Next month, much of our team will be heading to IMTS (Sept. 9–14 in Chicago) to explore all the latest technology in manufacturing. As always, the show promises to include a wide variety of ways for manufacturers to improve their quality, productivity and profitability.

This article requires that the reader be familiar with Job Shop Lean, an approach to adapt the principles of lean manufacturing for a job shop, regardless of its size or industry sector. A job shop typically executes a different schedule every day. Each day’s schedule could have a different mix of jobs, due dates, lot sizes, and number of gear operations. Regardless of all these differences, it is important that the shop receives a feasible schedule that does not exceed available capacity constraints on key resources (machines, labor, materials, dies, etc.).

Gears serve as essential mechanisms in a wide range of mechanical equipment, helping to transmit torque, adjust rotational speeds, transfer power, distribute load and more. Used in necessary applications such as automobiles, energy systems, aerospace and industrial equipment, gears must be able to operate for long periods without maintenance. While gears can be made from a diverse assortment of materials, carbon and alloy steel offer superior benefits in terms of strength, durability and cost efficiency. As a remarkably recyclable material, steel may also be a preferable choice for environmentally conscious manufacturers.

The 67,000 sq. ft. facility occupied by Precision Gears Inc. in Pewaukee, WI, contains a full range of gear manufacturing equipment to meet the varied customer demands of the many industries it serves. Founded in 1919, the company possesses both the technologies and experience to efficiently serve the multiple requirements of manufacturers in fields as varied as agriculture, lawn and garden, foodservice, power transmission construction, pumps, and others.

The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS)—September 9–14 at Chicago’s McCormick Place—is the largest manufacturing technology show and marketplace in the Western Hemisphere, and it’s right around the corner! With visitors from more than 110 countries, IMTS is where the creators, builders, sellers and drivers of manufacturing technology come to connect and be inspired. But with more than 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space, where do you begin? Here at Gear Technology, we do our best to help you make the most of your show experience by assembling booth previews that will be worthy of your attention.

If all goes as planned, NASA will launch its Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) Mars mission from Florida’s Space Coast in June 2028, the start of its latest, and greatest, mission to Mars. By sometime in the early 2030s, the SRL mission will have succeeded in traveling to Mars; gathering samples already collected by the Perseverance Rover; launching them into Mars orbit; and capturing and returning them safely to Earth. For NASA’s scientists, the SRL mission is the culmination of a decades-long series of Mars explorations designed to find evidence of life outside of Earth or, at the very least, provide important insights into the origin of life here on Earth.

As the automotive industry continues to move towards e-mobility, the manufacturing world is adapting to the respective requirements. Large gear ratios are necessary to reduce the high input speeds of electric motors to the required speed of the drive wheels. At the same time, masking noise of combustion engines is now missing, posing challenges to the noise level of transmissions. Principally, two main transmission concepts have become established for e-drive applications: two-stage layshaft transmissions with four gears, and planetary transmissions.

Overall developments and widespread public awareness of man-made climate change are transforming the way people think. The awareness has inspired a shift towards a more ecologically sustainable way of life. Driven by policymaking and technological innovation, ambitious efforts are underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to curb the rise in average temperatures. A key focus of these efforts is the mobility sector. 

During a recent conference session on AI and manufacturing in Las Vegas, one presenter made a valid point about simplifying and accelerating shop floor processes. “AI has the potential to revolutionize the way companies design, develop, manufacture and operate.” This is happening in gear manufacturing shops, automotive OEMs, production plants—even mining facilities.

Mahr MWF GmbH has developed and built a measuring machine for double-flank gear roll testing to meet the individual requirements of a customer. This machine tests the form feature concentricity deviation Fr on the internal toothing of gears. The noise development of the subsequent gearbox can then be predicted based on the measurement results. This is an important aspect, particularly in electromobility.

Rego-Fix has launched a new online product-finder resource, which allows U.S. manufacturers to quickly and easily find and purchase the Rego-Fix solution that best meets their application needs. Using a variety of search criteria, users can find and learn more about the full lineup of products. 

Horn recently announced another milestone in the history of the Supermini with a sintered chip-breaking geometry for the Supermini type 105. Boring, profile turning, internal grooving, threading, chamfering, face grooving, drilling and slot broaching: The Supermini tool system can be adapted for numerous machining operations. 

Weiler Abrasives has announced its new blending disc product lineup that is ideal for a wide range of blending, weld cleaning and polishing needs. The blending discs can help operations save time and money through faster material removal and longer product life in such applications as shipbuilding, structural fabrication and welding. 

Fast-Trac Jaw Nuts from Dillon Manufacturing allows users to change jaws in half the time, according to customers who have made the switch. This system lets users preassemble the jaws required for the next operation while the machine is running a separate job, thus minimizing jaw change time and maximizing productivity and profitability.

Ceratizit added to its OptiLine Series of solid-carbide end mills with the launch of a six-flute end mill. OptiLine end mills are versatile and optimized for various materials, machining strategies and part applications. The company designed and developed the new six-flute OptiLine end mill specifically for titanium and super alloys (ISO-S). 

The winners in the 2024 Powder Metallurgy (PM) Design Excellence Awards competition, sponsored by the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF), demonstrate outstanding examples of PM’s diversity and ability to meet critical requirements. From electric vehicles to medical implants, once again, parts fabricators have demonstrated PM’s versatility and unique ability to challenge competing technologies. These award-winning components use PM’s flexibility to push forward new concepts and process controls to demonstrate the inexhaustible range of PM’s capabilities. 

Emuge-Franken USA is celebrating its 40th Anniversary. The company officially entered the U.S. marketplace with a handful of employees under the name Emuge in 1984 in a Northborough, MA sales and warehousing facility. The Emuge brand was aggressively marketed and demand for products grew rapidly. Today 40 years later, Emuge-Franken is recognized as a leading brand in cutting tool innovation, quality and performance throughout a wide range of industries and products across North America, with over 80 employees in the United States and Canada.

Zeiss and CleanControlling, a leading test laboratory for technical cleanliness, signed a cooperation agreement in April. The goal of the cooperation is to optimize products and industrial analysis techniques, and to set new market standards.

Effective July 1^st, 2024, Dr. Ulrich Kissling, founder and Managing Director of KISSsoft AG steps down as Managing Director of KISSsoft AG as he partially transitions to retirement. Dr. Kissling will continue with KISSsoft AG focusing on representation for Gleason / KISSsoft AG on various technical committees and providing technical support to the Engineering and Sales teams.

Fanuc America has officially unveiled its new 650,000 square foot West Campus facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The expansion increases the footprint in Michigan to over 2 million square feet and is part of Fanuc America’s strategic investment plan to support and advance industrial automation in North America. The West Campus represents a $110 million investment built on 67 acres of land.

The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) is pleased to announce the release of its new free digital special report, Sustainability Opportunities for Tribology.

If you are a true gear geek, you are probably aware of AGMA’s Fall Technical Meeting (FTM). However, we have true gear geeks attending the FTM for the first time each year, and we are thrilled to see that!

Instead of waiting until the beginning of next year to make a resolution to learn more about emerging technologies, I suggest taking advantage of the learning opportunities available right now. Engaging with AGMA’s emerging technology (ET) initiatives will help you stay current, expand your knowledge base, and potentially add to your itinerary for IMTS.