A business decision that all industry executives and leaders should make is participation in a manufacturing association. The benefits are many, and they extend throughout the entire organization — from keeping members knowledgeable about ever-changing issues, trends, and legislation to networking and education.
“When companies join American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA), their team gains access to exclusive and vital resources in education, emerging technology information, standards development, networking with all parts of the supply chain, and more,” said Rebecca Brinkley, senior director, membership, AGMA. “And when new members join, they bring their expertise to the table and have the opportunity to showcase the solutions they offer while learning alongside the greatest manufacturers from around the globe.”
As stated in the Architectural Ironmongery Journal, trade associations have never been more important. Shifting legislation and the need for authoritative standards mean having a single voice that can impart influence and raise the bar of best practice.
The Trade Association Forum puts it this way: “Trade Associations build industry consensus and drive-up standards. They are the industry leaders, technical experts, and the fearless champions of their sector.”
Why joining a manufacturing association makes sense
Networking Opportunities: Women in Manufacturing (WiM) emphasizes one of the most compelling reasons to join a trade association — unparalleled networking opportunities. Trade associations organize regular events, conferences, and seminars where you can meet industry peers, potential clients, and even competitors. These interactions lead to mutually beneficial collaborations and partnerships.
Networking within a trade association also can help you stay updated on industry trends and best practices, ensuring you remain competitive in your field. At AGMA, we offer many opportunities for networking and connection. One of our largest events is our AGMA/ABMA Annual Meeting, which this year will be in Austin, Texas, April 24-26, with attendees from around the world.
Industry Promotion & Advocacy: Trade associations play a crucial role in advocating for their industries. They represent the collective interests of their members in front of policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders. By joining a trade association, you help promote the entire industry, raising public awareness about its importance, innovations, and contributions to society and the economy.
AGMA and its members strengthen the manufacturing sector by recruiting, inspiring, and advancing the next generation in the industry.
Training and Education: Associations offer training programs, workshops, seminars, and conferences designed to educate members on industry best practices, new technologies, and skill development. This continuous learning is crucial for professional growth and staying competitive.
Additionally, many associations provide access to industry-specific publications, case studies, research, and newsletters, ensuring you have a continuous flow of relevant information. AGMA’s Gear Technology and Power Train Engineering magazines, and their respective newsletters, offer insight and information into the industry.
Technical Resources & Standards: Trade associations offer access to industry-specific technical information, research, and resources. This knowledge is invaluable for making informed decisions and staying updated on the latest developments in the field. Associations often set industry standards and best practices, ensuring members adhere to common guidelines, enhancing product quality and industry reputation.
For example, AGMA has set national gearing standards since 1916. The association also serves as the focal point within the United States for the development of ISO gearing standards. AGMA serves the international gearing community as the Secretariat of ISO TC 60 – Gears, helping to manage international gearing standardization in that role. AGMA standards address critical gearing topics, from design and analysis; manufacturing and quality; materials, metallurgy, and heat treatment; operation, maintenance, lubrication, and efficiency; and gear failure.
Cost Savings: Membership in a trade association often comes with various cost-saving benefits. These can include discounts on industry-related products and services, reduced registration fees for events, and exclusive access to member-only events and resources. Over time, these savings offset the cost of membership.
The Bottom Line: For many, the benefits of networking, professional development, advocacy, cost savings, and enhanced credibility are critical for career sustainability and growth. AGMA is one example of how trade associations can significantly benefit their members through diverse programs, events, and initiatives aimed at fostering professional growth and industry advancement.
The AGMA story is the gear industry story
Turn on the news, and you’ll learn about all kinds of things that went wrong today but look outside and notice how many things went right. There are billions of minute sequences and transactions that happened correctly, safely, and without failure.
Born from a desire to make things move correctly, AGMA was founded in 1916 to be the bearer of standards for mechanical power transmission components or gears. AGMA and the gear industry have been leaders in making things move right every day for more than a century.
Gears have played an integral role in society throughout the modern age. During World War II, the importance of gears was magnified from tanks to planes. Precision gear manufacturing was imperative for the war effort. American factories worked tirelessly, producing gears that powered machinery of victory.
The gearing industry became vital. The rise of automobiles, mass transit systems, and aerospace technology completely reshaped civilization in the 20th century. For the first time in history, large numbers of people and goods could move efficiently across the globe as a result of powertrain capabilities with gears. Booming economies emerged from this technological information. Today, gear manufacturing has evolved with technology. Advanced materials, computer-aided design, and robotics have taken gear precision to new heights.
The gears we produce now are critical components in everything from renewable energy turbines, medical life saving devices, and national defense vehicles and machinery. AGMA’s commitment to maintaining critical gear standards has ensured a smooth evolution of technology for the benefit of all in society.
Gears are the unsung heroes of modern engineering. They enable movement, power transmission, and control in countless applications. The quality and precision of gear manufacturing drives the global economy. Gear manufacturing is the cornerstone of American industry and the global supply chain. It’s AGMA’s and its members’ legacy of innovation and excellence that continues to move the world forward. Through every movement, we have been by your side, providing education, creating a network, developing standards, and being the periscope for the future of emerging technologies.
For everything that goes right every day, we are AGMA.
To learn more, visit AGMA.org.
Upcoming Courses
Design Basics of Spur and Helical Gears
January 28, 2025 | Live Online
Learn how to develop and understand customer gear-drive application specifications and target performance expectations. Review, calculate, and select basic gear terminology variables and design parameters, which define tooth bending and contact rating safety factors on two real-life examples. Learn how to optimize gear fatigue safety factors for a given target design life and fit new gear designs and ratios into existing center distance using profile shift. Use commercially available software to develop gear-geometry factors, calculate and optimize gear set power density and performance. Review common gear failure modes if the design or final accuracy does not meet application requirements. Discuss time and cost of more than 20 other gear-drive component functions and drive development steps through prototypes to shipment of compliant assembled production drives. There will be an opportunity to discuss gear-design challenges, which may be unique to participant industries.
Analytical Gear Chart Interpretation
January 29, 2025 | Live Online
This course is an introduction to the methodology of analytical gear inspection and the evaluation and interpretation of the resulting data. The application of this information to identify and correct manufacturing errors will be explored. Additionally, it reviews chart interpretation and applies inspection data to understand the causes and cures of manufacturing errors. Many chart examples are used to understand cause and effect.
Loaded Tooth Contact Analysis
January 30, 2025 | Live Online
Evaluation of loaded tooth contact and development of tooth modifications using commercially available software to improve and apply a realistic load distribution factor Km in gear rating calculations and reduce transmission error. Two real life gearing examples will be reviewed in the course, one will have a cantilever mounted pinion, the other a shaft pinion straddled non-symmetrically by bearings. Both examples demonstrate component deflections under load, which significantly reduce tooth mesh contact that is then corrected with developed helix and profile modifications. Other gear performance optimization tools also will be presented, such as material and heat treatment selection, profile shift, isotropic finishing, shot peening, and accuracy. These design tools, along with LTCA, are commonly applied by gear designers to optimize design reliability and calculated rating safety factors.
Steels for Gear Applications
January 30, 2025 | Live Online
Gain a basic understanding of steel and its properties. Learn to make use of steel properties in an application and understand the potential that different steel and heat treatment options can offer.
Explore how performance of the material depends on how the steel is produced.
Gearbox CSI
January 30, 2025 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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 also 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.
To register for a course, go to www.agma.org/events-education/
upcoming-courses.
Calendar of Events
January 15 — Metallurgy and Materials — Teams
January 16 — High Speed Committee — Teams
January 24 — 948-Axx EV Working Group — Teams
January 27 — ISO WG 14 Materials Meeting — Teams
January 29 — Analytical Gear Inspection Chart — Live Online Course
January 29 — 1010-Gxx Working Group — Teams
January 30 — Loaded Tooth Contact Analysis — Live Online Course
February 3 — ANSI Pre-Audit Meeting — Teams
February 5 — 949-Axx Repair Working Group — Teams
February 11-13 — Steels for Gear Applications — Live Online Course
February 25-27 — Gearbox CSI — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 4 — A Practical Approach to Managing Gear Noise — Live Online Course
March 18-27 — Epicyclic Gear Systems Design — Live Online Course
