Top 5 Reasons To Go to Gear Expo
Top 5 Reasons To Go to Gear Expo
Randy Stott, Managing Editor
Gear Expo 2015 takes place October 20–22 in Detroit. If you haven’t already made plans to attend the show, you might be might be missing out on a great chance to learn more about gears, find new potential suppliers and network with your peers. Gear Expo is the industry’s premier trade show, and it provides plenty of opportunities for anyone whose work involves gears — from manufacturing to processing, purchasing and use.
Gear Expo used to be viewed as mostly a show for gear manufacturers to attend. Exhibitors included the major machine tool manufacturers, cutting tool suppliers and service providers aimed at supplying the gear manufacturing process. The show still includes all of those exhibitors, but over the years, Gear Expo’s emphasis on the entire supply chain has grown — meaning that the show has become more and more important to gear buyers, because more and more gear and gear drive manufacturers are exhibiting.
For most of you who read Power Transmission Engineering, that’s a very good thing, especially if you’re involved with the specification, purchase and use of gears. Finding the right gear supplier can make all the difference in a successful product.
Learn more about how gears are made. Gears
cannot be properly designed without a solid understanding
of the manufacturing processes that
will be used to make them. In recent years, some of those
processes have been improved, and new processes are always
being developed. In order to design and develop gears
that cost less, run more quietly or handle more power, you
need to learn more about those changes and the latest gear
manufacturing technologies. Who knows, you might even
consider bringing gear manufacturing in-house rather than
outsourcing it (or vice-versa!).
Find new gear suppliers. There will be more than
70 gear and gear drive manufacturers exhibiting at
the show, as well as vendors of gear software, lubrication,
bearings and automation solutions. See our map and
listings on pages 32–34 for a complete list of the Gear Expo
exhibitors of most interest to Power Transmission Engineering
readers.
There’s always something new. Many of these exhibitors
are interested in speaking with you. Our
Gear Expo preview article, beginning on page 24,
touches base with a number of them. Also, don’t forget to
read our special “Showstoppers” advertising section, beginning
on page 29, to see what some of the Gear Expo exhibitors
have to offer.
Educational opportunities. Visit www.gearexpo.
com to learn more about the many educational programs
put on by the AGMA in conjunction with the
show. These include the Fall Technical Meeting (which takes
place Oct 18–20, overlapping with the show), a number of
gear-related seminars, and the Solutions Center, an educational
theater right in the middle of the show floor.
Ask the Expert Live. In conjunction with Gear
Technology magazine, we’ve put together some
educational sessions of our own. For the first time
ever, we’re offering a live and in-person version of our popular
“Ask the Expert” column. At Gear Expo, we’re hosting four
sessions of Ask the Expert Live, each one focused on a specific
gear-related topic and featuring three or four renowned
experts. See our ad on page 61 for a full schedule of topics
and presenters who will be on hand to answer your questions.
