Faithful Addendum readers are accustomed to finding upbeat, whimsical and oddball stories about gears in this
space. What follows is not about gears, exactly. Rather, it is, as opposed to the usual bleak news about America losing its manufacturing mojo—a look at a positive, hopeful development in that regard.
The Forest City Gear booth at Gear Expo featured a wide variety of gears utilized in medical equipment, Indy cars, fishing reels, even the recently launched Mars Rover. Scattered among Forest City’s products in Cincinnati were some unique gear sculptures created by an artist that finds more inspiration from the pages of industrial magazines than art galleries.
In the August 2008 issue of Gear Technology, we ran a story (“Gearbox
Speed Reducer Helps Fan Technology for ‘Greener” Jet Fuel Efficiency’) on the
then ongoing, extremely challenging and protracted development of Pratt
& Whitney’s geared turbofan (GTF) jet engine.
Whether consumed by its romantic charm or simply a casual fan of its Victorian sensibilities, there’s a growing interest in all things steampunk lately. From books, television and films
to music, art and design, the desire to ‘reclaim technology’ is getting closer and closer to mainstream pop culture. Wherever you find steampunk, you’ll undoubtedly find a gear or two not
far behind.