The word workforce has become a catalyst for anxiety for so many employers in the U.S. and all around the world. In manufacturing, the retirement wave is moving at an alarming rate, and the skills gap continues to grow as hiring qualified — even just accountable — employees becomes increasingly difficult. The American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) understands workforce development is the No. 1 issue keeping business owners up at night, and it is doing everything it can to help.
A couple of weeks ago, AGMA announced one of their member benefits, the Workforce Training Series, has been redeveloped. The three courses in the series include:
Fundamentals of Gearing
This course is a comprehensive overview of the industry. It begins with a little history of gearing and proceeds through topics that include:
- Parallel axis gear basics.
- Involute tooth form.
- Description of the gear.
- Diametrical pitch/module.
- Pitch.
- Pressure angle.
- Defining a series of 37 crucial terms used in gearing.
Students will receive a copy of the ANSI/AGMA 1012-G05 Gear Nomenclature, Definitions of Terms with Symbols.
Hobbing
This course is designed to present the basics of hobbing machine operators, gear technicians, and engineers.
The material includes:
- Hobbing process.
- Hob cutting tool terminology.
- Generating gears.
- Hobbing machine terminology.
- Measuring, mounting, and truing the hob.
- Mounting and truing the work piece.
- Basic part inspection.
- Tooth size, runout.
- Recognizing problems.
Parallel Gear Inspection
The level-one, gear-inspection module includes basic concepts for gear measurement, the tools and instruments used, the evaluation of gear characteristics, definitions of terms, and an introduction to gear quality classification.
Topics include:
- Categories of measurement on a gear.
- Double-flank composite inspection.
- Single-flank composite inspection.
- Sequence of measurements.
- When should gear elements be measured.
- Mean helix slope deviation.
- Classification of gear quality.
Training is expensive. Often times, when budgets are getting cut, it is the training that doesn’t make it. Many companies feel they can pair up new employees with more seasoned ones. This puts a strain on those with experience, as they have to do their job and teach someone at the same time. Having three, online, self-paced courses available at no extra cost can save you thousands of dollars and help new employees get up to speed on the basics.
“We often hear from members that workforce development is one of their greatest challenges,” said Leah Lewis, Director, Meetings & Events, AGMA. “These courses are included with AGMA membership, so companies can have their employees learn some of the basics of gearing at no additional cost, creating a great value and ROI.”
It is not just operators who benefit from these courses. With consolidations, acquisitions, and managers being challenged to do more with less, often times a sales/marketing department needs training to understand the full scope of what they sell. These courses can assist them in understanding nomenclature, what is important to their customers, and how the general industry works.
New, high-quality diagrams, schematics, photos, videos, and more have been added to the courses to better illustrate the curriculum. AGMA members can access the newly redeveloped workforce training series at any time at no cost; the courses are included within AGMA membership.
“These programs are AGMA’s most downloaded courses, so we want to make sure that the Workforce Training Series continues to be the best resource for the industry to train their new employees on the basics of gear manufacturing,” Lewis said. “More than 350 people take these courses per year, and, as technology changes, we need to make sure that these popular classes reflect the latest information and are delivered in an efficient and meaningful way.”
There are a lot of reasons to join a trade association like AGMA, but having education readily available as an included benefit is something that can alleviate a growing challenge in workforce development. If you are looking for more information on how to grow your employee’s skillsets, contact education@agma.org.
To learn more about the three Workforce Training Series courses, go to: www.agma.org.
Upcoming Event
2024 Fall Technical Meeting
October 7-9 | Rosemont, Illinois
Each year, authors selected by AGMA write technical papers on topics relevant to the gear industry. These may include subject matter related to design and analysis; manufacturing and quality; materials, metallurgy, and heat treatment; operation, maintenance, and efficiency; and gear failure. The papers then go through a double-blind peer review process in order to ensure the efficacy of the research. The authors present the results of their work at the FTM to an audience of knowledgeable international engineering professionals. During a Q&A period at the end of each session, authors and attendees are able to exchange their ideas. Full registration includes PDF copies of all 2024 FTM papers.
To register, go to: www.agma.org/event/2024-fall-technical-meeting-ftm
Upcoming Education
Condition Monitoring
October 16-17 | Live Online
There are many parameters that provide information about the condition of an operating gearbox, some are lubrication-centric while others are operationally centric. Each parameter, individually and in combination, can provide insight into the condition of the gearbox and its individual components.
There are a variety of ways we can collect the data required to estimate remaining operational time and risk of premature failure. Even more importantly, however, our discussion of the “how” will address the relation of the function of the gearbox and the risks associated with parameters evaluated.
Gear Failure Analysis
October 22-24 | Chicago, Illinois
Explore gear-failure analysis in this hands-on seminar where students not only see slides of failed gears but can hold and examine more than 130 specimens with the same failure modes covered in the seminar. Approximately half of the course time consists of students in groups identifying failure modes on failed gears and working on a case study. Microscopes are available to examine failed specimens.
Gearbox CSI: Forensic Analysis of Gear & Bearing Failures – Useful Tools for Optimizing Gear Design
October 22-31 | Live Online
A good understanding of individual failure modes and the failure scenarios that led to the actual system failure is an essential skill to designing gear/bearing systems that will operate properly for their full design life. In this course, we will define and explain the nature of many gear and bearing failures, and we will discuss and describe various actual failure scenarios. In addition, a detailed primer on bearing technology prefaces the failure-scenario discussions. You will gain a better understanding of various types of gears and bearings. Learn about the limitation and capabilities of rolling element bearings and the gears they support. Grasp an understanding of how to properly apply the best gear-bearing combination to any gearbox from simple to complex.
For a full list of the 2024 courses, go to: agma.org/events-education/upcoming-courses
Upcoming Webinars
Flexible Automation for High-Mix Gear Manufacturers
December 4, 1-2 p.m. ET
Discover how flexible automation systems expand production for gear manufacturers. Collaborative robots (cobots) offer unique technologies that put the deployment and operation of robot systems into the hands of more manufacturers than ever before. This webinar will provide valuable insights into how cobots can transform operations, enhance efficiency, and give a competitive edge.
To register for the webinar, go to: www.agma.org/event/flexible-automation-for-high-mix-gear-manufacturers
Calendar of Events
September 16-20 — Basic Training for Gear Manufacturing — Chicago, Illinois
September 17 — Robotics & Automation Committee — Webex
September 24 — Wormgearing Committee — Webex
September 26 — Electric Drive Technology Committee — Webex
October 6-16 — 2024 AGMA Trade Mission — Mexico
October 7-9 — 2024 Fall Technical Meeting — Rosemont, Illinois
October 10-11 — Sound & Vibration Committee — Chicago, Illinois
October 16-17 — Condition Monitoring — Live Online
October 22-24 — Gear Failure Analysis — Chicago, Illinois
October 22-31 — Gearbox CSI — Live Online
October 24 — Bevel Gearing Committee — WebEx
October 24 — Robotics & Automation Committee — WebEx
