March/April 2024

Which Half Are You In?

April 9, 2024

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.

Gear Backlash in Robotics Applications

The search for flexibility, performance, and economical systems

April 9, 2024

Jacques Lemire

Gear backlash refers to the clearance, or play, between the teeth of gears in a mechanical transmission system. Gear designers have strived to minimize gearing systems’ backlash due to the impact on precision, efficiency, noise, vibrations, wear, motion control, system complexity, and safety. Their significance varies depending on the applications, but designers need to carefully consider these factors when developing robotics systems to ensure they meet the desired performance and safety standards.

Forging Ahead

Speedy delivery of high quality, open die forgings, seamless and contoured rolled rings, and complex forged parts is essential to the growing wind energy sector

April 9, 2024

Del Williams

Specialty forgers can manufacture custom, high-quality, seamless rolled rings in a variety of materials and finishes in as little as eight weeks. Open die forgings and seamless rolled rings are essential components in the wind energy sector, contributing to the overall reliability and efficiency of turbines, generator systems, and transmission and distribution equipment.

Training: Invest in Your Most Valuable Asset

New training programs and digital training technologies are closing the gap between shortages in skilled workers and an increasingly complex manufacturing environment. People are your most valuable asset, and investments in training pay enormous dividends downstream.

April 9, 2024

Robert Peyr

Training has quickly evolved in recognition of the new realities of the factory floor. The training tool kit has never been more diverse or effective. Training regimens today, at the best companies, are analogous to those of the most successful professional sports or Olympic teams. Instead of weight room, nutrition, and practice, workers use digital webinars, simulations, and classrooms. If modern training tools and techniques result in faster, higher, and stronger on the athletic field, they also produce faster, smarter, and better for companies seeking a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Delivering on the Promises of Digital Twins and Big Data

Balancing accuracy and precision in ISO 6336

April 9, 2024

As a community, we gear engineers collaborate and share ideas to progress our collective capability. Technology progresses based on our efforts, and we have seen solid advances in the performance of our products as they become quieter, cheaper, more efficient, and more power dense. The pages of this magazine (past and present editions) are filled with examples where talented engineers have dug deeper into a subject using a more precise approach to a particular area concerning gear performance. The implied belief is always that greater precision (complexity) in the calculations brings greater accuracy (alignment with reality).

Cross-Correlation of Design Variables for Epicyclic Systems

April 9, 2024

Claudio Autore and Massimiliano Turci

This paper shows a methodology to extensively evaluate different designs of epicyclic gear systems. As outlined, no choice is required on the part of the designer who is free to probe all design variables.

How Many Speed Ratios for Electric Cars? One Example.

April 9, 2024

Bernd-Robert Höhn and Yingying Zhang

This paper recommends a 2-speed-automatic transmission for passenger cars with power <100 kW and for all trucks.

The Life and Times of Pi

April 9, 2024

Matthew Jaster

Pi Day took place on March 14, 2024. Our friendly neighborhood constant is used in engineering to determine the dimensions of gears, wheels, and pipes. Pi is also used in computer science to generate random numbers for cryptography, simulation, and gaming. With a tip of the cap to math enthusiasts, we offer a quick cheat sheet to pi and its fascinating history.

Nidec Machine Tool Develops Polish (Grinding) Method to Process Internal Gears for Mass-Production

February 12, 2024

Nidec Machine Tool Corporation (“Nidec Machine Tool” or the “Company”), a group company of Nidec Corporation, today announced that it has developed the a high-accuracy polishing (grinding) method to machine internal gears for mass production that are used for automobiles’ drive units and transmissions and robots’ joints. While there are already high-accuracy polish-machining methods for external gears for mass production, no such methods have been available for internal gears. After conducting research focused on this point, the Company has achieved positive results in securing the level of accuracy and production that conventional grinding, honing, or skiving methods could not.

Kapp Niles E-Mobility Solutions

February 12, 2024

For over 10 years, the mechanical engineering company Kapp Niles has been working intensively on the topic of gears in e-mobility and has established itself as a pioneer in this rapidly growing industry. With a focus on innovation and quality, Kapp Niles offers customized solutions for the production of gearboxes and gears in electric vehicles.

FVA-Workbench Version 9 Redefines Gearbox Design

February 13, 2024

With the release of version 9, the FVA-Workbench once again sets new standards in gearbox design, enabling the seamless integration of the latest research results into industrial practice. As a groundbreaking interface between collective research and application, the FVA-Workbench accelerates development and innovation in drive technology. This new release is more powerful than ever, with innovative features for flexible load spectra and improvements in FEM components and shaft-hub connections.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation Provides Machine Tending Solution for TL Aerotek

April 9, 2024

TL Aerotek, a small job milling shop customer, experienced a large influx of orders. To keep up with demand, they sought a solution that would alleviate labor uncertainty and help to grow the business. TL Aerotek turned to their long-time supplier of milling machines for support, Expand Machinery.

Introducing CoroMill MS60

March 18, 2024

Sandvik Coromant presents the latest addition to its family of milling tools: CoroMill MS60. The tool is tailored for 90-degree shoulder milling operations in steel and cast iron, but versatile enough to extend its competence across areas such as face milling and various ramping applications.

AGMA Foundation Announces New Board of Trustee Appointments at 2024 Annual Meeting

March 15, 2024

The AGMA Foundation announces changes to its Board of Trustees at the AGMA Members' Meeting during the 2024 Annual Meeting in Napa, CA. “The Foundation continues to serve the gear industry by providing funding through their four pillars: education, workforce, scholarship, and emerging technology,” stated Executive Director, Mary Ellen Doran. “These new Trustees will help us make key decisions in how we can have a greater impact on the workforce over the next three years. I look forward to their contributions.”

AGMA Announces New Board of Directors and Officers at 2024 Annual Meeting

March 15, 2024

The American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) announces changes to its Board of Directors at the AGMA Members' Meeting during the Annual Meeting in Napa, CA. “AGMA would not be where it is today without the passion and diligence of its Board of Directors,” said Matthew E. Croson, President, AGMA. “I want to thank the outgoing Directors for their wisdom and guidance during the pandemic and for helping AGMA maneuver through the tough economic conditions that followed. I have full confidence in our new Directors as AGMA focuses on programs to improve the gear industry at home and forge new partnerships with like-minded associations and organizations abroad.”

Unveiling the AI Revolution: Advancements, Threats, Opportunities

April 9, 2024

Mary Ellen Doran

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gotten a lot of buzz lately, and rightly so—as James McQuiggan put it in our December emerging tech webinar, “I’ve never seen a technology advance and change so much in one year than I have with AI.” While AI is not new, recent advancements in computing power have allowed developers to unleash very powerful AI tools to the public. Our IIoT Committee is exploring how this technology is being utilized in manufacturing in everything from task automation, predictive maintenance, and fraud detection to chatbots and other customer service-style tools. We hope you join us in these discussions.