Emerging Technology committee members at ARM Institute in Pittsburgh.

Congratulations Gear Technology on your 40th Anniversary! This magazine has been publishing emerging technology in gearing before we used the term, “emerging.” I constantly search past issues to get information on topics we are discussing in committees. From skiving to electric drive development, and lubrication to the beginnings of strain wave gear technology, I have found great information for the work that we are doing today. Thank you!

Speaking of our committees there are many things to share. A group of leaders from our Emerging Tech committees just got back from a Joint Technology Summit with leaders from the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), and the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA). This is the second year we have participated in this joint event. Thanks much to AMT and NTMA for extending an invitation to join them. This year, the ARM Institute—Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing in Pittsburgh hosted the event. We spent two days talking about advances in robotics and AI and were afforded presentations from experts in these fields. Pittsburgh, with Carnegie Mellon University, has built one of the leading areas for robotic development in the world with more than 140 robotics companies and a network of support. This institute is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute funded in part by the DoD. They work with industry, government, and academic partners to specifically take on projects to strengthen domestic manufacturing. We were able to see many of these projects in action in their facility. One example, they have an incubator space where local small manufacturers can come and test their robotics application before bringing it in-house. AGMA is in the process of becoming a member of the ARM Institute with the hope of bringing our members crucial information on how you can be supported in your automation projects. I encourage you to learn more about the ARM Institute.

AGMA has already been working with another Manufacturing Institute, LIFT in Detroit. LIFT has similar industry, government, and academic partners with whom they work on advanced materials and processes. AGMA is a member of LIFT and we will be hosting our first live Emerging Technology Forum there on June 10. I invite each of you to join us. We will be touching on the work of each of our four committees (3D, IIoT, Electric Vehicle Technology, and Robotics & Automation) through high-level presentations and hands-on experiences. We will be discussing the future of robotics as we see the changing landscape of robot applications.

Humanoid and non-industrial applications will pose new challenges - with gear drives, and the need for new and different constructions at the forefront. We will look at some of the latest solutions from Siemens, which has invested in advanced technology at LIFT. We are excited to have time with LIFT leaders, including Noel Mack, chief technology officer, who will be talking to us about their advanced materials development work as well as their partnership and work with the DoD. There are many opportunities for AGMA member companies to work on these cutting-edge projects. We hope to provide you with a clear roadmap for participation. And, as we do with all our live events, we hope to provide another collaborative networking opportunity for the gearing industry.

In coordination with this event, the next day on June 11, the AGMA Technical Division, in its work with the AGMA Electric Vehicle Technology Committee, will be gathering engineers and stakeholders for a high-level discussion on standards development at LIFT. This second day is by invite-only because of space. Please reach out to me directly for more information.

If you are looking to be more informed on emerging technology topics, don’t forget that all our monthly webinars are taped and available on the AGMA website for free. If you do any government work, you need to make sure you are ready for CMMC compliance. We have a great free primer. Want to hear about the latest in steel developments for electric vehicle applications, we just had a great webinar last week from Gerdau. And the May webinar comes from Hexagon.

Congrats again to GT. May you have a great next 40 years!