Sumitomo Drive Technologies

Happy 4th of July! Fire up the grills, enjoy the fireworks, and celebrate the United States of America’s 250th birthday! 🎆

We are proud to support the next generation of engineers through our partnership with the Boring Illini, a leading collegiate tunneling team focused on innovation and real-world application.

In early April, the student team traveled to Bastrop to compete in the Not-a-Boring Competition. This marked their first year in the event and positioned them among top engineering programs from around the world. The team placed first in the Vertical Competition, setting a world record in that category! They also achieved the third-longest dig across all divisions and earned Rookie of the Year honors!

We were able to provide engineering support to the team, which was critical to their performance. The Boring Illini integrated Sumitomo variable frequency drives (VFDs) into their system to power critical components during operation. A look inside the team’s electronics enclosure highlights how Sumitomo’s drive technology supported both design ex*****on and real-time performance.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to hands-on learning, STEM education, and real-world engineering experience. Sumitomo Drive Technologies remains committed to supporting future engineers through education, collaboration, and advanced power transmission solutions.

What started as an urgent breakdown situation became a big milestone for our Riverside team as their reach goes beyond North America! The team received an order on a Friday, sourced material within 3 days, completed the part and ready to ship to Australia in just 2 weeks. We're proud of the effort, communication, and ex*****on it took to deliver a fast-turn solution halfway across the world. 👏

📷 Denise Turke, Quality Assurance Manager