Baldor has acquired Poulies Maska, Inc. of Ste-Claire, Quebec, Canada.

Maska is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of sheaves, bushings, couplings and related mechanical power transmission components. They have 180 employees primarily located in Canada and a new facility in China. Maska’s 2007 sales were approximately $33 million.

A custom woodworking machine built using Ethernet-compatible motion control components from Baldor Electric has automated the precision finishing of fret boards for the renowned acoustic guitar manufacturer, Martin Guitar (CF Martin & Co).

By using dual sanding belts and a swinging work holder controlled by a combination of linear and rotary servo motor axes, this machine now replaces a previous manually-actuated sanding process. Four axes of motion provide ultra-precise and smooth machining that enhances both the speed and quality of fret board production.

On December 19, 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This Act aims to slow the rate of growth in America’s energy consumption

For general purpose motor users, the 2007 version increases the mandated efficiency of electric motors in commercial and industrial applications. Motors previously covered by EPAct must be upgraded to premium efficienies.

Baldor Electric Company launches a ready-engineered linear stepper X-Y positioning base that is capable of dramatically increasing productivity in a wide range of machinery applications. A novel honeycomb-structured composite material used on the base greatly reduces the cost of applying advanced linear motor technology — to prices starting from $7000 — providing machinery builders with a highly competitive alternative to traditional solutions such as rotary motors and ballscrews or belts.