In case you haven’t visited www.agma.org in a while, you’ll want to take a look, as AGMA launched a new website in October 2016. Just like all technology, it was time for a complete upgrade. The AGMA website is now fully responsive to mobile devices and even easier to navigate. It’s packed with resources for every level of the gear industry — and you should be taking advantage.
Some information is geared for the general public. Our robust news section, under the Resources tab, is a comprehensive look into the current happenings of the gear industry. AGMA staff visit member websites semimonthly and place links to recent press releases of interest. We also gather articles from general news sources on topics such as workforce development, manufacturing, and mergers and acquisitions. These are placed on the AGMA website with direct links to the original sources. On Tuesdays, the most recent articles on general news are sent out via email newsletter, which is available to anyone. There is a quick form on the home page to sign up if you don’t already receive it.
Also under the Resources tab is our newest section: emerging technologies. Through the Board’s work on the Strategic Plan, AGMA is putting resources into providing members with relevant information on four topics considered emerging or disruptive to our industry: 3D printing, industrial Internet of Things (IoT), automation and robotics, and super alloys and new materials. This section of the website is devoted to information on these technologies and is updated regularly.
AGMA developed a Skills Assessment Tool available to everyone through the AGMA website. This tool is a matrix that assists gear manufacturers in the hiring of new employees and skills assessment of current employees. The tool guides users through a list of job positions, then five sets of skills required to complete those tasks, and the competency requirements of each skill. The tool has been designed dynamically to allow users complete customization. This tool uses the job functions: gear manufacturing engineer, gear inspector, gear hobbing operator, gear shaping operator, gear design engineer, and gearbox design engineer.
The website is also your link to resources AGMA members can take advantage of as part of your membership, which include the following:
Online Workforce Training Program is a three-part education series that provides an introduction to the gear industry. Thanks in part to generous funding from the AGMA Foundation, there is no charge for members, so come sign up and take “Fundamentals of Gearing, Hobbing, and Parallel Gear Inspection” for any or all of your employees.
The Foundation has also funded a series of AGMA Education Webinars that will be available to members throughout 2017. More information will be available in the spring.
A number of Statistical Programs are available to members. Those that participate in providing data receive valuable reports at no additional costs. The “Monthly Market Trend Report” tracks actual booking and shipment data from domestic manufacturers of gears and flexible couplings. The summary report includes data that list industry bookings, a bookings index, industry shipments, and a shipment index for all groups, enclosed gears, and each of the product groups. The “Financial Operating Ration Report” (ORR), conducted in Q2, is the most comprehensive financial tool available to AGMA members. This report is a profitability study based on data reported confidentially by gear manufacturers based in the United States. The ORR will help you understand and analyze best practices in the gear manufacturing industry.
The AGMA has two wage and benefit surveys that we perform on alternating years — one for production workers and one for management and technical workers. This year, AGMA will be collecting information on the management and technical workers survey. The result is a comprehensive salary survey for non-factory employees in the gear industry. Knowing how your company compares is crucial to your financial success. Again, the full report is available at no additional charge to those who participate, and more information on all the reports is on the AGMA website.
AGMA encourages member participation in its business and technical committees. If you are an engineer or you work on the technical side of the industry, we strongly encourage you to participate in one of our technical committees. Standards are the spine of our organization and are not accomplished without member volunteers. You don’t need to be an expert to participate — these committees accomplish their work through a constant cycle of bringing in new talent to learn from the experts and grow them with the committee to ultimately take the expert seats.
AGMA’s business committees are open to all members. Committee volunteers help shape the organization. Our business committees include: Annual Meeting Planning, Education, Statistical, Strategic Resources Network, and Trade Show Advisory. And we have two brand-new committees that stem from the Board’s Strategic Plan: Emerging Technology, which helps develop AGMA’s emerging technology program, and Industry Voice, which will help guide AGMA’s communications strategy and partnerships with allied manufacturing associations.
All AGMA members can post jobs for free on the AGMA website. When you have a position open, please send me a copy of your job description. Jobs stay posted on the AGMA website for two months and are published (with title and a link) in the AGMA member eNewsletter.
While I’ve focused on the free resources and resources available to AGMA members, there is much more. The new website makes it easier to register and get information on our networking events. And we have added two new face-to-face education events in 2017: “Fundamentals of Gear Design and Analysis” and “Steels for Gear Applications.”
I would encourage you to check out our new site and see for yourself the many resources that are available from AGMA.
AGMA PUBLICATIONS
AGMA published five new technical documents in 2016. All of these documents will be part of the membership publications package for 2017 and are available for purchase through the store on the AGMA website at www.agma.org.
ANSI/AGMA 9005-F16 (released 5/4/16)
ANSI/AGMA 9005, Industrial Gear Lubrication
Technical Committee: Lubrication Committee
This standard replaces ANSI/AGMA 9005-E02.
ABSTRACT:
This standard provides lubrication guidelines for enclosed and open gearing installed in general industrial power transmission applications. It is not intended to supplant specific instructions from the gear manufacturer.
ANSI/AGMA 9006-A16 (released 6/1/16)
ANSI/AGMA 9006-A16, Flexible Couplings – Basis for Rating
Technical Committee: Flexible Couplings Committee
ABSTRACT:
This standard presents criteria and guidelines for the establishment of the basis for ratings of standard flexible couplings. Due to the diversity of coupling types, details of design such as formulas and analysis used to derive the stresses, etc., are often considered proprietary and are not considered in this standard. This standard is of importance to coupling manufacturers, users, and equipment designers for the proper selection, comparison, and application of flexible couplings.
ANSI/AGMA 2002-C16 (released 6/8/16)
ANSI/AGMA 2002-C16, Tooth Thickness and Backlash Measurement of Cylindrical Involute Gearing
Technical Committee: Gear Accuracy Committee
This standard replaces ANSI/AGMA 2002-B88.
ABSTRACT:
This standard establishes the procedures for determining the specification limits for tooth thickness of external and internal cylindrical involute gearing. It includes equations and calculation procedures for the commonly used measuring methods. A specific tooth thickness specification limit can be established from the design thickness or from another tooth thickness measurement. The procedures can be used with an established design tooth thickness or with actual tooth thickness dimensions. The effect of tooth geometric quality variations on tooth thickness dimensions is discussed. Calculations for backlash are included and are based on the specified tooth thickness, center distance, and tolerances.
ANSI/AGMA 6013-B16 & ANSI/AGMA 6113-B16 (Metric Edition) (released 6/13/16)
ANSI/AGMA 6013-B16 & ANSI/AGMA 6113-B16 (Metric Edition), Standard for Industrial Enclosed Gear Drives
Technical Committee: Enclosed Drives for Industrial Applications Committee
These standards replace ANSI/AGMA 6013-A06 and ANSI/AGMA 6113-A06.
ABSTRACT:
This standard includes design, rating, lubrication, testing, and selection information for enclosed gear drives, including foot mounted, shaft mounted, screw conveyor drives, and gearmotors. These drives may include spur, helical, herringbone, double helical, or bevel gearing in single or multistage arrangements as either parallel, concentric, or right angle configurations.
ANSI/AGMA 6123-C16 (released 9/29/16)
ANSI/AGMA 6123-C16, Design Manual for Enclosed Epicyclic Gear Drives
Technical Committee: Epicyclic Enclosed Drive Committee
This standard replaces ANSI/AGMA 6123-B06.
ABSTRACT:
This standard is a design manual for drives employing epicyclic gear arrangements. It includes descriptions of epicyclic drives, nomenclature, application information and design guidelines with reference to other AGMA standards. This standard is applicable to enclosed epicyclic speed reducers and increasers, which use spur and helical gears.
AGMA WELCOMES ITS NEWEST MEMBERS
AGMA now represents more than 490 companies in 30 countries. Its most recent members are listed here. Find out how an AGMA membership can benefit your company by visiting www.agma.org or email membership@agma.org.
- Advanced Drivetrain Engineering and Technology
- American Steel Treating
- Amsoil Inc.
- Bendon Gear and Machine Inc.
- Croix Gear and Machining
- Curtis Machine Company Inc.
- Engrenage Kustom Gear Inc.
- Harcliff Mining Services
- NGC Gears
- Nikon Metrology Inc.
- PEER Bearing
- Penn Machine LLC
- Pragati Transmission Pvt Ltd
- Precision Plus Inc.
- Ranken Technical College
- Shell Lubricants
- Symmco Incorporated
- Tien Ye Gear Works Co. Ltd
- Total Specialties USA
- Toyoda Americas Corporation
- Tractors and Farm Equipment LTD
- Wedeven Associates Inc.
- Wenzel America
- Western Precision Aero LLC
AGMA’S UPCOMING BASIC TRAINING COURSES
Fundamentals of Gear Design and Analysis New Course!
April 19-21 | Indianapolis, Indiana
Gain a solid and fundamental understanding of gear geometry, types and arrangements, and design principles. Starting with the basic definitions of gears, conjugate motion, and the Laws of Gearing, learn the tools needed to understand the inter‐relation and coordinated motion operating within gear pairs and multi‐gear trains. Basic gear system design process and gear measurement and inspection techniques will also be explained. In addition, the fundamentals of understanding the step‐wise process of working through the iterative design process required to generate a gear pair will be reviewed. Learn the steps and issues involved in design refinement and some manufacturing considerations. An explanation of basic gear measurement techniques, how measurement equipment and test machines implement these techniques, and how to interpret the results from these basic measurements will also be covered.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the measurement and inspection techniques used to qualify a gear
- Describe in detail the practical gear measurement and inspection techniques
- Explain the major contributing factors to gear quality
- Categorize the common tools and equipment used to measure and inspect gears
- Discuss some of the new and automated gear design systems
Instructor: William “Mark” McVea
Fee: $1,395 First registrant per member company | $1,195 additional registrant
$1,895 First registrant per non-member company | $1,695 additional registrant
Basic Training for Gear Manufacturing
April 3-7 or September 18-22 | Chicago, Illinois
Learn the fundamentals of gear manufacturing in this hands‐on course. Gain an understanding of gearing and nomenclature, principles of inspection, gear manufacturing methods, and hobbing and shaping. Utilizing manual machines, develop a deeper breadth of perspective and understanding of the process and physics of making a gear as well as the ability to apply this knowledge in working with CNC equipment commonly in use. This course is taught at Daley College.
Learning Objectives:
- Demonstrate understanding of the evolution, history, and function of gears
- Show and describe 14 gear tooth features
- Describe six typical gear characteristics that are measured
- Demonstrate knowledge of gauging versus measurement
- Utilize and describe a variety of analysis methods
- Troubleshoot problems to fully understand the process
- Instructors: Dwight Smith, Peter Grossi, and Allen Bird
Fee: $1,395 First registrant per member company | $1,195 additional registrant
$1,895 First registrant per non-member company | $1,695 additional registrant
