Consider the following scenario: guided by vision sensors, a robot spots a product on a moving conveyor, determines its exact position and, in one fluid motion, picks it up and places it into a waiting assembly, carrier tray, or shipping container. What human operators once found tiring—or at least tedious, the robot performs flawlessly, hour after hour, even long after its flesh-and-blood coworkers have gone home for the evening.
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.
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An innovative technology for the next generation of high-speed, high power density traction and propulsion systems has been jointly developed by Drive System Design (DSD) and Transense Technologies. David Hind, principal engineer, DSD, presented “Unlocking Powertrain Power Density with Innovative Motor Control,” earlier this year at the CTI USA Symposium 2025 in Novi, MI. The presentation built on initial simulation studies performed in MATLAB Simulink; a software tool used to design and simulate systems before moving to hardware. While simulation trials proved successful, achieving quality experimental results proved far more challenging. Hind examined these challenges and potential solutions at CTI.
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Collaborative robots have been hugely beneficial for manufacturers of all sizes over the past 15 years, and their share of the total robot market continues to grow every year. As of 2025, hundreds of different cobot models are available from dozens of manufacturers. Today, we will discuss the differences between industrial and collaborative robots, advantages of cobots, typical cobot applications, case studies, and some specific robotic solutions.
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Pack Expo Las Vegas, one of North America’s most comprehensive packaging and processing events is celebrating a milestone: 2025 marks 30 years since the show’s debut. Today, Pack Expo Las Vegas continues to be a global hub for industry innovation and collaboration. Show producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, has elevated Pack Expo Las Vegas from a regional trade show to a global industry force—expanding its scale, influence, and relevance across international markets. This year, the show spanned over 1 million net square feet, featuring 2,300+ exhibitors.
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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.
The spectrum of machinery and equipment used in industrial automation includes everything from electric motors to robotics and each has its own unique attributes and sealing requirements. David Kaley, Trelleborg global segment manager for industrial automation, shares his expertise on speed reducers covering what they are, how they work and key considerations for correct sealing in this article.
The drive system choice is dependent on key motion features of your application. Lead screws offer self-locking capabilities, while ball screws require brakes to prevent back-driving. The choice between them hinges on efficiency, cost, precision, and speed, with the screw drives themselves paired with a linear guide for optimal performance.
Bellows couplings are commonly used in applications requiring precise rotation, high speeds, and dynamic motion transmission. With zero backlash and a high level of torsional stiffness, they offer clear performance advantages in many servo-driven systems.
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.
Forest City Gear manufactures extremely high-precision gears made for the most advanced robotics, right in Roscoe, IL. This family-owned team of gearheads specialize in high-precision gears engineered to handle the most demanding robotic applications—on Earth, and way beyond.
Feb 13, 2026
PEER Chain & Sprockets has formed a Growth Committee to accelerate the company’s expansion strategy and build on strong customer and distributor demand driven by what many describe as the “PEER Experience.”
Sensor Technology Ltd. introduces the SGR523, a rotary torque sensor equipped with an integrated incremental angle encoder. This addition to the TorqSense SGR series provides torque and angular position monitoring across various industrial applications.
Mar 17, 2026 - Mar 18, 2026
The Generis American Manufacturing Summit (AMS) has a rich history as an exclusive platform for manufacturing leaders—and now in its 12th year, it remains a premier manufacturing summit and one of the top manufacturing events for executives, built for high-level, in-person knowledge exchange and solution exploration.
Oct 18, 2026 - Oct 21, 2026
Nov 17, 2026 - Nov 20, 2026
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Power Transmission Engineering is THE magazine of mechanical components. PTE is written for engineers and maintenance pros who specify, purchase and use gears, gear drives, bearings, motors, couplings, clutches, lubrication, seals and all other types of mechanical power transmission and motion control components.
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