PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2019-11-01

Gear Technology - To Be Continued

When I started Gear Technology more than 35 years ago, my intention was to create something of lasting value for the gear industry. It was a way of giving back to the industry that had been so good to me and my family.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2019-08-01

Gear Show 4.0

There have always been plenty of reasons to attend Gear Expo. For decades, it’s been the best place to see all of the technology, vendors and solutions in the gear industry, all under one roof. Now that it's the Motion + Power Technology Expo, it's even more true.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2019-06-01

The Do-It-Yourself Mentality

Finding capable, dependable machinists is one of the great challenges of modern manufacturing. Most gear manufacturers we talk to would hire more machine operators - if only they could find them. They lament the fact that their workforce is getting older and grayer, and they don't know what to do.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2019-05-01

It's Not Your Father's Gear Business

The world is changing. I've just returned from the AGMA Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ. Like always, it was a great opportunity to visit with peers, colleagues, customers and competitors in the gear industry. But this year's event was far more than just a chance to reunite with old friends. No, this year's annual meeting was also a wake-up call.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2019-03-01

What's In a Name

As most of you know by now, the trade show formerly known as Gear Expo is now the Motion + Power Technology Expo. If you're a gear-industry veteran, you might be confused by this change. If you've been coming to the show for years - or exhibiting at it - you might even feel a little betrayed. But I'm here to tell you it's going to be alright.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2019-01-01

Gravy Training

We’ve just come off a very strong year for gear manufacturing, and most of you are looking forward to another good year in 2019. At least, that’s what the results of our annual State-of-the-Gear-Industry survey tell us.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2018-07-01

Steel Yourself

Will tariffs and quotas affect your ability to operate in the fourth quarter this year?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2018-06-01

Response Required

Say 'YES' to getting the best and latest in gear industry technical information and news. Resubscribe now to Gear Technology.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2018-05-01

Annual Report

At most family reunions, everyone gets along, everyone puts on a good face, and everyone celebrates their togetherness. The AGMA annual convention held at the end of April was a lot like that.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2018-03-01

Training the Next Generation

Last issue, when I went over the results from our annual State of the Gear Industry survey, I was being too nice. Sure, there's still a lot of optimism about the business climate. Gear manufacturers are mostly busy. For most, 2018 looks like it will be at least a little better than 2017. But there are dark clouds ahead, and they've been building for some time.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2018-01-01

We'd Grow Faster If We Could

It's probably no surprise to anyone that the majority of the gear industry had a pretty good year in 2017, and that most gear manufacturers are expecting a pretty good 2018 as well. After all, most major economic indicators - including the ones that focus on the manufacturing sector - have been positive for some time.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2017-11-01

Binge Watching for Gearheads

We've decided to install a man-cave at our office here at Randall Publications. Comfy chairs, surround sound, flat screen, the works. We're going all out, because we have some important watching to do. But before you get the wrong idea, we're not goofing off and binge-watching Stranger Things. No, we're watching Gear Technology TV.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2017-09-01

Got Gear Questions - Get Gear Answers

Gear Expo 2017 is your best opportunity to expand your knowledge, get answers to your technical questions and solve your toughest manufacturing challenges. The reason is quite simple. Gear Expo provides you with the greatest collection of gear expertise, know-how and experience you can find.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2017-08-01

Columbus Calling

Summer never lasts as long as you want it to. By the time you read this, you'll be well into the hazy, lazy days, and the season will be gone before you know it. That means you're running out of time to make plans to attend our industry's most important event. Of course, I'm talking about Gear Expo (October 24 - 26) and the AGMA Fall Technical Meeting (October 22 - 24), both of which will take place in Columbus, OH.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2017-07-01

Go Here. Do This.

Help us by renewing your subscription to Gear Technology.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2017-06-01

Get Smarter at Gear Expo

There are many benefits to attending Gear Expo, but if you're not taking advantage of the educational opportunities, you're missing out.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2017-05-01

Honored and Impressed

At the AGMA annual meeting last month, the association presented me with its Distinguished Service Award.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2017-03-01

Transferring Tribal Knowledge

How do we educate the next generation of gear industry employees, and how do we train the ones we already have?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2015-03-01

Erosion of Knowledge

Have you ever stood on a beach at the edge of the water and felt the grains of sand dissolve from under your feet as the water recedes? No matter how hard you plant your feet or grip your toes, you can’t hold on to the sand. It just flows away right from under you. In many ways that sand is like the knowledge and experience of our graying manufacturing workforce. It seems inevitable that much of that knowledge is being washed away.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2014-11-01

Step Right Up and Have Your Fortune Told

Most companies spend this time of year crystal ball gazing. Managers want to know the future so they can make projections, plan schedules, determine budgets and make major decisions that will ensure their success.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2014-09-01

Cracking the WIP

Over the past few months I've talked with several different gear manufacturers who are in the process of upgrading their gear making equipment with modern CNC machine tools. Each of these manufacturers has come to the realization that in order to stay competitive, he needs to streamline operations and become more efficient...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2014-08-01

Beginning, Renewing, Sharing - an IMTS Journey for Everyone

IMTS is about beginnings. This year's show takes place September 8-13 at McCormick Place in Chicago. With more than 1,900 exhibitors expected to occupy more than 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space, there will be plenty of technology on display.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2014-07-01

No Excuse is Good Enough

Might some of you may be tempted to skip IMTS this year? Business is just so-so. You can’t afford to be away from the shop. It will be a waste of time because you don’t have the budget for new machine tools or new technology anyway. You’ve cut back on travel expenses. It’s your wife’s birthday...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2014-06-01

Proverbs

Publisher Michael Goldstein describes what it means to him that Gear Technology is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2014-05-01

Goodbye, David

I've lost a long-time and dear friend. Sadly, David Iveson of Westminster Machine Tools Ltd. in the U.K. passed away on April 9.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2014-03-01

The Next Transformation

Every so often manufacturing is jolted out of its inertia by a transformative technology – one that fundamentally changes not only the way products are made, but also the economics of the business.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2014-01-01

Pearls of Wisdom

Gear Technology magazine begins the celebration of our 30-year anniversary.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2013-11-01

Measured Optimism

Gear manufacturers are generally an optimistic bunch, as revealed by our 2013 State-of-the-Gear-Industry Survey, which appears in this issue.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2013-10-01

Opportunity Knocked

For anyone involved in gear manufacturing, Gear Expo is an absolute treasure. In 2013, it was bigger and more varied than it's been in a decade. With 226 exhibitors covering every conceivable gear-related technology, Gear Expo offered visitors unparalleled opportunities to interview potential new suppliers.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2013-09-01

Going to Gear Expo

Like many of you in the gear industry, we’ve been working extremely hard over the past few months getting ready for Gear Expo 2013, which takes place September 17-19 in Indianapolis.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2013-08-01

Gear Expo - Mecca Meccanica

It's an ideal time for a pilgrimage to AGMA’s Fall Technical Meeting and Gear Expo, which take place in Indianapolis.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2013-06-01

Boom or Bust - Are You in the Right Markets

Over the past few months we've talked with a lot of gear manufacturers. Many of them tell us business is strong, while others are struggling with reduced demand. The difference between them isn't so much in the quality of their manufacturing operations, but rather trends in the end markets they serve.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2013-05-01

Coordinating Efforts

Like many Americans, I've been trained with the idea that those who see a problem should be the ones responsible for helping to solve it. If you see that something is broken, and you know how to fix it, don't wait for your dad, your boss or the government to tell you what to do. Just fix it.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2013-03-01

Turn Off the Noise

Trying to figure out what’s going on in this crazy economy of ours seems a bit like reading tea leaves—one part pseudoscience and three parts wild conjecture. Of course some pundits are telling us that this bull market has legs, while others insist that we’re due for a major correction. Some pump us up with positive news, while others remind us about scary stuff like the budget deficit, the European financial crisis and unemployment.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2013-01-01

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Publisher Michael Goldstein explores Gear Technology's history and its future as he introduces the back issue archive online and our new features and columns for 2013.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2012-11-01

The Results Are In

The past several months have been filled with uncertainty. Everyone wanted to wait and see who would be our next president and how the political landscape might change. Now the elections are over, and the polls are all closed, so we should all be getting back to business, right? Publisher Michael Goldstein shares insight from our state-of-the-gear-industry survey.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2012-10-01

My Glass is Half Full

Publisher Michael Goldstein is confident that the manufacturing economy will continue to grow throughout next year, no matter who wins the 2012 presidential election.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2012-09-01

America Needs a Different Kind of Candidate

The two candidates in the upcoming presidential election offer two distinctly different approaches to solving America’s economic problems -- neither of which is likely to be successful

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2012-08-01

Remembering James Cervinka

The gear industry lost one of its iconic figures in July when James Cervinka passed away at the age of 92. Jim was CEO and one of the founders of Arrow Gear. For 65 years, he was a gear man, and I can’t help but feeling that his absence shrinks the gear industry by far more than the loss of just one man.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2012-06-01

Sustaining Expertise in the Gear Industry

Expertise is a resource that's hard to sustain. We're doing our part via our "Ask the Expert" feature. How about you?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2012-05-01

The Call of Cuba

I’ve had the great fortune to visit many countries and experience their cultures, and I often tell stories based on those experiences. But when I begin to tell people about my most recent trip—to Cuba—their eyes light up, their attention sharpens and they lean forward with great interest and curiosity.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2012-03-01

Report from India

Publisher Michael Goldstein describes his experiences at the IPTEX 2012 show and the unveiling of Gear Technology India.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2012-01-01

The Difference Between Busy and Profitable

Over the past several months, many gear manufacturers and industry suppliers have been telling me how busy they are. Their backlogs are the largest in history, their sales the highest they’ve been in many years. They’ve invested in new capabilities, new machinery and people.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2011-11-01

Gear Expo 2011 - Tempered Enthusiasm

I came back from Gear Expo in a pretty good mood, and judging by the smiles on the faces of exhibitors I saw, I'm not alone. In fact, the mood at Gear Expo 2011 was the best I've seen in recent memory.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2011-10-01

Exploring Gear Expo

Don't miss Gear Technology's booth #1337 at this year's Gear Expo in Cincinnati.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2011-09-01

Gear Expo 2011 Classifieds

A special edition of Help Wanted classified ads takes over the publisher's page.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2011-08-01

Namaste

In India, “namaste” is used as a common greeting. Although it translates literally to “I bow to you,” it’s often used the same way we use “hello” or “good-bye.” It’s a phrase commonly exchanged between individuals when they meet, and it’s also used as a salutation when they part. I’m using the phrase here because I’d like to introduce you to an exciting new project and venture for Randall Publications LLC.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2011-06-01

Are YOU Having Your Best Year Ever

Publisher Michael Goldstein discusses why some gear manufacturing companies are enjoying record years.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2011-05-01

Greenhouse of the Gear Industry

Publisher Michael Goldstein talks about how one gear company is encouraging young people in manufacturing. What are you doing?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2011-03-01

Reaching Out

Publisher Michael Goldstein describes the success of Gear Technology's new e-mail newsletter programs.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2011-01-01

Protecting Our Own

Publisher Michael Goldstein discusses the loss of U.S. manufacturing capability and what we should do about it.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2010-11-01

The Slow Climb

Publisher Michael Goldstein talks about the slow but steady pace of the recovery of the manufacturing economy.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2010-09-01

Taking Care of Your Best Customers

We recently e-mailed an informal survey to 1,000 of our most loyal readers, each of whom has been a subscriber for at least 15 years. We were hoping to hear that our magazine is just as important to them today as it was when they first signed up. It was gratifying to find out that with most of the respondents, that was the case.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2010-08-01

Ready or Not, Here it Comes

IMTS is coming, whether you're ready or not. No matter what your current situation, you should consider going to the show.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2010-08-01

An Interview with Thomas Koepfer

Publisher Michael Goldstein sat down with Dr. Thomas Koepfer, whose family company, Josef Koepfer & Söhne GmbH, was founded in 1867. Over the years, the Koepfer name has become one of the best-known in the gear industry, with company operations including the manufacture of gear machines, cutting tools and gears.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2010-07-01

Free at Last

Publisher Michael Goldstein describes the remarkable accomplishments of Randall Publications LLC over the past year, despite the intense and hectic transformation he and the staff experienced unbelievable strain on their time and concentration.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2010-06-01

Summertime...and the Statistics Are Easy

With this change of seasons seems to have come a change in mood as well. Manufacturers are optimistic.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2010-05-01

Building on Your Foundation

When you graduated from school and made your way into the world, you probably thought you’d learned everything you needed to know to be successful. But those of us who’ve been out in the workforce for some time know that you never stop learning.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2010-03-01

Hey Brother, Can You Spare Some Time

How you can get involved in a grassroots movement to save American manufacturing--and the American economy.

ADDENDUM | 2010-03-01

Old Friends and Gear Machine Memories

A reflection by Michael Goldstein, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2010-01-01

Where Are We Now

The struggles of the manufacturing economy in 2009 are well documented. Even among those of us with long careers, most of us have never seen activity come to a screeching halt the way it did last year. 2009 was tough on all of us. So, what should we expect in 2010?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2009-11-01

Fallen Leaves

Publisher Michael Goldstein reflects on the recent passing of several gear industry friends and associates.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2009-09-01

Why Do You Read Gear Technology

A year ago, we sent out a small e-mail survey with one simple question: “Why do you read Gear Technology?” At that time, we were extremely gratified, even somewhat overwhelmed, by the enthusiastic and appreciative response of our readers, and I wrote about the survey and the results in my editorial in the September/October 2008 issue. When we sent out the survey this year with the same question, you’d think we would have been prepared for the results. We weren’t. If anything, our readers are even more appreciative than they were a year ago.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2009-08-01

Top 10 Reasons You Should Go to Gear Expo 2009

Let's face it. It's been a bummer of a summer economically speaking. Here's why you should still go to the show.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2009-07-01

Crossroads and Transitions - Part II

The auction has been held. The warehouse is bare. The computers and furniture are being packed, and Cadillac Machinery, the company started by my father in 1950, and of which I was president for more than 25 years, is close to being no more.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2009-06-01

Paying the Tab

The U.S. economy has been out of kilter for some time. But Uncle Sam isn't going to bail you out. You're going to have to do it yourself.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2009-05-01

Crossroads and Transitions, Part I

Michael Goldstein talks about 25 years of Gear Technology, looking behind as well as ahead.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2009-03-01

Tale of Two Gear Industries

The good news and the bad news about the gear industry and its role in the overall economy.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2009-01-01

Green Gravy

Step right up! Get your U.S. government gravy here! We’re the U.S. Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program, and we’re printing money like we’re—well—the U.S. reasury. If you’ve got trouble, then get your assets in line!

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2008-11-01

Don't Panic

The world economy is in turmoil. A year ago, the Dow Jones industrial average was more than 14,000. As I write this, after eight straight days of massive losses and a week of wild up-and-down swings, the average sits at about 8,900.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2008-09-01

Why Do YOU Read Gear Technology

Publisher Michael Goldstein shares some of our readers' comments about why they love Gear Technology.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2008-08-01

Volunteering is a Win-Win

Step forward now to help yourself and your industry.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2008-07-01

Buy Now

If you're thinking about investing in machine tools, now is the right time...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2008-06-01

Your Two Cents

As publisher of Gear Technology, I spend a lot of time thinking about ways to improve the content of our magazine...now it's your turn.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2008-05-01

Just a Bad Dream

There's a monster under the bed of the nation's economy. It has the same power over many adults as a child's nightmare.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2008-03-01

A Different Truth

Vietnam is the war Americans don’t like to talk about. Even today, many of us struggle to understand the what and the why of that war.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2008-01-01

The Graying of the Gear Industry

The gear industry is getting old--fast. What are you doing about it?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2007-11-01

Musings on Turning 65

Recently, I reached a milestone. In October, I turned 65. I've been thinking a lot about it lately...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2007-09-01

Do I Have to Go to Gear Expo

Maybe you don't have time. If not, send someone else.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2007-08-01

The War: Coming September 2007

Publisher Michael Goldstein had a chance to preview Ken Burns' documentary series about WWII, and he shares some of his thoughts.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2007-07-01

What's All the Buzz About

The 17-year cicadas created quite a buzz in the Chicagoland area this June. Will Gear Expo 2007 create the same kind of buzz in the gear industry?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2007-06-01

What - A June Issue

Just like most of the gear industry, we're extremely busy here at Gear Technology. While many of you are working hard to produce more gears, we're doing the same with magazines.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2007-05-01

The Gear Industry's Global Information Source

Have you ever been to Malaysia? How about Indonesia, Brazil, Slovakia or Russia? Well, we have. We go there every issue.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2007-03-01

Moving Into High Gear

In February (2007), we launched a new magazine, Power Transmission Engineering (PTE). While most of you have probably already seen it...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2007-01-01

What Do You Think

Publisher Michael Goldstein wants to know what you think about the 2007 redesign of Gear Technology magazine

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2006-11-01

Coming Soon! The New Gear Technology - Bigger! Better! More Often!

Psst! Hey buddy, can you keep a secret? Don't tell anyone, but the folks at Gear Technology are planning all kinds of changes...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2006-09-01

Come to Chicago

Publisher Michael Goldstein urges gear manufacturers to come to IMTS 2006.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2006-07-01

Who Pays Your Salary

I just finished conducting annual reviews with our employees. They, we--all of us--get our paychecks from our customers.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2006-05-01

A Wellspring of Opinion

For more than 22 years, I've been dropping rocks down the well of the gear industry's public opinion. Most every issue, I drop another rock. Sometimes I think I hear a faint splash, but most times I just wait.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2006-03-01

The Premise and the Promise

Gear Technology was founded 22 years ago on a very simple principle: to provide the best possible educational articles and information for the gear industry.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2006-01-01

Keep Those Letters Coming

In the past, we have often asked readers to let us know what they were thinking. But this past issue, we must have struck a nerve.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2005-11-01

Is Gear Expo Worth It

If you read the press clippings (even our own), and listen to the comments of many of the major exhibitors, you'll hear that Gear Expo 2005 was a resounding success.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2005-09-01

Making It in America: U.S. Manufacturing Is Alive, Well and Prospering

Most firms in the gear industry we've talked to over the past year are making more gears than ever, generating more sales, and filling up their schedule books into next year and beyond.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2005-07-01

Face to Face in the Gear Industry

Observations on the Olympics, Tony Blair and Gear Expo.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2005-05-01

Queitly Moving Mountains

Publisher Michael Goldstein pays tribute to Marty Woodhouse

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2005-03-01

Spring is in the Air

Winter in the gear industry seems to have come to an end.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2005-01-01

The Perfect Complement

Publisher Michael Goldstein announces the launch of sister publication Gear Product News.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2004-11-01

Breath of Fresh Air

Whew. IMTS is over, and I’m relieved, in more ways than one.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2004-09-01

The Gear Industry's Information Source

Since our founding in 1984, Gear Technology’s goal has been to educate and inform our readers of the technologies, products, processes, services and news of importance to the gear industry and to provide our advertisers with the most complete and current circulation of gear industry professionals available anywhere!

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2004-07-01

Sweet Spot

When a baseball player hits the ball well, he can hear it and feel it in his swing. There’s nothing quite like the feel of driving the bat through the ball and watching the ball sail over the fence.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2004-05-01

Reflections

When a man looks into a mirror, the image reflects who he is today. But it also reveals who he used to be. Although appearances change, many of the underlying characteristics remain the same. The same is true with Gear Technology, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary and reflect on who we are.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2004-03-01

Hope Springs Eternal

As I write this editorial, much of America seems frozen solid. It snowed again here in Chicago yesterday, and last night the wind chill was –30ºF (–34ºC). It’s been cold like this for more than a week, and the forecasters are predicting more of the same. After a while, such a deep freeze can be depressing.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2004-01-01

Renaissance Man

I lost a good friend in October—one that many of you might know. Carlo Costi of Sogimex S.A.S. in Caponago (Milano), Italy, came out of the EMO show in Milan on October 28, caught a taxi and called his wife, Mariella, to tell her that he wasn’t feeling well. He died—in the taxi—on the phone—talking to his wife. He was 60 years old.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2003-11-01

Postcard from Gear Expo

Where were you? We were hoping to see you here at Gear Expo. We were surprised that you didn't make it. Anyway, we had a really good show, along with more than a hundred other leading companies in the gear industry who exhibited this year.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2003-09-01

Opportunity and Obligation

I was recently honored by the European Association of Machine Tool Merchants (EAMTM) at the organization's annual meeting this past June in Mallorea, Spain. The organization inducted me as a Fellow, EAMTM's highest honor, bestowed on members who have made significant contributions as volunteers serving the organization, which was originally founded in 1940. I felt especially honored, as I am only the 19th person and the second non-European to have been given this award.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2003-07-01

Shades of Gray

In America and most parts of the world, people are looking for answers about what's going to happen next in the manufacturing economy. We're all looking for evidence that better times are ahead, or at least that the worst is over. We crave a clear indicator, something that shows us in black and white that the situation is going to get better.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2003-05-01

Holding Our Breath

As we sign off on this issue, the was has just begun in Iraq. The world seems to be holding its breath, and waiting.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2003-03-01

Chinese Butterflies

Have you ever heard the story about the butterfly that flaps its wings in China and causes a hurricane in another part of the world? I've heard many variations of that story, but each illustrates the idea that even the tiniest change can produce enormous effects in the future.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2003-01-01

A Packed House

"Ahem. Could everybody please scootch over? We need to make as much room as possible, because we're expecting a full house."

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2002-11-01

The Gear Industry on Your Desktop

With this issue, we're proud to present our latest milestone. The Gear Technology Buyers Guide 2003 on CD-ROM - a comprehensive snapshot of nearly 400 of the industry's suppliers - is the best directory of the gear industry available.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2002-09-01

Relief Valve

Some of the pressure on American manufacturers seems to be letting up. This is welcome relief, considering the squeeze they have been under for the past few years.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2002-07-01

The E-volution Of Gear Technology

Technology creates excitement. Just consider the natural buzz around IMTS, where manufacturers will go to explore ways they can increase productivity, improve quality, decrease costs or provide better service.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2002-05-01

Industial Evolution

The gear industry, like any other, is constantly changing. Companies vie for customers, resources, employees and time. They come, go and shuffle for position. Usually, the changes are small, affecting only a few companies. But sometimes, many changes happen at once, and when those changes are large, it can seem as though an earthquake has struck and transformed the landscape of the industry.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2002-03-01

Gear Industry Barometers

A good sailor can predict when the weather is about to change. He uses simple tools to measure variables like air pressure, temperature and wind speed. Although those indicators can't perfectly forecast the weather, the sailor can get a good idea of what's going to happen by applying his experience, judgment and even his gut feelings.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2002-01-01

Cyber-Seminars: A Virtual Success

You hardly have to leave your office anymore, because the whole world is being piped right to your desktop. I know, because I recently attended my first seminar by Internet.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2001-11-01

Who Makes the Nails

I've been thinking a lot about the importance of manufacturing over the last couple of years, especially as I've watched more and more of it leave our country. We work in an industry that is both economically and strategically vital, but I'm concerned that most Americans do not realize the importance of manufacturing, or what will happen if it continues to dissipate.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2001-09-01

Gone Fishin' - Back After Gear Expo

It's summertime in the gear industry. Out my window, I see blue skies, green grass and trees swaying in the wind. In the background, I hear crickets chirping.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2001-07-01

Eyes on Detroit

If you think of Gear Expo as only a machine tool show, you're not seeing all of its potential. You may be tempted to skip it this year, especially if you're struggling to fill your current capacity. I've heard too many stories of canceled orders, falling profits and slashed budgets to believe that great numbers of you will be attending Gear Expo with buying new machines as your No. 1 priority.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2001-05-01

Core Competency

Rodgers and Hammerstein produced some of America's most memorable and lasting songs in musical theater. Lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II once said of composer Richard Rodgers, "I hand him a lyric and get out of his way," Hammerstein knew what Rodgers was good at, and vice versa, and each trusted his partner. Their partnership was so successful that you can scarcely think of one man without the other.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2001-03-01

Out of the Cave: Returning the Personal Touch to Business

Ever since the first cavemen bartered clamshells and spears, business has been about people interacting. In simpler times, commerce was conducted according to the look in someone's eye or the feel of his handshake. Today we have computers, fax machines, modems, e-mail and cell phones - all powerful tools that have increased our productivity. Those devices have shrunk our world, but, in some ways, they've also distanced us from each other by reducing personal interaction. In the name of efficiency, profitability and progress, we've found ways to place orders, sell products and exchange information without ever coming into contact with another human being.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2001-01-01

2001: A (Cyber) Space Odyssey

In 1968, Stanley Kubrick released the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, based on the story by Arthur C. Clarke. Back then, 2001 was a long way off. It was the future, a time of unknown marvels, amazing discoveries and technological achievements. Now we're in 2001. But while Clarke's and Kubrick's visions of 2001 took place in outer space, what captures my imagination this year is cyberspace.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2000-11-01

A Pause That Refreshes

When you to to IMTS, you expect to see hoopla. The mass of machines and bodies gathered in one place should create an unmistakable level of energy and enthusiasm. IMTS 2000 seemed uncharacteristically quiet...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2000-09-01

Triumph of Planning

Normandy overwhelmed me when I first went there several years ago. I was sobered by the sea of white crosses in the cemeteries, I was inspired by the memorials and their tales of courageous soldiers battling impossible odds, and I was horrified by the visions of carnage that came to me as I stood on the scarred beaches of one of the most significant conflicts in human history.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2000-07-01

Don't Panic

I'm a big believer in the value of IMTS as a marketplace where gear manufacturers can go and look at the latest machine tools and processes; compare hobbing machines, gear grinders and inspection equipment; see turning, milling or grinding machines in action; and ask questions of the various vendors all in one place. This year's IMTS promised to be the biggest ever, and I have no doubt that it will be a valuable experience to those who go there looking for ways to improve the way they manufacture products.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2000-05-01

Management on the High Seas

Most Navy brass would say that Commander D. Michael Abrashoff ran a loose ship. But his style of empowering his crew by delegating authority is changing the way the Navy thinks about management. His speech at the recent annual meeting of the American Gear Manufacturers Association offered a simple, common-sense approach that can be applied not only to running a ship, but also to gear manufacturing or any other industry.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2000-03-01

Goldstein's Paradox

I just got off the phone with an associate of mine at a large gear manufacturing company.I was congratulating him on being awarded a new contract when he told me that they had just experienced a substantial downsizing.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2000-01-01

The Bigger Picture

I learned much of what I know about the machine tool business from my father, who learned it from his father before him. One of the lessons he taught was that no matter how important the details seem, it's equally important to look at the bigger picture.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1999-11-01

The Success of Our Customers

No matter what business you're in, you need customers. More importantly, you need customers who can and want to pay for your goods or services. It's in our best interest to do everything we can to make sue our customers are successful with the products or services they buy from us, as I believe that our wages are paid not by our companies but by their customers.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1999-09-01

Timing is Everything

Although the cultures and areas of expertise of Solomon and Sun Tzu are worlds apart, the two offer similar opinions on the importance of seizing the moment. Their ancient wisdom may have increasing relevance to modern manufacturers in a global economy, particularly those contemplating whether now is the time to invest in capital equipment.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1999-07-01

Kicking Tires

For the first time in probably 15 years, I've attended an auto show. Although I haven't been purposely avoiding them, over the past decade or so, the auto industry hasn't given me a compelling reason to go.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1999-05-01

Celebrations & Expectations

When you're 15, you're filled with confidence and exuberance, and you have a future full of potential and room for growth. You're ready to take on the world. Gear Technology began publishing exactly 15 year ago, with the May/June 1984 issue, and the magazine has grown in many ways since then.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1999-03-01

Navigating Uncharted Waters in Cyberspace

I'd like to share with you a vision of the future. It takes place in cyberspace, and it's coming soon to a computer near you. Whether you like it or not, and whether you're ready or not, the Internet is changing the way business is conducted.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1999-01-01

1999 and Counting

Have you ever watched the odometer on your car as you approach 100,000 miles? Something about human nature compels us to watch the odometer roll over. It may be just a fascination with numbers: Seeing all those nines line up is rare, and we don't want to miss it. but it may also have to do with the feeling of being on the verge of something that won't come again.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1998-11-01

Clouds in the Crystal Ball

The carnival that is IMTS has come and gone. The aisles have been swept, and all the banners have been taken down. The fanfare of what some call the greatest machine tool show on earth has faded away.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1998-09-01

Looking Arond the Corner

Listen carefully these days and you'll hear a faint rumbling among the economic masses. It's probably nothing to worry about. It'll most likely go away. It's only the naysayers and skeptics who predict that the end is near. They've been doing to far almost all eight years of our current economic boom, and they've been wrong so far.

MANAGEMENT MATTERS | 1998-07-01

What the Internet Means To Your Gear Business

Let's face it. The Internet is still, to many of us, exciting, confusing, terrifying and frustrating by turns. The buzzwords change so fast that even the most high tech companies have a hard time keeping up. Cyberspace. Firewall, Java. E-commerce. The list goes on.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1998-07-01

Politics of Manufacturing

In the approximately 15 years that I have been writing editorials for Gear Technology, I've purposely avoided certain topics. Sex, religion and my own used gear machinery business are among the subjects that have always been off limits. But with this issue, I'm going to break one of my long-standing taboos by talking politics.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1998-05-01

Meeting The Challenge

Every once in a while something happens to fundamentally change the nature of your business. Despite the best of intentions and the most careful planning, there's no way we can anticipate every event. What do you do, for example, when your two biggest competitors merge, when the economy collapses in the region that imports your products or when key employees leave your company? Your reactions may make the difference between success and struggling to survive.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1998-03-01

Riding Out The Good Times

Happy days are here again, says the old song, and given the current economic numbers, one can scarcely argue. Productivity is up; unemployment is down; inflation is practically nonexistent; the budget deficit is shrinking fast.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1998-01-01

Positive Trends, Hot Products, Minor Quibbles and Other Notes From Gear Expo 97

Notes from Detroit...Overall, Gear Expo 97, the AGMA biennial trade show, was a success. While attendance may not have been what some people had hoped for, the quality of the attendees was high. Serious buyers came and brought their checkbooks.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1997-11-01

Good - Bye, Dad

I sat down to write this editorial about my father, Harold Goldstein, as he approached his 80th birthday in October. I had meant it to be a celebration of his nearly 65 years in the machine tool business. Unfortunately, on August 26, as I was working on it, my father passed away after a long battle with emphysema. This editorial has now become a memorial as well as a celebration.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1997-09-01

Looking to The Future

Economic times are good right now in America and in the gear industry. We're in the seventh year of an up cycle. The tough shake-outs of the 1980s and early 90s are over. Orders are up. Backlogs are at comfortable levels. We're looking at what promises to be the biggest, most successful trade show in the industry's history coming up in Detroit in October. The most pressing question on the immediate horizon seems to be "How long can the good times go on?"

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1997-07-01

The Total Customer Service Experience

What is a quality product? This is not an idle question. In the Darwinian business world in which we operate, knowing the answer to this question is key to our survival. A whole library of standards and benchmarks is available to help us gage how we're doing, but they don't really tell the whole story.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1997-05-01

ABCs Management

Recently I had the pleasure of having dinner with Frank Sinatra, Jr. He was here in Chicago for a benefit concert for Roosevelt University (my wife is co-chairperson of the benefit). Our conversation ranged over a wide variety of subjects, including a small gem of an HBO television movie, "Truman" with Gary Sinise in the title role.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1997-03-01

Spreading The Word

Long-time readers of these pages will know that I have always felt strongly about the subject of professional education. There's nothing more important for an individual's career development than keeping up with current technology. likewise, there's nothing more important that a company can do for itself and it employees than seeing to it they have the professional education they need. Giving people the educational tools they need to do their jobs is a necessary ingredient for success.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1997-01-01

Internet Adventures, Part II powertransmission.com

In July of 1996 we introduced the gear community to the Internet in these pages through the Gear Industry Home Page (GIHP). This electronic buyers guide for gear machine tools, tooling, accessories and services has proven to be more popular than we could have envisioned. In our first month, we had over 3,000 hits, and in our third month, we have over 4,500. By our fourth month, we topped the 7,000 mark, and we are on our way to 11,000 hits in November. As our advertisers develop their own home sites in order to offer layers of information about their companies, their products and services, we expect this activity will increase even more.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1996-11-01

Two columns for the price of one...

Just back from IMTS and once again, I'm struck by the enormous vitality and strength of the manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy. It has made a phoenix-like rise from the grave dug for it by pundits in the '80s and has come back more robust and competitive than ever.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1996-09-01

The Politics of Denial

A good many things bother me about election years - the annoying sound bites, the negative commercials, the endless political over-analysis. But what bothers me most about the coming election is this: So far (when I'm writing this, it's admittedly early in the campaign) there's little or no talk about what is one of the most critical national issues of the next thirty years - our growing government debt.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1996-07-01

geartechnology.com And Other Adventures

You've been reading about it, talking about it, maybe even trying it. Gear Technology has jumped aboard it feet first and begun a voyage on the World Wide Web. Beginning with this issue, an electronic version of the magazine will be online. For those of us who still find the fax machine amazing technology, this is a great leap.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1996-05-01

Other People's Footsteps

Earlier this year, a relative of mine, Sidney Mandell, tragically passed away. I had the good fortune to serve with Sidney on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Machinery Dealers National Association (MDNA). Though he started before me, his MDNA career and mine overlapped for about 2 years. As I think back on the many things I learned form him, one of his favorite phrases keeps come to mind: "We walk in the footsteps of those who have gone before us."

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1996-03-01

Pulse Beat

Every now and then a magazine has to take its own pulse or lose sight of its key mission - providing its readers with information they want. We did it this last year through surveys, interviews with subscribers and focus groups. Our basic question was, how are we doing?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1996-01-01

Plan Ahead

Indianapolis is a nice city. No. It's a great city for a convention. The facilities and the city are modern, clean and bright. The Convention Center is easy to get to by either car or plane, and its central location in the heart of town and the enclosed skyway system between it and major hotels put visitors close to amenities like restaurants, shopping and entertainment. The people are friendly and go out of their way to make visitors feel welcome.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1995-11-01

Questions To Keep You Up At Night

Sometimes in the pressure to meet deadlines and handle the Crisis of the Day, we lose sight of the forest for the trees. As a partial cure for this syndrome, I recently reviewed the six interviews with gear industry leaders that have appeared in our pages during the last year, trying to get a grasp of a larger picture. It struck me with renewed force how six men, each with a lifetime of experience in this business, see the gear industry forest the same way.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1995-09-01

Doing the Right Thing

Knowing the right thing to do isn't hard. Most often, it's very obvious. Actually doing it is something else again. For example, we all know that we probably eat too much refined sugar and fat, but when the double chocolate cheesecake come by, it's easy to convince ourselves that one piece won't hurt.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1995-07-01

Transitions

Beginning with this issue, one of the last bits of the "old" Gear Technology is gone. From now on we'll be running the new picture of me you see on this page. It was time, my art and editorial staff explained to me, to move ahead with the rest of the updated art and editorial in the magazine. (I emphatically deny that the real motivation for the new picture was putting a stop to the ever-increasing number of jabs from certain friends about my "Dorian Gray" look.)

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1995-05-01

Business Ethics Touchstone or Oxymoron

"Values" is one of he buzzwords we hear everywhere today. Family values. Traditional values. Alternative values. Along with a balanced budget, less government and more fiber in our diets, "values" - and their practical counterparts, "ethics" - are being promoted as one of the simple, obvious solutions to what ails us as a country and as individuals.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1995-03-01

Finding Tomorrow's Leaders Today

The passage last year of both NAFTA and GATT has gone a long way toward leveling the playing field for American manufacturers and other hoping to compete in the global economy. Add to this news the fact that the domestic economy keeps growing, and it seems as though good times are ahead for the gear industry.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1995-01-01

Changes Changes

Welcome to the new Gear Technology. With this issue we begin bringing you a new look - a new cover, new graphics, a new, broader and more inclusive editorial focus. Our goal is to be an even better resource for the entire gear industry.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1994-11-01

Marketplace by the Lake

McCormick Place, Chicago. A manufacturer's dream. Acres and acres of machine tools up and running - cutting chips, filling molds, moving material, bending, shaping, smoothing, measuring. Computers, robots and lasers everywhere - George Lucas goes to engineering school. Sounds, light and, most important, over 100,000 people, moving around, taking notes, asking questions and, above all, buying. This was IMTS '94. A heady, if tiring, experience.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1994-09-01

Gear Technology: The Next Ten Years

A little more than ten years ago this month, the first Gear Technology came off the presses. It was a fledgling effort in every respect. The gear industry had never a magazine of its very own before. Those of us involved in its production were like first-time parents; we were proud and excited, but unsure of what we'd let ourselves in for. None of us knew if this baby could really fly.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1994-07-01

Every Reason In the World to Go

IMTS 94, the Association for Manufacturing Technology's biennial machine tool extravaganza opens September 7 at McCormick Place in Chicago. As always, the size of this show is astonishing. Over 100,000 visitors, enough to populate a medium-size town, will converge on Chicago's lakefront to visit more than 1,200 exhibits spread over the entire McCormick Place complex.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1994-05-01

Getting With The Program

Getting and keeping a work force capable of meeting the demands of the 21st century is one of the key challenges most U.S. manufacturers face today. That's not even news anymore. I - and others - have been talking about it in editorials and speeches for ten years now. It's also not news that the job is a tough one and that industry-wide response often has not been particularly effective.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1994-03-01

ISO 9000: Global Market Salvation Or A Pig In A Poke

ISO 9000 is the latest hot topic in marketing and manufacturing circles. Everyone seems to be talking about it, but few seem to understand it completely. depending on whom one talks to, it's either the greatest thing to hit industry since the assembly line, another cash cow for slick consultants, a conspiracy on the part of Europeans to dominate global markets, or the next necessary step to compete in the global economy of the twenty-first century. It may be all of the above.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1994-01-01

Random Thoughts for the New Year...

Another year has passed and, because of the short term ups and downs of the economy, it's still hard to judge whether we are in an appreciably different place than we were a year ago. The economy doesn't seem to be worse than it was, but it also doesn't seem to be a whole lot better.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1993-11-01

Gear Technology The Next Phase

This issue of Gear Technology marks another milestone in the life of our magazine. After publishing 51 issues - nearly 200 articles containing close to 2,500 pages - we're ready to try something new.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1993-09-01

It's Still the Economy, Stupid!

Two items of interest have crossed my desk in the last couple of weeks. One of them is a copy of a speech by Harry E. Figge, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Figge, International Inc., and the other is an article by Peter Brimelow in the July 19, 1993, issue of Forbes. The two items are directly related to one another, the Brimelow article being a response to the points raised in Figge's speech and in much grater detail in his book, Bankruptcy 1995: The Coming Collapse of America and How to Stop It. Both the speech and the response are well worth our attention.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1993-07-01

Gear Expo '93 - A Wise Investment

Gear Expo '93 - another trade show, another plea to send people and/or equipment out of town, away from the office or plant. Another bid to spend time, money, and effort. Oh, please! Hasn't anybody heard that these are the "lean and mean" '90s?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1993-05-01

The Limits of the Computer Revoltion

In this issue of Gear Technology, we are focusing on using computers to their greatest advantage in gear design and manufacturing. In a sense, that's old news. It's a cliche to suggest that computers make our work life easier and more productive. No company that wishes to remain competitive in today's global manufacturing environment can afford to be without computers in all their manifestations. We need them in the office; we need them next to our desks in place of drafting boards; we need them on the shop floor.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1993-03-01

Little Things Mean A Lot

"God is in the details," says the philosopher. What he meant was that on the scale of the universe, it's not just the galaxies, the planets, the mountain ranges, or the major rivers that are important. So are the subatomic particles and the genes. It's the little things that make all the difference.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1993-01-01

A Hopeful New Year

It always strikes me as something of an irony that the brightest holidays of the year fall in the deepest part of the darkest season. They come when the days are the shortest, the clouds the thickest, the weather (at least in Chicago), the worst. And yet it is at precisely this time when we celebrate the happier human emotions of family, love, and charity and somewhat arbitrarily declare a "new" year.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1992-11-01

The Sum of Our Fears

Last month I attended a meeting in Mexico City sponsored by CIATEQ, a quasi-governmental organization in Mexico, which has as one of its aims the encouragement of the growth of the gear industry in Mexico. The purpose of the meeting was to provide a catalyst among the attendees to form a Mexican equivalent of AGMA and to encourage an alliance with AGMA. Joe Franklin, the Executive Director of AGMA, Bill Boggess, the President, Vice-President Ray Haley, and I were among the few Americans at the meeting.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1992-09-01

The Seeds of Great Enterprises

"Opportunity is the start of great enterprises." said the Greet statesman Demosthenes, and what was true 2300 years ago is no less true now. Plenty of opportunities which can grow into great - and successful - enterprises are waiting for us right now if we only have the foresight to take advantage of them.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1992-07-01

A Flood of Lessons

About the time we were midst of planning the editorial content for this issue of Gear Technology, we, like everyone else in the metro area, found ourselves diverted by the Great Chicago Flood. For a week, it seemed to be all we thought about. Then the tunnels dried out, the stores reopened, and we all went back to work.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1992-05-01

Working Smarter, Not Just Harder

It's a buyer's market these days on solutions for our country's economic problems. Everybody with access to a t.v. camera or a publisher is telling us what we need to do. Usually their solution involves either buying their book or tape or electing them to office.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1992-03-01

Investment Tax Credits - A Good Idea Whose Time Has Come

Of timing is crucial in the successful implementation of good ideas, then now is the time to reinstate a good idea that fell into disfavor in the mid-1980s. Now is the time to include the investment tax credit as part of whatever inevitable tax structure tinkering is going to take place during this election year.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1992-01-01

The Nina, The Pinta, And The American Gear Industry

Next year will be the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' famous "discovery" of America. Poor Columbus has fallen on hard times of late, what with revisionist historians smacking their lips over his more notable failures and reminding us that American natives have a vastly different point of view on this Great American Success Story. But before we relegate the Great Navigator to the scrap heap of trashed-over heros, let's take one last look at some of the positive lessons to be learned from the Columbus experience - ones that could be instructive to our current situation in the American gear industry.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1991-11-01

To Market, To Market

A few months ago at the AGMA management seminar, I was surprised by the feverish note taking that went on at a presentation on marketing. The sight reminded me that while many of us in the gear industry are good engineers, designers, and mangers, we are often not as familiar - or comfortable - with less concrete concepts, such as marketing.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1991-09-01

Come See Us In Detroit

October is the time. Detroit is the place. AGMA Gear Expo '91 is the event. Cobo Center in downtown Detroit is where you will want to be in October if you have any interest in gear products, manufacturing, or research.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1991-05-01

A United Europe Will Be A Long Time coming

Pride. Awe. Relief. Admiration. These were some of the emotions with which I, like most Americans, greeted the end of the Persian Gulf War. I was proud of our country for saying it would do a job and then doing it with a minimum of loss and a maximum of effectiveness; I was awed by the terrifying efficiency of our weapons and relieved that our casualties were so light; and I was filled with admiration at the skill with which one of the most complex logistical military operations of the century was carried out.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1991-03-01

Brave New World

Observations while traveling through Hungary last November...this is a very ancient country; people have lived and worked here along the Danube River since early times, and change is just another piece of the landscape. Still, the collapse of the old Communist economy is one of the more remarkable phenomena in a land that has seen and lived under different versions of the "new world order" since the first barbarian invasions. The difference is that this time, the people themselves are working the change, and the results are exciting in their variety and effect.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1991-01-01

The Winds of Change

Nashville - One of the highlights of this year's SME Advanced Gear Processing and Manufacturing Clinic was a tour of the new GM Saturn automobile manufacturing plant outside the city. There in the Tennessee hills is a hopeful vision of the future of the American automobile industry. It may well be the future of American large-scale manufacturing in general.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1990-11-01

Looking To The Future - Part II

Beginning with our next issue, some of the promised changes in format for Gear Technology will begin showing up in these pages. As part of our commitment to provide you with important information about the gear and gear products industry, we are expanding our coverage. In addition to continuing to publish some of the best results of gear research and development throughout the world, we will be adding special columns covering vital aspects of the gearing business.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1990-09-01

The 332 Report

In May of this year the U.S. International Trade Commission made public its Report to the President on the condition of the U.S. gear industry. This 200+ page document is the result of a two-year study by the commission, with the help of the AGMA staff and members. It is the most comprehensive and current analytical coverage of the industry conditions and tends presently available. Because of the importance of this report to the industry, GEAR TECHNOLOGY is devoting a good portion of this issue to reprinting the Executive Summary for our readers.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1990-07-01

Of Trees, Whales & Practicality

One of the hot items on the public agenda these days is "The Environment." Suddenly everyone wants to save the whales and the rain forest. Politicians, rock stars, and big business have all discovered that you can't get anything but good press for saying that you're in favor of trees and marine mammals.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1990-05-01

Looking To The Future

Six years ago this month, the very first issue of Gear Technology, the Journal of Gear Manufacturing, went to press. The reason for starting the publication was a straightforward one: to provide a forum for the presentation of the best technical articles on gear-related subjects from around the world. We wanted to give our readers the information they need to solve specific problems, understanding new technologies, and to be informed about the latest applications in gear design and manufacturing. The premise behind Gear Technology was also a straightforward one: the better informed our readers were about the technology, the more competitive they and their companies would be int he world gear market.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1990-03-01

Capital Gains, Societal Gains, or No Gains At All

Taxes may be one of the only two sure things in life, but that doesn't make them popular. Nobody is happy to pay them, and the bigger the amount due, the unhappier the taxpayer. Conversely, politicians know that coming out in favor of a tax cut is the equivalent of voting for apple pie and motherhood. It's a sure-fire success at the ballot box.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1990-01-01

Kudos To AGMA for Pittsburgh Show

AGMA's Gear Expo '89 was, by all accounts, a great success, proving again the wisdom of having a trade show devoted exclusively to gearing and gear-related products. Over 1500 people attended the show, and 86 different companies exhibited their goods and services.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1989-11-01

Editorial

The press release on my desk this morning said, "The (precision metal working) industry cannot attract enough qualified applicants. As many as 1,500 jobs a year (in the Chicago are alone) are going unfilled." So what else is new? That's just hard proof confirming the suspicion many of us have had for some time. Some of the best, most qualified and experienced people in our shops are reaching retirement age, and there's no one around to fill their spots. And, if the situation is bad in the metal working trades in general, it's even more critical in the gearing industry. Being small and highly specialized, gear manufacturing attracts even less attention and finds recruitment harder than the other precision metal trades.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1989-09-01

Editorial

From tiny beginnings, the AGMA Gear Expo is growing into a fine, strapping show. This year's effort, Gear Expo '89, "The Cutting Edge," will be bigger and better than ever. What started as a few tabletop exhibits in Chicago four years ago has now grown to a full-size, international exhibition at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. With over 160 exhibitors, including major gear manufacturers and suppliers from around the world, this year's show promises to be a great success as well.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1989-07-01

Editorial

Assorted thoughts while in a holding pattern over O'Hare... I recently returned from England where I spent time checking out the overseas markets and attending a machinery auction. Buyers came to this auction from all over - Germany, Italy, Switzerland, India, Australia, America - and the prices were astonishing. Often buyers were paying in pounds sterling the same amount or more than they would have paid in U.S. dollars.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1989-05-01

Editorial

Thousands of miles from here, a political and religious leader has ordered a man killed. The Ayatollah Khomeini is offended by a book Salman Rushdie has written; therefore, he has decided this author must die. So what? Executions are ordered all the time in this world. The man who signed this order doesn't interest me. Neither does the book. It's all happening in another country. It has nothing to do with me.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1989-03-01

Editorial

At the time I'm writing this editorial, the new year is barely two weeks old. The air and the papers are still full of those inevitable end-of-the-year estimates of how far we've come in one area or another and how far we have to go. Analyses of the future, both grim and humorous, abound. There are even more of these laundry lists of PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED IMMEDIATELY than usual, since a new president will be inaugurated in a week or so. Everyone had advice for George Bush on what to do first and how to do it. Some of the advice is sound, and I hope he's listening; however, reading all these position papers can be a depressing exercise.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1989-01-01

Leonardo, the Engineer

These lines, interesting enough, are from the notebooks of an artist whose images are part of the basic iconography of Western culture. Even people who have never set foot in a museum and wouldn't know a painting by Corregio from a sculpture by Calder, recognize the Mona Lisa. But Leonardo da Vinci was much more than an artist. He was also a man of science who worked in anatomy, botany, cartography, geology, mathematics, aeronautics, optics, mechanics, astronomy, hydraulics, sonics, civil engineering, weaponry and city planning. There was little in nature that did not interest Leonardo enough to at least make a sketch of it. Much of it became a matter of lifelong study. The breadth of his interests, knowledge, foresight, innovation and imagination is difficult to grasp.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1988-11-01

Mr. None-of-the-Above Wins Again

A few years ago, during a presidential election campaign, I saw an editorial cartoon that depicted a man standing outside a voting booth with a bemused expression on his face. Over the door to the booth was a quotation from Dante: "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." Unfortunately for all of us, the grim jest is just as timely now. Once again, when we make our choice for president this year, the pick seems to be between Mr. Well-He's-Not-Actually-Awful and Mr. At-Least-He's-Not-The-Other-Guy. A candidate who can arouse truly positive and hopeful feelings in the electorate is once again not on the ballot.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1988-09-01

The 500 lb. Gorilla in the Window of Opportunity

IMTS is back in town, From Sept. 7 through Sept. 15, the largest industrial exhibition in the Western Hemisphere will fill one of the largest exhibition centers in the world. A show of this magnitude is a little like the 500 lb. gorilla in your dining room - hard to ignore.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1988-07-01

Unfair Fares

"It's not so much the rocks in the road that wear you down as the bit of gravel in your shoe," says the old maxim. Little annoyances over which we seem to have no control are the ones that take their greatest toll and raise our frustration level to the highest point. I feel fortunate to be the editor of a magazine, so I at least have some means to vent my frustration.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1988-05-01

Crisis and Challenge in American Education

"We have met the enemy and he is us," says Pogo, the cartoon character. The enemy is the crisis in our educational system, and "crisis" is the only term that accurately describes the situation. It is every bit as serious, if not more so, than the crisis that followed the Soviet launching of Sputnik in 1957 - and for many of the same reasons. Our failing public education system threatens our position int he global political and business arenas; and this time, it's not just the Soviets or the Japanese who need to be taken seriously as competitors. Every country int he world that graduates better prepared students than we do - and there are a great many of them - has us at a competitive disadvantage.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1988-03-01

High Tech Manufacturing--Challenges for the 1990s

This issue's editorial is a reprint of the keynote address given by Michael Goldstein at the Computer Aided Gear Design Seminar held at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA on November 9, 1987.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1988-01-01

The Seeds of Our Future Are Now Being Planted

A medieval philosopher once said that if he knew for certain the world was to end tomorrow, he would be sure to take time to plant an apple tree in his garden today. The recent events in the world financial capitals have seemed a bit like prior notice of something cataclysmic, but like the philosopher, we can still find some reasons for hope in the face of an uncertain future. The good news for our industry is that four important efforts on the part of various organizations promise to have long-term positive effects on both the gear and machine tool businesses.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1987-11-01

Don't Sell Us Short!

How is it that we woke up one day in the early 1980s to find that apparently American industry was suddenly inefficient, our workforce unproductive and our management inept? Almost overnight industry found its sales dropping dramatically, while for many companies foreign competition became excruciatingly intense. This sudden change in the economic climate proved fatal for many companies and has been nearly as hard on our collective morale. In a country used to winning, we began to hear ourselves talked of as losers.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1987-09-01

Invest in the Future--Now!

It is with great anticipation that we move closer to AGMA's Fall Technical Conference and Gear Expo '87, which is being held on Oct. 4-6 in Cincinnati, OH. This bold undertaking by both AGMA and the exhibitors in the Expo's 160 booths is an attempt to make a major change in the industry's approach to the exposition of gear manufacturing equipment. By combining the Expo with the Fall Technical Conference, those involved in gear manufacturing will have the opportunity to review the latest equipment, trends, and most innovative ideas, while keeping up with the newest technology in the industry.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1987-07-01

Simple Strategies for Successful Competitors

"Competitiveness" is the newest corporate buzzword. It is being offered as the solution to all our economic problems. Newspapers, magazines and legislation are pushing us to be more "competitive."

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1987-05-01

The World--Our Market

As the time came to write this editorial, the replies to our survey from the last issue were just starting to pour in. We were gratified by the number of responses we received and by the amount of time many of you spent answering in great detail the text questions on the survey. Because of this unusually large response, it will take us some months to log, digest and respond to all the data. Thank you for this nice "problem."

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1987-03-01

Editorial

As Gear Technology moves toward its third anniversary, we feel that we have reached a point in our development where it is time to pause, reflect on our accomplishments and plan for the future.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1987-01-01

Industry Shows Shift Emphasis

A change has taken place within the industry that is going to have an enormous effect on the marketing, sales, and purchasing of gear manufacturing and related equipment. This change was the American Gear Manufacturers' Association, first biennial combination technical conference and machine tool minishow.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1986-11-01

The Competitive Edge

Now that the new tax bill has been passed, the time has come to begin evaluating how it will affect investment strategies in the machine tool business. Your first reaction may be to think that any motivation to invest in capital improvements in your company is gone, because both the investment tax credit and the accelerated depreciation on capital investment have been removed from the tax law. After all, if Uncle Sam is not going to help us out through some short term tax gains, why should we bother? Can we afford to bother?

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1986-09-01

Editorial

"It's show time!" Ready or not, on Sept 3, the biennial International Machine Tool Show opens at McCormick Place, Chicago. Planning a show that encompasses displays from over 1000 companies from 29 nations and an associated technical conference presenting more than 200 papers on 50 topics has not been without its problems.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1986-07-01

Notes From the Editor's Desk

The last two months have been both a time of difficulty and of growth for Gear Technology. Unexpectedly, I found myself in the hospital having surgery, and consequently out of commission for several weeks. At the same time, two individuals on our staff lost family members, and most of this period saw us getting ready for this preshow IMTS issue while being seriously short-staffed.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1986-05-01

Notes From the Editor's Desk

This issue of Gear Technology, The Journal of Gear Manufacturing, marks the end of our second year of publication. As we approach our third year, it is time to review our statement of purpose. Gear Technology's primary goal was and is to be a reference source and a forum for the American Gear industry, and to advance gear technology throughout the world.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1986-03-01

Notes From the Editors Desk

Sitting down to write my comments for this issue, one event filled my thoughts-the transformation and uninhibited euphoria that overcame Chicago, and the whole Midwest, by the Bears reaching and winning the Superbowl.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1986-01-01

Editorial

As I thought about what we might expect for 1986, the most important news affecting our industry is the tax revision bill just finished by the House Ways and Means Committee.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1985-11-01

Editorial

Three things have happened in the last few weeks, that lead me to believe the worst is over - not that great times are ahead, but that things will get better.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1985-09-01

Notes From the Editors Desk

While on holiday in England during July, my thoughts for this page were on the proposed changes to our tax law, and how they would adversely affect America's industry. But with the President undergoing cancer surgery, Congress deadlocked on deficit reduction and the budget on the back burner, nothing new was being said or done regarding a new tax law

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1985-07-01

Editorial

Despite increased overseas competition, there doesn't seem to be an urge among Americans to attend technical conferences.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1985-05-01

Notes From the Editors Desk

This issue, our sixth, marks the 1st Anniversary of GEAR TECHNOLOGY, The Journal of Gear Manufacturing.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1985-03-01

Being Fair is a Matter of Perspective

I recently attended a briefing, arranged by the White House, regarding the Treasury's tax simplification plan. A Treasury Undersecretary explained that their goal was to come up with a tax code that was "fair" to everyone.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1985-01-01

What's in it For You

In my travels over the past several months, it has been very gratifying to have so many readers come up to thank me.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1984-10-01

Notes from the Editor's Desk

History comes around full circle. It is interesting to talk to gear manufacturers who service the defense, aerospace, automotive and computer industries and find that their sales, production and backlogs reflect excellent and, in some cases, record breaking business.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1984-08-01

Notes from the Editor's Desk

THANK YOU! The response to our first issue has been extremely exciting for us. Our advertisers have told us GEAR TECHNOLOGY is being talked about wherever they go. Thank you for the wonderful and enthusiastic reception.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 1984-05-01

Editorial

Over the years, we have traveled extensively throughout the industrialized world, and became increasingly aware of the availability of enormous amounts of technical writing concerning research, experiments, and techniques in the gear manufacturing field. New manufacturing methods, materials, and machines were continuously being developed, but the technical information about them was not readily available to those that could best use it. There was no central source for disseminating this knowledge.