I am writing this while I put my feet up from walking more than 20,000 steps today. I had to take a moment before beginning as my mind was over-stimulated from meeting what felt like hundreds of people earlier and as someone who runs a tradeshow for AGMA, I somehow felt like I had never seen one before — I experienced IMTS for the first time today.
Those of you who know, know what I am talking about. Those of you who have yet to visit this impressive mammoth of an event, should at least go once if you are in manufacturing. My colleagues and I go to this show for the purpose of sharing our publications and for meeting our members that exhibit and attend. Many of our supplier members have exhibited for years at IMTS, and we always want to show our support for them and their businesses.
IMTS boasts an incredible footprint with more than 1 million square feet and an attendance of close to 100,000 people this year. The booths span across five different buildings internally with multiple floors. Some exhibits have two levels and offices larger than our personal booth at our own tradeshow, Motion+Power Technology Expo (MPT Expo). I came in with a goal of understanding the industry at a deeper level, seeing the modern technology and digitization of manufacturing and hopefully knowing how this (somewhat) competitor of a show is different than ours. In one day, I learned a lot.
This is a David-and-Goliath situation. MPT Expo does not compete with IMTS; we are two different shows, but each is as powerful in what we offer to the industry. Walking around all the different buildings and talking with associates selling out of their 10,000-square-foot booths, I realized that MPT Expo doesn’t want to be IMTS. Sure, the size, the attendance, the money, it all demonstrates the hard work and dedication that AMT puts into this show, but with representing such a niche sector (gearing), would I want just a small pavilion, when I can have my own show?
The AGMA media booth was with familiar faces in the North Hall, with members surrounding us in this small gear section of the show. It felt like home seeing our suppliers and manufacturers walking around and networking. It also felt a little bit like we were all stuck in a small apartment of this bigger city that is the show. I looked around and realized that even with the flow of traffic, our members had to be found. So, my message after all this is to my gearing friends: Don’t go to a place where you have to be found, come to a show where you are the star — a show where you are the mansion on the street that is the show. IMTS is glorious for what it is, but it isn’t a show for the gear industry, MPT Expo is.
Join us next year in Detroit, Michigan, October 17-19, 2023, for the MPT Expo.
If you’d like to exhibit, contact Christine von Steiger at 703-706-8252 or agmasales@ntpevents.com.
Upcoming Training Webinars & Seminars
Robot Simulation: Make the Most of Your Investment in Automated Manufacturing
October 5 | Webinar
Manufacturers in every industry are adopting robotic automation at an accelerating rate. The investment required for automation is often significant and comes with a host of options. What type or size of robot should be selected? What throughput can be achieved through this new system? Will the work cell fit into my production line? All of these questions can be answered with robot simulation software. This multi-function tool is invaluable in modeling complicated manufacturing systems. In addition to explaining how robot simulation software can be used, this presentation will provide case studies that demonstrate how simulation early in the project can avoid later problems with robot integration.
Operator Hobbing & Shaping Cutting
October 5-6 | Chicago, Illinois
Learn and understand fundamentals of gear manufacturing. Acquire knowledge and understanding of gear nomenclature, hobbing and shaping of spur and helical gears, and splines. Learn and understand hobber and shaper machine set-up, as well as gear-tooth element inspection. Understand the manufacturing process before gear-tooth cutting, as well as post-cutting processes. Apply concepts to further finishing processes, I.e. heat treat, gear tooth shaving, and grinding and/or skiving. Gain knowledge to establish a solid foundation for all basic gear manufacturing.
How to Interpret a Gear Inspection Chart
October 13 | Virtual Course
This half-day online seminar is intended to provide a thorough understanding of the information contained within a typical gear inspection report. Specifically, we will look at the contents and meaning of the information contained within the gear charts, as well as the techniques used by the gear-measurement system to assess gear quality. 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 be covered. We will also discuss how to interpret the results and what corrective actions may be considered if the quality of a particular gear is unsatisfactory.
Gear Materials
October 18-20 | Chicago, Illinois
Learn what is required for the design of an optimum gear set and the importance of the coordinated effort of the gear-design engineer, the gear metallurgist, and the bearing system engineer. Investigate gear-related problems, failures, and improved processing procedures.
Unpacking the CHIPS Act and Related Funding Legislation and Looking Ahead to the Mid-term Elections and Their Impact on Trade Policy
October 19 | Webinar
Summer 2022 was a busy time in Washington with Congress passing several important new funding bills that direct hundreds of billions of dollars of funding and incentives to a range of industries. Join us as we unpack what’s in these new laws, what it means for you, your company, and the U.S. economy, and how to respond to protect your interests and grow your business. We’ll also cover the latest predictions on how the 2022 midterm elections may shape U.S. trade and investment policy for the next two years.
Involute Spline Design & Rating
October 26-27 | Virtual Course
This course will address both geometry and rating of involute splines of various types. The types of spline joints and their applications will be discussed. Spline configuration variations, including half depth, full depth, and special function designs will be addressed. Both fixed and flexible spline configurations will be examined in terms of usage and design. Lubrication methods, including grease, oil bath, and flowing oil, as well as coatings appropriate for various spline applications are examined. Shear and compressive stress rating methods are discussed with analyses methodology presented in both equation and graphical methodology via various rating charts.
Fall Technical Meeting Sessions and Paper Titles
The 2022 Fall Technical Meeting (FTM) will feature the burgeoning research in the gear industry, shared by researchers through highly technical presentations over the course of three days.
Session 1 – Efficiency, Lubrication, Noise, and Vibration
October 17 | 1-5 p.m.
• Development of a New Test Method to Investigate the Scuffing Load Carrying Capacity of Hypoid Gear Oils.
• Mechanical Power Loss of Spur Gears Subject to Various Surface Finish Pairings.
• Aspects of Gear Noise, Quality, and Manufacturing Technologies for Electro Mobility.
• Sound Intensity Analysis of Straight Bevel Gears Finished by Using AFF Process.
• Optimizing the Operational Behavior of Double Helical Gears by Means of an FE-Based Tooth Contact Analysis.
Session 2 – Inspection and Analysis
October 18 | 8 a.m.-noon
• In Process Measurement and Compensation for Manufacturing Skiving Cutters.
• Methods for Checking the Profile of the Path of Contact of Involute Gears.
• Finding the Right Task for Optical Gear Metrology.
• Cross-Correlation Analysis Among Tooth Profile and Helix Deviations.
• Special Presentation: Noise Analysis for e-Drive Gears and In-Process Gear Inspection.
Session 3 – Manufacturing
October 18 | 1:10-5 p.m.
• A New Low Pressure Carburizing Solution in a Pit vs. Traditional Pit Carburizing Methods.
• Mathematical Model of a Straight Bevel Gear on the Straight Bevel Coniflex Generator and Gear Flank Correction.
• Power Skiving Tool Offsets and the Feasibility of Using a Calculator for Manipulating the Resulting Geometry.
• Closed Loop for Gears: Some Case Studies.
• Modern Green and Hard Machining of Double Helical Gears.
Session 4 – Application, Design, and Rating
October 19 | 8 a.m.-noon
• Effect of Tooth Root Fillet Design on Tooth Root Stress in Short Fiber Reinforced Plastic Gears.
• Investigations on the Tooth Root Bending Strength of Larger-Sized Induction Hardened Gears.
• On the Potential of High-Ratio Planetary Gearboxes for Next-Generation Robotics.
• A Model for Considering Wheel Body Deformation in Tooth Contact Load Distribution.
• A Decomposition of the Torsional Stiffness of a Worm Gearbox into Individual Components.
• Unconventional Gear Profiles in Planetary Gearboxes.
Session 5 – Testing and Failure
October 19 | 1:10-5 p.m.
• Implementation of a Gear Health Monitoring System on a Power Recirculating Test Rig Using the Average Log Ratio (ALR) Algorithm.
• Enhanced Calculation Method for Tooth Flank Fracture Risk with Consideration of Tensile Residual Stresses in Larger Material Depths.
• Experimental Evaluation of Wind Turbine Gearbox Structural Models Using Fiber Optic Strain Sensors.
• Test Rig for Crowned Spline-Joints with Optimized Surface Treatments Under Misaligned Conditions.
• Results of ISO/TS 6336-22 Evaluating Full Contact Zone.
Join us to explore the latest methods and cutting-edge technologies in gearing today! Visit agma.org/events/fall-technical-meeting-ftm for complete information.
Join an AGMA Technical Committee Today
Shape the gear standards of tomorrow, today. Join more than 300 of your gear industry colleagues by volunteering on at least one of AGMA’s 23 technical committees. The expert knowledge in AGMA’s current catalog of more than 100 documents boosts American and worldwide business. AGMA technical committees are also your vehicle to participate in development of more than 50 ISO gear standards, as many AGMA committees have a secondary function as technical advisory groups to ISO.
To join a committee, all you need to do is be a member of AGMA and email us your interest at tech@agma.org.
Calendar of Events
October 17-19 — Fall Technical Meeting — Rosemont, Illinois
October 18-20 — Gear Materials Course — Chicago, Illinois
October 25 — Metallurgy & Materials Committee — WebEx
November 2-3 — Operator Precision Gear Grinding — Chicago, Illinois
November 2 — Emerging Technology Webinar — IIoT with Tulip Webinar
November 8 — Gear Accuracy Committee — WebEx
November 8 — TDEC Meeting — WebEx
November 10 — Helical Gear Rating Committee — WebEx
November 15-17 — Gear Failure Analysis — Ranken Technical College
November 16 — Helical Enclosed Drives High Speed Units Committee — WebEx
November 16 — Trade Webinar – U.S. Defense Policy, the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, and impact on funding/government contract/investment opportunities for bearing and gear companies — Webinar
November 30 — Wormgearing Committee — WebEx
December 6 — Design Basics for Spur and Helical Gears — Virtual Course
December 7 — Emerging Tech Webinar – BLOCKCHAIN Discussion with Notoros.io — Webinar
December 8 — Nomenclature Committee — WebEx
December 13 — Aerospace Committee — WebEx
