Gear Material
Gears are made of various gear
materials depending upon their usage in diverse applications which
includes Steel Gears, Aluminium Gears, Wood Gears, Copper Gear and many
more. If you are looking for a high performance gear with reliable
operation, the selection of suitable material is very important. Based
on applications, gears for high load capacity require a tough and robust
gear material like carbon steel etc. Whereas, high precision gears
require materials having lower strength and hardness rating.
Gears are available in diverse material specification based on their
applications. They are made of plastic, steel, wood, cast iron,
aluminium, brass, powdered metal, magnetic alloys and many others. The
most important gear materials are listed below:
- Steel Gears
- Aluminium Gears
- Wood Gears
- Powdered Metal Gears
- Copper Gears
- Brass Gears
- Cast Iron Gears
- Other Metal Gears
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. Steel gears offer high strength and a wide range of heat
treatment properties. Steel gears 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 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. Aluminium gears offers spark proof starting of the
engine and offers high strength. Aluminium gears offer smoother running,
longer life and silent operation. Aluminium gears 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.
Cast iron gears have low manufacturing cost and are easy to
machine with high damping. Cast iron gears 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.
Our Domain
Gears.
Girth Gears. Differential
Gears. Ground Gears. Ring Gears. Rack Gears. Spur Gears.
Bevel Gears. Cycloidal
Gears. External Gears. Helical Gears.
Marine Gears. Mining
Gears. Pinion Gears. Planetary Gears. Involute Gears. Non-involute
Gears. Worm Gears. Idler Gears. Face Gears. Angular Bevel Gears. Winch
Gears. Herringbone Gears. Crown Gears. Hypoid Gears. Miter gears etc.
|