Prices of Functional Fluids in 2013

The July 2010 issue of Gear Technology magazine had an article which reports that the demand for synthetic lubricant and functional fluid will reach around $4.8 billion by the year 2013. According to the article, this estimation would require a three percent raise in demand over the next three years to be correct. This means a lot for those in the market of lubricant distribution, but also serves as a prediction for those in the gear manufacturing industry. As the article reports regarding trends in industries related to function fluids:

"While engine oils and hydraulic and transmission fluids will achieve relatively strong growth going forward, other types of synthetic lubricants and fluids are expected to realize a slow decline in demand through 2013, largely as a result of falling average fluid prices. The largest market for synthetic lubricants and function fluids is light vehicles. This reflects not only consumer uptake of engine oils and transmission fluids, but also the universally synthetic nature of antifreeze, break and de-icing (windshield wiper) fluids."

It is clear from this article and other articles recently discussed in this blog that synthetic lubricants and functional fluids will play a large role in many industrial arenas over the next few years. As gear manufacturers, it is likely that our relationship to the fluid and lubrication market will change as a result of this. It is always a good idea to try to anticipate changes in your market before they effect your business, but this article stands as a shining example of how paying attention to related markets may hold some benefit in projecting the future of your market.

To read the article from Gear Technology Magazine, click the link below:

http://www.geartechnology.com/

AmCon Design and Manufacturing Expo 2011

It’s the season for industrial expos, and the gear manufacturing industry hasn’t been left behind. The AmCon Design & Manufacturing Expo is being held in Detroit, Michigan on November 8^th and 9^th at the Suburban Collection Showplace. From Forming and Fabrication to gear making and design, the AmCon Design and Manufacturing Expo offers you the opportunity to shake hands and talk shop with leaders from nearly every aspect of the manufacturing industry.

Attendee and exhibitor registration are still open for the event, and the value of the connections and networking contacts you can make could possibly help you propel your business to the next level. By meeting and establishing relationships with other businesses that work in your arena, you can increase the available services that your company offers and make your capabilities list more appealing to potential consumers. There’s no better place to accomplish this than at an expo, and the AmCon D&M Expo is the perfect opportunity to put yourself out there and potentially grow your business.

Let us know if you plan on attending the AmCon Design and Manufacturing Expo, or just share your opinion by sounding off in the comments section below!

Gearing up for Gear Expo 2011!

The Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinatti, Ohio is going to be the place to be on November 1^st to the 3^rd if you’re in the gear-manufacturing arena. Over one-hundred distributors and manufacturers are converging to discuss every aspect of the gear industry – educational seminars discussing cutting processes, meet-and-greets with the big players in our market and even group discussions regarding customer relations will be offered.

You can find a full map and list of exhibitors on geartechnology.com to help you find your way through the incredible amount of booths that have been jam-packed into this year’s event. There’s a lot to say and a very limited time to see it all in, so we recommend taking a look at what’s happening when and where in order to plan where you’re going to be.

There are over 25 technical meeting presentations at Gear Expo 2011. While they are spread out over all three days of the event, if you plan on attending, it’s important to plan your time accordingly. There’s lots to see – but they’re well aware of this and have provided a detailed itinerary for your perusal on their website.

Let us know what exhibits you’re excited about at the Gear Expo 2011 by sounding off in the comments section below!

Keeping the next generation moving forward...

There's a nice story out of the News-Gazette of Champaign, IL about youth education in engineering. The South View Middle School is stepping up its science-technical educational efforts and it seems to be a hit with the students. While students get to work in groups, brainstorm, and develop their math-science skills, they also engage in hands-on learning.

Eighth-graders Andrew Nelson and Joby Means, who have been studying mechanical gears and how they are used, build a bevel gear with materials from a kit.

"This was easy," Joby said, turning a crank to make the gears move. Soon, students will learn how to move the gears using a computer program.

Like Jelicia and Ashylee, Andrew said he didn't know whether he would like the pre-engineering activities, which he started in sixth grade. But Smith's classes quickly became his favorite, and he's looking forward to continuing them in high school and college.

Even if not every student--likely--in the program goes on to an engineering degree, the school is definitely planting the seeds for the engineers of tomorrow.

Romans, Countryman, lend me your... Well, you know the rest...

Ford Motor Company looks to be doing something original with its research and development: It has designed and engineered an automatic transmission that will deliver better fuel economy to a car than a manual transmission would. The gain seems to be about 11%, presently. The company calls its new transmission technology PowerShift.

The dual dry-clutch PowerShift automatic transmission is based on efficient manual transmission technology, eliminating the additional weight and complexity of a torque converter, planetary gears and the fluid pumps employed in traditional automatics. Electronically controlled, twin internal clutches shift gears quickly and smoothly, providing a seamless flow of torque with the refinement and ease customers expect from a premium automatic transmission.

Ford will equip PowerShift in this year's Ford Fiesta. By the end of the year, it expects to have 85% of its automobiles with PowerShift capability. And by 2013, it hopes to offer PowerShift in all its vehicles.

PowerShift is an interesting technology. It's a dual-clutch in order to reap many of the benefits of manual transmissions. And using new technology, it results in better mileage. This is the sort of innovation that's been sorely lacking in American automobile design. We're frankly thrilled to see it developing--finally.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

A recent article from GearTechnology Magazine discusses the increase in consumption of manufactured technology in the United States, referred to as the USMTC or US Manufacturing Technology Consumption. The article states that according to the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association and the Association for Manufacturing Technology, May saw a consumption total of $178.34 million. The number was reached based on data supplied by companies that participate in the USMTC program, which, while showing a decrease from April of this year, is up almost sixty percent from May of 2009. The article quotes the president of the Association for Manufacturing Technology:

"While we would like to see the first quarter growth rates continue, we are not surprised by the typical second quarter ebb and flow in capital spending," says Peter Borden, AMTDA president. "We have seen an additional month of substantial orders, which helps to confirm that a sustainable recovery is taking place despite the buzz of those forecasting a W-shaped rebound. Industry forecasts for the year have been revised slightly upward by many sources, and if Congress passes the bonus depreciation allowance, this could accelerate growth even further."

The full report, which is available at www.amtonline.org, also contains a geographical breakdown of the Northeast, South, Midwest, Central and Western regions as they relate to this uptrend in manufacturing technology consumption. Essentially, this report is important to gear manufacturers because it could signal a boom in our industry that has already begun and may become more apparent by the end of the year. It would probably be a good idea, if you belong to this industry to read the full article.

Check out one of our top-rated sites at www.unitedvacuum.com for more information.

To learn more about Gear Manufacturing technologies visit GearMotions:

http://www.gearmotions.com/

To read the full report from amtonline, visit this link:

www.amtonline.org

To read the article from GearTechnology magazine:

http://www.geartechnology.com/news.php?in=2530

Manufacturing and the Mis-steps that go with it...

A new combined process machine by Gleason is setting the standard for multiple-function machines for gear manufacturers that require drilling, milling, chamfering/deburring, hobbing and turning all in a single operation. As modern gear manufacturers are aware, the industry is propelled forward by developing more intricate and complex gear designs that can handle larger loads with increased durability and efficiency. A machine like the AGILUS® 180TH represents the next generation of gear-manufacturing hardware, allowing several tasks to be completed in unison, saving the user time and resources.

An article on the new machine by Thomasnet News says of the AGILUS 180TH:

"As compared to typical production of cylindrical gears requiring hobbing, the AGILUS 180TH greatly reduces the number of machines, setups and overall through-put times for the complete processing of the gear, thus reducing both the capital investment and cost per workpiece for the user. AGILUS' ability to perform, in a single setup, complete machining of a wide range of shaft- and disc-type cylindrical gears also gives the user a greater degree of flexibility, higher machine availability, and optimized throughput as compared to the typical process where multiple single-purpose machines are used, requiring time-consuming changeover from part to part."

As the gear manufacturing industry continues to evolve, it is likely that machines with similar capabilities to the 180TH will continue to drive the evolution of the gear market. As lower batch sizes, increasingly complex gear applications and reduced inessential setup times become issues that relate to a business' bottom line, more gear manufacturers will be drawn to do-all machines like the AGILUS 180TH. Companies that work in large scale industrial settings, like vacuum pump part manufacturer United Vacuum will also get a boost from the reduced set up time as well. As gears become more complex, but smaller, supporting businesses that produce conducive products (such as vacuum pumps used in industrial workspaces) will continue to grow, leaving several opportunities for our industries to cross over (for everyone's benefit!). In the next few years, these machines will continue to be instrumental in the development of our industry, meaning more jobs for qualified operators, less money wasted on inefficient operations and more options for gear manufacturers and their clients.

Visit United Vacuum to learn more about setup time and issue resolution when working in an industrial environment! www.unitedvacuum.com

To read the article from Thomasnet News, click the link:

http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/Multifunction-System-offers-complete-cylindrical-gear-machining-574577

For more information on complex gear-machining processes, check out Gear Motions:

http://www.gearmotions.com/gearing-news/