eDrive - Spring 2016 - (Page 20)

Industry News Allied Motion Completes Acquisition of Heidrive, German Motion System Manufacturer Allied Motion Technologies, Inc. has officially completed the acquisition of Heidrive GmbH, a drive technology and engineering company, for approximately $22 million. Headquartered in Kelheim, Germany, Heidrive designs and manufactures customized, innovative synchronous motion systems for highly demanding applications such as medical technology, robotics, cargo aviation and building technologies, as well as several commercial applications. Heidrive products include a variety of motors, gears and electronic controls. Heidrive has approximately 220 employees and manufacturing facilities in both Kelheim and Mrakov, Czech Republic. Heidrive reports that 2015 revenue reached approximately $32 million, up about 8 percent from 2014. Total assets on December 31, 2015 were estimated to be approximately $11 million. The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to Allied Motion. Motion Industries to Acquire Missouri Power Transmission Motion Industries, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company, has entered into a definitive agreement whereby Motion Industries has agreed to acquire Missouri Power Transmission. Missouri Power Transmission has been a distributor of power transmission equipment and industrial supplies since 1970. The company specializes in chains, sprockets, bearings, seals, electric motors and controls, belting, and related industrial parts. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri Power Transmission services customers from 15 branch and affiliate offices. Their machine shop performs services including gearbox repair, shafting (keyed and plain), welding, and customized machining and millwork. With annual sales of $4.6 billion, Motion Industries is an industrial parts distributor of bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical and industrial automation, hydraulic and industrial hose, hydraulic and pneumatic components, industrial products, safety products, and material handling. Motion Industries has more than 550 operations including 15 distribution centers throughout North America and serves more than 150,000 customers from the food and beverage, pulp and paper, iron and steel, chemical, mining and aggregate, petrochemical, automotive, wood and lumber and pharmaceutical industries. More Than 300 Million Mild Hybrid 48 Volt Vehicles in Prospect Analyst IDTechEx has just completed a major study of 48V mild hybrid vehicles, releasing the brand new report "Mild Hybrid 48V Vehicles 2016-2031". It finds that, although they are not yet in series production, 48V mild hybrid vehicles are likely to sell in huge numbers because they can meet even the onerous emissions legislation planned for 2030, while improving performance to close to that of traditional strong hybrids at half the cost. Indeed, much less hassle is involved because these are an incremental improvement to existing powertrains not the new platform, "born electric" approach required to optimally introduce electric vehicles, whether strong hybrid or pure electric. "We are talking of on-road vehicles here, particularly cars but with good potential for modernizing existing trucks and buses too," said IDTechEx analyst on the project Dr Peter Harrop. "Our interviews over two years in three continents have been rounded off with many interviews across the world in 2016 and there is a near consensus that 48V systems with torque assist reversible rotating machines can sell at a cumulative 300 million plus vehicles in the window of opportunity from mass launch in 2017 to 2031 or so when we expect dominance of pure electric cars. The exciting thing is that new enhancements are opening up all the time, making 48V systems a more and more compelling prospect. For example, CPT switched reluctance motor generators may eliminate the need for a DC-DC converter and silent pure electric take-off will definitely be available for many 48V vehicles, mimicking this feature in EVs. Some major automotive companies are therefore reviewing the investment they make in strong hybrid given that most of the market may now be grabbed by 48V mild hybrids and pure electric powertrains." This report from IDTechEx Research, "Mild Hybrid 48V Vehicles 2016-2031", gives 15 year forecasts. "A ten year forecast is misleading here," explains Harrop, "because a dramatic peaking then collapse of 48V systems occurs not long after that, in our assessment." IDTechEx does not find it all a bed of roses though. Standards are needed not least for component interoperability and therefore economy of scale. The potential in boats and aircraft is found to be modest and there turns out to be little synergy with the many 48V pure electric vehicles out there from scooters to car-like micro EVs not homologated as cars. 20 Spring 2016 www.e-DriveOnline.com http://www.e-DriveOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of eDrive - Spring 2016

Machine Design in the 21st Century
Sodecia Uses PC Control, EtherCAT and Programmable Safety to Accelerate Robot Cell Performance for Automotive Assembly
Motors & Drives
Encoders
Components
Industry News
Industry Events

eDrive - Spring 2016