Backlash, torsion, and transmission error are all gearbox problems that can contribute to lost motion in a drive system that includes mechanical components. But this doesn’t mean you should eliminate these components, as the mechanical advantages of their use are significant. They just need to be monitored, analyzed and controlled. A customer came to us with a gearbox problem that looked to include lost motion as one of the symptoms. This customer produced a line of packaging assembly machines, one series of which put tops on containers. Their typical drive design wasn’t working on [...]