Online Video Courses

Gear Failure Analysis, Detailed Gear Design, and Gearbox CSI: Gears Only are intended to provide an experience that closely resembles the courses that are offered in the Face-to-Face format. You will have 60 days to complete the course, pass the course assessment, and receive your certificate.

  • Gear Failure Analysis Online Video Course 2.0

    In the Gear Failure Analysis online video training, you will examine the various types of gear failure, such as overload, bending fatigue, Hertzian fatigue, wear, scuffing and cracking. Possible causes of these failures will be presented, along with some suggested ways to avoid them.

    Taught by Lance Brown, MPMA Senior Technical Instructor, our Gear Failure Analysis course came from Robert Errichello, P.E., of GEARTECH, expert gear failure analyst. Students get the experience of the course through segments consisting of a total of 9.5 hours of in-depth discussion of gear failure modes and supporting training documents. Gear Failure Analysis teaches students the causes of gear failure and how to prevent it from occurring. Avoiding gear failure can save thousands of dollars in repair costs!

    In MPMAs Gear Failure Analysis online video training, you will examine the various types of gear failure, such as overload, bending fatigue, Hertzian fatigue, wear, scuffing and cracking. Possible causes of these failures will be presented, along with some suggested ways to avoid them. The video presents a vast amount of knowledge not available elsewhere and is presented in a clear, well organized and easily understood manner.

    Upon completion, you will earn 10 Clock Hours

  • Design Basics for Spur and Helical Gears - July 13, 2026

    Learn how to develop and understand customer gear drive application specifications and target performance expectations. Review, calculate and select basic gear terminology variables and design parameters which define tooth bending and contact rating safety factors on two real-life examples. Learn how to optimize gear fatigue Safety Factors for a given target design life and fit new gear designs and ratios into existing center distance using profile shift. Use commercially available software to develop gear geometry factors, calculate and optimize gear set power density and performance. Review common gear failure modes if the design or final accuracy does not meet application requirements. Discuss time and cost of more than 20 other gear drive component functions and drive development steps through prototypes to shipment of compliant assembled production drives. There will be an opportunity to discuss gear design challenges which may be unique to participant industries.

    Course Rationale/Students Course Designed to Serve: 

    This course would be of interest to high level gear grind operators, inspectors and quality assurance people who need to better understand why and how gear designs are optimized and how to interpret non-standard gear geometry.  They can also gain insight on how improper finishing techniques can contribute to pre-mature gear failures.  Entry level gear designers, process and manufacturing engineers can develop a basic understanding of gear geometry terms and variables.  Gear manufacturing project managers can develop a better understanding of time required to design and optimize a gearset that is cost effective and meets or exceeds application expectations.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Discuss aspects of gear tooth fatigue loading and typical failure modes as a basis for gear designs which exceed target design fatigue life
    • Understand the various form of drive loads
      • Prime movers and suggested Safety Factors
      • Constant load applications
      • Variable load/duty cycle applications
    • Ability to start with customer supplied gear drive application specification and develop an optimized gear design which meets or exceeds application and performance requirements
    • Review gear geometry terminology and design optimization variables beyond information available in Machinery’s Handbook, apply optimization tools currently used in industry
      • Basic Normal Plane Geometry factors – NDP, NPA, Helix Angle, Tooth Size
      • Transverse Rolling Plane Performance variables – Profile Shift, Material, Heat Treatment, Accuracy, High Contact Ratio gear geometry and efficiency
      • Rating factors – Tooth Bending S. F., Tooth Contact S. F., Micro Pitting S. F.
      • Additional performance enhancing processes – shot peen, isotropic finishing
    • Calculate contact and bending Safety Factors as (Material and Design allowable loads) divided by (application loads) for a target design life.
    • Learn how to fit a new gear ratio into existing housing and center distance
    • This course is focused on gear design, but reviews functionality of over 20 related drive components and design related processes
    • Apply design tools and gear performance enhancements to optimize
      • Rating
      • Operating noise level
      • Efficiency
      • Gear mesh contact
      • Lubrication
    • Discuss gear drive design process steps, time, and costs from receipt of customer application specifications through design, prototype development/testing to manufacturing and shipping production units which meet or exceed customer expectations
    • Work through two real life examples developing optimized spur and helical gearsets which exceed customer application specifications


    8 clock hours awarded upon completion

  • Involute Spline Design and Rating - July 14-15, 2026

    This course will address both geometry and rating of involute splines of various types. The types of spline joints and their applications will be discussed. Spline configuration variations, including half depth, full depth, and special function designs, will be addressed. Both fixed and flexible spline configurations will be examined in terms of usage and design. Lubrication methods, including grease, oil bath, and flowing oil, as well as coatings appropriate for various spline applications, are examined. Shear and compressive stress rating methods are discussed with analyses methodology presented in both equation and graphical methodology via various rating charts.

    Course Rationale/Students Course Designed to Serve: Gearbox design engineers who utilize splines to transmit power between various elements within the gear system and to connect the gearbox to both input and output devices.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Explain involute splines and the various types
    • Compare and contrast spline configuration variations
    • Apply various lubrication methods to splines and spline applications
    • Apply rating methods and analyze methodology

    8 clock hours awarded upon completion