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Technical Activities

1.  How do you join a technical committee?
AGMA welcomes members to participate in any of the Association's technical activities.  To join a committee as a "participating member," the interested person must send a formal request to the AGMA Technical Department, and upon attending at least two meetings can be recognized by the committee chairman as a "participating member." 

2.  How can I get technical help in finding, or understanding an AGMA standard?
To find an applicable standard, one can review the Publications Catalog on this website, e-mail tech@agma.org, or call 703-684-0211.  However, AGMA staff cannot give technical advice or assistance in application engineering.  Users who have questions about the standards proper meaning may submit a request for a formal "interpretation.”  The request should go to the Technical Division who will coordinate the developing committee's response.  Also, AGMA does have independent consultants as members; these individuals offer services that include the application of AGMA standards. 

3.  How do I purchase a standard?
AGMA and relevant ISO technical standards may be purchased in one of three ways: directly from AGMA's Online Store, from our technical distributor, IHS/Global Engineering (800-854-7179), or from the Electronic Standards Store of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

4.  What is an ISO standard?
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the coordinating body for the creation of international standards.  ISO's scope includes the development of technical equipment standards, such as those for gearing and mechanical power transmission equipment.  AGMA is the Secretariat for ISO's Technical Committee 60, Gears, which coordinates all ISO Standards development for the gear industry.

5.  What is the AGMA Fall Technical Meeting (FTM)?
The Fall Technical Meeting is AGMA's annual technical conference (congress) focused primarily on the latest technical developments in design, manufacturing and application experience for gears and mechanical power transmission systems.

6.  How are papers selected for the FTM?
The call for papers is circulated in the Fall of the year preceding the year of the conference. Submitted abstracts are required before the middle of January for review. Papers should represent original, unpublished, or advanced work that will be reviewed prior to acceptance. For more information, please contact AGMA's Technical Division.

7.  What standard lists the tolerance for gears?
There are three primary AGMA standards that have tolerance grading classifications; for spur and helical gears see ANSI/AGMA 2000-A88, for bevel gears see ANSI/AGMA 2009-A98, and for cylindrical worm gears see ANSI/AGMA 2011-A98.  In addition, for spur and helical gears, ISO 1328-1 or ISO 1328-2, could be applied.

8.  Is there a cross-reference between ISO, DIN or JIS tolerances and AGMA tolerances?
There is no direct conversion from the ISO, DIN, or JIS tolerance systems to the AGMA tolerance systems.  It is recommended that the applicable ISO, DIN, or JIS and the AGMA standard is obtained to perform a specific comparison for a given design and size.  It is also recommended that specifications between the customer and manufacturer only use one system to designate a tolerance grade.  AGMA Gear Rating Software is available to compare ISO and AGMA tolerances for certain applications. 

9.  How can I find a manufacturer for a particular type of gear?
AGMA website's Product Search is an excellent source to find an AGMA member company to match your gearing requirements.

10.  Does AGMA know of any consultants who can help me?
AGMA has a list of individuals that are Independent Consultants.  These AGMA Members are engineers who have formed a sole proprietorship and offer their services and expertise to the gear industry.  Please note that this AGMA listing does not certify or endorse any individual or company's ability, or expertise. 

11.  How can I find information about (or purchase) AGMA lubricants?
AGMA lubricant specifications can be found in the standard ANSI/AGMA 9005-E02.  It gives the requirements for various gear lubricants.  AGMA does not produce or distribute lubricants.  Most gear lubricant suppliers are familiar with and have products that will conform to the specifications of ANSI/AGMA 9005-E02.  You can find AGMA members who supply lubricants through our Product Search.

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