This is the timely and relevant sequel to our Nov/Dec 2018 Addendum article, "Safety Guaranteed." In the original article will looked at some incredible gear applications from the safety of our desktop computers and smartphones. Who knew we would be spending most of 2020 doing the same exact thing?

Gears are a crucial part of many machines, and if they wear and corrode beyond repair it can then be a costly expense to replace them. Mark Meyer, Sales Manager, North America at SIFCO ASC, explains how brush plating can help prevent gears from being damaged and how the process can be used to restore worn or corroded gear components.

A visit to the HMC Gears plant in Indiana kicked off an extensive project which resulted in the creation of a unique solution for exceptional demands: With the LC 4000, Liebherr forges new paths in large-scale gear cutting production and unites diverse machining methods in one highly efficient machine for the American gear specialist.

New turnkey, "off-the-shelf" Gleason 2700AR system automates larger-gear load/unload to speed throughput, optimize process flow - and take the weight off the operator.

Large bevel gears drive the crushing machines used to process ores and minerals in the hard-rock mining and aggregates industries. This paper is intended to help the reader understand the unique aspects of these machines, and why crushing applications fall outside the traditional automotive paradigm for bevel gears.

Historically, gearbox original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and repair organizations have tended to offer their customers no-load, full speed (spin) tests as a standard performance test. If a load test was specified, the supplier would probably offer a locked torque back-to-back simulated load test, which requires a large investment in tooling to connect shafts of the test and slave gearboxes.

For this year’s exercise in large gears, we’re not going to dwell on size range or length, merely look at the fundamental challenges and latest technologies required to manufacture large parts in the gear industry. This could be a gearbox assembly for the construction, mining or oil and gas industries or simply a large standalone gear pinion set for a custom application. Whatever the industry or application, large gears require more preparation, planning and precision than other areas of gear manufacturing.

Business is finally starting to get back to usual in the big gear world, which offers us a chance to look back at the greatest lesson on how to survive an economic downturn. Includes the sidebar: "Brass Tacks with Klingelnberg."

Large, multi-segmented girth gears do not behave like the relatively compact, rigid, monolithic structures we typically envision when discussing gear manufacturing. Girth gears are very large, non-rigid structures that require special care during the machining of individual mating segments as well as the assembled gear blank itself.