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This section provides an overview for gear cutting as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 42 gear cutting companies and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked gear cutting companies as of January, 2025: 1.LMT TOOLS, 2.Metalmite Corporation, 3.Dayton Gear & Tool.
Table of Contents
Gear cutting is a machining process that shapes the teeth of a gear. It typically involves a rotating blade moving up and down on a fixed workpiece. This process is done using a gear-cutting machine, often referred to as a hobbing machine.
High precision in gear cutting is crucial to prevent excessive load and potential damage during gear meshing.
Gear cutting is essential for manufacturing various gear types, such as spur gears, bevel gears, and helical gears. The specific shape of the gear teeth is tailored to the machine's requirements. Gears produced are integral in diverse fields, including automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, agriculture, and precision instruments like watches.
Gear cutting techniques can be categorized into two main methods.
This method gradually shapes the entire gear, offering efficient, uniform precision, making it ideal for mass production. Although it requires specialized machinery, resulting in higher initial costs, it achieves high precision across the entire gear. The hobbing process is an example of this method.
This method forms each gear tooth individually. It requires precise part positioning, affecting the overall machining accuracy. While less efficient than the generating method, it has the advantage of lower equipment and production costs, as it can be done using general-purpose NC machine tools. Milling machines are commonly used in this method.
Choosing the right gear cutting technique depends on a balance between accuracy and cost, tailored to the gear's intended application.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Wire Specialists, Inc., founded in the United States in 1990, is a manufacturer of wire EDM cutting, EDM hole drilling, CNC machining, and grinding to the tool and die industry. The company offers EDM hole drilling services that deliver high-precision holes with excellent surface finish, even in challenging materials such as hardened steels and CNC machining capabilities for producing parts with accuracy and consistency. It also provides grinding services that meet tight tolerances for critical tool and die components.
Metalmite Corporation, founded in 1968 with headquarters in Rochester, Michigan, USA, is a custom manufacturer of prototype and production parts. The company's product portfolio includes aluminum brackets for military use, carbide, high-speed steel, and stainless steel ballnut and ball screw parts, and ABS plastic armrest parts for vehicle seating. Its capabilities include welding, sheet metal bending, gear cutting, sawing, and wire electrical discharge machining. The company serves various industries, including aerospace, defense, automotive, transportation, and construction.
Dayton Gear, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, is a manufacturer specializing in gears, pinions, and related products. Their diverse product range includes spur gears, helical gears, bevel gears, worm gears, racks, as well as pinions, gear housings, gear couplings, and gear reducers. Dayton Gear produces custom-designs gears to meet specific customer requirements, and cater to various industries, including automotive, aerospace, industrial, and agricultural. Their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility equipped with modern CNC machines allows them to offer additional services like gear repair, rebuilding, and inspection.
Butler Gear Enterprises (BGE) is a Wisconsin-based gear manufacturer and service company established in 1960. They manufacture custom gear and transmission products from various materials, including metals and non-metals, to plastic and carbon steel. Butler’s extensive gear catalogue includes spur, helical, to worm gear sets featuring British Standard metric, straight and stub gear tooth forms. Their market includes small-scale shops to large oil, auto, military, drilling, aerospace, government and food service companies. As a service provider, Butler Gear offers gear drawings, coatings & plating and engineering services.
United Gear & Assembly, Inc., established in 1980, is a supplier of precision gears, shafts, and related assemblies for engines, powertrain systems, and pumps in the construction, mining, agriculture, automotive, and defense industries. The Hudson, WI-based company includes engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, and heat-treating capabilities, as well as ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949 registration. The company has a global supply network and an international customer base, and it is a member of the American Gear Manufacturers Association and the Automotive Industry Group.
Industrial Sales and Manufacturing, Inc. (ISM), founded in 1963 and headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania, is a contract manufacturer of component parts for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The company offers an extensive range of services including machining, fabrication, assembly, testing, and finishing. Among its offerings, ISM laser cuts various products in quantities both large and small, including lottery scratchers, keychains, bottle openers, and ornaments. Moreover, its bearing caps undergo CNC precision machining in machined cast iron, as well as standard ball and roller bearing caps. The company also accommodates custom orders in steel, plastic, aluminum, or stainless steel.
GK& Machine Company, established in Commerce City, Colorado, in 1961, is a gear manufacturer for the machining industry. The company began as an industrial repair shop for the mining industry and now offers gear manufacturing and computer-controlled equipment catering to a diverse range of industries, from heavy industrial applications to aerospace. Operating from a 12500 sq foot facility, the company’s core competencies include repairing and reverse engineering outdated or unsupported parts, rebuilding gearboxes, gear trains, and open gearing systems, and facilitating short-run production of new parts, typically in quantities under 500.
Trace-A-Matic, established in 1968, is a manufacturer and supplier of precision CNC machine parts, located in Brookfield, Wisconsin. They perform precision CNC machining services, including raw material procurement, product design for manufacturability, cell program configuration, large-part machining, and metal fabrication. Additionally, they provide turnkey manufacturing processes and real-time inventory management to ensure efficient operations. The company machines a wide range of metals, including iron, stainless steel, various non-ferrous metals, standard alloys, and super exotics, utilizing multi-axis CNC machines. Trace-A-Matic is certified with ISO 9001, AS 9100, API, and ITAR registrations, serving aerospace, defense, oil and gas, and military industries.
Gear Motions is a custom gear manufacturer for global OEMs. Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Syracuse, New York, with additional locations in Buffalo and Oliver Springs, Gear Motions has grown significantly since its founding. Initially a ten-man company serving primarily in the New England Area, they have since expanded through acquisitions of companies such as Nixon Gear, Gear Supply and Broaching, and Pro-Gear Co Inc. The company provides custom gear solutions for various custom and precision applications, offering products such as ground helical gears, spur gears, pump gears, timing pulleys, shafts and splines.
STD Precision Gear & Instrument, Inc., since 1986, is a manufacturer of high precision, tight tolerance, configured gears, splines and other mechanical transfer components such as pulleys and sprockets, ratchets, universal joints, cranks and jackscrews used in aerospace, medical, commercial, and military industries. The company in West Bridgewater, MA, has capabilities such as CNC turning & milling, surface & cylindrical grinding, isotropic superfinishing, heat treating, and tool making. The company’s products qualified for applications such as NASA’S Space Station and Hubble Telescope and are certified by ISO 9001 and AS 9100 and Nadcap accredited.
Mallory Industries, founded in 1956 and based in Farmington, CT, U.S., is a manufacturer of precision components and assemblies for the aerospace, energy, and commercial markets. The company provides machining of aluminum, titanium, high-temperature alloys, and stainless steel with an emphasis on 2D & 3D cams for aerospace and commercial applications. They offer adapters, housings, sleeves, and rings along with valves, flanges, pistons, shafts, and actuators. They deliver services including multi-axis turning, CNC vertical milling, CNC turning, wire electrical discharge machining, and gearing that find uses in the military, automobile, aerospace, and oil & gas industries.
P.Q.D. International, Inc. founded in 1984 in Dallas, Texas, is a manufacturer of all types of metal products used in CNC tube & pipe bending, and powder coating. The company's product portfolio includes casting foundries, secondary operations from precision machining, assembly, finishing, and packaging and CNC tube and Custom Fabrications. Their products are used in industries such as Electronics and Telecommunications, Automotive, Transportation and aerospace and Defense. The company also offers customer services that include support, custom research projects and customized services.
Circle Gear & Machine Co., Inc., established in 1951 and based in Illinois, USA, is a manufacturer of gears and gearboxes. The company manufactures a range of gears including bevel, helical and worm gear for automotive, construction, chemical and other industries. It provides reverse engineering for gear and gear boxes, from worn samples, prints or sketches, along with rebuild, repair and emergency services. The company has a quality management system in compliance with ISO 9001:2015, and has a complete inspection lab with CMM(Coordinate Measuring Machine).
Atlanta Gear Works, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Dawsonville, Georgia, is a designer and manufacturer of power-transmission solutions. The company offers a diverse range of products, including gearboxes, gears, transfer cases, and speecons. These products are essential components in applications ranging from industrial machinery and agriculture equipment to automotive systems, energy generation, mining, and more. The company’s products are used to efficiently transmit power and motion, ensuring the operation of machinery and systems in numerous sectors, making them a provider in the field of power transmission.
Omni Gear & Machine Corp, since 1988, has been a manufacturer of precision-machined custom gears such as spurs, helical, clusters, worms, and sprockets out of materials such as brass, plastic, bronze, alloys, and fiber. The products have applications in graphical arts, food equipment, corrugated box and bag manufacturing, material handling, and custom machines. The Joliet, IL-based company offers customized gear fabrication, machining, shaping, gear grinding, and frequent product inspection during and after production.
CERATIZIT USA, Inc., founded in 1921 and headquartered in Mamer, Luxembourg, is a manufacturer of specialized cutting tools, indexable inserts, hard material rods, and wear parts. The company offers cutting tool solutions, including turning, drilling, milling, parting, clamping applications, and more. It also provides robust hard material solutions, including dies and punches for metal forming, drill tips, rotary cutter blanks, anvils, and others. These precision-crafted products find application across various industries, including tool manufacturing, steel and metal processing, construction, automotive, oil and gas, and more.
Marples Gears Inc., established in 1942 and based in San Gabriel, California, USA, is a manufacturer and supplier of high-precision fine-pitch gears. The company's product range includes spur gears, helical gears, worm gears, planetary gears, and internal gears. These gears are utilized in various applications to ensure accurate transmission of power and motion, particularly in sectors like aerospace, defense, optical, and medical. Alongside its primary manufacturing capabilities, the company provides additional services such as CNC turning and milling, grinding, honing, and specialized gear cutting techniques.
Croix Gear & Machining, founded in 1966, is a manufacturer and supplier specializing in precision machining and gear manufacturing. Headquartered in Wisconsin, United States, the company offers a wide range of products and services, including precision gear manufacturing, CNC machining, and custom component production. It caters to various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and medical devices, which utilize its expertise in precision machining and gear production to ensure the performance and functionality of components and processes.
Marich Machine & Tool Company, established in 1982 and based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, is a manufacturer and supplier of custom machined components. The company's product range includes CNC milling, CNC turning, broaching, boring, and drilling. These tools and processes are used to produce custom components for machinery. These products serve industries like Heavy Construction Equipment, Plastic Injection Molding Equipment, Heavy Machine Tools, and Tunnel Boring Machines. The company offers services such as Grinding, Heat Treat, Gear Cutting, and EDM.
Star SU, LLC was established in 1927 and is based in Chicago as a manufacturer of cutting tools and supplier of tool services. The company offers gear-cutting machine tools that have patent designs exclusive to them. Their selection of machines for this purpose includes Vertical Hobbing, Chamfer/Deburring, and Scudding Machines. The cutting tool category includes Gundrills, Carbide drills and Reamers, and PCD tools and the tool management services provided by the company cover all procedures required for tool resharpening and reconditioning. The industries served by Star SU LLC. include automotive, mining, oil & gas, aerospace, and many.
Metro Sprocket & Gear, Inc. was established in 1985 and headquartered in Midlothian, Texas. The company manufactures custom gears, sprockets, and prototype parts used in agricultural machinery, construction equipment, power transmission equipment, machine tools, and other applications. The company’s product segments include splines and custom, helical, plastic, and worm gears. The company’s custom servicing options include several CNC and milling. Heat treating, milling, surface grinding, and other alteration options are also available.
Columbia Gear is an integrated supplier of custom gearing and power transmission products, founded in 1949, and located in Avon, Minnesota, USA. Its comprehensive services encompass design, manufacturing, assembly, and final inspection. It offers a range of products, including internal and external precision spur and helical gears, splined gears and shafts, complete gearbox assemblies, and related mechanical transmission components. The company's capabilities span precision machining, multi-axis machining, conventional machining, and broaching.
Matrix Machine Tool Ltd. (MMT) is a British manufacturer of metal work machines that was originally established as Walter Tatlow in 1913 before rebranding in 2004. Based in Coventry, the company offers various machine tools for metal fabrication operations including gear or thread grinding, cutting, and hob sharpening. Its products primarily serve clients in the aerospace, automotive, defense, and medical equipment sectors. Aside from its products, MMT provides a wide range of additional services including contract manufacturing, product installation, spare parts, and retrofitting.
Matex Co., Ltd., established in 1921 and headquartered in Yao City, Osaka, Japan, is a manufacturer of precision engineering solutions. The company offers planetary gear reducers, electric actuators, injection molding products, plastic injection molding, and precision metal processing. These products cater to a multiple industries, such as robotics, automotive, and industrial machinery, and are used in applications ranging from home appliances to industrial facilities. It upholds rigorous quality standards, which are underscored by its possession of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications.
Toyo Advanced Technologies Co., Ltd., established in 1950, is a Japanese manufacturer and supplier headquartered in Minami-ku, Hiroshima, specializing in machinery and hard coating solutions. The company offers various computerized numerical control (CNC) internal and external grinding machines as well as gear and multi-profile grinding machines. Additionally, it provides CNC honing machines, cylinder block bore finishers, multi-wire saws for power semiconductors, and scroll cutting machines. These machines find applications in various industries, including automobile, bearing, and electric household appliance. The company also offers hard coating solutions such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), and diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings.
Nidec Corporation was founded in Kyoto, Japan in 1973 and is a conglomerate with over 200 subsidiaries. Primary products are hard-disk drive motors and automotive parts, and specializes motors ranging from miniature to gigantic. Nidec’s products are used in robotics, automotive, home appliances, agriculturel equipments well as molding, cutting, and machining equipment and sensors.
OC Oerlikon Corporation AG is a global innovation powerhouse for surface engineering, polymer processing and additive manufacturing. Our solutions and comprehensive services, together with our advanced materials, improve and maximize the performance, function, design and sustainability of our customers’ and their customers’ products and manufacturing processes in key industries. With a global footprint of more than 13 000 employees at 205 locations in 37 countries, the Group generated sales of CHF 2.9 billion in 2022 and stay committed to industrial transformation for a sustainable future.
Paul Horn GmbH - HORN has been a manufacturer of grooving tools and precision grooving technology since 1969, headquartered in Luxembourg, Europe. The company deals in cutting tools for milling processes, turning operations, broaching, gear cutting, and more, and also offers tooling systems, modular and quick-change tool holders, and custom solutions for applications that require precision cutting. For example, one of the products known as Supermini is designed for machining complex contours with small diameters and for various other applications in the automotive, chemicals, aerospace, medical, and tool and mold-making industries.
Okuma Corporation is a Japanese machine tool manufacturer that was founded in 1898 as the Okuma Noodle Machine Company before rebranding in 1918. Based in Oguchi, Aichi Prefecture, the company produces a wide selection of machines including CNC lathes, multi-axis machining centers, grinders, and multitasking machines. It also offers software and automation solutions that can be customized to improve the performance and functionality of its products. Okuma Corp. maintains a global support network via 28 subsidiaries located throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific regions.
NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP. is a Japanese manufacturer of industrial machinery and tools, such as bearings, hydraulic equipment, robots, and cutting tools. They also provide services such as machine maintenance and repair. The company's products are used in automotive, aerospace, construction, and electronics. One of NACHI-FUJIKOSHI's renowned products is their robotic arm, the "MZR series," which is designed for precision assembly and inspection tasks in industries. They received several awards for their technological advancements and contributions to the industry, including the 2021 Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Medal for new hydraulic equipment technology and the 2020 Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Grand Technology Award.
The NSH Group (NILES-SIMMONS-HEGENSCHEIDT GmbH) is a manufacturer of machine tools since 1833 and is headquartered in Germany. The company provides stand-alone machines with machining centers, lathes, milling centers, grinding and rolling machines along with customized loading and automation systems with gantry loading, workpiece handling, plant interlinking, and robot loading. Turnkey cells and complete turnkey lines are also provided as solutions for various industrial applications like the railways and automotive sectors.
Primus Aerospace, established in 1989 and located in Colorado, is a manufacturer and supplier of complex machined components and assembly solutions for the aerospace and defense industries. They serve customers worldwide with build-to-print manufacturing and integration services, including multi-axis machining, assembly, and 3D printing. The company's product portfolio encompasses aerostructures components, including doors, hatches, rings, and ribs made from aircraft-grade aluminum, along with military products like manifolds, struts, rods, and valves.
McDaniel Machine, LLC, founded in 1994 and located in Florence, Alabama, United States, is a manufacturer of industrial machine parts. The company is an expert in metal tool fabrication & precision maintenance and specializes in conventional & CNC machining, surface grinding, hydraulic press, gear, and spine cutting. It also produces custom products like gearboxes, pumps, cylinders and bearing fits. The company's in-house team employs the latest technology, including CAD and CAM software, to ensure precision and accuracy in production.
Jrlon, Inc., established in Palmyra, NY in 1980 is a manufacturer of plastic and specialty metal products that are used for molding, CNC machining, technical industrial coatings and welding. Their product portfolio includes Roller Manufacturing, Plastic Compression Molding, Rubber Compression Molding, Industrial Coatings, and, Gear Manufacturing. The company's products are used in industries including, Industrial Machinery, Robotics and Automation, Research and Development, and Consumer Electronics. The company uses recycled metal turnings, shavings and scrap solids.
American Gear, Inc., since 1990, has been a manufacturer of fine and medium pitch gears and accessories such as worms, timing pulleys, involute splines, segments, and ratchets. The gear types are spur, helical, straight bevel, and miniature gears serving the aviation, commercial, film, office, and hobbyist industries. The company Prophetstown, IL, offers machining services such as CNC milling & turning, screw machining, heat hobbing & shaping, heat resting, and finishing services. The company produces products with ISO 9000 standards and is an American Gear Manufacturers Association member.
LMT Tools has been a manufacturer of precision tools since 1908 and is headquartered in Germany. The company specializes in the development and production of precision tools for various industries such as milling and threading tools for different materials, rolling systems, gear cutting tools such as hobs, shaper cutters, shaving cutters, and skiving tools. It also offers high-precision reaming tools with shrink-fit systems, tool holders, and more to serve the automotive, aerospace, medical, and general engineering sectors.
Rapid Gear, established in 1976 and based in Kitchener, ON, Canada, is a manufacturer and supplier of individual gears, and special-purpose machinery. The company's product range includes individual gears, gearboxes, special-purpose machinery, direct access systems, and design manufacturing facilities. These products are utilized in operations requiring motion transmission and machinery function optimization. They primarily serve industries such as aggregate and cement, heavy industry, marine, and military. The company's services comprise gear cutting, reverse engineering & design, machine capabilities, and membership in key industry associations.
Hubei Shengling Technology Co., Ltd., established in 2014 and based in Laohekou City, Xiangyang, China, is a manufacturer and supplier of medical intermediates, pesticide intermediates, and fine chemicals. The company's product range includes acrolein, glutaraldehyde, vinyl ether, ligustral, and lyral. These products are used in the medical and agricultural sectors. They primarily serve industries such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, high polymer materials, and fine chemical production. The company introduces new techniques and materials, collaborates with universities like Tsinghua University, invests heavily in equipment purchasing, and seeks to expand its industrial chain.
Firstar Precision Corporation, established in 2000 and based in Brunswick, Ohio, USA, is an ISO 9001:2008 w/o design certified manufacturer and supplier of precision components. The company's product range includes precision valve bodies, manifolds, connection blocks, cams, and sleeve assemblies. These products are utilized for controlling fluid flow, enabling precise movements, and ensuring accurate connections in various systems. It serves the hydraulic machinery, aerospace, air power systems, and manufacturing sectors. The company offers services such as machining, inventory management, end-to-end manufacturing, and project management.
Gleason Corporation, founded in 1865, is a full service supplier of machine engineering, tool manufacture and workholding systems, based in the United States. The company has evolved into the largest gear systems provider worldwide. It is a forerunner in the development and manufacture of production systems for all types of gears including design software for gears and power transmission systems, gear production machinery, metrology systems, automation solutions, related equipment and plastic gears. From power tools and medical applications, car and truck transmissions, windpower turbines, to the largest gears for mining machinery, it has a solution that fits your requirement.
Ranking as of January 2025
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LMT TOOLS |
4.9%
|
| 2 | Metalmite Corporation |
4.9%
|
| 3 | Dayton Gear & Tool |
4.9%
|
| 4 | Marples Gears, Inc. |
3.7%
|
| 5 | Industrial Sales & Manufacturing, Inc. |
3.7%
|
| 6 | STD Precision Gear & Instrument, Inc. |
3.7%
|
| 7 | Oerlikon |
3.7%
|
| 8 | Marich Machine & Tool Company |
3.1%
|
| 9 | CERATIZIT USA, Inc. |
3.1%
|
| 10 | G & K Machine Co. |
3.1%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the gear cutting page as of January 2025. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
United States of America
|
23 | 67.6% |
|
Japan
|
5 | 14.7% |
|
Germany
|
2 | 5.9% |
|
United Kingdom
|
1 | 2.9% |
|
Switzerland
|
1 | 2.9% |
|
Canada
|
1 | 2.9% |
|
China
|
1 | 2.9% |
