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Ideas in Motion

The Mechanics of Motion: What Bike Gearing Teaches Us About Engineering

Jun 1, 2026 6:00:00 AM / by posted in technology, Engineers, Gears, Manufacturing, mechanical components, Mechanical Design, Productivity, Problem-solving, artifical intelligence, creative, Creativity, Innovation, Future, Drive Systems, Engineering

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 As the days get longer and the weather warms up, it’s almost summer, prime time to dust off your bike and get it ready for the season. Before heading out, it’s worth taking a closer look at one of the most important systems on your bike: the gearing. Understanding how gearing works, and how it connects to your sprockets, can make every ride smoother, more efficient, and far more enjoyable. It also offers a useful window into the same precision engineering principles used in industrial applications, such as those developed by SDP/SI.

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The Unsung Heroes of Industrial Automation

Feb 2, 2026 7:00:04 AM / by posted in technology, 3D Engineering, Engineers, Gears, Robotics, Manufacturing, Medical Technology, Pulleys, Belts, mechanical components, Mechanical Design, Productivity, Problem-solving, Innovation, Future, Drive Systems, Engineering

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Industrial automation has reshaped modern manufacturing by improving efficiency, consistency, and scalability. While robotics, software, and control systems receive most of the attention, automation ultimately depends on small mechanical components that enable reliable physical performance.

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The Power of Gears: From Everyday Life to Industrial Machinery

Apr 22, 2024 3:04:41 PM / by posted in Engineers, Gears, Manufacturing, Medical Technology, mechanical components, Innovation

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Where do we find gears? Better yet, where don’t we find gears? Chances are any machine with a moving part will probably have a gear.

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Gears 101: The Fascinating Evolution of the Gear for “Gearheads”

Jan 21, 2019 4:21:21 PM / by posted in Engineers, Gears, History

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A natural refinement to the invention of the wheel, gears were thought to have been invented by the Greeks. Philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, wrote about a rotating wheel that turned another wheel in the opposite direction in the fourth century B.C.E. By the third century B.C.E., water wheels and clocks were common on the Greek peninsula. Yet, the first specific mention of gears in Greek writings occurred around 50 C.E. by Heron of Alexandria, a mathematician and inventor. Heron is most renowned for Metrica, a three-volume compendium of observations of the mathematics and engineering of Babylonia, ancient Egypt, and the Greco-Roman world.

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