55 www.drivesncontrols.com September 2026 NEW PRODUCTS n Gates is replacing the chloroprene compounds in its PowerGrip HTD 8mm and 14mm synchronous belts with an advanced EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) compound, enhancing their performance, and ensuring that they comply with standards and regulations. By extending EPDM across its HTD range, Gates says it is standardising elastomer technology across its portfolio. With this change, the belts are now static conductive in European Atex environments. EPDM also offers enhanced temperature resistance, good ageing stability, and durability in demanding industrial environments. The belt dimensions, performance, part numbers and product ordering processes are unchanged. The material update builds on the success of Gates’ PowerGrip GT4 belts, where the EPDM technology has already demonstrated reliability and customer acceptance. Gates www.gates.com/gb/en Baumer says it has established a new class of smart 2D profile sensors for high-quality inspection and positioning applications. The OX sensors can perform complex tasks on-board that previously needed highquality camera systems or multisensor arrays. For example, they can detect gaps or missing objects, and identify faulty parts, over measuring ranges of up to 500mm. This is said to result in easier and more reliable performance for tasks such as presence detection, completeness checks and quality inspection. The sensors analyse height profiles, evaluating data onboard to deliver results such as OK/NOK, positioning data, or counting objects, without needing extra processing. Basic profile data is determined with a precision of up to 5μm in the Z direction and a resolution of up to 30μm in X direction. The compact sensors are said to be easy to connect and operate. A Web interface can be used to parameterise up to 20 tools, allowing operators to view measurements live, and to perform immediate checks as well as optimising parameters. Baumer 01793 783839 www.baumer.com/OXM200 Elastomer compound enhances belt performance and durability Kendrion has developed a compact permanent magnet brake for servomotors with low-tomedium torque levels, using the same mechanical and electrical interface as its high-torque brakes. This allows different torque ranges to be covered with a similar brake technology without having to redesign motors. Users pay only for the torque they need. Kendrion says that in a market where product variety and cost pressures are rising, there is a need for cost-effective brakes. It points out that around 70% of servomotor applications are in the low-to-mid torque range. The new Slim PM brake is aimed at highvolume applications such as automation, robots, conveyors and packaging machines. The new brakes are up to 25% shorter than the company’s high-torque brakes and weigh up to 30% less. They are also up to 15% cheaper. They are aimed at applications in the 2.7–17Nm torque range, compared to 0.1– 280Nm for the high-torque models. The brakes will allow servomotor manufacturers to expand their modular braking systems in the low-to-mid torque range without extra costs for design, assembly or documentation. Instead of having to master different braking technologies, they will be able to use one architecture, simplifying scaling. Another potential attraction is that the new brake will allow European manufacturers to compete with cheaper springloaded brakes often used in Asia. Kendrion aims to offer the new brakes “within a cost framework that was previously more feasible with spring-loaded brakes”. Kendrion www.kendrion.com/en Rockwell Automation has announced a software package designed to simplify the deployment of vision inspection systems, and improve quality control. The FactoryTalk Analytics VisionAI software with new VisionStream and VisionLink capabilities, is an AI-powered inspection system that improves product quality, increases yield, and gains insights from production data. The no-code platform allows quality personnel and operators to train, deploy and manage AI-based inspection models without needing machine vision expertise. The VisionStream capability learns product characteristics automatically from live production data and detects anomalies without requiring manual image labelling. It simplifies deployment and accelerates time-to-value by reducing the time and expertise needed to create and maintain vision inspection models. The VisionLink capability allows manufacturers to add AIpowered inspection to existing vision systems. By connecting third-party cameras to the FactoryTalk software running on edge hardware, manufacturers can enhance inspection performance, access advanced analytics, enable cloud-based backup and management, and extend the lifecycles of their vision assets without needing to replace existing hardware. Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com Vision software simplifies deployment and improves quality Mid-torque PM servo brake competes with spring-loaded rivals Smart 2D profile sensors perform complex tasks on-board
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