“Take this with a grain of salt” is that old saying you use when you offer up some advice that may or may not apply, that comes from a dubious source, or which bears skepticism. This year’s annual State-of-the-Gear-Industry survey is like that, but not because we did a poor job of it, and not because we doubt the sincerity or business acumen of our respondents, but rather, because the survey happened to come at a very turbulent time.
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.
A classic candy store offers a dazzling display of lollipops, gumballs and every variety of sprinkled, dusted chocolate and chewy, gummy delights. The bright colors and sugary sweet smell are designed to make an eight-year-old’s eyes bulge, mouth water and tongue hang out. IMTS is just like that, but for technical trade journalists. The show provides an immersive display of manufacturing technology and a seemingly unlimited supply of experts (some of them also colorful) to talk about applications of that technology.
Next month, much of our team will be heading to IMTS (Sept. 9–14 in Chicago) to explore all the latest technology in manufacturing. As always, the show promises to include a wide variety of ways for manufacturers to improve their quality, productivity and profitability.
Take this issue of Gear Technology, for example. It’s full of really great knowledge, including information about the latest technology for manufacturing; important gear-related events that have taken place or are about to; technical knowledge based on R&D, academic research and product development; and much more. In your hands, this issue has a lot of power. It can give you ideas about ways to help your company improve operations, become more profitable or make better gears. Maybe this knowledge could help you become better at your job.
Gear Technology recently had the opportunity to sit down with Thomas White, Marketing Manager for Northern Technologies International Corporation, whose ZERUST line of corrosion prevention solutions includes specialized packaging, testing and comprehensive corrosion management services.
A single gear, by itself, doesn’t do much good. No matter how brilliant its design or how superb its quality, it has to mesh with another gear to achieve anything useful. The transfer of torque, the change of direction and the increase or reduction of rotational speed only occur when two or more gears come together. The same is true of you.
Gear Technology began with the May/June 1984 issue. Forty years later, we’re still going strong! Please join us in looking back at some of our milestones and celebrating what makes this publication truly unique in the marketplace.
I joined the staff of Gear Technology 30 years ago, as a lowly editorial assistant. I had just moved back to the Chicago area after a brief stint working for a family business in Louisiana. The nice people at Randall Publications offered me an opportunity to put to good use my journalism degree as well as my enthusiasm for math and science.
OK, audience. I’m going to divide you into two groups. Everybody whose company is a member of AGMA, please move over to the left-hand side of the room, and everybody else, please move over to the right.
Last year, when I wrote this column about our annual State-of-the-Gear-Industry survey, I urged most of you to consider whether you were working for one of those gear industry companies engaged with the future or one of those ignoring it. I feel like I could run the same words again, and they would still apply.
Gear Technology TV is the home for original gear-related content created by our editors in conjunction with a lot of really smart people in our industry whom we’ve had the pleasure to interview on camera or include in one of our discussion panels. For years, we’ve been building our library of video content, and we’ve just added a bunch more.
Since our founding in 1984, Gear Technology’s goal has been to improve your knowledge, bringing you the best possible technical information about gear design, manufacturing, inspection, heat treating and much more. We keep you informed about the business of gear manufacturing, including the trends and technologies that will shape your companies in the coming years.
The Motion + Power Technology Expo is a three-day show that’s designed for the gear and power transmission industry, representing the entire community of professionals involved in the life of a gear, gearbox or other power transmission device—from design to manufacturing, testing, heat treating and more. You can find the suppliers of the equipment to make gears as well as gear and gear drive manufacturers themselves, along with related suppliers of things like software, tooling, lubrication, bearings and more.
Electric vehicles are changing the gear industry. If your business is at all attached to the manufacture of automobiles, construction equipment, motorcycles, aircraft, I hope you’re paying attention. The gears you used to make are going to be changing if they haven’t already. E-mobility isn’t going away anytime soon.
I’m a fan of The History Channel’s survival competition TV series Alone, where contestants are left in the wilderness to fend for themselves with limited resources in extremely harsh conditions. They have to build their own shelters, find food and survive. The last one to tap out wins.
At first glance, the gear industry might seem like a small industry, easily navigable for someone new to it. But it’s only small in terms of the number of people involved. In fact, once you’re in it, you quickly realize the gear industry is extremely broad.
A significant amount of work is being done to advance the technology of gears specifically for use in electric vehicles. No longer hidden by the noise of the internal combustion engine, the transmission has taken center stage as the noisiest component in most electric-driven cars.
This year’s State-of-the-Gear-Industry survey generated a wide variety of responses. The industry doesn’t seem to be moving in just one direction, but rather, in multiple. In some cases, this is a story of the haves and the have-nots. Depending on what’s going on the world, companies serving one industry will outperform companies serving another. But overall, companies that are well positioned—those that have invested in technology, found ways to hire and maintain a skilled workforce and who have anticipated and prepared for paradigm shifts like the electrification movement—seem to have a much more positive outlook.
Gear Technology’s annual State-of-the-Gear-Industry survey polls gear manufacturers about the latest trends and opinions relating to the overall health of the gear industry. As in years past, the survey was conducted anonymously, with invitations sent by e-mail to gear industry companies—primarily in North America, but also including some respondents from around the world. Nearly 200 individuals responded to the survey.
Almost every time I have the opportunity to meet with professionals in the gear industry, the topic of training and education comes up. Maintaining a stable workforce continues to be one of the chief struggles of manufacturing companies.
I'm presuming that you'll be attending IMTS at McCormick Place, Chicago, September 11–17. I mean, why wouldn't you? If you’re reading this magazine, then you're somehow involved in the world of gear manufacturing, and whether you're a design engineer sitting at a computer every day, a machinist working on the shop floor or an inspector working in a quality control lab, you need to understand how gears are made to do your job well.
Last issue I asked you all for a special favor. Thank you to those of you who responded. But for the rest of you...well, we could still use your help. The success of Gear Technology depends on our ability to know who you are, where you work and how you’re involved in the gear industry. That means subscribing or renewing your subscription.
The continued success of Gear Technology depends entirely upon you, the reader. More specifically, our success depends on knowing who you are, where you work and how you’re involved in the gear industry. That means subscribing or renewing your subscription.
After more than two years of COVID isolation, it feels good to be getting out of our bunkers and interacting with people again. Last month, I had the great pleasure of attending the AGMA Annual Meeting, where executives from member companies got together in person for the first time since 2019. The 2020 meeting was canceled at the last minute due to COVID. Last year’s meeting was held virtually, with an electronic meeting room and videoconference presentations. But this year felt like a return to normal.
You may have noticed that we’ve spruced things up a bit over at geartechnology.com. The website has undergone a complete overhaul, from the front-end design to the back-end programming and system that allows us to be as efficient as possible in producing and delivering the content you need.
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