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Perceive, Understand & Perform

AICA and Schaeffler demonstrate the role Physical AI can play in the manufacturing environment

Conversations on the role Physical AI will play on shop floors across manufacturing took place at every stop I made during the Automate Show in Chicago. Robots—in addition to literally doing the heavy lifting—are now being asked to independently learn from experiences and discover solutions without the assistance of human programmers. At the Universal Robots (Teradyne Robotics) booth, I was treated to some amazing force sensing applications that led to a discussion on a recent gearbox assembly use case between AICA (a partner of UR) and Schaeffler that tapped robots to assemble gearboxes.

Automation for Every Shop Size

A new CNC-based application puts cost-effective robot part handling and articulation directly on the machine tool’s control screen, eliminating the need for a separate robot pendant

METAL’s Manufacturing Workforce Network

A DoW-funded partnership brings online courses and hands-on bootcamps to Purdue’s foundry lab, training that feeds gear production

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Technical Articles

Analytical Calculation of the Gear Body Stiffness of Face Gears

This paper presents a new analytical method using plate and disk mechanical models to calculate the gear body stiffness of face gear wheels, showing that stiffness decreases toward the outer radius—a behavior that conventional cylindrical gear approaches fail to capture.

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Water Spray Quenching—A New Intensive Quenching Process for Case Hardening of Gears

Water spray quenching achieves heat transfer coefficients up to 4,000 W/(m²K)—nearly double conventional oil quenching rates—enabling potential material substitution and tailored quench intensity for complex gear components.

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Conjugate Bevel and Hypoid Gears

An excerpt from Gear Technology Solutions by Dr. Hermann J. Stadtfeld exploring the mathematics behind conjugate bevel and hypoid gears—from the fundamental laws of gearing and the conditions for perfect conjugacy to why real-world power transmissions require deliberate crowning rather than theoretically exact conjugate designs.

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Design Principles of Bevel Gears: Rationale for Zero Sum Profile Shifts and Generating Gear Choices

This article demonstrates why bevel gears are designed with a zero sum of profile shifts—showing that independent shifts merely replicate what a modified pressure angle already achieves—and explains the practical benefits of using conical generating gears for tooth profile crowning.

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Design

Gleason's Coniflex® Pro Design and Manufacturing System for producing stronger, quieter, and more reliable e-drive differential gears in high volumes, for automotive, truck, bus and off-highway transmissions. It‘s the differential difference!


Grinding

Cylindrical grinding is an essential machining process in precision manufacturing, ensuring that components meet stringent tolerances with superior surface finishes. Optimizing this process involves a strategic approach to wheel selection, process automation, in-process measurement and machine maintenance. This article explores key technical factors that influence the efficiency and accuracy of cylindrical grinding operations.

Manufacturing

As the gear and power transmission industries evolve, companies worldwide face a critical challenge: how to ensure the workforce is skilled, prepared, and ready to tackle increasingly complex manufacturing processes. From digital manufacturing and automation to generational turnover, the demand for technically proficient employees has never been higher. In response, the Motion + Power Technology Association (MPMA) redeveloped its Workforce Training Series, modernizing its most popular on-demand courses with updated content, high-quality media, and a flexible, self-paced delivery model.

Heat Treating

Gas carburizing has been around for a long time. One could argue that gas carburizing is the most common heat treating process. Heat treaters performing gas carburizing are often characterized by a dirty environment, hazy surroundings, and that “smell.” While the product quality may be acceptable, gas carburized parts do come with some challenges, like excessive intergranular oxidation (IGO) or intergranular attack (IGA), which is often ground off. Low-pressure carburizing (LPC) has proven to be a much cleaner and very capable alternative process. Most furnace companies have combined LPC with high pressure gas quenching, which moved carburizing from the dark back room to a relatively “clean room” environment. However, there is still a strong need for oil quenching, which is the common feature of the long used standard integral-quench (IQ) furnace.

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Videos

Diamond Dressing Wheels by Kapp Niles

Kapp Technologies L.P., the North American subsidiary of the Kapp Niles Group, has taken a significant step toward strengthening its domestic manufacturing capabilities. The company has successfully launched in-house production of diamond dressing tools at its Boulder, Colorado facility — marking a major milestone in its U.S.-based operations.

Industry News

Ovako has published its Sustainability Report for Financial Year 2025, its second report inspired by the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) framework. The report is independently assured by KPMG and presents audited ESG performance data, at a time when many industrial companies are scaling back sustainability commitments in response to cost pressures.

Product News

Kennametal Inc. announced it will bring the modern manufacturing ecosystem to life at IMTS 2026 with the Next Level Shop, an immersive experience featuring appearances of WIDIA brand ambassador Carey Hart, a live custom motorcycle build, and the latest machining and digital manufacturing technologies designed to help manufacturers improve productivity.

Calendar

CTI Symposium Berlin 2026

Dec 8, 2026 - Dec 9, 2026

CTI Symposium Berlin offers active discussions on the latest technologies and strategies on automotive transmissions and HEV & EV drives for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. At CTI Symposium Berlin, more than 650 senior experts and decisionmakers from OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, technology companies, and research institutions come together to discuss the latest developments in electrified drivetrains, hybrid technologies, energy systems, software integration, and future mobility strategies.

RPM Symposium 2026

Sep 22, 2026 - Sep 23, 2026

Furnaces North America (FNA) 2026

Oct 12, 2026 - Oct 14, 2026

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