US gear manufacturing for robotics programs that require it
A US manufacturing requirement is a condition you set in the inquiry, required or preferred, and the Pico proposal answers it per part and per process step: where each step happens and whether the requirement is met.
Pico does not put a blanket "Made in USA" label on what it supplies. Custom gears, joint parts and subassemblies pass through several process steps, some of which may happen at outside suppliers, so origin is stated per step in each proposal. When you require US manufacturing, Pico can plan the whole route in the US: machining, gear cutting, heat treatment, finishing and assembly.
At a glance
| Option | What it means | What the proposal states |
|---|---|---|
| US manufacturing required | You need every step the requirement covers to happen in the US | Where each step happens, and whether the requirement is met |
| US manufacturing preferred | A US route first; alternatives may be considered | The US route if one is proposed, and any alternative |
| Other requirement | A named rule or country list, described in the sourcing details | How the route relates to that requirement |
| No requirement | Route chosen on technical fit, cost and timing | Where each step happens, as in every proposal |
What can US manufacturing mean for each process step?
A gear or gearbox is often not made in one place. Each process step can happen at a different shop, so a useful requirement says which steps it covers.
| Step | What happens | Note for the requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Bar, forging, plate or polymer resin is produced | Does material origin count, or only where it is processed? |
| Machining | Turning and milling of blanks, housings, shafts and adapters | Every part, or named parts |
| Gear cutting | Hobbing, shaping or skiving (internal ring gears are shaped, skived or broached), and grinding where the drawing calls for it | Grinding after heat treatment is its own step |
| Heat treatment | Through hardening, carburizing, nitriding or induction hardening | Often done by a specialist heat treater |
| Molding | Injection molding of polymer gears, alone or onto metal hubs | Applies to polymer and hybrid gears |
| Finishing | Anodizing (aluminum), plating, black oxide (steel) or passivation (stainless steel) | Often done by a specialist finisher |
| Assembly and inspection | Kitting, assembly and final checks | Can be required on its own |
How do we plan a US manufacturing route?
- In the inquiry, choose US required, US preferred, another requirement or none, and say in the sourcing details which parts and steps it covers.
- The engineering review plans the route per part and per process step, together with materials and inspection.
- Specialized processes such as gear cutting, heat treatment, molding and plating may come from outside suppliers, and they are planned against the requirement too.
- The proposal states, for each part and step, where it happens and whether the requirement is met, and names any step that does not meet it.
The same approach applies to custom planetary gearboxes, robot joint parts, and gearbox subassemblies and kits.
What does "Made in USA" mean for a gear or gearbox?
Under the US Federal Trade Commission standard, an unqualified "Made in USA" claim means the product is all or virtually all made in the US: final assembly or processing and all significant processing happen in the US, and all or virtually all of its parts and materials are made and sourced in the US, so it contains no, or only negligible, foreign content. A qualified claim, such as "Made in USA of US and imported parts", describes the extent of US content or processing, and it too must be truthful and substantiated.
Pico states country of origin per part and per step instead of applying a label. Whether a finished part qualifies for one is a decision for your own compliance review, made with those facts.
If your program follows a specific domestic-content or export-control rule, name it in the inquiry. The proposal states how the proposed route relates to it, step by step, without drawing legal conclusions. This site makes no general claim of registration or compliance under any such rule.
What are the trade-offs of a US-only route?
- Fewer sources for some steps. Some specialized processes, sizes or materials have a smaller pool of qualified suppliers inside the US.
- Purchased parts. Bearings, seals and fasteners have their own origin. Say whether your requirement covers them; the scope lists each one with its source.
- Cost and timing. Both are stated in the proposal for the route proposed. There are no figures here because they depend on the parts.
- Required or preferred. When the requirement is preferred, the proposal can show a US route and an alternative side by side, so the trade-off stays your decision.
Why do robotics teams specify US manufacturing?
- Supply-chain resilience: shorter shipping routes between a design change and new parts.
- Control of design data, when drawings and CAD should stay with suppliers in one jurisdiction.
- Overlapping working hours for engineering questions during prototype and pilot iterations.
- Customer, contract or funding requirements that call for a domestic source.
How do you add sourcing requirements to an inquiry?
Put the sourcing requirement next to the technical ones, so the route is planned against both from the start.
| Item | What to include |
|---|---|
| Application | What the part does in the robot |
| Requirements | Loads, motion, interfaces, environment |
| Design data | Sketch, CAD model, or drawings |
| Quantity | First build and expected annual volume |
| Timing | When the first parts are needed |
| Country of origin | No requirement, US required, US preferred, or another requirement, plus the parts, steps and any named rule it covers |
The inquiry form has a country-of-origin choice and a sourcing details field for this. Partial information is fine; we will ask for what is missing. For every component area in one place, see robot components from Pico.
Questions
Is everything you supply made in the US?
Not automatically. Some processes, such as gear cutting, heat treatment or molding, may come from outside suppliers, and purchased parts such as bearings have their own origin. When you mark US manufacturing as required, the proposal states where each step happens and whether the requirement is met.
Do you meet ITAR, Buy American or other sourcing and export-control rules?
Name the rule that applies to your program in the inquiry. Pico makes no claim of registration or compliance under any such rule, and the proposal does not replace your own compliance review. If your design data is export-controlled (for example ITAR technical data or EAR-controlled technology), or is controlled technical information under your contract, say so in the inquiry, but do not send it until we have confirmed in writing whether and how it can be handled.
Does US manufacturing cost more?
It can, depending on the parts and processes involved. Cost and timing for the proposed route are in the proposal. When your requirement is preferred rather than required, alternative routes can be compared there.
How is country of origin documented?
The scope lists each part and process step with where it is performed. Name any certificate or declaration you need for your own compliance in the inquiry so it can be considered in the scope.
Add your sourcing requirement
Mark US manufacturing as required or preferred, and say which parts and steps it covers. The proposal answers it step by step.
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