August 2010

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.

Raising the Standards

Dr. Phil Terry, chairman of the AGMA Technical Division Executive Committee, talks about the standards-making process.

Tribology Aspects in Angular Transmission Systems, Part 1

"General Explanations on Theoretical Bevel Gear Analysis" is part 1 of an eight-part series from Gleason's Dr. Hermann Stadtfeld.

Crowning Techniques in Aerospace Actuation Gearing

One of the most effective methods in solving the edge loading problem due to excess misalignment and deflection in aerospace actuation gearing is to localize tooth-bearing contact by crowning the teeth. Irrespective of the applied load, if the misalignment and/or deflection are large enough to cause the contact area to reduce to zero, the stress becomes large enough to cause failure. The edge loading could cause the teeth to break or pit, but too much crowning may also cause the teeth to pit due to concentrated loading. In this paper, a proposed method to localize the contact bearing area and calculate the contact stress with crowning is presented and demonstrated on some real-life examples in aerospace actuation systems.

Optimizing Gear Geometry for Minimum Transmission Error, Mesh Friction Losses and Scuffing Risk Through Computer- Aided Engineering

Minimizing gear losses caused by churning, windage and mesh friction is important if plant operating costs and environmental impact are to be minimized. This paper concentrates on mesh friction losses and associated scuffing risk. It describes the preliminary results from using a validated, 3-D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Tooth Contact Analysis (TCA) program to optimize cylindrical gears for low friction losses without compromising transmission error (TE), noise and power density. Some case studies and generic procedures for minimizing losses are presented. Future development and further validation work is discussed.

Application Examples from "Optimizing Gear Geometry for Minimum Transmission Error, Mesh Friction Losses and Scuffing Risk Through Computer- Aided Engineering"

Examples from gears in wind turbine, automotive and industrial applications.

IMTS 2010: Pumping Blood into the International Manufacturing Community

If the free iPad giveaway from FANUC doesn’t draw you in, the wall-to-wall new machine tool technology displays should have you stopped dead in your tracks. To be exact, there will be 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space that may have your jaw dropping. IMTS may be the last show you want to forget to bring walking shoes to.

IMTS 2010 Booth Previews

Here's our editors' look at some of the best new technologies for gear manufacturers that will be on display at IMTS 2010.

IMTS 2010 Booth Listings

A handy checklist of the booths that gear manufacturers might want to see.

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.

Building Repeat Business: What Gear Buyers Really Want from Gear Manufacturers

In this article, gear buyers have been given an opportunity to discuss quality, value, customer service and how gear manufacturers can improve business practices.

The Words and Wisdom of Sheldon Gear Ratio Brown

Bicyclophiles (OK—not a real word, but you get the idea) around the globe may very well know the name, but chances are good that most Gear Technology readers have never heard of Sheldon Brown, AKA—“Gear Ratio,” “Gain Ratio,” “Mouldy Oldie,” “Theory,” “Quixote,” “Fixit” and some the Addendum team probably missed.

Heller Introduces Gear Manufacturing on Five-Axis Milling Machines

In co-operation with Voith, a major transmission manufacturer in Germany, Heller has developed a process that significantly enhances the productivity of pre-milling and gear milling operations performed on a single 5-axis machining center.

Product News

The complete Product News section from the August 2010 issue of Gear Technology.

Industry News

The complete Industry News section from the August 2010 issue of Gear Technology.

PM Community Gathers for Annual Event

The metal powder industry gathered in force this past June for PowderMet 2010, the 2010 International Conference on Powder Metallurgy and Particulate Materials.

Technical Calendar

The Technical Calendar from the August 2010 issue of Gear Technology.