Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance and National Laboratory of the Rockies sign MOU to advance gear and bearing standards!

The Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA) and the Alliance for Innovative Energy, LLC, the managing and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen collaboration on the development and validation of standards for gear and bearing design and manufacturing.

The agreement establishes a structured framework for cooperation between the two organizations, enabling them to combine their technical capabilities and industry networks to support innovation and standardization across multiple industrial sectors. Through the partnership, NLR will participate in MPMA’s technical committees and gain access to member resources, including standards documentation, educational programs and professional networking opportunities.

In return, MPMA and its members will benefit from NLR’s non-proprietary research insights and technical expertise. The laboratory’s participation in alliance events and technical discussions will help bring scientific data and research-driven perspectives into the standards development process.

The collaboration focuses primarily on validating and improving standards for gears and bearings—two fundamental components widely used across industrial systems. These components play a critical role in applications ranging from renewable energy systems and power generation equipment to transportation, heavy machinery and manufacturing operations. Ensuring robust standards for their design and production helps improve reliability, efficiency and long-term performance in these sectors.

Historically, much of the standards development work in this field has been influenced by advancements in renewable energy technologies, particularly wind power generation. However, the implications of this research extend well beyond renewable energy, impacting industries such as fossil fuel power generation, transportation, mining, construction and agriculture.

According to Todd Praneis, Vice President of Technical for MPMA, the agreement strengthens a long-standing relationship between the standards bodies associated with MPMA and the National Laboratory of the Rockies. He emphasized that the laboratory’s ability to generate relevant industry data and technical insights is highly valuable to MPMA’s member companies and technical committees. The collaboration is also expected to support the continued development of U.S. wind turbine standards and promote American content in international standards frameworks.

Jonathan Keller, a researcher at NLR, highlighted that the integration of knowledge generated through both basic and collaborative research programs has already delivered measurable benefits to the electricity sector. He noted that the expanded partnership creates opportunities to extend these benefits into additional motion and power industries in the future.

Overall, the memorandum of understanding reflects a shared commitment to advancing the gear and bearing industry through coordinated research, technical collaboration and knowledge sharing. By combining industry expertise with research-driven insights, the partnership aims to support stronger standards, improved product reliability and continued technological progress across critical industrial sectors.