The ever-volatile election cycle has ended. Gear companies—and metalworking organizations in general—must now shift their focus toward customers. Can they meet orders in a timely fashion? Is it time to strengthen the talent pool? How is their equipment stacking up against the competition? Overall, there is a feeling business will turn the corner in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2025. Gear Technology spoke with representatives from Atlanta Gear Works (AGW), Croix Gear and Forest City Gear (FCG) on the state of gear manufacturing in 2025.
As the gear industry steps into 2025, manufacturers are navigating a landscape shaped by geopolitical uncertainties, evolving workforce dynamics, and rapid technological advancements. Alongside Gear Technology’s annual State of the Gear Industry survey, we like to gather insights from leading machine tool manufacturers on the challenges, opportunities, and trends defining the year ahead.
Open to students interested in a career in the gear industry, and/or power transmission as it relates to the gear industry.
Applicants must be enrolled or recently accepted as full- or part-time students in a nationally accredited program.
Jeff Holtzapple joins EMAG L.L.C. as Business Development Manager, bringing over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing and machine tool industries. Having successfully performed various roles in management, sales and technical support in both machine tool distribution and at the OEM level, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the EMAG Group.
Forest City Gear, an industry-leading manufacturer of fine- and medium-pitch custom gears, is proud to sponsor the Women of Today’s Manufacturing (WOTM) Annual Dinner on Tuesday, February 25 at Embassy Suites in Rockford, Illinois. The dinner raises funds to award scholarships to local students in manufacturing and engineering disciplines.
Forest City Gear is delighted to host a vocational intern, Jace Richart, from Hononegah High School. Richart, 19, is a student in Hononegah’s Vocational Internship Program (VIP). This program, supported by Special Education teacher and VIP Field Coordinator Justin Wieman, aims to prepare students with a range of disabilities including but not limited to intellectual disabilities, autism, or other health impairments for the workforce post high school. Vocational internships, like Richart’s at Forest City Gear, help Wieman’s students build the specific skills employers are looking for.
Star Cutter has announced the hiring of Adam Chipman to support sales and service of the company’s line of TRU TECH centerless and cylindrical grinding machines. Chipman will report to Aaron Remsing, Star Cutter product manager, and will be based out of the Elk Rapids, Michigan office.
“Take this with a grain of salt” is that old saying you use when you offer up some advice that may or may not apply, that comes from a dubious source, or which bears skepticism. This year’s annual State-of-the-Gear-Industry survey is like that, but not because we did a poor job of it, and not because we doubt the sincerity or business acumen of our respondents, but rather, because the survey happened to come at a very turbulent time.
Helios Gear Products (South Elgin, IL) proudly welcomes engineer, Caeden Keith. Caeden earned his degree in Mechatronics Engineering from Northern Illinois University (NIU). During his time at NIU, he demonstrated his passion for innovation and mentorship by mentoring his high school’s FIRST Robotics Competition Team 5934 and leading NIU’s team in NASA’s BIG Idea Challenge.
Index Corporation has announced that Michael Huggett will succeed Cris Taylor as the company’s President & CEO. Mr. Huggett will assume leadership of the company during a transition period in April 2025, concluding with Mr. Taylor’s retirement at the end of that month. Index has also announced a restructuring of its sales team that includes the addition of three new members and reorganization of its territories. Bryan Young has joined the company as National Sales Manager, while John Kemezis and Jason Shorette have joined as Regional Sales Representatives.
Every year, Gear Technology’s State-of-the-Gear-Industry survey takes the pulse of the gear manufacturing world, revealing the latest trends, challenges, and outlooks shaping the industry. Conducted anonymously, the survey gathers insights from subscribers, AGMA members, gear manufacturers, suppliers, and industry experts—primarily from North America but with voices from around the globe. This year, nearly 200 professionals shared their perspectives, offering a real-time snapshot of the industry’s health and direction.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
Machine Tool Builders has added highly experienced sales professional and machine tool industry veteran Ross Wegryn-Jones to its national sales organization.
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.
The newest edition of the Gear Research Institute (GRI) newsletter, “Transmissions” has been published. The link below will guide you to the Newsletter posting on GRI's newly freshened website. Additional updates to the site will slowly continue to roll out.
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.
Nidec Machine Tool Corporation announced that the construction of a new factory that Nidec Machine Tool (Zhejiang) Corporation, a subsidiary of the Company, had been building in the city of Pinghu, Zhejiang Province, China, has been completed, and that the factory has launched its full-scale operation, on October 11. Constructed to establish a prompt machine tool supply system to meet China’s domestic needs for autos, robots, and industrial machines among others, this new, three-floor factory, whose first-phase construction started in March 2023, covers an area of approximately 66,000m2, including an approximately 18,000m2 first floor.
Nidec Corporation announced that the Nidec Group has decided to construct a technical center to exhibit a comprehensive lineup of its machine tools on Nidec Machine Tool Corporation’s premises in the city of Ritto, Shiga Prefecture.
The latest issue of Klingelnberg’s customer magazine, GEARS inline, is out now! It’s packed with all the latest insights into the exciting world of gear technology. The eleventh edition is all about cutting-edge solutions, including solutions for electric mobility, and sets new standards in quality inspection.
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.
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.
Liebherr Gear Technology has opened a new location in Querétaro, Mexico. This expansion will allow Liebherr to further improve the service and be closer to our customers in this region.
The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) September 9–14 at Chicago’s McCormick Place is fast approaching and, for newcomers and veterans alike, it is always worthwhile to plan as much as possible in advance to make the most of it. For Gear Technology readers looking for gear manufacturing equipment such as gear cutting, forming, and finishing, as well as broaching, shaping, and slotting machines, you must first visit the Gear Generation sector in the North Building, Level 3.
Effective July 1st, 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.
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.
The Siemens Machine Tool Business sadly announces the death of Randy Pearson, 70, on May 21, 2024, in Reno, Nevada, following a long battle with lung cancer. Randy had recently retired after more than 20 years with Siemens, where he served as dealer support manager and much more.
On May 7-8, 2024 in Wixom, Michigan (Detroit), the team of the North American operation for Australian-based ANCA Group, a global leader in grinding machines and automated manufacturing technologies, celebrated the company’s 50th anniversary with company founder Pat Boland.
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Mazak North American manufacturing operations in Florence, Kentucky. Through its industry leadership in manufacturing innovation and technology, engineering and customer support, the company has securely positioned itself as a champion of the North American manufacturing industry.
Big Daishowa announces personnel changes to support the company’s strategic initiatives. "Our company is at a pivotal point in its growth trajectory and bringing on talented professionals like Edgar, Glen and Tom is crucial to our continued success," said Mike Herman, Vice President Sales, BIG DAISHOWA. "Each of these individuals brings experience, innovative thinking, and a commitment to excellence that aligns perfectly with our vision for the future. We are excited to see the positive impact they will have with our customers."
The founding of the Japanese operation in May 1954 laid the groundwork for offering customers and partners consultations and services in-country and in the local language. Since then, not only has the market continually evolved, so too has the company.
I joined the staff of Gear Technology 30 years ago, as a lowly editorial assistant. I had just moved back to the Chicago area after a brief stint working for a family business in Louisiana. The nice people at Randall Publications offered me an opportunity to put to good use my journalism degree as well as my enthusiasm for math and science.
My family company, Cadillac Machinery, was a used machinery dealer specializing gear machinery, especially bevel gear equipment, so we knew first-hand how unique and sometimes insular the gear industry was. As a member of AGMA, I often attended AGMA events, including the Fall Technical Meeting, where tremendous knowledge was presented, year after year, about the latest research, technology and manufacturing approaches for gears.
The inaugural issue of Gear Technology marked a significant change in the industry. I was 13 years into my career, working at my third company and in my fifth year on AGMA’s Helical Gear Rating Committee. Back then, few engineers moved around; you started at a gear company, were indoctrinated in their way of doing things, and hoped to advance by making very incremental changes to the “old family recipe.”
Gear Technology began with the May/June 1984 issue. Forty years later, we’re still going strong! Please join us in looking back at some of our milestones and celebrating what makes this publication truly unique in the marketplace.
A gear is nothing without its counterparts. Gears work in conjunction with other components within a gear system to achieve specific mechanical functions. These counterparts work together synergistically to form functional gear assemblies capable of transmitting motion and torque, converting speed and torque ratios, and performing a wide range of mechanical tasks in various applications across industries.
The American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) was presented with the Trade Show Executive’s Fastest 50 Grand Award in the “Fastest-Growing Show by Percentage Growth in Total Attendance in 2023” category on May 9 at the Fastest 50 Awards & Summit in Las Vegas.
Forest City Gear announced Turning Lead Josh P. Gates has joined Rock Valley College as an adjunct professor. Gates teaches two courses under the Manufacturing Engineering Technology program: MET 111 CNC Machine Setup/Operation/Programming and MET 226 CNC/CAM Operations I. Both courses are required to complete the Rock River Valley Tooling & Machining Association (RRVTMA) CNC Precision Machinist Journeyman Apprenticeship.
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.
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.
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).
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.”
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.”
B&D Industrial, a leading independent distributor and service provider specializing in industrial applications, is thrilled to announce the recent acquisition of American Gear & Engineering, Inc. (American Gear), a premier gear manufacturing organization located in Westland, MI. This strategic move marks a significant step in B&D Industrial's commitment to vertical integration, enabling the company to provide an expanded range of offerings and greater value to its customers.
Join Gleason's special online event to learn about the design, manufacturing, and inspection of e-drive gears. This four-day event, March 11–14, features one topic per day, addressing the specific requirements and challenges of e-drive transmission design, manufacture, and inspection, with particular attention to minimizing gear noise. The E-Drive Days are an excellent opportunity for newcomers and experts alike.
Forest City Gear, an industry-leading manufacturer of fine and medium pitch custom gears, is pleased to host a manufacturing facility tour for Rock River Valley Machining and Tooling Association (RRVTMA) on Wednesday, February 28 at 5 PM.
As we embark on a new year, let’s review the current state of the gear industry, and how the changes of the past several years will shape our path forward. The insights garnered from Gear Technology’s annual survey offer a glimpse into the collective mindset of professionals in the field and help us understand how to plan for an ever-changing future.
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 email to our subscribers, AGMA members, and others in the gear industry. Primarily, our responses come from North America, but they also include responses from around the world. Nearly 200 individuals responded to the survey.
Intelligent power management company Eaton today announced that Ben Sheen, chief engineer, of Eaton’s Mobility Group, was recently elected to the Board of Trustees for the Gear Research Institute (GRI) at Penn State University. The GRI is affiliated with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) to conduct research and development, consulting, and analysis for gear-related needs.
In keeping with tradition, machine manufacturer Klingelnberg has in 2023 once again honored its long-standing employees with an anniversary celebration. This year’s honorees included four colleagues celebrating 40 years with the company and 22 employees looking back on 25 years of service. Three employees are even marking a full 50 years of service. The corresponding celebrations are planned for early summer 2024.
The AGMA Foundation awards scholarships to outstanding engineering students at the Associate/Technical, Undergraduate, and Graduate levels. The scholarship program was created to help fill the need for skilled employees in the gear industry.
The WFL headquarters in Linz opens its doors, from March 5th to 7th, 2024, and will be hosting national and international guests of different industries related to complete machining. In three days, you can find out more about the industry’s current trends and developments in an exhibition area of more than 4,000 m². And you get your first-hand WFL experience getting to know its offerings.
Southern Gear has equipped two Doosan CNC Horizontal Turning Centers with advanced RoboJob Turn-Assist robots, thus reducing workpiece load/unload times by 50 percent and allowing skilled machine operators to perform many other tasks.
Dayton Gear partnered with Helios Gear Products to install a new Hera 200 CNC gear hobber, followed shortly after by a Hera 500 CNC gear hobber. Helios had a chance to check in with Adam Baird and Brian Baird, 3rd generation at Dayton Gear, to see how their production has changed since the installation, and how they're planning and looking forward to the future.
The new Gear Trainer Program 2024 features new gear technology topics, including gear and transmission design, cutting and hard finishing processes, metrology and gear noise analysis, tools and workholding, as well as software updates and smart production systems. Gear Trainer Webinars take advantage of a mix of different media including live manufacturing and software demonstrations.
The American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) is proud to announce the hiring of Todd Praneis as Vice President, Technical Division. In addition, three AGMA employees—Courtney Caroll, Robin McWilliams, and Jess Oglesby—have been promoted.
Avers Machine & Gear has acquired Fox Tool & Manufacturing located in Woodstock, Illinois. Fox Tool & Manufacturing is an Aerospace Machine shop that is AS9100D Certified, ISO 9001/2015 Certified, and ITAR Registered and has been operating for close to 40 years.
Gear Technology TV is the home for original gear-related content created by our editors in conjunction with a lot of really smart people in our industry whom we’ve had the pleasure to interview on camera or include in one of our discussion panels. For years, we’ve been building our library of video content, and we’ve just added a bunch more.
Dennis Gimpert, founding President of Koefper America (now Helios Gear Products), officially announces retirement at Motion + Power Technology Expo 2023 and looks forward to a strong future for Helios with expert leadership in place.
The American Gear Manufacturers Association’s (AGMA) Motion + Power Technology Expo (MPT Expo) hosted 2,268 attendees and 163 exhibitors last week at the Huntington Place Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan. AGMA also hosted its annual Fall Technical Meeting (FTM) and was co-located with ASM International’s Heat Treat and IMAT conference. Together, the events attracted 4,482 attendees.
The Society of Women Engineers today announced the recipients of its annual awards program, a nod to those movers and shakers who are making significant contributions to the STEM community and the advancement of women in engineering. SWE award recipients include professionals, collegiates, and groups from influential businesses, corporations, and universities across the globe.
The American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) Technical Division Executive Committee, TDEC, announces a minor restructuring of AGMA technical committees to better serve the industry. The new structure will replace existing topic-specific committees with project-specific working groups that will be formed to develop the deliverable of each project.
The Motion + Power Technology Expo is a three-day show that’s designed for the gear and power transmission industry, representing the entire community of professionals involved in the life of a gear, gearbox or other power transmission device—from design to manufacturing, testing, heat treating and more. You can find the suppliers of the equipment to make gears as well as gear and gear drive manufacturers themselves, along with related suppliers of things like software, tooling, lubrication, bearings and more.
GearTec, Inc. (Willoughby, OH) is pleased to announce it has purchased the assets of Triple A Inc. (Euclid, OH). Triple A now joins GearTec as a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Stars, Inc. (Beloit, WI). United Stars companies are engineering-driven, best-in-class manufacturers of a wide range of metal products/alloys serving over 20 industries globally.
There are countless amazing stories that emerge from the manufacturing world—and Manufacturing Talks, hosted by Jim Vinoski, helps draw those stories into the light of day. As Jim states, "Manufacturing is where the rubber meets the road. There's no hiding. You're either making good products people will buy for enough to keep you in business, or you're not. Period." Nowhere is that more evident than in the gear industry. Check out Episode 51 with Matt Croson, President of the American Gear Manufacturers Association, sharing all about what the AGMA does.
Forest City Gear’s President Kika Young, Director of Operations Jared Lyford, and Value Stream Manager John Cochran attended the 2023 American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) Strategic Networking & Leadership (SNL) Forum in Fort Worth, TX. The annual event is held to offer mid-level managers and executives within the gear manufacturing industry opportunities to network and educate one another.
Forest City Gear, an industry-leading manufacturer of fine and medium pitch custom gears, is proud to announce the hire of Kevin Rogers as Quoting Engineer. Some of his responsibilities in this role include reviewing and generating new requests for quotes and working with clients to determine their orders’ special requirements.
Where there’s war, there’s a combat engineer (sapper) waiting in the wings to construct fortifications, build strategic roads or blow up enemy fortresses. For as long as humanity has been fighting, engineers have risked their own lives carrying out vital tasks on the battlefield.
Nitrex Metal Inc. (“Nitrex”) is pleased to announce that it has been selected for the “American Dream” series airing on Bloomberg and Amazon Prime. The series explores the inspiring entrepreneurial stories of the men and women who founded and built incredible companies from the ground up.
In this latest edition, issue 9, of the GEARS inline Customer Magazine, Klingelnberg once again presents all sorts of trends and innovations from the world of gears. This time, the machine manufacturer focuses primarily on the hot topic of noise behavior and analysis.
Last issue I asked you all for a special favor. Thank you to those of you who responded. But for the rest of you...well, we could still use your help. The success of Gear Technology depends on our ability to know who you are, where you work and how you’re involved in the gear industry. That means subscribing or renewing your subscription.
There has been renewed discussion of the “Buy American” mandates recently. AGMA has a long history on this topic and succe...
An online forum I occasionally visit recently posted a photo of a vintage drafting board and joked about younger people no...
One of the pleasures of being Gear Technology’s official blogger is receiving the occasional phone call or e-mail...
If you receive the AGMA e-mails you already know that the annual call for...
The Digital Manufacturing Revolution Evolves in 2020 IMTS will offer two comprehensive digital programs, IMTS Network and IMTS Sp...
One of the problems with “tribal knowledge” is that the terminology can confuse those who are not fully immersed in that community. I have lost ...
Continuing my rant on the difficulties in getting quotes…
“All memorable quotations referring to gearboxes involve expletives.” Peter Wright The author of Fo...
[starbox] After living in the Chicago area for 10 years I have made peace with the congestion, high prices, long commute tim...
“Leadership is the practical application of character.” — R. E. Meinertzhagen
When you work as an engineer for smaller companies you get to wear a lot of hats.
Our company manufactures a range of hardened and ground gears. We are looking into using skiving as part of our finishing process on gears in the 4-12 module range made form 17 CrNiMO6 material and hardened to between 58 and 62 Rc. Can you tell us more about this process?
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