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State of the Gear Industry 2026

The gear industry navigates uncertainty, finds pockets of strength, and bets on automation

Of the 137 respondents to our annual gear-industry survey, the message was clear: tariffs are the defining challenge of 2026. But the frustration runs deeper than the duties themselves. Manufacturers can absorb cost increases; they can’t absorb chaos. When rules shift weekly and exemptions evaporate overnight, planning becomes guesswork. One respondent captured the exhaustion: “In 2025, they were all over the place, without warning, up and down. Terribly disorganized.” Yet within this turbulence, distinct currents run strong. Defense and aerospace work has surged. Oil and gas, buoyed by loosened regulations, is “very active” according to multiple respondents, with mobile power units and gas compression driving demand. Overhaul and repair business is booming—when new equipment becomes expensive or hard to source, companies keep existing machines running longer, and that means gears.

¡Rápido!

With many of its precision gears produced in small lot sizes, Spanish gear producer Engranajes Juaristi S.L. depends on Gleason machines for exceptional speed and flexibility.

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Technical Articles

A Review on Gear Transmission Error

This paper will review the development process, current research status, characteristics, functions, and measurement methods of TE. It will analyze the difficulties and core issues existing in the basic theory of TE, clarify the limitations and deficiencies of TE, and explore ways to overcome the shortcomings of TE.

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Investigating the Effects of Wear, Lubrication and Material Pairing on the NVH Performance of Plastic Gears

This study systematically evaluates how material selection, progressive wear, and grease lubrication affect the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance of polymer gears, providing new insights for designing quieter, more optimized transmission systems.

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Morphology of FZG-A Test Gears

This study explores the failure mode morphology of FZG-A test gears. It aims to examine the orphologies of scuffing, scoring, scratches, and polishing using high-magnification light optical microscopy (LOM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images.

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The Intrinsic Pitch Cones in Hypoid Gears

A method to calculate pitch cones for hypoid gears using macrogeometry parameters—similar to non-offset bevel gears—while accounting for the added complexity of hypoid offset, tooling, and cutting technology is explored in this paper.

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Design

E-Mobility is changing the gear market at an incredibly rapid pace. Software is adapting to meet these new challenges.

Grinding

This article introduces the process of polish grinding of gears. Improved surface quality increases the overall efficiency of gearboxes, resulting in reduced friction and torque loss, higher power density, and noise-optimized gears (lower NVH); all these factors are highly relevant, especially for electric drives. When Reishauer developed polish grinding in 2012, the process aimed to improve the efficiency of ICE engine transmissions, and the set goals were easy to achieve. Today, in 2023, the situation is dramatically different. While an ICE engine operates at around 3,000 rpm and supplies acoustic masking of the gear noise, EV drivetrains feature up to 20,000 rpm and offer no such masking.

Inspection

On the surface, it may not seem like the gear inspection industry has changed much over the last few years. Shops still primarily use either machines that are dedicated solely to measuring gears, or multiuse Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs). And regardless of which machine they use, software serves as the backbone that supports their many diverse sensors.

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Videos

Penta Gear Focus

As a brand of Kapp Niles, Penta Gear designs, manufactures, and installs analytical metrology machines, while performing as a trusted source for contract gear and spline inspection.

Industry News

Blaser Swisslube, Inc. and Nidec Machine Tool America recently announced a strategic partnership designed to help manufacturers achieve higher productivity, precision, and process reliability. 

Product News

The new KISSsoft Release 2026 offers enhanced structured visualization of system behavior, a more powerful REXS interface, and improved journal bearing calculations, this release enables users to design with greater precision and confidence. KISSsoft Release 2026 also expands coverage of manufacturing capabilities, including support for short and long lead hobs, and introduces plastic gear calculations in accordance with GB/T 44846, ensuring compliance with international standards.

Calendar

SME Fusion 2026

May 5, 2026 - May 6, 2026

SME Fusion (Nashville) focuses on providing actionable insights and strategies to fill the workforce pipeline, efficiently onboard and train new hires, upskill existing talent, and transfer vital knowledge.

WorldPM2026

Jun 25, 2026 - Jun 29, 2026

Automate 2026

Jun 22, 2026 - Jun 25, 2026

Dritev 2026

Jun 30, 2026 - Jul 1, 2026

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The Gear Industry Buyers Guide is your complete directory of suppliers in the gear industry, including great companies like these.


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