Gear Material

Steels are divided into carbon steel and alloy steel. Carbon steel offers low cost and can be hardened. A major disadvantage is the lack of resistance to corrosion.

Alloy steel is elements like stainless steel, and elements other than carbon. They offer high strength and a wide range of heat treatment properties. They provide highest strength and durability. Stainless steel may be stainless steel (austenitic) that is non-magnetic and has good corrosion resistance; they may be of stainless steel (martensitic) that can be easily hardened by heat, is magnetic and have reasonable corrosion resistance. Stainless steel (aust) can be used where low power ratings are there and the other stainless steel is used where low to medium power ratings is there. Alloy steels are used in industrial field.

The gears made of cast iron have low cost of manufacture, are easy to machine with high damping. Cast iron has good machining characteristics like dry cutting, better dimensional stability, longer cutter life, and superb surface finish.

Early gears were made of wood with cylindrical pegs and were often lubricated with animal fat grease. Gears were used in wind and water wheel machinery for decreasing or increasing the provided rotational speed for application to pumps and other powered machines. With the onset of textile industry, the wooden gears were widely used to increase the rotational speed of water to a usable level.
Early gears were made of wood with cylindrical pegs and were often lubricated with animal fat grease. Gears were used in wind and water wheel machinery for decreasing or increasing the provided rotational speed for application to pumps and other powered machines. With the onset of textile industry, the wooden gears were widely used to increase the rotational speed of water to a usable level.

Powder metal makes excellent gears of high quality. It creates quiet, self-lubricating gears. They are many advantages in utilizing powder metal parts in any mechanical assembly. Very close tolerances and repeatability over millions of parts adds to the productivity of automated assembly. Excellent surface finishes create a high wear resistance part with longer life, adding value to the product.

Powder metal gears create stronger gears that accommodate greater loads. They tend to retain their dimension better as temperature and humidity changes. They are less expensive and can be designed with less effort.

Powder metal parts are widely used for magnetic devices. The most common materials used are silicon iron, phosphorous iron and high purity iron.

Copper is malleable. That is, it can be bent and shaped without cracking. It can be rolled into sheets. So, it is easy to make copper gears of various shapes. It is a ductile metal and can be easily drawn out into thin wires. Copper is resistant to corrosion. It offers high strength to the gear. It is easy to machine copper gear.

Copper can alone be used to make gears or at times can be mixed with other elements like zinc and tin. Copper and zinc makes the alloy of brass; copper and tin makes bronze. Bronze with copper offers low friction and high strength. It is widely used for power gears. Copper is a good conductor of electricity and so copper gear result in spark proof starting of the engines.

For transporting various oils such as petroleum, diesel and lubricant oils, copper gears can help oil pumps to convey fluids with low flash points such as gasoline and benzene at temperature below 70°C.

Copper gears are used in semiconductor industries, in radiators, clocks, paper making, printing, aerospace and mining industries. They are also used in electric motors, trucks and air brakes.

Driven by a storm from their usual area of work, a crew of Greek sponge divers found themselves off the Aegean Island of Antikythera. There, in 200 feet of water, they discovered the remains of a shipwreck from classical times. In 1958, a young British historian of science, studied this device and came to some startling conclusions: the Anikythera device, was an astronomical computer originally enclosed in a wooden box and looking like an old fashioned table clock. The device had a series of precision brass gears that rotated the dials.

The metal has low cost, non-corrosive property and is easy to machine. Brass has good strength and hardness. Brasses have good electrical conductivity. Their high conductivity with good corrosion resistance makes them ideal for the manufacture of electrical equipment. Condenser and heat exchanger tubing also make use of the good thermal conductivity of brass. Brass is widely used for low cost commercial quality gears. Brass gears are also used in locomotives, clocks and in all thermal industries.

The metal has low cost, non-corrosive property and is easy to machine. Brass has good strength and hardness. Brasses have good electrical conductivity. Their high conductivity with good corrosion resistance makes them ideal for the manufacture of electrical equipment. Condenser and heat exchanger tubing also make use of the good thermal conductivity of brass. Brass is widely used for low cost commercial quality gears. Brass gears are also used in locomotives, clocks and in all thermal industries.

The metal is lightweight, non-corrosive and easy to machine. The metal is malleable and has non-magnetic characteristics. Because it's malleable, it can be molded to any shape. Aluminium gears can be of various shapes. It offers spark proof starting of the engine and offers high strength. Aluminium gear offer smoother running, longer life and silent operation. They are designed to resist wear for long lasting durability and maximum performance. Aluminium gear is protected with a coating of anodize

Aluminium is widely used for light duty instrument gears. Aluminium gears are also used in aircraft industry but it has a drawback if an off airport landing has to be made on a rough terrain.