[starbox] One of the first posts of this blog encouraged participation in AGMA’s Fall Technical Meeting (FTM) “paper” program. Our magazine reprints many AGMA papers and, increasingly, from other international technical conferences. Without people stepping up to write and present papers, we will run short of content. For 2015, the FTM abstracts will only be accepted electronically. Applications for this year close on January 15. I am taking a year or two off after presenting my fourth paper last year. Through this blog I offer coaching services to anyone who wants to submit an abstract this year or for 2016. We as an industry need new people up at that podium. It isn’t as difficult as you think and the long-term benefits to your career will be worth the effort. Your topic doesn’t have to be groundbreaking; for example, new approaches to common problems are welcome. Proprietary information and “sales pitches” are not. If you’ve worked hard on understanding a particular area of gear technology or manufacturing, this is a great way to share the wealth. Has your company invested in new machinery, such as water jet cutting or wire EDM, and applied it to gearing in a unique way? Why not use FTM to alert potential customers? Have some advice on material selection or lab results you can share? This is the way to get the discussion started. The AGMA website (www.agma.org) has instructions on submitting an abstract. For those not in a position to present a paper there is an ongoing need for people to help with peer reviews. If you’d like some coaching on your paper, please contact me via e-mail (gearmanx52@gmail.com). There is no charge for this service, although I do expect you to “pay it forward” in the coming years. We all benefit from an engaged and well-informed gear community. Gear Technology has been dedicated to that goal for over 30 years.