MPMA and National Laboratory of the Rockies Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance Gear and Bearing Standards

The Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA) and the Alliance for Innovative Energy, LLC, managing and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize their collaboration on advancing standards for gear and bearing design and manufacturing.

The agreement establishes a framework for coordination between the two organizations, leveraging their complementary strengths to serve mutual interests across multiple industries. Under the MOU, NLR will participate on MPMA technical committees and gain access to member benefits including standards resources, discounted educational programming, and networking opportunities. In turn, MPMA and its members will benefit from NLR's non-proprietary research input and technical expertise shared through participation in alliance events.

The collaboration focuses on validating standards for gear and bearing design and manufacturing—components critical to a wide range of applications. While historically driven by advancements in renewable power generation technologies, the impact of this work extends to fossil power generation, transportation, manufacturing, mining, construction, and agriculture.

"Having an agreement with NLR strengthens a long-standing relationship between AGMA and ABMA standards and the laboratory," said Todd Praneis, Vice President of Technical for MPMA. "Their ability to produce relevant industry data and expertise that can be shared with our technical members is invaluable. This partnership helps bolster U.S. wind turbine standards and drives American content at the international level."

“Integrating the knowledge from our basic and collaborative research has provided benefits to the electricity industry and ratepayers,” said Jonathan Keller, a researcher at NLR. “We look forward to continuing this partnership and expanding into other motion and power industries in the future.”

The MOU reflects both organizations' commitment  to advancing the gear and bearing industry through coordinated research,  standards development, and knowledge sharing.