Bonfiglioli showcased its latest innovations at EuroBLECH 2024, the premier global event for the metalworking industry. This participation highlighted a suite of cutting-edge solutions tailored to meet the growing demands of smart manufacturing and advanced metal processing.

Since I have had the privilege of visiting numerous gear plants and research centers in the U.S., as well as 170 in 33 countries, and I closely watch the progression of technology, I wanted to share my observations about some technological advancements. For the purpose of this article, I will focus on three key areas: Robotics, Machine Tools, and Heat Treating.

As you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of gear manufacturing, it’s become increasingly clear that success isn’t solely determined by the precision of your machines or the latest technological advancements. While these factors remain crucial, the true differentiator in today’s competitive market lies in cultivating and nurturing your most valuable asset: your people.

It was a busy year for the gear industry. Large and small companies had to navigate the interest rates, tariffs, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and the unknown economic outlook with an election year in the U.S. Leaders that normally would be brainstorming their five-year strategic plans had to get comfortable with a day-to-day strategy. As each quarter ended, however, AGMA witnessed resiliency, innovation, collaboration, and even quite a bit of growth for some sectors—it was an exciting year to visit members in person.

As the year draws to a close, I’d like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the continued support of Gear Technology’s readers, advertisers and authors. Thank you for being an integral part of the gear community. This holiday season, as I reflect on the challenges, triumphs, and growth of the past year, I am reminded of the shared passion we all have for advancing the field of gear manufacturing.

Before diving into the latest committee developments, I want to remind everyone about the 2023 Emerging Technology Webinar Series, available on-demand until December 31. (Don’t miss this valuable resource before it’s removed to make room for our 2025 webinar series.) 

Machine Tool Builders has added highly experienced sales professional and machine tool industry veteran Ross Wegryn-Jones to its national sales organization. 

This year’s Virginia Manufacturing Gala, hosted by the Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) at the prestigious Virginia Museum of History and Culture, served as a showcase for the best in Virginia’s manufacturing industry. At this prominent event, Sumitomo Drive Technologies stood out significantly, earning Bronze in the Virginia Manufacturing Cup and capturing 1st Place in the Industrial and Commercial Machinery category with our Paramax 9000 reducer.

The newest edition of the Gear Research Institute (GRI) newsletter, “Transmissions” has been published.  The link below will guide you to the Newsletter posting on GRI's newly freshened website. Additional updates to the site will slowly continue to roll out.  

Forest City Gear, an industry-leading manufacturer of fine—and medium-pitch custom gears, is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of its new warehouse on October 21. The 50’ x 100’ climate-controlled warehouse will store finished goods while prioritizing storage space in the existing footprint for in-process items for Cut Teeth Only jobs.