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/

AMT Reports Increased Consumption of Manufacturing Technology in June...

(Image courtesy of Kruse Kronicle)

A recent study by the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) has reported that the consumption of manufacturing technology processes is up nearly 36% from may and 71% from June of 2009. The gear manufacturing industry has been on a steady rise since our last article on the state of the manufacturing technology trends in America, meaning that those involved in gear manufacturing will have a lot more on their plate as we approach 2011. The data for the research was based on data reported by companies involved with the USMTC program. An article from geartechnology.com discusses the development:

"Typically, manufacturing technology order rates slow down in the months leading up to the International Manufacturing Technology Show-IMTS (Sept. 13-18, McCormick Place, Chicaco, IL), the largest production technology show in the Americas," said Douglas K. Woods, AMT president. "However, increased foreign direct investment and a doubling of orders in aerospace and construction equipment through the first half of 2010 resulted in an acceleration of USMTC order rather than the typical slow down."

As the demand for manufacturing technology continues to rise in the United States, it is likely that all of those involved in the gear manufacturing industry will have a steady stream of new clients and greater challenges on the horizon. For this reason, we at the Blog of a Gear Manufacturer, recommend paying attention to statistical changes in the manufacturing arena as soon as new information is available. By staying ahead of the curve, you are more likely to meet your customers expectation and surpass your business' capabilities.

To learn more about gear manufacturing, check out Gear Motions:

www.gearmotions.com

To read the article from geartechnology.com, click this link:

http://www.geartechnology.com/issues/0910x/industry.pdf

One of the Greatest Gear Making Tools - And it isn't What You Think!

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

I found a really interesting article from around 2004 while puttering around Gear Solutions magazine's archives. It's about a "miracle tool" for producing parts from bar stock, such as gear blanks. You'd probably be really surprised (or, unsurprised, if you paid attention to the graphic at the beginning of this post) to hear that this miracle tool is the buzz saw. The author, Fritz Greulich, discusses the pros and cons of using a multiple cutting edge tool to manufacture gear parts, making note of how the stability, consistence and reliability of circular cutting tools have increased rapidly over the last few years. Here's an excerpt from the article:

"Not only is RSC a viable reality, it is also far superior to single point tooling in its capabilities. The multiple cutting edges of a circular saw eliminate the problems of high heat buildup, undesirable chip formation, and high chip load. The result is a myriad of technical advantages that increase production levels, improve quality, and lower production costs: more parts per hour, more parts per bar, better finishes, increased tool life, easier and less costly scrap handling, and increased machining capabilities. A rotating circular saw cutting through a rotating bar of stock builds up very little heat for a number of reasons. First, saws are ground with side clearance. Clearance reduces the friction between the workpiece and the cutter. Second, cutting with a rotating circular saw is an "interrupted" cut, since each tooth cuts for only a brief moment. Third, as a single saw tooth makes a cut, the chip (and heat) is immediately removed from the cutter by the strong coolant flow and the centrifugal force of the rotating saw. Finally, each cutting edge is removing only a small amount of material, keeping the chip load low."

So, what benefit does this article hold for those of us in the gear manufacturing industry? Most notably that with all of the recent advances in our engineering technology and the big expo coming up, it may be easy to only look toward the future for ways to improve our efficiency - but we also shouldn't forget the past. Articles like this one that promote ingenuity and thinking outside the box should be heralded for their ability to take a process that many think has been "perfected" and apply a new twist to it that increases quality, decreases waste and eventually will augment profit.

To learn more about the latest in gear manufacturing, visit Gear Motions:

www.gearmotions.com

To read the article from Gear Solutions Online, follow this link:

http://www.gearsolutions.com/article/detail/5622/a-super-tool-for-superior-gear-blanks

Excellence in Gear Manufacturing and the Future of the Industry

With IMTS 2010 getting closer and closer with every passing second, the gear manufacturing industry is abuzz with what will be "the next big thing". But, an article on enterprise excellence from geartechnology.com suggests that "the next big thing" might just be a different way of looking at how we in our industry do business. Things like breakdowns in communication, late delivery schedules and component available all contribute to efficiency losses in the gear manufacturing market. So what is enterprise efficiency? The article from geartechnology.com explains it this way:

"In a sense, the idea of enterprise excellence should involve a different mindset; it should transition beyond defect reduction to one of performance improvement. Its approach should be to capitalize on past successes and collectively focus on organization on its strengths. Then a company is equipped and flexible to address problems, capture opportunities, adapt to changing requirements and technologies, and evaluate associated risks."

It's likely that instead of a new technology emerging or a new type of gear being developed, that the next big evolution in the gear technology field will be our ability to anticipate and compensate for errors in different parts of the process. In the future, when new materials are discovered and processes change, it would be a good idea to have a system in place to assist in these transitions. This is likely that "next big thing" that everyone's waiting for.

To learn more about gear manufacturing, check out Gear Motions:

www.gearmotions.com

And to read the article from geartechnology.com, go here:

http://www.geartechnology.com/issues/0910x/voices.pdf

Significant Advances in Single-Pass Finishing for Gear Manufacturers

(Image Courtesy of The Energy Collective)

New techniques are opening up to those in our industry thanks to a new approach to the single-pass finishing process as it relates to the manufacturing of gears. An article in Gear Solutions magazine discusses some of the changes that have been implemented, and the potential advantages of this recently discovered technology. Diamond tooling can be expensive - the cost of materials and the upkeep of your equipment can seem taxing. The key to the single-pass process, as reported by Gear Solutions, involves following the existing centerline of the bore to be finished with as little pressure as possible. This ‘path of least resistance’ may seem like an obvious avenue of approach for many gear manufacturers- but there are many in our industry who have lost time and money on something so simple. The article relates the information in this way:

“The key to the single-pass process is to allow the diamond tooling to follow the existing centerline of the bore to be finished with as little pressure as possible. This is normally done by allowing the tool, part, or both to float. Depending on many other variables, bore geometry to better than 0.2µm (.000008”) is possible. Sine all of the diamond tools are set to specifice sizes and do not require expansion during each cyle, the single-pass process is able to achieve unsurpassed size control in production (1 µm with near perfect repeatability). These results are very predictable and repeatable, thus lend perfectly to Statistical Process Control.”

It seems like a no-brainer that this process would be successful, but by constantly trying to augment tools, assembly fixtures and machine augmentations, gear manufacturers have been able to steadily increase their production rates while improving the precision with which they bore. According to the article- fuel pumps, power-steering pumps, hydraulic timing components, connecting rods, cylindrical bores, diesel rollers and most importantly, gears can all benefit from these newly developed approaches to the single bore process.

To learn more about advances in gear manufacturing technology, check out Gear Motions:

www.gearmotions.com

To read the article from Gear Solutions Magazine, follow this link:

http://www.gearsolutions.com/article/detail/5459/advances-in-single-pass-bore-finishing