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For half a century this company has been buying and selling all manner of gear-manufacturing equipment, building strong and lasting relationships along the way.

It’s one thing for a company to survive — and thrive — as a family owned business for half a century, but when two families are involved, that surely deserves a category all its own. Such is the case with Mohawk Machinery, though, which was founded by the Harpenau and Molloy families in 1956, and […]

It’s an old machine, but it still works… until that crucial piece breaks down and the original drawings have been lost. Here’s how to overcome that obstacle.

Reverse engineering — the deconstruction and analysis of an object for the purpose of constructing a copy or replacement of the original component when the original design or drawing is unavailable — is especially helpful in making repairs or in improving old designs. For example, let’s say you need to manufacture a replacement for a […]

As the gearing industry moves away from solvents, new technologies get parts cleaner, improving product quality and production efficiency.

The techniques for manufacturing gears and gear components do not differ dramatically from other industries. Precision cutting, grinding, polishing, and buffing are all part of the process. But manufacturing is not complete until the gear assemblies and other gearing components are cleaned and thoroughly prepped for shipment. Gears’ blind holes, threaded holes, and precision teeth […]

An accessible user interface, along with a host of flexible features, makes ProCAM control software an asset to your operation.

American gear manufacturing companies are under increasing pressure to maximize productivity while reducing cost and obtaining consistent quality parts in order to compete with less-expensive foreign products. This is a complex problem that can be approached from many different directions. One approach is to elevate manufacturing efficiency and quality through better technology, encompassing innovative products […]

Although other methods exist, advancing a carefully formed wheel along a helical path when grinding helical gear teeth is both an accurate and flexible process.

Grinding helical gear teeth or other helical forms such as drill flutes by the method of advancing a grinding wheel along a helical path is one of the most accurate methods of producing a given profile. This motion is achieved by rotating the part while advancing the grinding wheel axially. For gear teeth, this method […]

With new products constantly being introduced, new markets being explored, and new territories being added, this company is poised for significant growth.

If ever there were proof of excellent job performance it would have to be Al Bello’s since he became a partner in Power Drive Components, Inc., less than a year ago. “When I got involved in the company and bought one-third ownership in December of 2004 they were doing about $50,000 worth of business each […]

A vast selection of reconditioned machines, and decades of gear-manufacturing experience, allows RPI to provide turnkey packages for start-up operations.

After spending 30 years as service manager at Barber-Colman — then five with Barnes International and another year at American Pfauter — Terry McDonald thought he’d retired from the gear-manufacturing industry. He and his wife had moved to Wisconsin, where he worked at a campground they’d enjoyed over the years, and he did a little […]

Three brothers learned the business at their father’s knee, and in starting their own company they developed the motto that “efficiency is everything.”

When Mark Vian and his brothers, Chris and Scott, decided to purchase the broaching assets of their father’s gear-tool company in 1978, it came with something that no amount of money could buy — his blessing. “All three of us grew up working for dad, spline grinding and OD grinding and engineering the cutting tools […]

Animated simulations of trochoid spiral and epitrochoidal spiral curves are an elegant and useful means of displaying geometrical properties.

Trochoid Spiral (TS) and Epitrochoidal Spiral (ETS) curves and special flash animations were developed by the author in 2004 and 2005 for nonintersecting and intersecting right angle axis gear drives involving R/L (rotary-to-linear) and L/R motion conversion, and for parallel shaft R/R motion conversion, respectively. The design of TS and ETS profile gears is based […]

AGMA’s new 2015 gear inspection standard is quite different from its predecessor. Read on to learn about the changes, including tips on their easy implementation.

In the June 2005 issue of Gear Solutions magazine we presented an article entitled “An Elementary Guide to Gear Inspection.” This article will introduce the new AGMA Gear Inspection Standard that will be the base to expand upon the topic of gear inspection. Some material contained in this paper is extracted from AGMA ISO 10064-2 […]

To learn about gear racks, Moore Gear & Manufacturing may well be one of the best sources. Here’s their take on the current state of the gear-rack art.

In some cases the pinion, as the source of power, drives the rack for locomotion. This would be typical in a drill press spindle or a slide out mechanism where the pinion is stationary and drives the rack with the loaded mechanism that needs to be moved. In other cases the rack is fixed stationary […]

Better wear reduction and corrosion resistance are just a few of the benefits of using miniature and small-size ball bearings made of new nitrogen alloy steels.

This study shows that a clear reduction of wear and the probability of bearing failures can be achieved for miniature and small-size bearings by utilizing nitrogen alloy steel for rolling bearings. This is the result of tests that were carried out to study corrosion resistance and wear performance during dry running and working life under […]

An advanced gearbox prototype and a niche-manufacturing success story underscore the advantages of taking the high-quality approach.

Innovative engineering design, advanced materials, and top of the line components can yield significant improvements in gearbox efficiency, reliability, and performance. Consider two recent examples: The first involves the design and development of a high-concept gearbox that represents a leap forward in gearbox performance. The second describes the remarkable success of an Italian manufacturer of […]

Wipe the grime off of that “old metal” sitting on your shop floor for a glimpse of the treasure that may lie beneath–thanks to a machine makeover by Drake Manufacturing.

How many times can a thread grinder be reincarnated? So far, four–but stay tuned. Twenty-eight Jones & Lamson thread grinders at Delphi Automotive have undergone quite a transformation in their 60-plus years of service life. And now, due to complete machine makeovers by Drake Manufacturing, they’re operating as “like-new” machines. Drake is a mid-sized manufacturer […]

Over the past 32 years this company has established a solid reputation, which is now enhanced by its new U.S. branch office—TSA America, LLC.

Although he was born in Spain, Jose Maria Cunill founded and built his company in Argentina, where he’d moved when he was seven years old. “My father started out making gears for Leyland buses,” according to his son, Mariano Cunill, “but he soon found out that it was very complicated and expensive to get gear […]

New orders meant that fulton precision need a better machine, and it chose the niles ZE 400 for its quality, versatility, and speed in producing parts. Here are the details…

The Challenge Fulton Precision Industries, Inc., operates a 78,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania. Since 1995, Fulton has been providing contract-machining services for companies such as Caterpillar, Atlas Copco, and Mack/Volvo. Fulton is ISO 9001:2000 certified and has incorporated Caterpillar’s Six Sigma Quality Methodology. Recently the company received several large orders and its capacity […]

The results of a half-billion dollar renovation project will be readily apparent to those attending GEAR EXPO in Detroit next month. Read on to get a sense of what’s in store.

When my flight landed at 4:30 that afternoon, Carla Conner-Penzabene — who is director of sales for the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau — was already waiting for me at the terminal’s entrance. She then whisked me away to our car, where the chauffeur loaded my bags into the trunk. On the way into […]

Clean fluids lead to longer tool and equipment life. Learning about filter media and methods will help to bolster your bottom line.

In today’s manufacturing environment it is essential that every process be as efficient and cost effective as possible. Operating costs must be minimized in order to compete. Parts must be produced at a faster rate, with more-consistent quality, and productivity must be maximized. The honing process is no exception to the rule. The goal, therefore, […]

Its involvement in major hobbing, shaping, and shaving operations

Over the past few years we have seen several trends in the gear-manufacturing industry, to which we supply our line of precision workholding devices. A good portion of these trends are driven directly by the end user, and for all intents and purposes they always seem to point to the fact that “time is money.” […]

From tractors to airplanes, Ka-Wood has the flexibility–and the capabilities–to get the job done.

When Joseph Kloka agreed to mind the family business while his parents took a much-needed vacation in 1971, he thought it would only be for a month. “I’d just gotten out of the military, and I’d worked part-time on the shop floor during high school and while I was in college at the University of […]

The following is a case study conducted and prepared by Muncie Power Products, Inc., and Ionbond LLC explaining how recoating can benefit your production process.

Muncie Power Products, Inc., of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been in the auxiliary power business since 1935 and started manufacturing Power Take Off (PTO) units in 1986. In addition to PTOs, Muncie also provides wet line systems, dump pumps, gear pumps, snow and ice control systems, and hydraulic control valves. William D. Whiteis, tooling services supervisor, […]

With the quality and cost savings provided by forged gears, designers should consider the process, no matter the volume or application of the part being produced.

The challenges facing today’s designers grow with each passing year. The global market provides for a more competitive stage, creating more pressure to develop increasingly superior products. Energy issues, as well as government regulations due to environmental concerns, mandate that the designer develop products that are both energy efficient and environmentally responsible. In many cases […]

Experience, innovation, and a wide range of gear-related services are the calling cards of this company’s success.

Ask most gear manufacturers about the company’s assets and you’ll get a list of the grinders, shapers, and cutters found on their shop floor. Ask Mike McKernin — sales manager for Circle Gear & Machine Company, Inc. — and the answer is different. “It’s our employees,” he says. “When we hire somebody we do our […]

Based on design intent, context-sensitive CAD assistance utilizes in-process parameters that lead to better results–no matter the type of gear being produced.

Context sensitive assistance facilitates the integration of design and manufacturing. Context sensitive assistance in computer aided design systems may be provided by recognizing design intent. In this article, design intent is recognized for mechanical object categories based on a construction tree model. Context sensitive assistance may include completion of a CAD model, retrieving detailed models […]

High-performance alloys, precisely controlled processes, and state of the art engineering methods have led to significant growth in the P/M industry.

Powder Metallurgy is a proven technology to produce high strength gears and tailored gear shapes for both automotive and industrial applications. Advances in powder production, compaction, and sintering combined with unique secondary processing methods have enabled overall part densities above 7.5 g/cm3. These techniques have proven successful in displacing many components from competing technologies in […]

In the market for keyseating equipment? With many years of experience—and new innovations available—these are the companies to call.

Mitts & Merrill Mitts & Merrill’s desire to be the most innovative company in the keyseating and profiling market has resulted in a new generation of machines based on industry proven electromechanical drives and ballscrews for the stroke and infeed. The design criterion of this new machine type is that two concentrically arranged ballscrews are […]

Whether you’re in Dallas or Dublin, there’s a source in Cincinnati that can provide you with excellent gears, and the expertise to back them up.

Australia, Hong Kong, South America, Canada, Singapore, Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Swedenä nearly anywhere you go you’ll find gearboxes and component gears manufactured by CST-“Cinti,” according to Robert W. Rye, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing. “Our products are in use across a wide spectrum of markets, both geographically and also from […]

The following case study makes clear the benefits to be gained from incorporating softhoning into your gear finishing process.

Introduction Most applications reserved for flexible honing tools have restricted themselves to removing peaks, torn and folded metal, or other amorphous material created from a honing or boring process. Since most of these flexible tools resemble brushes, brush honing has been a popular name used to describe them. Brush hones work at much lower pressures […]

In addition to checking part size and quality, gear inspection provides insights into the manufacturing process itself, insuring that your own procedures are properly controlled.

Gear inspection begins with the everyday tasks on the shop floor and extends into the manufacturing laboratory for complex analytical gear evaluation. Some, or all, of these procedures are necessary to maintain process control and to produce parts to the required quality. In particular, inspection can help control the following: • Size of the gear […]

An in-depth understanding of bevel and hypoid gear tooth load sharing, load carrying, and motion transmission will lead to better gear design.

As I mentioned in the first installment of this article (please see June 2005 issue of Gear Solutions magazine), I’m very familiar with the Gleason Loaded Tooth Contact Analysis program and believe that one of its great attributes is the insight it gives into the inner workings of bevel and hypoid gear tooth load sharing, […]

A musician by training, and at heart, the president of this company is equally drawn to the beauty and precision of a well-made plastic part.

When Jim Holland approached his father — Jim “Moose” Holland — about joining the company in the mid-1970s, his response was fairly straightforward. “He said no,” Holland recalls. “He just didn’t want one of his sons working there.” Holland kept trying, however, and eventually made a phone call to his father’s partner, Clarence Moore, who […]

Are you thinking of converting, but still sitting on the fence between metal and plastic gearing? The following article may prove to be the tipping point toward plastics.

The conversion of a steel gear set to plastic is not a slam-dunk operation. A gear designer who is proficient in designing steel gears may be reluctant to dive into the design of plastic gears. The properties of plastic make it quite interesting. Nothing stays the same. Time, temperature, and humidity can change the properties […]

New equipment designs for stress relief and tempering processes can help you lower costs and achieve greater productivity.

Stress relief and tempering are important processes, but they are still conducted much as they have been for the past 50 years. However, advanced equipment designs are available from Pyromaitre that permit these processes to be conducted in a fraction of the time than was formerly required, producing substantial improvements in productivity, cost, and energy […]

An in-depth understanding of bevel and hypoid gear tooth load sharing, load carrying, and motion transmission will lead to better gear design.

Figures 1-14 courtesy of The Gleason Works On numerous occasions during a career with gears, I’ve had the opportunity to use the Gleason Loaded Tooth Contact Analysis program. One of the program’s great attributes is the insight it gives into the inner workings of bevel and hypoid gear tooth load sharing, load carrying, and motion […]

From automation systems, to high-speed pulse welding, to fabricating and gear metrology, Process Equipment helps its customers surpass their manufacturing goals.

From the conference-room window at Plant One in Tipp City, Ohio, Michael van Haaren can see the doors of a weathered old garage. “That’s where it all began,” he says. “Emmert Studebaker put a single machine in the corner of that building on his family’s property in 1946, and that’s where Process Equipment Company got […]

New materials and technologies are changing the process of surface finishing, leading to improved performance, less gear noise, and enhanced part life.

As manufacturers look to reduce cycle times, costs, and to improve the life of their products, many variables are considered in accomplishing this never-ending goal. In this article we will examine finishes applied after the manufacturing process to enhance part life, improve performance, reduce drag, improve corrosion resistance, and lessen the noise related to gears. […]

Straight from ExxonMobil, words of wisdom regarding how to keep your employees safe while handling lubricants in industrial applications.

Workplace accidents and safety incidents can be prevented. Post-accident investigations reveal that many of these mishaps could have been avoided if personnel were more fully aware of workplace hazards and applicable critical safety guidelines. Understanding basic safety precautions when working with lubricants is important for any employee working in an industrial plant, and especially gear-manufacturing […]

To learn about broaching, who better to turn to than The Broach Masters? Read on to revisit the important attributes of this well-known process.

The broach process has been much-maligned in recent years due to a few myths and misconceptions. This article will try to reintroduce the validity of the process to the newcomer, but it will also give insight into the simple basics that are essential to success. It has been written in a very real and practical […]

With a reputation built on 60 years of success stories, The Gear Works continues to grow with the introduction of its well-equipped new Gearbox Repair and Test Facility.

While it might not seem logical at first glance that a degree in journalism would lead to a career in gear manufacturing, it all begins to make sense once you’ve heard the story. “Ingwald Ramberg was the son of Norwegian immigrants who settled in Seattle around the turn of the last century,” says Roland Ramberg, […]

With the advent of “internal whirling,” Leistritz has introduced an innovative new way to machine internal threads, thereby increasing efficiency, productivity, and quality.

As an industry leader in the field of whirling technology, Leistritz has developed an innovative solution to machining difficult internal threads. The process, which is called “internal whirling,” can be performed in both soft material using carbide tooling and in steel as hard as 65 hrc with CBN. In each case the process is performed […]

The need for a high hardness, wear resistant die steel for hot forming has gone largely unanswered–until now, with the advent of CPM 1V.

Hot forming operations like forging, extrusion, hot upsetting, piercing, and any other operations involving deformation of solid hot metal place difficult demands on tool steels. The operating environment is above about 600ºF (320ºC), and may often exceed the heat treating temperatures of traditional tool steels. Tools and dies may typically be required to run at […]

The microgeometry of mated teeth is at the core of excess noise in helical gears. Here are the latest findings from The Ohio State University’s Gear Dynamics and Gear Noise Research Laboratory.

Gear noise results from the gear mesh dynamic forces that are transmitted through the support shafts and bearings to the gear housing. There are many sources of these forces, with the most important of these being predicted by analyzing the mechanics of the meshing process. It is important that this analysis takes into account the […]

Celebrating its 10th year, Canada Broach has grown from a one-man operation with a single grinder to one with 45 machines and 9,000 square feet of manufacturing space.

After Nino D’Andrea had earned his degree in mechanical engineering, he was recruited to join a cutting tool company straight out of college. He worked hard, seeing the company’s sales double, and rose to the position of plant manager. But after four years he found himself with just two things: a great deal of resentment, […]

Consistency, efficiency, accuracy: all words that apply to the diaphragm chuck, as well as the benefits you will realize should you introduce them into your manufacturing process.

Sometimes the best way to get an answer is to simply ask a question, such as “what will using a diaphragm chuck add to my operation?” In the following article I’ve done my best to ask all of the questions that might occur to a manufacturer looking for workholding solutions, and to then answer them […]

In the search for optimizing cutting performance, not only do improvements in the surface coating have to be considered, but also the use of the existing cutting edges.

All classic stick-blade cutting processes require a blade geometry that subordinates itself to the requirements of a positive rake angle — approximately eight to15 degrees — and a sensible relief angle. This means, as a consequence, that on each blade either a cutting edge for the outer side or a cutting edge for the inner […]

Greater demands have spurred research and development activities in the area of spindle technology, providing gear manufacturers with new choices.

The spindle is the heart of the machine tool, and the most significant component when it comes to making parts. The major theme in manufacturing these days is higher productivity. For the spindle component, this equates to higher speed requirements, increased metal removal rates, longer design life, and improved reliability. Today, machine tools are required […]

A classic entrepreneurial success story, GMI has experienced substantial growth nearly every year it’s been in business, and it’s just broken another record in 2004.

It’s a fairly common story among entrepreneurs: After spending a certain number of years learning the trade, a time comes when you’re ready to leave the nest and test your own wings. What sets such stories apart is the outcome — whether you’re able to take flight, or end up plunging to the ground in […]

The DEBURRING process allows parts to perform as they were designed to, eliminating unwanted elements that hinder their productivity.

Gear deburring is a process that has changed substantially over the past 10 years. There have been advancements in the types of tools used for deburring operations and the development of “wet” machines, automatic load and unload, automatic part transfer and turnover, and vision systems for part identification, etc. Three types of tools are used […]

Take a quick course on the process and materials used in gear grinding and learn how they can impart important properties to your products.

During the past year the gear industry has seen growth in hard machining, a trend which is expected to continue to progress, possibly passing the levels of 2000. Gear grinding has extended the life cycle of many high-performance gears by assisting manufacturers in accurately predicting end of life cycles as well as predictive maintenance requirements. […]

Any device that transfers rotary motion from one point to another probably relies on a spline, so it’s a good bet that we use them on a near-daily basis. Read on to learn more…

What is a spline? According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (fourth edition, 2000), a spline is defined as: Noun: 1a. Any of a series of projections on a shaft that fit into slots on a corresponding shaft, enabling both to rotate together. b. The groove or slot for such a projection. […]