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Automation for Every Shop Size

A new CNC-based application puts cost-effective robot part handling and articulation directly on the machine tool’s control screen, eliminating the need for a separate robot pendant

Through a technology partnership that breaks new ground in the machine tool industry, Siemens presents an automation solution for the busy, multitasking, small to mid-sized machine shop, as it combines a digital twin of the software and programming of its popular Sinumerik 828 CNC, working in tandem with a Kuka robot, to simplify the operation and programming in part handling for the machine tool operator. Bringing the concept to life during a recent tradeshow, Kuka Robotics Corporation demonstrated the same control and its robot working in tandem with a Syil vertical milling machine. The machine featured the Syil R1 machine-tending automation package, developed with one of Kuka’s system partners, Waybo, which seamlessly integrates the pick-and-place, part articulation, and communications with the CNC onboard, all at a very attractive price point.

METAL’s Manufacturing Workforce Network

A DoW-funded partnership brings online courses and hands-on bootcamps to Purdue’s foundry lab, training that feeds gear production

Perceive, Understand & Perform

AICA and Schaeffler demonstrate the role Physical AI can play in the manufacturing environment

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Technical Articles

Conjugate Bevel and Hypoid Gears

An excerpt from Gear Technology Solutions by Dr. Hermann J. Stadtfeld exploring the mathematics behind conjugate bevel and hypoid gears—from the fundamental laws of gearing and the conditions for perfect conjugacy to why real-world power transmissions require deliberate crowning rather than theoretically exact conjugate designs.

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Design Principles of Bevel Gears: Rationale for Zero Sum Profile Shifts and Generating Gear Choices

This article demonstrates why bevel gears are designed with a zero sum of profile shifts—showing that independent shifts merely replicate what a modified pressure angle already achieves—and explains the practical benefits of using conical generating gears for tooth profile crowning.

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Water Spray Quenching—A New Intensive Quenching Process for Case Hardening of Gears

Water spray quenching achieves heat transfer coefficients up to 4,000 W/(m²K)—nearly double conventional oil quenching rates—enabling potential material substitution and tailored quench intensity for complex gear components.

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Root Interference

This excerpt from Gear Technology Solutions explains how oversized cutter blade edge radii cause root interference in bevel gears, and how to select correct radii to avoid noise, flank damage, and tooth fracture.

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Design

In modern automotive vehicles, gear noise becomes more and more of an issue. The main reason is the reduced masking noise of the engine, which vanishes completely in the case of an electric driveline. Improved gear quality unfortunately does not correlate with a better noise performance in any case. High gear quality makes sure that the gear flanks are inside tight tolerances and that all teeth are nearly identical. Even if the running behavior of such gear sets shows a very low sound pressure level, the noise perception for human ears may be annoying.

Grinding

The world of bevel gear grinding is a complex topic. How do you determine which grinding and dressing parameters to select for a desired surface finish? What type of grinding wheel should be used? What type of dresser should be used? How do all these factors affect the gear noise and quality levels? These are some questions that will be addressed in this article.

NVH

The arrival of Gleason’s Hard Finishing Cell (HFC) in 2018 represented a paradigm shift in the way automotive transmission gears and gears for e-drives, could be produced in high volumes. Now, for the first time, 100 percent inspection of every gear, and every gear tooth was possible in-process, without impacting the high speeds at which these gears need to be hard finished. Identifying, and correcting for, conditions that create unacceptable noise behavior in these gears, on the fly, was finally a reality too.

Heat Treating

By understanding customers’ manufacturing and heat-treatment processes, Ipsen identifies pain points and develops IIoT and AI-driven solutions that improve operational efficiency.

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Videos

If This Old Machine Can Be Automated, Yours Can Too

Productive Robotics sets the new standard for simplifying robotic automation. OB7 ensures simplicity in use and versatility, easy automation of existing production and new set-ups, increased output, consistency, and quality. It emphasizes teaching the robot rather than programming. Productive Robotics' OB7 collaborative robots are currently used in many diverse applications due to their simplicity, capability, and affordability.

Industry News

Sandvik Coromant first introduced manufacturing wellness in 2023 as a way to describe what a healthy, future-ready manufacturing business looks like. It defines the concept as “the state of resilient, thriving manufacturing companies that have a positive impact on people and societies.” 

Product News

Kuka Robotics will display its advanced robotic automation solutions for machine tool tending with the company’s system integrator, Formic Automation, at IMTS 2026. Visitors to Booth #236807 in the North Building will experience live demonstrations that highlight how Kuka is making automation easier for manufacturers to adopt robotic machine tending through a scalable, service-based approach that reduces complexity and supports evolving production needs.

Calendar

CES 2027

Jan 6, 2027 - Jan 9, 2027

Attracting a diverse range of professionals, including executives, engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs, CES (Las Vegas) is an excellent opportunity to connect, collaborate, and grow your professional network. The broad range of exhibits and industries represented at the show can inspire innovative solutions. Industries include 3D printing, AR/VR/XR, AI, cloud computing/data, construction tech, cybersecurity, robotics, e-Mobility, AI, vehicle tech and more.

PowerGen 2027

Jan 18, 2027 - Jan 21, 2027

SPS Smart Production Solutions 2026

Nov 24, 2026 - Nov 26, 2026

CTI Symposium Berlin 2026

Dec 8, 2026 - Dec 9, 2026

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


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