move

The magazine for customers and partners of WITTENSTEIN AG

WITTENSTEIN AG

Innovation driver formechatronic drive technology

10

April · 2013

move

The magazine for customers and partners of WITTENSTEIN AG

Contents

30 years of innovation leadership
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH

4

IT endows mechanics with intelligence
WITTENSTEIN drives for Industry 4.0

6

Integrated drive solutions
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH

8

Emission-free emotions

MastheadeMotorcycle driven by WITTENSTEIN

Publisher:
WITTENSTEIN AG
Walter-Wittenstein-Str. 1
97999 Igersheim / Germany
Phone: +49 7931 493-0
www.wittenstein.de
move@wittenstein.de
Editorial content:
Sabine Maier, Manager Press & Public Relations(Responsible under press law)(Marketing & Communications Dept.)
Circulation:
3.000 copies
Production:
WAJS
Otto-Hahn-Str. 13
97204 Höchberg / Germany

Award winning: The “body conscious pcb”
WITTENSTEIN electronics GmbH

10

12

Wireless power transmission
WITTENSTEIN intens GmbH

14

A perfect match
Brushless DC motors and servo amplifier

16

Launching pad for a future career
WITTENSTEIN Foundation

18

Cover photo: Low-backlash planetary gearheads mady by
WITTENSTEIN alpha – then and now

Congratulations to Romania
WITTENSTEIN international20

All rights reserved. This document may not be reprinted orelectronically distributed without the express permission of
the publisher.

Trade fair calendar 201323

Dear readers,when they first set out, successful entrepreneurs tend to rely on theirintuition, ingenuity and absolute determination to assist them in realizing
their visions. They seize the opportunities presented to them in times oftechnological upheaval to create new products for new markets basedon original ideas. Werner von Siemens, Gottlieb Daimler, Henry Ford,
Carl Zeiss, Adam Opel – founding fathers from the past – Bill Gates andDietmar Hopp – two modern-day examples – all began their careers as intuitive pioneers.
More than three decades ago, the potential for planetary gearheads appeared to be completely exhausted – when asmall, bright orange gearhead attracted the attention of numerous machine designers at the 1983 Hanover Fair. It had
been developed by a trio of engineers: Bernhard Orlowski, Manfred Bastian and Manfred Wittenstein. The success of
the world’s first low-backlash planetary gearhead was not long coming. Looking back, it was this product that laid thefoundation for the entire WITTENSTEIN Group’s evolution to a sought-after specialist for mechatronic drive technology.
Low-backlash planetary gearheads made by WITTENSTEIN alpha continue to set benchmarks to this day: the world’s
first low-backlash planetary gearhead in hygienic design, which is due to be unveiled at the Hanover Fair a few weeks
from now, is the newest demonstration of our biggest subsidiary’s innovative vitality. “Backlash-free quality” – our thirty
year-old exhibition slogan from 1983 is still as relevant as ever for the latest gearhead series.
Acknowledged technological expertise and a tradition of innovativeness remain the mainstays of our success. Driven
by a visionary pioneering spirit, WITTENSTEIN has for some time now been committed to implementing Industry 4.0– the high-tech IT strategy. We firmly believe that Industry 4.0 will become the universal language of production. Our
Hanover exhibit will show how flexibility, resource efficiency and interconnected business and value creation processes
could revolutionize industrial production in the next few years with the help of cyber-physical systems and the Internetof Things. Using the mechatronic system construction kit developed by WITTENSTEIN tool drives as a novel approach
to woodworking that integrates ‘elements’ of Industry 4.0, we will pinpoint ways in which the manufacture of highly
customized industrial products can in future be reconciled with maximum flexibility regardless of the batch size.
Come along and visit us at the Hanover Fair at our main stand No. F08 in Hall 15 or at the joint E-MOTIVE Stand No.
K12 (02) in Hall 25!

WITTENSTEIN – Innovation driver for mechatronic drive technology

Johannes Arnold

Dieter Derr

Executive Management WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH

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3

Identifying new trends – setting new benchmarks!
30 years of innovation leadership in low-backlash planetary gearheads

Hanover Fair 1983: Dr. Manfred Wittenstein unveils the world‘s first low-backlash SP planetary gearhead at whatby today‘s standards is a comparatively modest exhibition stand. In retrospect this event marks the birth of the
WITTENSTEIN Group – meanwhile one of the world‘s top innovators in the field of mechatronic drive technology.

Anticipating the demise of the line shaft
The precision know-how accumulated in many years as amanufacturer of sewing machines coupled with technological and entrepreneurial foresight was the cornerstone of thecompany’s success. At an early stage, Dr. Manfred Wittenstein sensed the decisive technology shift in the mechanicalengineering sector away from a single, central drive via a line
shaft to decentralized servo actuators. “I jumped aboard theservo train ahead of the rest”, he is quoted as having said at
the time.
“Backlash-free quality” – then and now
What the market needed all those years ago was low-backlash planetary gearheads that combined maximum precision
with endurance. The challenge for the engineers involved in
the project was to get the gear teeth to engage with hitherto unknown accuracy – a development objective that madeprecision manufacturing an obvious choice. The necessary
expertise already existed at the company from the days of
glove sewing machines. The SP gearheads lived up to the

4 moveoriginal advertising slogan – “Backlash-free quality” – from theoutset: their low-backlash design and the know-how invested
in the gearing technology added up to maximum precision,
reliability and performance, very quiet running and a long
lifetime. It was these attributes that propelled WITTENSTEIN
servo actuators “from the back of the train to the driver’scab” – where the direction and market trends are determined.
Technology milestones
The first low-backlash planetary gearhead set the standard
for the industry – and the mechanical interface is still established in the market today. For the past thirty years thecompany – alpha getriebebau GmbH, founded in 1984, waslater renamed WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH – has maintained
its systematic pursuit of gearheads that deliver more performance with no increase in weight or dimensions, produce
less operating noise, run for longer and – especially topicalin 2013 – make optimal use of energy. Parallel to this, three
decades of direct selling have seen a lot of customer requirements serving as input to the product portfolio. The TP

Products

The world‘s first low-backlash planetary gearhead in hygienic
designseries of planetary gearheads with an output flange, which
first appeared back in 1994, was just one of the numerous
highlights. Shortly afterwards, in 1999, WITTENSTEIN alphareleased cymex®, the first sizing software to allow complete
powertrains to be mechanically designed on a PC. Under
the banner of the alpheno® planetary gearhead it was WITTENSTEIN’s biggest subsidiary which once again offered its
clients the unprecedented chance to design made-to-measure, optimally specified gearheads for customized applications using a standard set of components. Three years later,in 2007, WITTENSTEIN alpha introduced its servo right-angle
gearhead family, followed in 2011 by the High Performance
Linear System – an integrated drive solution featuring significantly higher controllable and usable feeding forces plus theoption of downsizing complete drive concepts

Innovation leader into the future
In the year 2013 – almost thirty years to the day after the
first SP gearhead made its début – WITTENSTEIN alpha will
launch its Hygienic Design series. The world’s first low-backlash planetary gearhead that consistently follows hygienic
design principles is ideal for meeting the stringent requirements of the food and pharmaceutical packaging industries,
for instance.
The innovation potential and market trends for the next few
years have already been identified: more power density andenergy efficiency, more specialization, more intelligence embedded in the drives, integrated drive solutions that include
smart accessories and even more consulting expertise – allwith the threefold aim of strengthening expert know-how
in the individual Business Units, pushing ahead with the
WITTENSTEIN Group’s evolution to a mechatronics corporation and remaining a competent partner for customers in allareas of mechatronic drive technology.

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5

Future Production

IT endows mechanics with intelligence
WITTENSTEIN drives for Industry 4.0

Industry experts are unanimous – the fourth industrial
revolution is on its way. WITTENSTEIN motion control,a subsidiary of the WITTENSTEIN Group and supplierof mechatronic drive systems, is already putting the Industry 4.0 concept into practice in its products. Configurable mechanics, sensors and software are the threevital ingredients.
A spectre has been rising over German factories, research
institutes and development labs since last year’s Hanover
Fair: Industry 4.0. The basic idea is to make tomorrow’s
factories smarter. Production processes and the requisite
machinery will in future be auto-controllable in many new
ways and connected together in networks. Software, hardware and communication components such as sensors or
the Internet will be key technology pillars. Of course, no-one
at WITTENSTEIN motion control really believes in ghosts.
The engineers and information scientists at the tool drives
Business Division in Bad Pyrmont, all experts in mechatronic
drives, are already realizing the ideas of the fourth industrial
revolution in marketable systems today. Their goals are highflexibility, fast conversion and substantial cost savings if themachine tool unit needs to be adapted to new production
requirements – for example for drilling or milling.
“First and foremost, smarter machines mean flexible control
options as well as open communication interfaces”, Eduard
Pineker explains. An electrical engineering graduate whoworks for FERCHAU Engineering Hannover, he is currently
supporting the WITTENSTEIN development team in the tool
drives Business Division. He describes his specialist field as“embedded development, in other words programming andtesting software for microcontrollers”.
Customer demands for more flexibility and intelligence are

6 moveput into practice by the engineers as follows: flexibly exchangeable, optionally connectible direct drive machining
modules – the drives – are one aspect. The other is a distributed control unit, which WITTENSTEIN refers to as the“Control Box”. “All information about the machine tool’s actual status converges in this control centre”, Pineker continues.
Which job is being manufactured right now, what condition
are the tools in, are any changes scheduled, which upstream
or downstream steps are necessary and have any tools broken? The Control Box provides answers to all these questions and keeps the operator permanently up to date with thehelp of the integrated Life Cycle Management functionality.
Pineker’s experience as an electrical engineer at the dividing line between hardware and software stands him in goodstead when it comes to developing communication between
the microcontrollers. After writing the programs in C++ with
“Eclipse”, the open source tool, he then tests them with software tools using an oscilloscope to analyze and optimize thesignal waveform. Mechanics meets IT – the entire breadth of
his engineer’s art is called for here. Communication acrossdifferent machines or production centres is controlled byreal-time protocols such as EtherCAT or Profinet. Another
innovative feature of Control Box 2.0 is that, in contrast toconventional controllers where the operator must be familiar
with the PLC programming language, the machine tool canin future be controlled from a browser via a web interface.
A few clicks of the mouse are all it takes for technicians to set
the required parameters. Inventive thinking combined with aplay instinct – a perfect combination for an engineer like Eduard Pineker. “Every program I develop translates somethingphysical into motion, which means I get instant feedback onwhether or not it does what it’s supposed to”, he says when

Rotary and linear servo systems form the backbone of
WITTENSTEIN motion control‘s product portfolio. Motors, gearheads, electronics, sensors and software are
optimally integrated and matched to one another, setting new benchmarks for mechatronic drive systems interms of functionality, reliability, dynamics and precision. These drive systems are used in automation, robotic and handling systems, direct drive spindle systems,
machine tools and production machinery as well as in
special applications in extreme ambient conditions.
They are developed, produced and marketed by three
separate Business Divisions: Industrial Systems, Special Applications and – the newest addition to the family – tool drives. The latter integrates all mechatronic
disciplines in an intelligent, scalable and flexible system construction kit for direct drive spindle systems in
the CNC machining sector.

Using the mechatronic tool drives system,WITTENSTEIN will give visitors to the Hanover
Fair 2013 a chance to experience the meaning of
mechatronics and Industry 4.0 close up. Come andsee for yourself at our Stand No. F08 in Hall 15!

Electrical engineer Eduard Pineker
supports the development team at
WITTENSTEIN tool drives.
Photo: FERCHAU EngineeringGmbH

Meets even the highest requirements forflexibility and intelligence: the tool drives
mechatronic system construction kit

prompted to sum up what makes his job so fascinating.
WITTENSTEIN’s strong involvement as a core enterprise in“it’s OWL”, the German leading edge cluster for intelligent
technical systems, is the proverbial “cherry on the cake” ofhis work. A total of 174 cooperation partners – traditional andapplied science universities as well as industrial companies– are endeavouring to transform the spectre of Industry 4.0
into smart products and production processes designed tomake our lives easier.

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7

Products

Every detail matters
Riding the success trail with integrated drive solutions from WITTENSTEIN alpha

Christian Deppisch
Product Engineer, WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH

Every detail matters – particularly to designers of highperformance drive systems. However, it’s not just thetechnical finesses of servo actuators that give WITTENSTEIN alpha solutions that crucial edge over competitor
products: the focus on drive systems with individually
tailored accessories means users are assured optimal
performance every time. What’s more, the holistic development approach guarantees maximum future security and cost-efficient administrative processes forcustomers.

STEIN alpha’s success. Although high-quality gearheads remain its core competency, the portfolio also includes a wide
range of related accessories for specific applications as well
as services to facilitate drive solutions with a reputation for
maximum performance, availability and future security. Bybundling all key aspects of drive technology in the handsof WITTENSTEIN alpha, customers also derive tangible costbenefits with regard to administrative processes compared
to independently developed drive solutions comprised of individual components from multiple suppliers.

Systematic added value
Thirty years ago the world’s first low-backlash planetary
gearheads laid the foundation for the establishment shortly
afterwards of alpha getriebebau GmbH, the company known
today as WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH. Those three decades
have seen a continuous evolution away from single products
towards optimally interacting systems and solutions. Thisability to think and act in terms of system solutions is something more and more customers nowadays take for granted
when purchasing servo drives – and the pillar of WITTEN-

Accessories lift servo drives to the highest level
WITTENSTEIN alpha offers a broad array of connection andtransmission elements that can be attached as intelligent accessories in order to align a gearhead to individual applications and round off the complete powertrain. Couplings andshrink discs with optimally adapted technology enable thefull power of each planetary gearhead to be unleashed withno losses. At the same time, these accessories allow powertrains to be fine-tuned. Torque limiters protect the powertrain
and drive components against overload.

8 moveHigh-end gearheads and optimally interacting accessories all from a single supplier: WITTENSTEIN alphaAfter the overload has dropped, a TÜV certified switchingmechanism permits fast re-engagement of the coupling, sothat the machine is up and running again in the shortest possible time. Backlash-free, torsionally rigid metal bellows couplings compensate shaft misalignment and simultaneously
ensure dynamic, precise power transmission. Elastomer
couplings for dampening torque surges and vibration provide excellent concentricity and smooth running throughout
the powertrain, even at high speeds.
Protect, compensate, dampen, connect – fine-tuning of eachindividual gearhead adds up to perfect performance: thanks
not least to the cymex® sizing software, all components aredesigned to fit to one another exactly in a harmonious drive
solution.
Everything from one source – practical benefits
for customers
Reduced complexity, increased efficiency, lower costs, higher customer satisfaction – trusting in system solutions from asingle supplier is a wise choice, not only from the technology
perspective. Accessory items and C parts for powertrains

tend to give rise to disproportionately high costs for internal
processes compared to the actual value of the goods. In
contrast to drive components procured from several different manufacturers, single-source systems are an effective
way to optimize. After all, turnkey delivery of the gearhead
and accessories means comprehensive consulting, only one
purchase order, full documentation – and only one work order, one delivery note and one invoice. By integrating internal
activities according to the “everything from one source” principle, business processes such as design, purchase, logistics and accounts can be significantly streamlined. Sample
calculations prove that the time and effort saved can total as
much as 80% of the administrative costs for the accessories
concerned. This is not simply a one-off economy – on thecontrary, it’s a recurring benefit that pays dividends for thecustomer every time a new order is placed!
In the world of servo drives holistic solutions are comprisedof many different details; our success proves it’s these details that ultimately determine the quality – and the optimal
choice for the customer from both a technical and a commercial point of view.

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Emission-free emotions
eMotorcycle driven by WITTENSTEIN on course for the World Championship

Around 150 electric horsepower, more than 155 mph and lap records – the magic of motor racing is guaranteed when
Matthias Himmelmann of the Würzburg Münch Racing Team races for the world title on his electrically powered motorbike. In a contest packed with emotions but completely free of emissions he once again made it onto the podiumin the 2012 World Championship – thanks to the WITTENSTEIN electric powertrain specially tailored to the requirements of motor racing in his eBike.
Mobility: learning from motor racing
Like any high-level sport, professional motor racing on eBikes
makes extremely tough demands on both driver and materials. If, therefore, the challenges can be mastered in a motor
racing vehicle, the potential for production-ready innovations
that enhance the performance of eMobile drive concepts ishigh. This is also WITTENSTEIN’s strategy as a pioneer inthe electric motor racing world. “Electric motorcycle racing
in general, and our cooperation with the Münch Racing Teamin particular, represents an ideal experiential field to assess
exactly how electric drive technology can support the eMobility cause”, says WITTENSTEIN’s Christian Lutz. As systems
engineer for the Münch motors and their power electronics,
he is very closely involved in the development of powertrain

10 moveconcepts for motor racing together with the racing team. Insights gained in this way are directly aiding the developmentof close-to-series powertrain solutions for electric vehicles.
As one instance, WITTENSTEIN is currently supplying a complete powertrain for high performance electric scooters to amajor automotive manufacturer in its role as development
and project partner.
Pole position in electric motor racing
The World Championship Final 2012 provided renewed confirmation of the fantastic performance that is meanwhile realized by WITTENSTEIN powertrains in motor racing vehicles.
“In the course of the free practice sessions and the qualifying
race, Matthias Himmelmann and his electric racing machineApplications

High performance powertrain for the electric racing machine:with motor and power electronics made by WITTENSTEIN

Matthias Himmelmann on his Münch eBike (main photo) and at the
podium ceremony of the TTXGP international racing series in Daytona,
Florida (small photo, right), together with WITTENSTEIN systems engineer
Christian Lutz.

outsped more than twenty other contestants riding conventional IC bikes, set new lap records and attained maximum
speeds in excess of 150 mph”, reports Thomas Petsch, Manager of the Münch Racing Team. Although already explicitly
designed for motor racing, the WITTENSTEIN electric motor
was further fine-tuned during the practice laps to meet the
special requirements of the Speedway. As a result, the Münch
eBike achieved a top speed of 155 mph on the straights. In
the “all-electric” final Himmelmann’s only view of all the other
eBikes was in the rear mirror – all except one, that is.

and European Champion in 2012, Matthias Himmelmann was
tipped as top favourite – despite stronger-than-ever competition.
The World Final was decided amid high tension in every
sense – with the Münch machine, or rather the motor sideof the drive, spinning around the track with 500 amps and
370 volts, the race turned out to be incredibly exciting. After
starting from third place, Himmelmann gradually closed up
lap for lap on the eBike of leader Steve Atlas of the American
Brammo team, but could not find a way to get past him.

High tension in the race for the championshipThe big day finally arrived: on October 21, 2012, the World
Final of the TTXGP (Time Trials Extreme Grand Prix) WorldChampionship racing series was held on the three-and-ahalf mile long Daytona International Speedway. The winningteams are determined every year in three continental championships – in Europe, Asia / Australasia and North America –before battling it out in a single race for the top accolade
in the season finale. As World Champion in 2010 and 2011

Petsch recalls the thrilling event: “Himmelmann crossed thefinishing line as runner-up – a tremendous success in viewof the totally different opportunities available to the US andChinese teams with their optimal financial footing.”

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Products

Award winning
The »body conscious« pcb

Michael Matthes
Expert for New Electronic Technologies / EDA Systems
Engineering Office Electronics, WITTENSTEIN electronics

From electric toothbrushes through mobile phones tocountless other everyday items: life today would be unthinkable without electronics – or printed circuit boards.
They are also essential for active medical implants, which
perform the function of muscles, for instance, inside thehuman body. Yet would you really want to have a pcb thesize of a postcard fitted inside you during an operation?
And how can you be sure it will function absolutely reliably? After all, “repair ops” are something to be avoided
if at all possible.
Finger-sized miniature electronics, not a
postcard-sized pcb
WITTENSTEIN electronics has the answer – a compact, “bodyconscious” 3D printed circuit board. The development of thisnovel pcb design was sparked by a WITTENSTEIN intens
project, where work is currently in progress on a new kind ofactive implant featuring wireless power and data transmission. Michael Matthes, Expert for New Electronic Technologies at the WITTENSTEIN electronics Engineering Office Electronics, and his team have come up with smart, miniaturized
3D pcbs for precisely these implants. “They’re no bigger than

12 moveyour little finger, which means they can in future be integrated in many different implants and save considerable space”,
Matthes explains.
Flexible conductors and “hidden” components
In order to achieve a pcb that is sufficiently small and reliable
to enable the implant’s electronics to be fitted inside the patient’s body, WITTENSTEIN electronics trod completely newpaths. Using various embedding processes, active components such as circuits and passive components like resistors
are accommodated not only on the top and underside of aStarrflex pcb, which is composed of a combination of rigid and flexible regions, but also in the board structure itself.
“Embedding these components cuts down the amount of
space they require enormously and makes the board much
more compact”, Matthes continues. “What’s more, the pcb
can be bent into a 3D body at the flexible conductors, so thatit then measures just 39 x 25 x 7 millimetres.”
Details embedded in the design
This printed circuit board design makes use of specialist
know-how that has been continually developed and extend-

Hardly any bigger than a 2 euro coin: the Starrflex pcb from WITTENSTEIN
electronics for medical applications

ed by WITTENSTEIN electronics over the last few years. In
addition to the board’s intended functionality this design also
has to comply with certain requirements and restrictions. Defined components are only permitted to be installed in defined
positions on the pcb, for example, and contact holes in or
through the board must be extremely precise, i.e. specified
as a fraction of a millimetre. Matthes: “Finally, all of this has tobe actually feasible to manufacture, to allow us to produce areal electronic product from the virtual computer model of theboard”. He and his team have succeeded in optimizing theelectronics for use in the human body by reducing its size andincreasing its reliability to an unprecedented level.

Components assembled on top of the pcb withremovable test structure

shared with Würth Elektronik GmbH, where the miniaturizedpcbs were produced in almost thirty different steps, many ofthem highly complex.
Not restricted to medtech
The novel technology opens up numerous opportunities for
WITTENSTEIN AG because the miniaturized printed circuitboards are ideally suited for a host of applications – far exceeding the small segment of medical implants. Higher integration of feedback encoders in motors or smart sensors
embedded in gearheads are just two examples that spring
to mind.

First place for the implant pcb
The “body conscious” 3D pcb is an award winning solution
with multiple advantages for patients. At the end of last year,
Michael Matthes and his team at WITTENSTEIN electronics
were presented with the PCB Design Award 2012 in the 3D /Form Factor category by FED, the German Association for the
Design and Production of Printed Boards and Electronics, inrecognition of their development, design and manufacturingknow-how. This honour for WITTENSTEIN electronics was

move 13

Applications

Wireless power transmission
for active medical implants

The inductive power transmission system supplies
medical implants with power wirelessly through thetissue.
The transmitter coil is attached to the skin; thereceiver coil is fitted underneath the skin, from where
it powers the implant.

Felix Grödl
Development Engineer, WITTENSTEIN intens GmbHFITBONE®, the motorized intramedullary nail, integrates
an innovative technology that WITTENSTEIN intens has
been employing with great success for some time now:
wireless power transmission through the skin into the implant. Another product the intens subsidiary’s engineers
are currently hard at work developing – a urological implant – will one day also have a wireless power supply.
Yet how does this power actually get inside the humanbody? How reliable is the transmission method? And is
the patient forced to put up with risks and side-effects?
Immobilizers and electric toothbrushes show
how it works
To enable each patient to be treated as comfortably as possible, WITTENSTEIN intens has developed a power supply
system based on induction that operates wirelessly. The underlying principle is already very familiar – for example fromlift passes in ski resorts, vehicle immobilizers, contactlessbadges and pass cards or electric toothbrushes. Two coils
are required regardless of the application: one to transmit thepower and one to receive it and supply it to the implant. With
medical implants the transmitter coil is generally attached tothe skin. The receiver coil is fitted underneath the skin, either
in the fatty tissue or in an outer muscle layer. Power is transmitted through the tissue – completely invisibly and with noitching or pain.

14 move

Optimized system design for reliable power transmission
The distance inside the patient’s body over which power
needs to be transmitted between the two coils can vary considerably depending on the implant site. Added to this, theposition and orientation of the internal coil can easily change
whenever the person moves. These two factors – the distance and the alignment of the coils relative to one another –are crucial for the design of the inductive power transmission system. It is possible to simulate the actual transmission
characteristics and then select the coil type – air or ferrite
core – that promises the highest efficiency. The implant also
determines other key data for the transmission system bymeans of the operating voltage and the power input. Oncethese parameters have been defined, the optimum coil geometry can be calculated with the help of a special simulation tool. In other words, the system is perfectly matchedto the future application as early as the design stage – withthe result that efficiencies of well over 90% are consistently
achieved even in case of angular errors or coil misalignment.
Power transmission in measured doses
No matter how vital reliable power transmission may be froma technical point of view, there is one aspect that ultimately
takes precedence over all others, namely tolerance or – putanother way – the patient’s health. To rule out unnecessary
damage to the tissue through which the power passes, theControl system

Inductive power transmission
through the skinHand-held external sensor for patient
control of the implantsystem is always designed so that the implant only ever draws
as much power as it actually needs. A constant voltage of
between 8 and 24 V is typical. The temperature is monitoredcontinuously based on the simulated temperature rise in theimplanted components: even with a high transmitted powerof 20 W, the components never heat up more than 1.8°C – inline with the requirements for active implants.
When power transmission is simulated in the framework of
the system design, account is additionally taken of potential
error scenarios, for example due to conductive materials suchas orthopaedic screws or intramedullary lengthening nails inthe vicinity of the transmission site. Since the simulation also
shows the optimal arrangement of the components relative to
one another, eddy current losses or undesirable temperaturerises are excluded along with electromagnetic interference
acting on the implant electronics. Possible malfunctions of
the individual components in the body can thus be detected early on before they have a chance to harm the patient’s
health.

Implant

Fully implantable FITBONE ® intramedullary distraction nail for correcting
extremities

assuming a 30 mm transmission path and a transmit powerof 5 W, an implantable coil with a diameter of 35 mm and aheight of 3 mm would appear to be ideal. Even if the coils
have an angular misalignment of up to 20 mm with an angularerror of 20°, this would still facilitate optimal power transmission. There are already plans to transpose the inductive power transmission principle to other medical applications suchas an adjustable gastric band or in order to measure stressin implants, drug pumps or heart support systems. The same
technology is also suitable for non-implantable medical products. The fact that no cables are required not only offers thepatient increased ease of operation and movement; it also
allows the devices to be completely encapsulated – a hugeadvantage for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization.

Broad array of applications
The power transmission system for active implants developed
by WITTENSTEIN intens is CE-compliant and meets all safety
and ergonomic requirements for electrical medtech equipment and systems. The general conditions and constraints
for use in urological implants are currently under investigation:

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A perfect match:
Brushless DC motor and compact amplifier combined

Siegfried Wallauer
Product Manager,
WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbHAn unbeatable doubles team with high performance potential – WITTENSTEIN’s new, compact “simco drive”
servo amplifier and the innovative brushless DC motors
in the “cyber dynamic line” family are tailor made for anyone seeking a space-saving actuator solution. They are
primarily targeted at applications where precise traversing and positioning at high speeds is a must, for example
in the machine tool, electronics and packaging industries
or in robotics and handling systems.
simco drive: A trendsetter among servo amplifiers
The simco drive servo amplifier was developed by WITTENSTEIN motion control for electronically commutated (EC) servo motors with up to 500 W continuous power and 1 kW
peak power. Designed with IP65 protection, the amplifier canbe installed in the field at distributed locations, i.e. directly
adjacent to the actuators. This not only means far less wiring
for users compared to centrally arranged amplifiers; it also
allows the entire actuator solution to be flexibly integrated into

16 movethe architecture of a wide range of machines. The operating
personnel are guided by an intuitive graphical user interface
whenever the machine is started up, diagnosed or serviced,
enabling integration or maintenance work to be completedvery efficiently in minimal time. simco drive offers maximum
openness and flexibility when data is transferred to the control
level or when communicating with the actuators.
cyber dynamic line: Brushless DC motors withhigh dynamics
The new brushless DC motors in the cyber dynamic line
family enlarge the WITTENSTEIN cyber motor portfolio of
three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motors. This
electronically commutated motor series, which was designed
for performance ranges between 25 and 335 W, creates newopportunities for machine design with a set of advanced
and innovative features. Thanks to the high dynamic factor,
it achieves higher acceleration values as a starting point forcorrespondingly higher throughputs and cycle rates. The high

Products

Motor and controller from a single supplier
The performance potential is optimally matched for maximum
dynamics and investment security with no interface risks regardless of the application.

Dieter Uhl
Sales Engineer,
WITTENSTEIN cyber motor GmbHtorque constant is another advantage of all cyber dynamic
line motors. It paves the way for smaller cable cross-sections
and more compact servo controllers – saving space andmoney. The high torque at low speeds – plus the large shaft
diameters at the output – also makes the motors suitable foruse as gearless direct drives.
The ideal doubles team for machine builders andend customers
The combination of the simco drive servo amplifier and thebrushless DC motors in the cyber dynamic line offers many
important benefits for machine builders, integrators and end
users. The fact that the motor and controller are both available
from one suppler results in technically optimized solutions –with no interface risks. The elimination of the parameterization
step cuts the time for commissioning. The one-cable concept
adopted for the amplifier-motor connection facilitates fast,
economical wiring. Both components were incidentally also
designed for use in adverse environmental conditions – which

they withstand without any problems. Their functional surfaces are quick and easy to clean – a crucial argument in industries like textiles, paper and packaging. The performance ofthe servo amplifiers is perfectly matched to the performancepotential of the brushless DC motors, for example to theirfast current control and high current resolution. The outcome:maximum dynamics regardless of the application.
On the safe side with WITTENSTEIN technology
The simco drive servo amplifier and the brushless DC motors
in the cyber dynamic line together form the backbone of highperformance drive solutions in the ranges and applications
described here. The unique synthesis of innovative technologies and perfect interaction guarantees optimal investment
security.

move 17

Dr. Manfred Wittenstein welcomes the two scholarship winners
for 2012 – a double intake year in Germany – to the WITTENSTEIN
Headquarters in Igersheim-Harthausen. Katrin Michelbach of Bad
Mergentheim embarked on a degree course in Electrical Engineering in
Stuttgart last autumn. Lukas Hofmann, who intends to study Physics or
Aerospace Engineering starting next autumn, mentions perseverance
and dependability in all aspects of life as particularly important andvaluable qualities.

WITTENSTEIN Foundation
Start-up support for a scientific career

Every year, thousands of youngsters leave school with good grades and the desire to study for a college or university
degree. Unfortunately, they are often undecided about what to study or where – and above all how to pay their rent.
The WITTENSTEIN Foundation provides a possible answer, at least to the last of these questions. It offers scientificallyliterate pupils at the Deutschorden-Gymnasium school in Bad Mergentheim the chance of a scholarship as a good
way to finance their life as a student.

“It’s more than just a monthly cash injection to cover at least
some of the cost of being a student; you also have easieraccess to holiday jobs and placements”, reports Andreas
Rüdenauer, scholarship winner in 2004. He went on to study
Mechanical Engineering and meanwhile works as a research
assistant at the Institute of Vehicle System Technology at
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Karolin Pusch, who
was awarded a Foundation scholarship in 2009, is equallydelighted to have “the backing of a strong sponsor like WITTENSTEIN” while she completes her course.
Talented youngsters from the Tauber Valley as global
technology innovators
The sponsorship programme will come of age this year whena scholarship is awarded to a talented youngster from the
Tauber Valley for the eighteenth time. It is the WITTENSTEIN

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Foundation’s declared aim to promote promising young scientists and engineers and motivate them to take a degree inan engineering discipline. “Natural sciences form the backbone of our prosperity and to renounce our relentless pursuitof knowledge would be immoral”, says Dr. Manfred Wittenstein, who initiated the Foundation, when asked about thereasons for his commitment. Rather than looking far afield,
he elected to foster mainly local talent on his own doorstep.
The success of this strategy proves him right: every one of
the almost twenty scholarship holders to date – two of whom
have also been awarded a doctorate – are currently studying
attractive, cutting-edge subjects or working in future oriented
professions: informatics, biotechnology, electrical engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry, business engineering
or aerospace engineering, not forgetting a few in drive engineering.

WITTENSTEIN Foundation

Andreas Rüdenauer, scholarship winner in 2004, has
meanwhile graduated in Mechanical Engineering.

Award for outstanding achievements
Following an intensive scrutiny of the candidates’ applications, the WITTENSTEIN Foundation Board finally decides
which student from the Deutschorden-Gymnasium school
will receive the coveted scholarship. The choice becomes
more and more difficult every year as the standard of scientificachievement by school leavers continues to rise. Although
the Foundation can only award one scholarship a year – thedouble intake year 2012 has so far been the only exception –it is nevertheless keen to honour the remarkable work anddedication of the many unlucky applicants.
They too therefore benefit from placement opportunities at
WITTENSTEIN as well as various other forms of support.
“We welcome any up-and-coming scientist or engineer who
makes the effort to stay in contact with us”, Dr. Wittensteinemphasizes.

Karolin Pusch was awarded a WITTENSTEIN
Foundation scholarship in 2009.

advice for the talented school leavers: “Pluck up your courage, keep your eye on the big picture and trust your intuitionand your gut feeling”. All scholarship holders up to now havetaken advantage of the tangible and intangible start-up capital provided to them by the WITTENSTEIN Foundation as alaunching pad for their future career. Some of the older ones
among them are studying for their doctorate or have alreadycompleted it. Several have become successful entrepreneurs
while others work in scientific or research institutes. Acrossthe board they have made the most of their abilities andachieved their lofty goals – in mechanical engineering, thedevelopment of powerful batteries for electric cars, biotechnology, the IT industry and software development. Everyone
to have profited in the past is unanimous on one point: a
WITTENSTEIN Foundation scholarship is more than simply
financial support – it’s an honour, distinction, motivation anddoor-opener for a successful scientific career.

Honour, motivation and launching pad in one
Once a year – just a few days before Christmas – current andformer scholarship winners convene in the Tauber Valley toexchange ideas and experiences, engage in networking andreminisce about old times. Karolin Pusch has some excellent

move 19

Sibiu – centre of an emerging region in Romania

Congratulations to Romania: Felicitări, WITTENSTEIN SRL
Is it only five years ago or five years already? Whichever
way you care to look at it, the WITTENSTEIN production
facility in Şura Mică, just outside Sibiu, will be celebrating its fifth birthday a few weeks from now. More than
thirty staff are meanwhile employed at our Romaniansubsidiary: an exciting time lies behind them – and aworthwhile future ahead of them.
A strategic response to globalized markets
Back in 2005, WITTENSTEIN took a strategic decision to
set up a production location in Romania in order to create
new resources for manufacturing drive components. Since
then, the facility has been regularly extended in its capacity
as a core competence centre for a new Economy series anda base from which to serve the international industry. “Themarket for Economy products is very price sensitive: a lot of
our competitors hail from Asia”, explains Markus Rothenfels,
General Manager of WITTENSTEIN SRL alongside Andreas

20 move

Faulhaber. “The Romanian site with its low-cost products‘made by WITTENSTEIN’ is our answer to Asia’s labour costadvantage.”Transylvania – a perfect location
Why Romania and why Transylvania – after all, most people
think of Asia when the objective is to shift capacity out ofWestern Europe? The reasons are complex. “We didn’t construct the production facility simply to transfer capacity from
A to B; on the contrary, we wanted to build up new capacitythat would allow us to break into new markets”, Faulhabercomments. “You could argue that our decision to invest in
Romania is a logical continuation of the notion of an integrated, common Europe.”
There were obviously also commercial aspects involved yet
as Rothenfels adds, the fact that Transylvania offers an ethnic German setting is a benefit that no money in the world
can buy. Many people there still speak German and so the

WITTENSTEIN international

The WITTENSTEIN manufacturing plant in Şura Mică opened five years ago.

language barriers are much smaller – both in contact withthe local population and with the firm’s own staff. What’smore, the Sibiu region also has a flourishing economy.
An attractive employer for people in the region
Since its foundation five years ago in June 2008, WITTENSTEIN SRL has developed into an altogether attractive
employer. “I always look forward to going to work in themorning”, says Production Manager Felix Szabo. His colleague Stefan Petres of Logistics Management continues:“WITTENSTEIN provides me with a good, secure job that fills
up many hours of my life. It gives me a perspective for the
future – and maybe my children will gain in the same way.”
Rodica Kornae of the Winding Shop makes another valid
point: “What matters most to me is that the company empathizes with my situation and that it gives me the strength andsecurity I need to fulfil my role as a working mother.”
The staff in Şura Mică, for whom family is traditionally very

important, find reassurance in the family-dominated corporate culture, which they actively help to shape. “For one
thing, the people who work here are proud to belong to thecompany because clean workplaces, brightly lit halls, welllooked-after recreation rooms and remuneration that isn’t
based on piecework are still far from standard in Romania”,
Andreas Faulhaber remarks. “For another, there’s a relatively
strong desire on the part of employees and their families tobond with one another. In summer or at Christmas, whenever we hold a party for them and invite the whole family, thechildren invariably beg their parents afterwards to let themvisit the factory again soon.”
The constructive cooperation and typical willingness to helpof the Romanians in general are just as vital a part of the WITTENSTEIN culture as the firm’s offer to identify and develop
the personal strengths and aptitudes of each individual. “Weoffer a whole series of options for further training such as

move 21

WITTENSTEIN international

Joint General Managers of WITTENSTEIN SRL:
Andreas Faulhaber (left) and Markus Rothenfels

First-hand inspection: Dr. Manfred Wittenstein (right)
and Stefan Petres in the Winding Shop

induction for new employees at the German headquarters inIgersheim, on-site training by colleagues from Germany orGerman lessons with all expenses paid”, Faulhaber reports.
“Motivated, dedicated staff who remain faithful to the company for a long time are our goal.”stay on this rapid growth trajectory for the next few years.

Not only the WITTENSTEIN SRL workforce, however, butalso the people in the Sibiu region profit from the company’s
involvement. Together with the German Business Club Transylvania and other firms in the local area, WITTENSTEIN has
launched various initiatives to promote dual training for staff
and lend specific support to the nearby vocational training
college: a CNC milling centre and several laptops for use ina classroom are about to be donated.
Strength from within – business success drives
further growth
WITTENSTEIN is investing some fifteen million euros in its
Romanian production facility in the long term – and it’s definitely money well spent: from its humble beginnings with amere ten staff in 2008 WITTENSTEIN SRL has meanwhilemore than trebled in size to thirty-two and is predicted to

22 move

The company is systematically pushing ahead with its evolution to a core competence centre for “Economy” products
within the WITTENSTEIN Group: in addition to production
and assembly it will in future also be responsible for developing and selling the series concerned. Space will not
be a problem – the premises are big enough to extend theexisting building with four additional production shops withroom for up to four hundred employees.
At the latest when the fifth hall goes up, it will be high time toreiterate our congratulations: Felicitări, WITTENSTEIN SRL!

Trade Fairs

TRADE FAIR CALENDAR 2013 (selection)

Hanover Fair, Hanover (Germany)
Motion, Drive & Automation, Hall 15, Stand F08
MobiliTec, Hall 25, Stand K12 (02)
WITTENSTEIN Group
April 8 to 12, 2013

Metalloobrabotka, Moscow (Russia)
International Exhibition for Materials Processing
Technologies, Machines and Tools
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbHMay 27 to 31, 2013

Indumation, Kortrijk (Belgium)
National Trade Fair for Factory, Process andInfrastructure Automation
WITTENSTEIN bvba
April 24 to 26, 2013

Paris Air Show, Le Bourget (France)
Salon International de l‘Aéronautiqueet de l‘Espace(Joint stand of the German Aerospace Industries
Association (BDLI))WITTENSTEIN aerospace & simulation GmbH
June 17 to 23, 2013

IFFA, Frankfurt (Germany)International Trade Fair for the Meat Industry
WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbHMay 4 to 9, 2013

OTC, Houston (Texas / USA)International Offshore Technology Conference
WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbHMay 6 to 9, 2013

LIGNA, Hanover (Germany)
The Most Important Event for the Timber andWoodworking Industry Worldwide
WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbHMay 6 to 10, 2013

SPS IPC Drives Italia, Parma (Italy)
Europe’s Leading Exhibition for Electric Automation
WITTENSTEIN S.P.A.
May 21 to 23, 2013

EMO, Hanover (Germany)
The World‘s Premier Trade Fair for Metalworking
Technology
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH
September 16 to 21, 2013

Motek, Stuttgart (Germany)International Trade Fair for Assemblyand Handling Technology
WITTENSTEIN Group
October 7 to 10, 2013

Forum Maschinenbau, Bad Salzuflen (Germany)
Trade Fair for Suppliers in the Machinery
Manufacturing Industry
WITTENSTEIN Group
November 6 to 8, 2013

SPS IPC Drives, Nuremberg (Germany)
Exhibition for Electric Automation –Systems & Components
WITTENSTEIN Group
November 26 to 28, 2013

move 23