued growth for such vehicles in the heavy truck market. "We are determined to lead the electric transformation of the transport industry. Volumes are still low, but we see rapidly growing interest in Europe, North America and also other parts of the world. In 2021 we took orders, including letters of intent to buy, for more than 1,100 trucks in over 20 countries. It´s clearly becoming a key competitive advantage to be able to offer electric, zero emission transports," said Roger Alm, president, Volvo Trucks, in the company's press release announcing the order.
The global Volvo Trucks business is targeting 50% of all truck sales to be electric by 2030. It currently has six electric truck models available for applications including city distribution, refuse handling, construction and regional haul. Currently the VNR Electric is the only model available in North America and the models are available in Europe.
Volvo Group's Mack Trucks brand also offers an electric truck model for the refuse market and the Volvo Construction brand currently offers five electric construction machines to customers in North America and Europe. It recently announced its ECR25 Electric compact excavator will be available to customers in Asia. Through its various brands, Volvo Group is working to provide alternatively powered vehicles and equipment to meet customer needs around the world as reduced emissions become a greater focus for many.
