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.

Since I have had the privilege of visiting numerous gear plants and research centers in the U.S., as well as 170 in 33 countries, and I closely watch the progression of technology, I wanted to share my observations about some technological advancements. For the purpose of this article, I will focus on three key areas: Robotics, Machine Tools, and Heat Treating.

As you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of gear manufacturing, it’s become increasingly clear that success isn’t solely determined by the precision of your machines or the latest technological advancements. While these factors remain crucial, the true differentiator in today’s competitive market lies in cultivating and nurturing your most valuable asset: your people.

It was a busy year for the gear industry. Large and small companies had to navigate the interest rates, tariffs, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and the unknown economic outlook with an election year in the U.S. Leaders that normally would be brainstorming their five-year strategic plans had to get comfortable with a day-to-day strategy. As each quarter ended, however, AGMA witnessed resiliency, innovation, collaboration, and even quite a bit of growth for some sectors—it was an exciting year to visit members in person.

Gears that aren’t properly chamfered and deburred can lead to overloaded edges and unanticipated and undesirable noise. This is particularly true in EV applications where torque transmission, unlike combustion engine vehicles, goes from zero to a much higher maximum almost instantly. As a result, EV gears require hard finishing (honing and threaded wheel grinding), and chamfering/deburring becomes critical. 

Zahnradfertigung OTT GmbH & Co. KG was the first company to install the new fully automatic CNC-controlled P 152 precision measuring center from Klingelnberg in its ultra-modern machine park.

This study aims to investigate the effect of this identified type of shot peening on the micropitting resistance of the gear tooth flanks and the macropitting resistance and to compare the experimental results with the calculation results based on standard methods.

The following study presents an experimental methodology, employed to characterize the NVH behavior of plastic gears NVH in application-like operating conditions, presenting guidelines for material selection in terms of optimal gear NVH. 

Liebherr’s components product segment and mtex antenna technology joined forces in 2023 to provide the antennas for the next generation Very Large Array antennas (ngVLA), which will offer a glimpse into the infinite space reach. 

The two ZFA series gear grinders are designed to perform high-speed and high-precision finish machining on gears. The two models are each designed for a different gear size range, with ZFA160 capable of handling gears with an external diameter of up to 160 mm, and ZFA260 accommodating gears with an external diameter of up to 260 mm. Capable of meeting the increasingly sophisticated users’ needs, both ZFA160 and ZFA260 can mass-produce gears with a gear accuracy level equivalent to ISO 3 (JIS level N3).

With the recent software release Zeiss Industrial Quality Solutions (Zeiss IQS) enhances its extensive software portfolio, introducing cutting-edge innovations in multiple software products to optimize inspection processes and streamline data handling capabilities.

The customized design of complex tool solutions is one of LMT Tools' greatest strengths. The engineers in the “Advanced Tools” division support their customers as a strategic technology partner and use their decades of experience and high level of technological and application expertise to create high-performance tool systems that are 100 per cent tailored to the respective customer requirements. The latest development stage: four-edged automatically adjustable tools with maximum performance, precision, flexibility and process reliability.

Verisurf Software, Inc. demonstrated its new Machine Tool Probing (MTP) suite at IMTS 2024. The solution is designed to support in-process inspection directly on CNC machine tools. As the only CAD/CAM-based metrology software on the market. Verisurf continues to build on its heritage of intelligent Model-Based Definition (MBD) with new features, enhancements, and optimized workflows for inspection, reporting, reverse engineering, tool building, and guided assembly.

Seco has introduced two new chip splitter milling inserts that lower the stress on both the machine and cutting tool for improved milling process stability. The Turbo 12 and 18 chip splitter inserts for the company’s Turbo cutters – available in five grades for both square shoulder and helical milling cutters – significantly reduce chatter, vibration and stress on manufacturing equipment.

Mitutoyo America Corporation, a leader in precision measuring instruments, is excited to announce the integration of the powerful Metlogix M3 software into the Mitutoyo Quick Image (QI) 2D Vision Measuring System. This latest enhancement promises to elevate the precision and efficiency of noncontact measurements, further solidifying Mitutoyo’s commitment to providing innovative technology solutions to meet modern quality control needs.

Croix Gear, a recognized leader in custom-manufactured loose gears, proudly announces the addition of Tom Marino as Sales Representative for the West Region. With nearly 40 years of industry experience and strong relationships across the gear manufacturing sector, Mr. Marino will play a key role in meeting the diverse needs of Croix Gear’s customers in the Western United States.

Forest City Gear, an industry-leading manufacturer of fine—and medium-pitch custom gears, is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of its new warehouse on October 21. The 50’ x 100’ climate-controlled warehouse will store finished goods while prioritizing storage space in the existing footprint for in-process items for Cut Teeth Only jobs. 

Solar Atmospheres Greenville, SC facility is pleased to announce it has been awarded Parker Aerospace approval. This achievement expands Solar Atmospheres' reach, offering five facilities able to assist customers with Parker Aerospace thermal processing requirements.

Bonfiglioli showcased its latest innovations at EuroBLECH 2024, the premier global event for the metalworking industry. This participation highlighted a suite of cutting-edge solutions tailored to meet the growing demands of smart manufacturing and advanced metal processing.

David Brown Santasalo has been recognized as one of the top 100 companies in the ‘Kirklees Top 100’ list for the fifth consecutive year. Now into its fifth year, the Kirklees Top 100 Companies initiative aims to raise the profile of the local business community and forge stronger links around topics of shared interest between the top 100 companies and partners, the University of Huddersfield, Business Kirklees and the 3M Buckley Innovation Center (3M BIC).

ABB recently began the phased opening of a new $100 million campus in New Berlin, Wisconsin to increase U.S. production capacity of industrial electric drives and service to fully meet Build America Buy America Act (BABAA) requirements. ABB employees, elected officials, education leaders, and media gathered for a ribbon cutting event to mark the first phase opening of the campus.

This year’s Virginia Manufacturing Gala, hosted by the Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) at the prestigious Virginia Museum of History and Culture, served as a showcase for the best in Virginia’s manufacturing industry. At this prominent event, Sumitomo Drive Technologies stood out significantly, earning Bronze in the Virginia Manufacturing Cup and capturing 1st Place in the Industrial and Commercial Machinery category with our Paramax 9000 reducer.

Emuge-Franken USA, a leading manufacturer of high-performance taps, thread mills, drills, end mills, clamping devices and other rotary tools, has announced the appointment of Mr. Mike Patterson as National Sales Manager for the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Patterson brings to Emuge extensive industry knowledge and management experience. He is responsible for leading the Emuge-Franken sales organization in the U.S. and Canada to further strengthen support for customers and distributor partners, as well as to grow market share. 

ECM USA’s Vincent Lelong presented low pressure carburizing with vacuum furnace technology at Purdue University's School of Materials Engineering undergraduate seminar. This seminar regularly features industry speakers, some of whom are members of the Purdue Heat Treating Consortium. 

You may or may not know that AGMA manages the American Bearing Manufacturers Association, ABMA, similarly to AGMA. Because gears and bearings go together like “peas and carrots!” to borrow a phrase from one of my favorite movies. I thought that the GT audience would like an update on what is going on in the technical division of ABMA.

Before diving into the latest committee developments, I want to remind everyone about the 2023 Emerging Technology Webinar Series, available on-demand until December 31. (Don’t miss this valuable resource before it’s removed to make room for our 2025 webinar series.)