Emerging Technology

Emerging Technology Committee Work

The Emerging Technology Committee (ETC) goal is:

Identify, investigate and inform AGMA members of Emerging Technologies that may disrupt or significantly impact the power transmission industry.

AGMA has four Emerging Tech Committees:

  • Metal 3D Printing (that also looks at New Materials).
  • Electric Drive Technology.
  • Industrial IoT.
  • Robotics and Automation.

Scroll down for updates on each committee below.

Committee Participation

The AGMA Emerging Technology Committees are open to all employees of AGMA member companies. There are also seats on all of these committees for experts in each of the topics we cover. We encourage not only those that have expertise in these areas but also those who are just curious to learn more about these topics.

AGMA also invites individuals from outside AGMA to act as content specialists.

Please contact Mary Ellen Doran, Director, Emerging Technology at doran@agma.org for complete information.


3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing

Chair: Josh Hopkins, Star SU/Star Cutter

The AGMA 3D Printing Committee was established to watch this growing technology. We have a focus on metal 3D printing and printing gears. The committee also looks at other benefits of additive manufacturing for gear manufacturers.

2024 FOCUS: Materials in this space with an eye on anything happening in the cutting tools area.

All committee meetings take place online (Zoom). All times are Eastern.

  • February 1 โ€“ 2:00pm ET
    • Committee will meet to discuss activities in 2024 with a focus on choosing stops for RAPID tour, and a discussion of a special opportunity for a tour of Azoth in Michigan with a possible one-day conference tie-in.
  • March 21 โ€“ 2:00pm ET
  • May 24 โ€“ 2:00pm ET
  • September 5 โ€“ 2:00pm ET
2024 Live Events

AGMA Emerging Tech Curated 3D Printing Tour at RAPID
June 26 | Los Angeles, CA | $125

Want to learn more about 3D metal printing? Join us as we walk on the RAPID show floor and talk with those in the industry. This will be our third time providing a tour – specific for individuals in the gear industry.

AGMA is actively engaging with exhibitors to have 12-15 stops on our tour where you will learn about many different types of printers and materials currently in use in metal 3D printing. Exhibitors will speak directly to the gear industry audience with targeted information. SME is providing AGMA attendees with discounts on other parts of the show. Attendees will also get lunch during a post-tour debrief. There is a very limited number of slots available!

Want to learn more about this event? Email doran@agma.org


Electric Drive Technology

Chair: Scott Miller, Caterpillar

The EV Committee has had a lot to discuss in the past three years. We have seen enormous changes in the automobile industry with the pivot to electric vehicles. You can check out our 2021 white paper, A Gear-centric Snapshot of the EV Space, which is available for free in the AGMA store.

2024 FOCUS: There is still a lot of things that are up in the air with the build-out of electric vehicles. During our first committee meeting of the year, members will discuss possible presenters to bring to the committee in 2024 for presentations and updates on specific topics.

All committee meetings take place online (Zoom). All times are Eastern.

  • February 28 โ€“ 1:00pm ET
    • Committee discussion: white paper edits, upcoming steel panel discussion, follow-up on EV Town Hall, and members will have the opportunity to provide input for the direction of discussion this year. Who would you like to have present? What gear-centric topics are most important to your work?
  • April 18 โ€“ 1:00pm ET
  • June 27 โ€“ 1:00pm ET
  • September 26 โ€“ 1:00pm ET

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

Data is flowing so much faster and more than ever. Successful digital transformation requires more than a good strategy and adequate funding; it takes focus on process.

The AGMA IIoT Committee works to bring information to the gear industry on use cases for the successful implementation of IIoT. They are also working to bring information on cybersecurity, one of the most pressing topics in manufacturing today. Finally, the committee will work to bring members information on the new CMMC compliance for those who are working on defense or related contracts.

2024 FOCUS: Artificial Intelligence (AI) โ€“ We will be looking at the new AI applications in manufacturing. We are looking for guidance in how gear manufacturers can use this for customer service and ordering. We will continue to monitor the deeper uses of AI in digital twin technology and other software applications. And we will watch for signs of change in electric generation as all of this new technology will require lots of additional supply.

All committee meetings take place online (Zoom). All times are Eastern.

  • February 20 โ€“ 3:00pm ET
  • April 30 โ€“ 3:00pm ET
  • June 4 โ€“ 3:00pm ET
  • October 1 โ€“ 3:00pm ET
Past Webinars

Robotics & Automation

Big advancements in robots and automation are making implementation more affordable for low-volume, high changeover situations that are common in our industry.

The committee is specifically looking into three areas:

  • How can our members best use robotics and automation technology in their plants?
  • How are robots being used in new and different ways in manufacturing?
  • How are gears incorporated into the production of robotics?

2024 FOCUS: The robotics committee is watching the projections for the industry moving from 590,000 units delivered in 2023 to estimates in the tens of millions by the 2030s. How will we get there? What technologies will be utilized for new robotic applications? And how will this directly impact the gear industry? We hope to tackle these tough questions this year.

All committee meetings take place online (Zoom). All times are Eastern.

  • January 4
    • Committee members provided final edits for the committee white paper on backlash.
  • March 7 โ€“ 2:00pm ET
  • July 11 โ€“ 2:00pm ET
  • October 24 โ€“ 2:00pm ET
Past Webinars

Upcoming Webinars

AGMA Emerging Technology provides free, monthly webinars on burgeoning technologies with generous help from the AGMA Foundation and its donors. Join us on the first Wednesday of each month to see the webinars live.