[advertisement]

State of the Gear Industry 2026

The gear industry navigates uncertainty, finds pockets of strength, and bets on automation

Of the 137 respondents to our annual gear-industry survey, the message was clear: tariffs are the defining challenge of 2026. But the frustration runs deeper than the duties themselves. Manufacturers can absorb cost increases; they can’t absorb chaos. When rules shift weekly and exemptions evaporate overnight, planning becomes guesswork. One respondent captured the exhaustion: “In 2025, they were all over the place, without warning, up and down. Terribly disorganized.” Yet within this turbulence, distinct currents run strong. Defense and aerospace work has surged. Oil and gas, buoyed by loosened regulations, is “very active” according to multiple respondents, with mobile power units and gas compression driving demand. Overhaul and repair business is booming—when new equipment becomes expensive or hard to source, companies keep existing machines running longer, and that means gears.

¡Rápido!

With many of its precision gears produced in small lot sizes, Spanish gear producer Engranajes Juaristi S.L. depends on Gleason machines for exceptional speed and flexibility.

[advertisement]

Technical Articles

Investigating the Effects of Wear, Lubrication and Material Pairing on the NVH Performance of Plastic Gears

This study systematically evaluates how material selection, progressive wear, and grease lubrication affect the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance of polymer gears, providing new insights for designing quieter, more optimized transmission systems.

.

Morphology of FZG-A Test Gears

This study explores the failure mode morphology of FZG-A test gears. It aims to examine the orphologies of scuffing, scoring, scratches, and polishing using high-magnification light optical microscopy (LOM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images.

.

Electric vs. Combustion: A Comparative Analysis of Gear Design for Commercial Vehicle Applications

This paper examines the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), highlighting the distinct gear design requirements for each and presenting a comparative case study of gearbox configurations in a 14-ton commercial vehicle.

.

Prospects of Asymmetric Gears in EV Gearbox

The paper examines how optimizing asymmetric gear tooth geometry through Direct Gear Design can improve load capacity, efficiency, and compactness in EV gearboxes, surpassing the performance limits of conventional symmetric gears.

.

[advertisement]

Design

As a community, we gear engineers collaborate and share ideas to progress our collective capability. Technology progresses based on our efforts, and we have seen solid advances in the performance of our products as they become quieter, cheaper, more efficient, and more power dense. The pages of this magazine (past and present editions) are filled with examples where talented engineers have dug deeper into a subject using a more precise approach to a particular area concerning gear performance. The implied belief is always that greater precision (complexity) in the calculations brings greater accuracy (alignment with reality).

Grinding

Fully electric vehicle drives usually require two-stage, non-switchable transmissions. One would think that this greatly simplifies the production. Finally, the described transmission structure has just four gears, distributed on the drive shaft, the second stage with fixed wheel and intermediate shaft as well as the axle drive wheel. But the conditions are not that simple: First of all, the engine speeds of the electric drive with up to 16,000 rpm are much higher than those of the combustion engine. For this purpose, electric motors deliver an almost constant torque over a wide speed range. Unlike the combustion engine, it is already attached to the transmission from zero speed. In addition, there is an additional boundary condition that makes production much more demanding than with the conventional powertrain.

Inspection

A combination of international regulations and consumer expectations is driving the demand for reduced noise on all drivetrain components. Further demand is driven by the growing trend towards EVs and HEVs, where noise from ICE is intermittent or no longer present, and the contribution of transmission noise to overall vehicle noise becomes dominant.

Heat Treating

Heat Treat 2023 is the Heat Treating Society’s 32nd conference and expo for heat treating professionals featuring three days of face-to-face networking opportunities with approximately 200 heat treat exhibitors/companies. All the top heat-treating companies will offer the latest research and industry insights during more than 100 technical programs. This year’s show includes a VIP-guided industry tour, as well as student/emerging professionals initiatives, including free college student registration, Fluxtrol Student Research Competition, and the ASM Heat Treating Society Strong Bar Student Competition. Heat Treat 2023 is colocated with Motion + Power Technology Expo 2023 with access to additional exhibitors. The event takes place October 17–19, 2023 at Huntington Place in Detroit.

[Sponsored Content]

Videos

Diamond Dressing Wheels by Kapp Niles

Kapp Technologies L.P., the North American subsidiary of the Kapp Niles Group, has taken a significant step toward strengthening its domestic manufacturing capabilities. The company has successfully launched in-house production of diamond dressing tools at its Boulder, Colorado facility — marking a major milestone in its U.S.-based operations.

Industry News

Solar Atmospheres is pleased to announce the installation and full commissioning of a new 10-bar vacuum furnace at its Fontana, California facility, further expanding the company’s high-pressure vacuum heat treating capabilities in the western United States.

Product News

Kuka Robotics announced a new addition to its product portfolio with the KR Titan ultra robot. Designed for load intensive automation applications, the robot combines extensive reach with precise dynamics ideal manufacturers the automotive, battery/electromobility, and large part handling, as well as heavy logistics sectors. 

Calendar

GrindingHub 2026

May 5, 2026 - May 8, 2026

GrindingHub is the world’s leading trade fair for grinding technology and superfinishing. It covers the entire value chain of grinding technology. Since 2022, it has been held every two years in Stuttgart and is organized by the VDW (Association of German Machine Tool Manufacturers) in cooperation with Messe Stuttgart and under the patronage of Swissmem.

Gear Up for Precision Open House

Jun 9, 2026 - Jun 10, 2026

WZL Gear Conference USA

Jul 15, 2026 - Jul 16, 2026

Sandvik Coromant Tech Days

May 6, 2026 - May 7, 2026

[advertisement]

Current Issue


Current Issue
Archives
Subscribe

Buyer's Guide

Cutting Tools Gear Blanks & Raw Material Gear Drives Gear Machines Gear Manufacturing Services Gears Grinding Wheels & Abrasive Tools Heat Treating Inspection Equipment Lubricants Machine Tools Resources Services Software Used Machinery Workholding & Toolholding

The Gear Industry Buyers Guide is your complete directory of suppliers in the gear industry, including great companies like these.


VIEW ALL