Cotta Tech Talk – Electric Vehicle Energy Efficiency Testing

High-Speed Gearboxes for Electric Vehicle Energy Efficiency Testing: Did you know?

With many more hybrid and electric vehicles coming to the automobile market, a significant portion of energy consumption is electricity use. A number of Cotta customers have a history of testing these types of vehicles to understand the energy flows and the impact of aspects such as regenerative braking and HVAC have on the electrical energy consumed both from the vehicle battery and the electricity grid.  Testing helps improve the energy efficiency of vehicles to reduce the vehicle’s operating costs and meet regulatory requirements of a low-carbon economy.

For over 50 years Cotta has been offering a broad range of high-speed gearboxes that can be used in a wide range of electric vehicle testing applications.  Today our gearboxes are being used by automotive giants such as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. Whether it is for R&D or a production test stand Cotta can customize a high-speed gearbox to meet your exact needs.

 

 

 

 

 

Cotta Tech Talk – Gearbox Design Tools

State-of-the-Art Gearbox Design Tools: Did you know?

Cotta LLC is renowned for its custom-built gearboxes, a testament to Cotta’s advanced engineering capabilities. To design these intricate components, Cotta employs a suite of cutting-edge mechanical engineering tools. While specific details about Cotta’s proprietary software and processes is confidential, we can provide insights into the general types of tools we use:

3D CAD Software

  • Creo: This comprehensive CAD/CAM/CAE software helps our engineers design custom gearboxes efficiently, accurately, and collaboratively from initial concept to final manufacturing.

Gear Design Software

  • Integrated Gear Software: This software package allows Cotta engineers and manufacturers to produce dependable, high-quality gears by leveraging the toolkit’s several facets of gear design and manufacturing.
  • TK Solver: This software enables our designers to create custom functions to represent specific gear design calculations or empirical relationships.

Other Tools

  • Simulation Visualization Tools: These allows our engineers to visualize and analyze simulation results.

By leveraging these powerful tools, Cotta optimizes gearbox designs for performance, durability, and efficiency, ensuring that our custom products meet the specific requirements of our customers.

 

         

 

 

 

 

Cotta Tech Talk – Automotive Testing Expo

Automotive Testing Expo 2024: Did you know?

John Locarno and Reggie Williams from Cotta, LLC will be attending the Automotive Testing Expo on October 23-24 in Novi, MI to network with current and potential OEM, user, and system integrator customers – and explore the latest industry developments in EV testing and other emerging trends. If you’d like to setup a meeting at the show, please email sales@cotta.com.

 

 

 

 

Cotta Tech Talk – Scheduled Maintenance Reviews

Did You Know: Have you had your checkup?

Scheduled Maintenance Reviews are key to a successful project. As time progresses and your project needs change the demands placed on your gearbox may have changed as well. Maintaining the gearbox ratings by checking the project requirements versus the needed operating specifications will ensure you have the proper gearbox for your application. Cotta provides help identifying the proper updates needed to keep your project always running smoothly. Let Cotta support the successful efficiency of your project by providing the proper system updates for optimum operation.

 

Cotta Tech Talk – Collaboration

Collaboration: Did you know?

Did you know Cotta is constantly collaborating with industry leaders such as Caterpillar, Pratt & Whitney, & Vactor, helping to usher in new technological improvements. Whether it’s helping design a High-Speed Gearbox for the next generation, state-of-the-art aeronautical test stands, creating a more cost-effective durable option for gas & oil drilling, or developing customized design upgrades to support environmental sustainability, let Cotta be your number one reliable source for gearboxes. Offering our support as you gear up powering into the future, we’re here to support your High Speed & Industrial Gearbox needs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cotta Tech Talk – Industrial Gearboxes

Gearboxes for Industrial Applications: Did you know?

Gearboxes are extremely versatile equipment that can be utilized in any situation where speed and torque control are necessary. This makes them essential for driving a wide range of industrial processes, from material transfer to excavation. Whether they are powering a basic conveyor belt or an 800-ton construction vehicle, gearboxes are vital for ensuring that motor systems operate at peak performance. The same fundamentals underlie all gearboxes, but different types of gears are used to accommodate different torque, speed, and energy needs. The torque and speed output of the device are determined by the size and shape of the gears working together.

Industrial gearboxes play a crucial role in operational efficiency, whether it’s controlling an excavator’s speed or directing fill in a packaging facility. By selecting the appropriate gearbox, energy consumption can be minimized, power output can be maximized, and maintenance needs can be reduced. In numerous instances, the utilization of gearboxes to regulate torque enables facilities to opt for fewer and smaller motors, thus enhancing efficiency even more.

The other benefits on industrial gearboxes are:

  • Industrial gearboxes offer durable construction to endure high loads and tough environments.
  • These compact units feature outstanding torque-to-weight ratios.
  • They provide precise management of operational processes.

The specialists at Cotta are available to assist you in choosing the appropriate gearboxes to ensure you obtain the highest benefit from your investment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cotta Tech Talk – FeatureCAM 2025

FeatureCAM 2025: Did you know?

Cotta has been manufacturing high quality industrial gearboxes for well over 50 years. In that time, Cotta has utilized FeatureCAM as our primary CAM software. FeatureCAM 2025 continues to help us produce a wide variety of NC code for a wide selection of machines on the shop floor. This software has a plethora of capabilities, including but not limited to, 3 to 5 axis milling, Mill Turning, EDM, built in intelligence, and a whole lot more. FeatureCAM helps us here at Cotta by minimizing programming time and errors while increasing consistency and quality on the shop floor. Cotta takes great pride in our manufacturing capabilities, and this is just one of the “features” that helps us get the job done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cotta Tech Talk – Finding Gearbox Serial Numbers

Finding Gearbox Serial Numbers: Did you know?

Do you have a Cotta gearbox and need service parts but don’t know what the model number is? All Cotta units ship out with an ID tag but many units in the field have the nameplate with model information either damaged or completely gone. For this very reason Cotta assemblers hand stamp the serial number right into the casting or fabrication on each gearbox. This serial number is usually found at the top of the unit by the filler/breather. We have a vast serial number file that dates back to the 1920’s and will be able to help you identify the exact Cotta model that you have. So scrape away the dirt or wire brush the paint by the breather/filler of your unit and locate the serial number. Then call Cotta at (608) 368-5600 or use our Parts & Service inquiry form and we will send you an assembly drawing and parts list in order to provide you with Genuine Cotta Parts to repair/service your unit.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cotta Tech Talk – Expertise in Gear Grinding

Expertise in Gear Grinding: Did you know?

At Cotta, we pride ourselves on our mastery of gear grinding, a cornerstone of our production process. Gear grinding is an advanced manufacturing method that uses abrasive wheels to precisely remove surface material from a gear blank. This process harnesses the power of abrasion to achieve high levels of accuracy and finish of the teeth or splines on a gear after the initial shaping and heat treatment processes. The advantages of gear grinding are multifold:

  • Tight Tolerances: Gear grinding allows for very tight tolerances, which are essential for ensuring proper gear meshing and optimal gearbox performance.
  • Improved Surface Finish: The fine finish achieved through grinding minimizes friction during gear meshing.
  • Reduced Vibrations and Noise: The precision of the process results in minimal gear meshing imperfections, leading to quieter and smoother gearbox operation.
  • Increased Wear Resistance: Gear grinding can extend the life of a workpiece by increasing its wear resistance.

Cotta’s Commitment to Excellence – Our gear grinding operations are built on three fundamental pillars:

  1. Cutting-Edge Technology: We utilize state-of-the-art machinery to ensure the highest level of precision and efficiency in our gear grinding processes.
  2. Expert Craftsmanship: Our team comprises highly skilled operators with extensive experience and expertise in gear grinding techniques.
  3. Stringent Quality Assurance: We implement rigorous quality control measures at every stage of production to guarantee consistent, top-tier results.

These elements form the foundation of Cotta’s production philosophy. Additionally, we cultivate an environment of continuous improvement. This culture is crucial for:

  • Embracing emerging technologies in the field of gear grinding
  • Continuously optimizing our production processes
  • Enhancing the precision and efficiency of our operations

By maintaining this forward-thinking approach, we ensure that Cotta remains at the forefront of gear grinding technology, consistently delivering superior products to our clients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cotta Tech Talk – Speedgrips

Speedgrips: Did you know?

Cotta has been manufacturing high quality products for many years. With high quality products, we’re often required to hold tight tolerances. When manufacturing to tight tolerances, work holding is paramount to our success. Cotta has utilized Speedgrips for many years to hold some of our work. Speedgrips come in many different shapes and sizes, and here at Cotta we primarily use expandable chucks and arbors. We have also had great success with splined Speedgrips for profile grinding gear teeth. This approach allows us to chuck on the pitch diameter of an internal spline or gear, and profile grind the external gear teeth true to the internal pitch diameter. When quality and consistency matters, trust Cotta for all your gearbox needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

High-performance gearboxes. Collaborative team of experts.

Cotta Engineered Gearboxes are the most reliable and powerful products available in our industry. We take great pride in designing each unique gearbox with the latest technology. We deliver the best possible high-speed gearbox, speed increaser or reducer, pump drive, transfer case, or product type your situation requires.

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Proudly Made in the USA

Proudly Made in the USA

Cotta, LLC

ISO 9001 Quality Management

Member Of The AGMA

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