Gears transmit torque and motion in almost every machine. Most of the time a standard gear will do; when it will not, because of the space, the load, the shaft or the quantity, a custom gear made to your print is the answer. This is a short guide to the basics.
The main gear types
- Spur gears: straight teeth, parallel shafts. Simple, efficient and the most common choice.
- Helical gears: angled teeth that engage gradually, for smoother, quieter running and higher load at speed.
- Internal gears: teeth cut on the inside of a ring, for compact drives and planetary gearing.
- Worm gears: a worm and wheel at right angles, giving high reduction ratios in a small space and often self-locking.
- Splines: transmit torque between a shaft and a hub.
- Sprockets and pulleys: for chain and belt drives.
- Racks and pinions: turn rotation into straight-line motion. See RackPro gear racks.
How custom gears are made
A custom gear starts as bar, forging or plate, and is turned to shape before the teeth are cut. The main operations:
- Turning: machining the blank's outside, bore and faces.
- Hobbing or shaping: generating the teeth. Shaping is used where a hob cannot reach, such as internal gears and teeth next to a shoulder.
- Broaching: cutting keyways and internal splines.
- Drilling and tapping: bolt holes and set-screw holes.
- Heat treatment and finishing: where the load or wear calls for it.
Gears can be made in a wide range of materials, including carbon and alloy steels, brass, bronze and aluminum.
When custom makes sense
- The standard size does not fit: an odd bore, hub, face width or tooth count.
- Replacing an obsolete gear: made from your print, a sample or a worn part.
- Higher load or longer life: a better material or hardened teeth.
- Fewer parts: combining a gear with its shaft or hub.
- Production quantities: blanket orders and stocking programs that keep parts on the shelf.
Rhino Gear
Rhino Gear is our gear manufacturing business: spur, helical, internal and worm gears, splines, sprockets and pulleys made to print, with engineering support on every order. See our gear capabilities, ask about blanket orders and stocking, or send us your drawing for a quote.