Manufacturers have long been plagued by the difficulty of finding skilled labor.

Increasing the power density of a gearbox is often a design engineer’s primary goal.

The past year has been quite a wild ride for the world, and that includes the manufacturing economy. When COVID hit, every industry took its share of lumps. But for some time now, manufacturing industries have been charging forward.

Okay, I'll admit it. It's a trick question, because of course there's no such thing as a perfect gear. There will always be manufacturing errors, inconsistencies and human error. Tools and machines wear down, so that the first gear you produce will always be different from the one hundredth.

My wife, Wendy, and I have been taking on a lot of DIY home improvement projects lately around the house.

COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on the world. It has affected — and continues to affect — virtually every aspect of life. But at least as far as the economy goes, the more people we talk to, and the more statistics we hear from reliable sources, the more we think maybe Bob Marley was onto something.

Review of the “State of the Gear industry” survey and looking towards the future.

Phew! Making it to the end of 2020 seems like a victory in and of itself. Between the coronavirus, the economy, the rioting in the streets, the extreme weather events and the fiercely divided presidential race, we’ve all had a LOT to worry about this year.

I've been tuning in to a lot of information in new ways, lately. Chances are, you have, too. The pandemic has restructured all of our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a year ago. From work to school to family, video chat and teleconference have replaced warm hugs and handshakes. There's no kibitzing around the water cooler.

The number 21 is usually good, right? In blackjack, 21 means you win. In life, 21 means you’re officially adult enough to buy alcohol, gamble in a casino or purchase a handgun (In the United States, at least). In military ceremonies, a 21-gun salute is an honor reserved for dignitaries or heads of state.