I’ve been rereading Self-Consuming Artifacts by Stanley Fish, published in 1972, a classic of literary criticism on the experience of reading, and now I see its central thesis everywhere. Fish argues that certain texts don’t deliver a meaning so much as put you through something. They build a framework, make you invest in it, and then show you its limits. The text, as he puts it, consumes itself: “it is self-sharpening and what it sharpens is you.” I realize this sounds like an odd thing to bring up in Gear Technology, but one hopes every issue of the magazine is in some way an active experience that requires the reader to work, question their own assumptions, and possibly change their perspective.
In early April, I had the honor of stepping into the role of President of the Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA). For nearly 25 years, I’ve had a front-row seat to this industry—learning from the engineers, executives, and innovators who make it run. That experience, built on relationships forged across every corner of the power transmission supply chain, is what I bring to this role.
Lance Brown spent 28 years at CGI, Inc.—a Carson City, Nevada-based manufacturer of precision drive systems founded in 1967 and best known for its work in medical robotics and aerospace, now part of The Timken Company—working his way from the shop floor into design engineering and tackling gear problems across some of the most demanding industries in the world. Now, as MPMA’s first Senior Technical Instructor, he’s channeling that experience into a growing education program at a pivotal moment for the organization. We sat down with Brown to talk about the career that got him here, what he’s seeing in the classroom, and where MPMA’s training offerings are headed next.
Every machine shop has a job nobody wants. The shop I worked in, you felt like you were being sent to “time out” if you had to go to the deburring station. At Productive Robotics’ Santa Barbara factory, where the company designs and builds its OB7 line of 7-axis collaborative robots, the robots they make do their own gear deburring.
Gear inspection and noise analysis are essential for ensuring quality and efficiency in modern gear manufacturing. Increasingly stringent requirements on dimensional tolerances—often in the micron range—and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance necessitate advanced measurement and evaluation methods.
Machines in paper/pulp applications are among the longest and most complex continuous manufacturing machines in the world—some stretch more than 300 yards. Maintaining precise speed ratios across dozens of shop machines is critical for operational success—even the slightest speed mismatch can cause the paper web to break, wrinkle, or stretch unevenly. Gearboxes (combined with variable speed drives) make this coordination possible.
Deciding to launch a new standards project is not a decision taken lightly here at the Motion Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA). If things go according to plan, a new project can take four years to reach publication over roughly 24 two-hour-long working group meetings. This is a significant commitment of time from both volunteers and staff. Additional time outside of meetings is often needed for reviewing drafts, responding to comments, and preparing materials, so careful thought goes into every new initiative before work begins.
MPMA has five emerging technology committees, each focused on a sector reshaping the gear and bearing industry. Across robotics, air mobility, electric vehicles, industrial connectivity, and additive manufacturing, the committees are studying technologies before they fully arrive, building expert networks, and translating what is happening at the frontier into intelligence that members can use. Here is where each stands as we head into the second quarter of 2026.
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