The first Gear Expo featured 22 exhibitors at the 1986 Fall Technical Meeting in Chicago. It was billed as the “AGMA Fall Technical Meeting & Gearing Exhibition” and provided attendees the opportunity to learn the latest technical advances, state of gear research and gear design. The show highlighted machine tool, software and processing exhibitors to meet the ever-changing needs of the gear industry.



As industries adopt more automation, the demand for reliable and efficient pneumatic systems, which power everything from robotic arms to air-powered tools, continues to rise. However, despite their widespread
use, these systems often suffer from hidden inefficiencies. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director at SMB Bearings—Oxfordshire, U.K.) explores how an overlooked component, industrial bearings, can improve the
efficiency of pneumatic technologies.

C-COM Satellite Systems, a manufacturer of mobile satellite antennas, has integrated several models of Bodine Electric motors across a variety of platforms. These motors are primarily used to drive the Azimuth
and Elevation axes on their Fly-Away (portable) and Drive-Away (vehiclemounted) systems.

Atlanta Drive Systems, Inc., Farmingdale, NJ, offers rack and pinion systems, actuators, gearboxes, servo reducers and lubrication systems for many different industries including machine tool, automation, aerospace, woodworking, material handling, robotic, food, packaging, stone and special machinery. PTE recently discussed the company’s lubrication solutions with Peter Alfano, senior applications engineer.
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The SKF Lincoln SL-6 metering device is a single-line automatic lubrication system injector. Its proven design is thoroughly updated to meet new demands on maintainability, leakage-protection and long-lasting performance even with harsh extreme pressure greases. Today’s manufacturing environment demands less maintenance time, higher productivity demands and little to no tolerance for unplanned production stops.
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UGRacing is the University of Glasgow’s Formula Student team. Since its inception in 2005, the team has been working to compete at Formula Student UK (FSUK). Over the last decade, the team has grown to over 150 members across ten disciplines. With a strong focus on knowledge transfer and iterative design, the team has worked year after year to develop new technologies and a more refined package. In 2022, the team saw a culmination of all their hard work when they placed first overall in FSUK with their final internal combustion vehicle. The following switch to an electric powertrain brought new challenges. Through the constraint of a new powertrain architecture, the team has explored and innovated drivetrain concepts which, in future years, will improve vehicle performance.

This study presents a simulation method for considering complex wheel bodies in an analytical tooth contact model. The wheel body is considered using reduced FE stiffness. Reduction points are defined over the width and linked with the analytical gear.
For cylindrical wheel bodies, comparative calculations show fewer deviations from the expected results with the new method. This is due to the additional degrees of freedom in the FEM model. In the calculation with cylindrical wheel bodies, bending due to axial force in tooth contact could also be verified in addition to the deformation in tooth contact and the influence of the shaft-bearing system.

Schaeffler continues to advance key technologies shaping the future of mobility and motion. One area of interest—humanoid robots—is where Schaeffler is developing advanced component and system capabilities for the next generation of robotics. PTE recently had the opportunity to discuss these technologies with Al Makke, engineering director, humanoid robotics, North America, at Schaeffler Group USA.

Curious about the state of robotics and automation? A day or two at Huntington Place in Detroit this spring should clear everything up. Automate 2025 attendees might see robots serving coffee, robots maintaining shop floors, robots building other robots. We have officially crossed the threshold from future possibility to practical application.
The Simplicity self-lubricating linear plain bearings are built to last, and they will often out-perform and last longer than a traditional linear ball bearing. Called the “little red bearing” by loyal customers, they have been a popular replacement for failing ball bearings. Simplicity plain bearings will not catastrophically fail.
The difference between a smooth-running drive and constant headaches? The right timing belt and pulley plus a whole lot more. Discover what works, what doesn’t, and put your design skills to the test—engineer your best system yet!
Discover how Regal Rexnord’s Bauer™ PMSM gear motor helped a transportation company streamline inventory, cut energy use, and save $80,000 annually. Learn how this scalable solution delivers financial, operational, and sustainability gains across facilities.
Design engineers are always on the lookout for efficient and reliable application solutions. While standard products often suffice, some challenges demand a custom approach. Custom machine couplings, critical for torque transmission between a machine's driving and driven components, require careful consideration of specific requirements to guarantee optimal performance and unwavering reliability.
Precision elastomer insert couplings offer vibration damping, easy installation, zero backlash transmission, and electrical isolation. Fitting a wide variety of drive applications including lift systems, conveyors, pumps, linear actuators, and high performance general power transmission.
The OVR Series is a simple, small, lightweight industrial robot. It can be controlled by the intuitive robot controller MRC01, which achieves automation with a multi-axis robot with little effort. Customers can also replace some of the motors used on the OVR Robots, which helps keep maintenance costs low.
Dec 12, 2025

The Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA) is forming a new emerging technology committee: the eVTOL & Drone Technology Committee. The inaugural virtual meeting will take place on Thursday, January 22, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. This new group will examine this fast-moving sector where electrification, lightweight materials, distributed propulsion, and high-precision drive components intersect. As aerial mobility platforms move from prototype to commercialization, gear and bearing manufacturers are uniquely positioned to support their success. MPMA aims to ensure its members possess the knowledge, connections, and technical expertise to effectively support this new technology.

Mar 3, 2026 - Mar 7, 2026

CONEXPO-CON/AGG brings the entire construction ecosystem together in one place, giving over 139,000 construction professionals access to equipment manufacturers, technology innovators, workforce trailblazers and the thought leaders who are changing the world through infrastructure, innovation and leadership.
Jan 20, 2026 - Jan 22, 2026
Feb 10, 2026 - Feb 12, 2026
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