Types of Gears: Design and Application
If you had to make a list of some of the most legitimately useful tools in all of manufacturing, gears would undoubtedly be right at the top.
Gears are nothing if not versatile, making them helpful in a number of distinct situations. What they can do depends on their unique characteristics, including elements like:
- Gear shape. Examples include circular, elliptical, and triangular. Uniquely shaped gears produce variable torque ratios, while circular-shaped ones produce consistent gear ratios.
- Gear teeth. When the gear is in use, the teeth interlock. Everything from whether the teeth are internal or external to their precise placement will impact the ultimate motion of the gear itself.
- Gear configuration. There are three main types of configurations - parallel, intersecting, and non-parallel/non-intersecting. Gears with parallel configurations, for example, see one gear rotate in the opposite direction of the other. Gears with intersecting configurations will intersect on the same plane.
- Gear material. Depending on the material you choose you can increase certain properties like surface hardness, the ability to resist issues like corrosion, and more.
But while all these properties will impact how effective a gear is for a particular application, it's equally important to consider the type of gear in a larger sense. All gears are designed to work in different ways and only by starting with the needs of your project will you be able to work your way back to the gear that will match.
Spur Gear
Industries
Because spur gears are among the most versatile and commonly available gears, they are used in a wide range of different industries. One of the more prominent examples of this is in the steel sector, where they are often employed for rolling mills, cement units, and similar pieces of equipment.
Applications
In addition to the examples mentioned above, spur gears are often used in the construction of gear pumps and motors.
Helical Gear
Industries
Helical gears are commonly used in mechanical manufacturing, fabrication, and construction machinery.
Applications
Helical gears are commonly used for the construction of industrial machine gearboxes. They are also often found as an integral part of automotive transmissions.
Bevel Gear
Industries
Because of their versatility, bevel gears are found in many everyday items and are thus valuable to just about every industry you can name. This includes transportation, aerospace, manufacturing, consumer electronics, and more.
Applications
One common application of a bevel gear has to do with how they are used in the printing press. They are also often used in transportation as a core part of railway track inspection machines. Beyond that, you can find bevel gears in everything from cars to massive power plants.
Screw Gear
Industries
One of the most common industries that uses screw gears involves general manufacturing.
Applications
The most common application of a screw gear involves its use in an offset shaft. This is true whether the shafts themselves are in parallel or skewed.
Worm Gear
Industries
Worm gears are commonly used in industries like manufacturing and in the automotive sector. In the latter, for example, they're a common part of the power steering system on many modern day cars.
Applications
Worm gears are a common component found in industrial machines like conveyor systems and printing presses. In a conveyor system, for example, they help to transfer the heavy weight of the items being transported from one point of the system to another.
Rack & Pinion Gear
Industries
Because of their precise design, rack and pinion gears are another example of a kind that are used heavily in the industrial and automotive sectors. Really, any application that requires precise motion control will likely employ a rack and pinion gear of some type.
Applications
In addition to being a core part of most automobile steering systems, one example of a rack and pinion gear application has to do with advanced robotics. Even something like a "pick and sort" machine in a warehouse environment requires precise, repeatable motions and rack and pinion gears help to make that happen.
Hypoid Gear
Industries
Keep in mind that hypoid gears are designed to transmit motion between two non-intersecting shafts. Because of that, any industry that can benefit from speed reduction (think: automotive) or that needs to handle heavy loads (as would be common in manufacturing) can benefit from what a hypoid gear is capable of.
Applications
One of the most common applications of hypoid gears has to do with the axles of most automobiles.
At Illinois Pulley & Gear, we manufacture high-quality gears and other materials for clients of all shapes and sizes. Everything we do is made on-demand in our very own Schaumburg facility, allowing us total visibility over the process. Once we know what your exact specifications are, we'll get to work. You can just pick your gear material, tooth profile, the number of teeth, and anything else that matters to you and we'll make it happen.
Because everything is local, we can promise very fast turnaround times as well - especially for replacement parts. You won't be waiting months or even weeks - you'll have everything you need in just a few days. That will help keep your operations running smoothly, regardless of how complex your project happens to be.
If you'd like to find out more information about the design and applications of the various types of gears that are available, or if you're eager to get your next project started and would like to speak to someone in a bit more detail, please contact the team at Illinois Pulley & Gear today.
