Show Me Something

Randy Stott, Associate Publisher & Managing Editor

Fall is the season of change. But in industrial America, it’s also the season of trade shows. Either way, the season is in full swing.

We’ve just come back from a very successful exhibit at IMTS, which included, for the first time, the Hannover Messe USA show. We met with hundreds of suppliers in our industry, including a great many manufacturers of motion control and mechanical power transmission components and systems.

In fact, we were able to sit down with a number of those suppliers to conduct video interviews as part of our new Revolutions segment on Power Transmission Engineering TV. The segment features technical experts from leading companies in our industry, explaining how their products work. Our goal is to help you better understand the subtle differences between the technologies so that you can make the most informed decisions when it comes time to buying gear drives, bearings or motion systems.

You can watch Revolutions by visiting www.powertransmission.com/tv/. While you’re there, you can also catch up on some of our other videos, including our “Ask the Expert LIVE!” feature.

As you’re reading this, we’ll probably be just returning from Pack Expo, where we plant to see all the technology of the packaging industry in one place. That includes a lot of power transmission solution providers, including the manufacturers of gearmotors, belts, chain, couplings, linear motion and more. We already know there will be a lot of technology presented at Pack Expo, and we’re planning to bring information about it back to you. Much of what we learn there will appear in our pages over the coming months.

This season’s trade shows have definitely not disappointed, but we’re also very excited about something coming our way next fall. There’s a new trade show coming to America—or, rather, the evolution of one we’ve come to know and love. The American Gear Manufacturers Association has announced that Gear Expo is being transformed with a new identity and broadened purpose. The new show, Motion + Power Technology Expo, will take place October 15–17, 2019 at the Cobo Center in Detroit.

AGMA says that Motion + Power Technology Expo will encompass everything that Gear Expo did, plus a whole lot more. “For the first time, we will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, buyers and experts in the mechanical power transmission, fluid power and electrical drive industries,” said Matthew Croson, AGMA President, and Jim Bregi, AGMA Chairman, in the association’s official press release.

AGMA has partnered with the National Fluid Power Association to provide a fluid power pavilion, and according to Croson, booths are already starting to fill up. They are also looking to expand partnerships with other organizations and continue to build the show in terms of breadth of products offered.

We think this is great news for you, our readers. In past shows, Gear Expo exhibitors included as many as 50 gear and gear drive manufacturers, with a smattering of additional suppliers in the bearings and other related industries. With the expansion of the show, buyers of mechanical power transmission and motion control components will have even more reason to go. If all goes well, there should be an even wider variety of suppliers to choose from, and even more types of related products.

You can learn more about the Motion + Power Technology Expo by visiting motionpowerexpo.com.

I know that October 2019 seems like a long way off. But it’s NOT too early to mark your calendars and make plans to attend. We’ll be there, and we hope you will be, too.