Pi Day took place on March 14, 2024. Our friendly neighborhood constant is used in engineering to determine the dimensions of gears, wheels, and pipes. Pi is also used in computer science to generate random numbers for cryptography, simulation, and gaming. With a tip of the cap to math enthusiasts, we offer a quick cheat sheet to pi and its fascinating history.

As a community, we gear engineers collaborate and share ideas to progress our collective capability. Technology progresses based on our efforts, and we have seen solid advances in the performance of our products as they become quieter, cheaper, more efficient, and more power dense. The pages of this magazine (past and present editions) are filled with examples where talented engineers have dug deeper into a subject using a more precise approach to a particular area concerning gear performance. The implied belief is always that greater precision (complexity) in the calculations brings greater accuracy (alignment with reality).

The new KISSsoft release 2024 is coming soon! This April will bring you the new system module KISSdesign, accelerating the calculation of complex drive trains and replacing the previous KISSsys software.

The KISSdesign system module is a powerful tool for transmission modeling and analysis. MSc. Eng. Aissa Benykhlef from KISSsoft AG will guide attendees through the essential tools and functionalities required for building comprehensive models, with a special emphasis on the Sketcher and its versatile applications in various kinematic models.

In KISSsoft's 2024 training schedule, you will find a great variety of training classes on selected KISSsoft modules and special topics including the latest software developments and trends in gear design, analysis, and manufacturing technology.

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!

GWJ Technology GmbH introduces an extended version of the calculation module for involute splines within its web-based software solution eAssistant.

KISSsoft supports the user with numerous calculations for different machine elements. The new KISSdesign module in KISSsoft supports the combination of these machine elements in building complex system transmissions containing any number of shafts, gears, and bearings.  

Three Degrees of Freedom: Notes on an active ball joint mechanism based on spherical gear meshing.

The main objective of this study is to perform an experimental evaluation of the structural model of a five-planet first planetary stage from a modern 6MW wind turbine gearbox.