Economy

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2025-11-07

Lanter and Sutherland Named 2025 PTDA Foundation Award Recipients

The PTDA Foundation is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of its industry awards. Lauren Lanter, co-CEO, B & D Industrial, has been named the Wendy B. McDonald 2025 Woman of the Year, and Jonah Sutherland, business development manager, Nord Drivesystems, is the recipient of the Robert K. Callahan Advancing Leaders Award. Both honorees received their awards at the PTDA 2025 Industry Summit on October 24 in San Antonio.

EVENT | 2025-09-15

Modex 2026

Modex (Atlanta) is where the manufacturing and supply chain professionals come together for the world’s largest supply chain experience. From hands‑on product demonstrations to one-on-one meetings and a conference with four keynotes and nearly 200 sessions, Modex 2026 is where they come to see the latest equipment and tech, learn the latest trends, connect with key suppliers and make strategic capital equipment buying decisions for their future operations. Key exhibitors include Beckhoff Automation, Festo, Interroll, Lenze, Misumi, Motion, Nidec Automation, Nord Drivesystems, Regal Rexnord, Siemens and more.

EVENT | 2025-07-23

Weftec 2025

More than 20,000 water professionals come to Weftec each year to share ideas, spark innovation and move the industry forward. At Weftec 2025 (Chicago), you’ll find exhibits, hands-on learning experiences and a global network of water professionals.

EVENT | 2025-07-07

Pack Expo Las Vegas 2025

Pack Expo Las Vegas features targeted pavilions or “shows within a show” featuring solutions that address many industry challenges. All of the pavilions have expanded, reflecting the tremendous market growth in packaging and processing.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2025-06-30

PTDA 2025 Industry Summit Brings Together Industry Leaders for Innovation, Networking and Insight

Registration is now open for the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) Industry Summit, taking place October 23–25, 2025, at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas. Recognized as the largest annual gathering of power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) professionals, the Industry Summit is the premier platform for forging connections, sharing strategies and leading the future of the industry.

VOICES | 2025-06-04

AGMA and ABMA Unite to Form Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance

On April 24, at the AGMA/ABMA Annual Meeting in Austin, the membership of each association voted unanimously to approve a merger between AGMA and ABMA, creating the Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA).

AGMA and ABMA will continue to keep their names in the marketplace as the 108-year-old AGMA brand and the 107-year-old ABMA brand have significant history and value to their respective memberships.

BEARINGS WITH NORM | 2025-02-12

Roller Bearing Outlook 2025

Understanding the overall economy as it relates to the global bearing market is critical because it will ultimately determine how companies spend their money. In a down economy, companies go into protective mode, reducing inventories, headcount, R&D expenses and less willing to spend money on products on projects that have not turned into real purchase contracts. In a healthy economy, we see more R&D in heat treatment, lubrication, steel quality, etc. with headcount and resources willing to support long-term (and unpaid) projects.

REVOLUTIONS | 2022-02-14

Schaeffler TriFinity Wheel Bearing Provides e-Mobility Solution

Schaeffler’s TriFinity wheel bearing is a fully optimized, three-row, angular contact ball bearing that provides higher stiffness and longer servic...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2020-06-01

The Long Road to Recovery

I've been reading, watching and listening to a lot of pundits lately -- economic experts, industry experts, stock market experts, you name it -- trying to get some idea of what to expect next. Heh.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2019-03-01

Manufacturing Economy 2019: A Summary

By most measures, and according to most observers, the manufacturing economy continues to hum along. U.S. manufacturing has been in growth mode for several years, although the rate of growth has slowed, and most are predicting that it will continue to slow throughout 2019.

| 2018-11-01

Chain-Stretch Monitoring System Prevents Plant Downtime

Chain drives are a critical part of the manufacturing process in many industries, whether the chains act as conveyors for glass containers or trans...

| 2018-09-17

Hannover Messe USA: What We Learned

The East Hall—home to Hannover Messe USA— took a systematic approach to manufacturing, highlighting the smart components and techniques that will b...

| 2018-02-02

Framo Morat and Dunkermotoren Produce Drive Systems for AGVs

Driverless transport systems have proven to be extremel...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2018-02-01

Waiting for the Boom

I've always been a big fan of thunderstorms. I especially enjoy that quiet moment of anticipation right after you see a flash of lightning. There's a tension in the air, a sense of excitement. You know what's coming, and you wait for it...I feel like we're in that moment, right now. We're waiting for the boom.

| 2017-12-11

Consolidation and Innovation

It has been a while, but as many of you know there are too many projects and not enough time. One of my many projects has been to identify new s...

| 2017-09-07

Meter Bearings Upgrades System Analytics

A global organization, Meter Bearings comprises offices and production centers in China, Germany, and the United States, with their headquarters in...

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2017-06-01

Moving in the Right Direction

Over the past several months, members of our staff have traveled quite a bit, and we've had a lot of opportunities to gauge their confidence. And while nobody is overwhelmingly enthusiastic - nobody has told us this is their best year ever - almost everyone seems at least content with the stability that slow and steady growth provides.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2017-02-01

Industry News

The complete Industry News section from the February 2017 issue of PTE.

PUBLISHER'S PAGE | 2016-03-01

Don't Believe the "R" Word

For several months, many economists have been using the “R” word when it comes to manufacturing. They say we’ve been in a global manufacturing recession since some time in the fourth quarter of last year.

MARKET UPDATE | 2016-03-01

Global Industrial Outlook: Reality Sinks In

Our “Batten Down The Hatches” call proved timely as the market sold off by about (10 percent) before staging a partial recovery

MARKET UPDATE | 2016-02-01

Global Industrial Outlook: Batten Down the Hatches

Third-quarter earnings confirmed the worst-case scenario — plunging oil prices are whacking almost the entire industrial sector. The theme is hardly new, as the pattern of our headlines has revealed over the past fifteen or so months:

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2015-12-01

Global Industrial Outlook: Oil Slick Cascading Through Sector

Third-quarter earnings are confirming the worst-case scenario, i.e. — not only are energy related end markets in a downturn, but conditions continue to worsen.

EVENTS | 2015-08-01

Calendar

Calendar of upcoming events

| 2015-07-31

Vehicle Outlook

I don’t know about you, but the recession of 2008-2010 sticks in my mind like a bad penny. Since that time, I am never able to simply say ...

TECHNICAL ARTICLES | 2015-04-01

Mathematical Modeling for the Design of Spiroid, Helical, Spiral Bevel and Worm Gears

Spiroid and worm gears have superior advantages for hightorque and miniaturization applications. And for this reason they are particularly preferred in aerospace, robotic and medical applications. They are typically manufactured by hobbing technology, a process with a typical overall lead time of 4 to 14 weeks.

INDUSTRY NEWS | 2014-12-01

Global Industrial Outlook: Houston, We Have a Problem

With two armed conflicts underway impacting economic performance in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, we continue our investment stance of “Buy on the Sound of Cannons — Selectively” — but readers of Power Transmission Engineering should not be sanguine. Geopolitics is beginning to exert significant pressure on several end markets: I specifically refer to oil price. West Texas Intermediate or WTI has dropped from its $95-105 trading range in late spring to about $75 — about a (25%) drop despite wo ongoing conflicts because of excess supply.

MARKET UPDATE | 2014-09-01

Back to Work

The best growth market, perhaps in spite of ourselves, is the United States.

MARKET UPDATE | 2014-08-01

Das (Human) Kapital

Columnist Brian Langenberg provides a current outlook update, key findings from a recent energy sector conference, and takes another look at education and employment.

MARKET UPDATE | 2014-04-01

China!

Our last installment called out the likely headwinds from both the C.R.A.P. currencies (Canada, Russia, Australia and Latin America) and also weather impact. As companies start reporting in the coming weeks, expect first quarter results to be mildly impacted. This issue we take a closer look at China.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2014-02-01

The CHIEF Issues - Global Industrial Outlook

Global economic activity remains good -- noise about China slowing, notwithstanding -- and despite the ObamaCare debacle, non-Christmas-related consumer spending looks pretty good. Europe is still Europe and China continues to grow 7-8 percent -- even as the government seeks to clamp down on its own shadow banking system. And India remains a mess.

MARKET UPDATE | 2013-12-01

The Ugly, the Bad and the Good - Global Industrial Outlook - December 2013 PTE

Global economic demand remains solid - even if you couldn't tell by recent third-quarter results and despite all efforts by U.S. politicians of both political parties. Let's go through what happened and what is coming.

MARKET UPDATE | 2013-08-01

Quiet Out There - Global Industrial Outlook

Since our last appearance in this space we've attended the Paris Air Show and met with companies involved in oil production, hydraulic fracturing and wind turbine towers and components. As an investment analyst I am always seeking to help my clients anticipate change in order to manage risk and capture alpha (positive returns relative to market). But as a regular columnist for Power Transmission Engineering, I also seek insights that can help your organization do the same. Here is what we've found...

MARKET UPDATE | 2013-06-01

Global Industrial Outlook - Sideways

We have just returned from the Electrical Products Group Conference in Sarasota, Florida. This is our favorite venue because it allows us to speak with the CEOs of nearly 25 global industrial companies that include General Electric, United Technologies, Honeywell, ABB and Emerson, with combined revenue of perhaps $500 billion.

MARKET UPDATE | 2013-04-01

As Risk Recedes, Market Rises

The S&P 500 has rallied six percent since our last review...here's analyst Brian Langenberg's take on what's next for the industrial economy.

MARKET UPDATE | 2013-02-01

Kicking the Can - Into February

Washington political dysfunction is not as bad as we feared. It is worse.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2012-12-01

All About the Cliff

Brian K. Langenberg explains what's likely to happen in the economy over the coming months.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2012-10-01

Better Long than Short

The glass is at least half-full—and there is no hole in the glass. While fiscal cliff disaster is a possibility, we’re thinking more fiscal pothole.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2012-08-01

Industrial Reality Check for Chicken Little: The Sky is NOT Falling

Columnist Brian K. Langenberg surveys the industrial economic landscape to let you know what is up, what is down, and what is coming next.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2012-06-01

Economy Continues - Generally - to Improve

Our April 2012 launch of this column highlighted several key themes; we will re-state each and highlight developments, relying on our monitoring of 75 key global industrial companies and ongoing fieldwork.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2012-04-01

Structural Change and Growth - Coming to an Economy Near You

Welcome to the first installment of Market Update - a by-the-numbers, in-the-now snapshot of industrial markets worldwide, along with some prognostication to assist in planning your next moves - when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, etc. Look for Market Update in future issues.

FEATURE ARTICLES | 2008-08-01

Is Maintenance Included in Your Strategic Plan

Few would now argue that what some may have perceived just a few years ago as “Chicken Little” stories regarding the depletion of this country’s skilled manufacturing workforce are now in fact firmly based in stark reality.