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.
From 2020 to 2022 I had the honor of serving as the AGMA Chair. As I close the two-year service commitment, I have been asked by several people: What has AGMA accomplished recently, and where is the 107-year-old trade association heading? This question is easy and difficult to answer all at the same time.
Mechanical power loss in gears is generated through sliding and rolling of the contact resulting in frictional work and elastic hysteresis generation of heat. This action is both a parasitic loss of energy from the drivetrain and a source of engineering costs to control system temperature to avoid heat-related failures of the gearbox components. Therefore, from both a cost and durability standpoint it is of great interest to minimize the frictional losses at the gear tooth contact interface.
In modern automotive vehicles, gear noise becomes more and more of an issue. The main reason is the reduced masking noise of the engine, which vanishes completely in the case of an electric driveline. Improved gear quality unfortunately does not correlate with a better noise performance in any case. High gear quality makes sure that the gear flanks are inside tight tolerances and that all teeth are nearly identical. Even if the running behavior of such gear sets shows a very low sound pressure level, the noise perception for human ears may be annoying.
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.
The trend towards hard fine finishing of gears for automotive transmissions is accelerating. In recent years, the focus has been on increasing the efficiency of gears in order to make optimum use of the narrow gear ratio range, gear by gear, and to reduce fuel consumption. Surface finish, in particular, is under increased scrutiny since it plays such a decisive role in achieving the noise and efficiency requirements of gear units for today’s EV applications.
Why is the industry considering changing from well-established gear manufacturing processes to something that is much more complex at first glance? Gear manufacturing has been its own “world” in metal cutting, dominated by companies with very specific expertise around gear technology. Production output has been high, but flexibility is limited. The technicians running these machines are highly skilled, but recruiting new staff with these skill sets has become more and more difficult.
In manufacturing, there are many aspects of a company that contributes to success. However, there is one characteristic that rises to the very top of the prioritized list. This is the ability to be competitive.
Thanks to our many hardworking volunteer committee members, 2022 was a productive year for the AGMA Technical Division with the publication of two new and three revised information sheets. Looking ahead to 2023, many AGMA technical committees plan to meet face to face for the first time since 2019, and they will continue work on ten projects.
Player Piano serves as a cautionary tale and remains relevant in the age of automation as it addresses the issues of technological progress and the impact of replacing human labor and the resulting loss of purpose and meaning in life. It highlights the consequences of relying too heavily on machines and the need to find a balance between progress and preserving the human spirit. The novel remains relevant as discussions around the future of work, job loss due to automation, and the ethics of artificial intelligence continue to be important topics in today’s society.
INDEX has announced the launch of its new CenterMaster accessory. As part of the company’s sustained investment in R&D focused on streamlining the setup and changeover process for CNC multi-spindle lathes, CenterMaster reduces the time needed to align a drill by up to 90%.
A recently developed dual-purpose CNC rotor milling machine from PTG Holroyd aims to increase the manufacturing capabilities of a leading German maker of compressed air, gas and vacuum technologies. In doing so, it will equip the German manufacturer with exceptional levels of speed, flexibility and efficiency.
Nidec Machine Tool Corporation announced today that it has launched Robot Camera SPEED, visual inspection equipment for cutting tools (hobbing machines) to process gears and other components, and Robot Camera MAX, visual inspection equipment for broaching machines.
JTEKT Toyoda Americas Corporation has recently introduced its FH5000 series of three high-speed horizontal machining centers (HMC), including the FH5000S HMC with 800X800X880 mm (x, y, z) strokes, 900mm workpiece diameter, and 1100mm workpiece height capacity. The FH5000 series machines include a 500mm table capable of handling 1000 kg loads.
As a newly developed custom solution, a combination tool for heavy goods vehicle (HGV) freeze plug/water plug boring from CERATIZIT dramatically reduces cost and increases performance when producing the holes in cylinder blocks and heads. Such results are possible because the tool roughs, chamfers and reams/fine finishes holes in a single operation – even in grey cast iron with EN-GJV450 vermicular graphite.
Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company and a comprehensive 3D metrology service provider and hardware sales company, has increased the capability of their Artec 3D handheld scanners with the new HD mode.
With SINUMERIK ONE, the first digital native CNC, Siemens is driving forward digital transformation in the machine tool industry. The new controller works with software to create the machine controller and the associated digital twin from one engineering system and thus contributes to the seamless integration of hardware and software.
Solar Atmospheres of Michigan, formerly Vac-Met, has recently purchased 18,000 square feet of plant space on four plus acres in Chesterfield Michigan. The new building is 20 miles Northeast of the two existing Vac-Met facilities which are currently located in Warren and Fraser Michigan.
Gear Motions is proud to announce that Auto Gear Inc. has joined the Gear Motion’s family. Auto Gear located in Syracuse, New York, specializes in efficient and economical low-volume gearbox production, from design to delivery.
Velo3D, Inc. has appointed Dr. Robin Stamp as director of solutions engineering to help grow the adoption of Velo3D’s metal additive manufacturing technology with new customers and in new industries. In his role, Dr. Stamp will oversee the development of new standards with regulatory agencies, qualification of new metal alloys for use in the Sapphire family of printers, and the collaboration with partners and agencies.
The Metal Powder Industries Federation's (MPIF) Awards Committee has announced the recipients of the 2023 MPIF Distinguished Service to Powder Metallurgy (PM) Award that recognizes individuals who have actively served the North American PM industry for at least 25 years and, in the minds of their peers, deserve special recognition.
ZF unveils its next generation shuttle for autonomous driving in urban environments and mixed traffic at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The next generation complements the established model, which is primarily designed for use in segregated lanes.
In 2022, machine manufacturer Klingelnberg again honored its employees with longstanding service to the company. This year’s honorees included 16 colleagues celebrating 40 years of service and 14 employees looking back on 25 years with the company. Two employees are even marking a full 50 years of service.
After 33 years, over 1,500 educated attendees, and 68 facility tours the Helios team is excited to continue to help manufacturers build shops full of gear experts by hosting the 2023 Helios Gear School on May 16, 17, and 18 in Elgin, IL. The seminar course is designed for entry-level gear manufacturing personnel including manufacturing management, industrial engineers, supervisors, set-up technicians, operators, and quality control.
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