This course is an introduction to the methodology of analytical gear inspection and the evaluation and interpretation of the resulting data. The application of this information to identify and correct manufacturing errors will begin to be explored. Additionally, it reviews chart interpretation and applies inspection data to understand the causes and cures of manufacturing errors. Many chart examples are used to understand cause and effect.

Giving Tuesday is a worldwide celebration of generosity. It is an opportunity for you to remember the organizations that touch various aspects of your life. Consider making a #GivingTuesday donation to the AGMA Foundation — to help us continue to support gearing for the future. In 2021, the Foundation rolled out 4 operator-level training courses for the gear industry, and provided $40,000 in scholarships specifically to students pursing work in our industry. Let’s see what we can do in 2022! 

Our executive event will be in person at the PGA National Resort & Spa Palm Beach Gardens March 31 – April 2, 2022. Sign up now to reserve your seat. Speakers include demographic and futurist experts, our friend Jim Meil and football legend, Joe Theismann. 

Reuters
Tesla is planning to spend more than $1 billion on its new vehicle factory in Austin, Texas, and plans to complete construction by the end of this year, public filings with a Texas state agency showed.

Reuters
Global shipping and supply chain bottlenecks are encouraging Canadian firms to bring production back home, but some companies would have to absorb higher costs and build expertise in certain sectors for local manufacturing to pick up pace.

Press release
Carmaker Stellantis has signed a preliminary deal with lithium developer Vulcan Energy Resources for the supply of climate-friendly lithium from Germany, the two companies said.

Today’s Motor Vehicles
Orders of new manufacturing technology totaled $590 million in September 2021, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report published by AMT. This was a 9% increase over August 2021 orders and nearly a 60% increase over September 2020. Year-to-date orders in 2021 totaled $4.115 billion, a 53% increase over the total through the first nine months of 2020.

Press release
Nissan Motor Co announced it will spend 2 trillion yen ($17.59 billion) over five years to accelerate vehicle electrification to catch up with competitors in one of the fast growth areas for car makers. This is the first time Japan’s No. 3 automaker, one of the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle makers with its Leaf model more than a decade ago, is unveiling a comprehensive electrification plan.

Deccan Herald
Hero MotoCorp-backed electric two-wheeler maker Ather Energy said it plans to set up a second manufacturing facility which, once commissioned in 2022, will expand its capacity to 400,000 vehicles per year from 120,000 units at present.

Splash 247
3D printing has moved one step closer to becoming a reality in the marine industry after successful onboard testing on an oil tanker.

Technode
Consumer electronics brand Xiaomi will set up an electric car manufacturing plant and establish its auto unit headquarters in the Beijing Economic and Technology Development Zone, according to a statement published by authorities in the capital. The factory will have a production capacity of 300,000 vehicles with mass production scheduled for 2024.

Reuters
Democratic Republic of Congo’s government said it would push to develop domestic battery manufacturing capacity to add value to its exports of minerals such as cobalt and copper.

Mining.com
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have come up with a new mechanism that overcomes next-gen lithium battery decay. In a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the team explains that in high-voltage lithium batteries using layered transition metal oxide cathodes, the chemical degradation of the electrolytes results in rapid decay of the batteries’ capacity, which poses substantial challenges to practical applications of these devices.

Gear Technology
Following the success of last year’s workshop, GWJ Technology again organized the three-day online workshop, “Gear Calculation, Design and Optimization – Student Calculation” for Formula student teams. The virtual workshop brought together about 60 participants from over 30 racing teams.

Modern Machine Shop
Larger parts require larger, heaver cutting tools. 3D printing enables Star SU Neher to produce lightweight large tool bodies and add features that improve tool life and performance.

New Atlas
Researchers at Carnegie Science have developed an ultrahard diamond glass. Made entirely of crushed “soccerballs” of carbon, the new material also has high thermal conductivity and could find use in electronics.

New Atlas
Zeva is deadly serious about bringing its tail-sitting eVTOL flying saucer to market as a one-person air taxi, and if you can get over the idea of soaring above the city head-first, face-down and Superman-style, it’s got some interesting advantages.

Yahoo! Finance
Cargotec and Konecranes note that the Competition & Market Authority of the United Kingdom has announced its provisional findings and published its notice of possible remedies regarding the planned merger of Cargotec and Konecranes. 

The Hechinger Report
Professional training programs have exploded over the last dozen years. By one count, there are now more than 500,000 of them, ranging from dental assistant certification programs at for-profit colleges to Microsoft certifications in cloud computing. These short courses last from as little as a few weeks to as long as a year and don’t confer a traditional college degree but, instead, end with a certificate.

Seeking Alpha
Bright Machines builds automated assembly lines and is set to go public next year via SPAC. CEO Amar Hanspal discusses improving manufacturing, COVID, supply chain shortages and tariff wars as accelerators.