When you work day-in and day-out with components like gears, bearings or electric motors, for example, it's easy to forget that those components are always part of a much bigger system.

This issue, we're pleased to present our annual Buyers Guide. It's our comprehensive directory of suppliers of mechanical components, including gears, bearings, motors, couplings, clutches, brakes, gear drives and more. This directory represents our best effort to give you updated information about the companies who can provide you with the components you need to design, build and maintain better machinery.

Kate, a sophomore studying engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has a genuine interest in manufacturing, so it was natural that she attend IMTS. But the other three? My kids? Well, let’s just say that their interests lie elsewhere. Matt, also a sophomore, is studying business at UW-Platteville. Emily, a sophomore in high school, wants to join the Peace Corps. Renee, an eighth grader, wants to be a surgeon.

In a recent reader survey, you told us you wanted to see more specific examples of mechanical power transmission products and how they’re designed, upgraded, maintained and used in a wide variety of industries. In the business, we call that type of article an “application story,” and in this issue we’ve answered the call with several application stories that show how smart choices are being made about motion components in a wide variety of industries.

Energy is the worldwide addiction of the human race. We can’t live without it, and no matter how much we try to conserve it, our appetite is insatiable.

Electric motors are often considered a mature industry— one whose basic technology wasinvented more than a century ago and whose fundamental concepts haven’t changed much since. But new applications continue to demand change. Engineers want greater efficiency, more precise control and improved reliability.

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as scoring a goal. Here at Power Transmission Engineering, our goal is to provide you with as much relevant educational and technical material as possible, and every issue we strive to cover the subjects of power transmission and motion control from as many different angles as possible, so that no matter your job title, and no matter your industry, if gears, bearings, motors and related components are important to you, we’ve got you covered.

For several months, many economists have been using the “R” word when it comes to manufacturing. They say we’ve been in a global manufacturing recession since some time in the fourth quarter of last year.

Our theme for 2016 is “Engineering Smart.” Our goal as a publication is to help you engineer better systems, taking advantage of the latest in technology to create mechanical systems that last longer, save energy, cost less and increase performance. The way we do that is by bringing you the best information possible on the design and engineering of gears, gear drives, bearings, motors, couplings and related power transmission components and systems.

Sometimes I feel like I blink and another year is gone. By the time most of you read this, it will be at or near the end of 2015. If you’re like us, you’ll be reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the next.