Gear Design
Gear Design
Gear Design
First Edition
Preface
The history of gears is probably as old as civilization itself. And yet today, the
importance of gears in manufacturing industry is undwindling and even more growing.
The purpose of this handbook is to provide an outline of gear fundamentals for those
who want to acquire knowledge about mechanics of gears. In reading through this
handbook, if you have any questions please refer them to us and we would be happy to
respond.
We hope this can start you down the road with a good sence of direction.
Contents
Part 1 About Gears
1. Types of Gears...........................................................................................................4
2. Characteristics of Each Type of Gears.......................................................................7
3. Gear Terminology.....................................................................................................11
4. Involute Tooth Profile...............................................................................................14
5. Pressure Angle..........................................................................................................16
6. Profile Shifted Gears................................................................................................17
7. Gear Accuracy - Testing and Inspecting..................................................................19
8. Metallic Materials for Gears and Heat Treatment...................................................21
9. Gear Noise...............................................................................................................24
10. Q & A ......................................................................................................................26
Part 2 Production Processes 27
1. Spur Gears................................................................................................................28
2. Racks........................................................................................................................30
3. Bevel Gears..............................................................................................................32
4. Production Facilities.................................................................................................34
Part 1
About Gears
1. Types of Gears
2. Characteristics of Each Type of Gears
3. Gear Terminology
4. Involute Tooth Profile
5. Pressure Angle
6. Profile Shifted Gears
7. Gear Accuracy - Testing and Inspecting
8. Metallic Materials and Heat Treatment
9. Gear Noise
10. Q & A
(1) About Gears
--
Worm
Internal Gear
Miter Gear
Pawl Rack
Pinion Spur Gear
--
Rachet
There are three categories of gears in accordance with the orientation of axes.
KRG(F),KRGD,SRGF,KRF,SR(F),
SRFD,SUR(F),SURFD,BSR,DR,
Rack PR(F),SRO,SROS,SURO,KRHG(F),
SRH,KRG(F)(D),SRCP(F)(D),KRCPF,
SURCPF(D),SRCP,FRCP
3) Nonparallel,
Nonintersecting Screw Gear AN,SN,PN,SUN
Axes
Worm KWGDL(S),KWG,SWG,SW,SUW
4) Others
Involute Spline Shaft
SV,SVI
& Bushing
--
(1) About Gears
( 1 ) - 2
Characteristics of Each
Type of Gears
Spur Gear
Teeth are straight and parallel to shaft axis. Transmits power and motion
between rotating two parallel shafts.
Features
( 1 ) Easy to manufacture. ( 2 ) There will be no axial force.
( 3 ) Relatively easy to produce high quality gears. ( 4 ) The commonest type.
Applications
Transmission components
Helical Gear
Teeth are twisted oblique to the gear axis.
Left
Helix angle
Left
Right
Right hand and left hand helical gears mate as a set. But they have the
same helix angle.
Features
( 1 ) Has higher strength compared with spur gear.
( 2 ) Effective in reducing noise and vibration compared with spur gear.
( 3 ) Gears in mesh produce thrust forces in the axial directions.
Applications
Transmission components, automobile, speed reducers etc.
--
(1) About Gears
Rack
The rack is a bar containing teeth on one face for meshing with a gear.
The basic rack form is the profile of the gear of infinite diameter.
Racks with machined ends can be joined together to make any desired
length.
Features
( 1 ) Changes a rotary motion into a rectilinear motion.
Applications
A transfer system for machine tools, printing press, robots, etc.
Internal Gear
An annular gear having teeth on the inner surface of its rim.
The internal gear always meshes with the external gear.
Features
( 1 ) In the meshing of two external gears, rotation goes in the opposite direction. In the
meshing of an internai gear with an external gear the rotation goes in the same direction.
( 2 ) Care should be taken to the number of teeth when meshing a large (internal) gear with
a small (external) gear, since three types of interference can occur.
( 3 ) Usually internal gear is driven by external (small) gear.
( 4 ) Allows compact design of the machine.
Applications
Planetary gear drive of high reduction ratios, clutches etc.
--
(1) About Gears
Bevel Gear
One of a pair of gears used to connect two shafts whose axes intersect, and
Apex
the pitch surfaces are cones.
Pitch cone
Teeth are cut along the pitch cone. Depending on tooth trace bevel gear is
classified:
1) Straight bevel gear
2) Spiral bevel gear
Features
( 1 ) Relatively easy to manufacture. ( 2 ) Provides reduction ratio up to approx. 1:5.
Applications
Machine tools, printing press, etc. Especially suitable for a differential gear unit.
Features
( 1 ) Has higher contact ratio, higher strength and durability than an equivalent straight
bevel gear.
( 2 ) Allows a higher reduction ratio.
( 3 ) Has better efficiency of transmission with reduced gear noise.
( 4 ) Involves some technical difficulties in manufacturing.
Applications
Automobile, tractor, vehicles, final reduction gearing for ships.
Miter Gears
A special class of bevel gear where the shafts intersect at 90° and the gear
ratio is 1:1.
--
(1) About Gears
Screw Gear
A helical gear that transmit power from one shaft to another, non-parallel,
non-intersecting shafts.
Features
( 1 ) Used in a speed reducer and/or a multiplying gear.
( 2 ) Tends to wear as the gear come in sliding contact.
( 3 ) Not suitable for transmission of high horsepower.
Applications
Driving gear for automobile. Automatic machines that require intricate movement.
Worm Wheel
Features
( 1 ) Provides large reduction ratios for a given center distance.
( 2 ) Quiet and smooth action.
( 3 ) A worm wheel is not feasible to drive a worm except for special occasions.
Applications
Speed reducers, anti-reversing gear device making the most of its self-locking features, machine tools,
indexing device, chain block, portable generator, etc.
- 10 -
(1) About Gears
( 1 ) - 3
Gear Terminology
Facewidth
α Pressure angle
Tip
Re
cir
fer
cle
enc
ec
i
Bas ot circle
rcle
Ro
e ci
rcle
Tip
Reference pitch
dia
me
Re
fe
ter
re
nc
ed
iam
Ba ete
se r
dia
me
ter
Roo
t dia
mete
r
Center line
t
ntac
Pitch point
of co
Backlash
p ath
h of
Lengt
Interference point
Tooth thickness
Dedendum
Center distance
Tooth depth
Addendum
- 11 -
(1) About Gears
of a Gear
"Module" is the unit of size to indicate how big or small a gear is. It is the ratio of the reference
diameter of the gear divided by the number of teeth.
Reference diameter
Thus: (Module =──────────── )
Number of teeth
The mutual relation between the module and the reference diameter etc. is as follows:
Reference diameter ( Reference diameter = Module × Number of teeth )
Reference diameter
Number of teeth ( Number of teeth = ──────────── )
Module
Reference pitch ( Reference pitch = π × Module )
Circumference (pd)
Reference pitch Reference pitch = ─────────
Number of teeth (z)
Diameter
Summary
( 1 ) The module describes the size of a gear.
( 2 ) A pair of gears can only mesh correctly if and when the base pitch is the same.
- 12 -
(1) About Gears
Helical Gear
Module Pinion Gear Helix angle β
when cos β
(a) Reference diameter
- 13 -
(1) About Gears
( 1 ) - 4
Involute Tooth
Profile
Imagine pulleys with indentations on their periphery. These pulleys, when moved, would:
cause slipping,
do not rotate smoothly,
produce vibration and noise.
Involute curve
Ba
se
cir
Let us try to make a simple drawing of a eight-toothed gear; cle
First, divide a cylinder into eight equal parts. Then, from each part unwrap a cord drawing a line
with pencil. After you have completed eight lines, do the same manual work from the opposite side. The
diagram thus drawn is the involute tooth profile.
- 14 -
(1) About Gears
Involute Gear
This figure indicates how two involute teeth in mesh are moving to transmit rotary motion.
cle
t cir
o le
Ro irc
c
Drive gear se cle
Tan
gen Ba e cir
t nc
re
e fe
R
Re
f er
en
ce
Tan c
gent ircle
Driven gear Ba
se
cir
Ro cl e
ot
cir
cl e
When Gear 1 drives Gear 2 by acting at the instantaneous contact point, the contact point moves on
the common tangent in the order of → → . These points are on the common tangent outward from
the base circle.
Belt
Features
( 1 ) Conjugate action is independent of changes in center distance.
( 2 ) Can be manufactured at low cost since the tooth profile is relatively simple.
( 3 ) A typical tooth profile used almost exclusively for gears.
- 15 -
(1) About Gears
( 1 ) - 5
Pressure Angle
gen
t
al
o rm
n n cle
mm
o
e cir
Co c
en
efer
R
r ef e
ren
ce
ci r
cl e
At the pitch point, the gear A is pushing the gear B. The pushing force acts toward the common
normal of the gear A and the gear B. The pressure angle can be described as the angle between the line
of action and the line tangent to the reference circle.
For reference
The commonest pressure angle is 20 . Formerly the pressure angle of 14.5 was also used.
o o
- 16 -
(1) About Gears
(1)-6
Profile Shifted
Gears
- 17 -
(1) About Gears
Reference circle
shifting (+), tooth thickness will
become thicker, while in the case of
Shifted gear
negative shifting (-), it will become
thinner. Tooth depth will not change.
Standard gear
Shifted gear
Standard gear
The amount of shift
Center distance
This figure shows that a gear is
negative shifted and a pinion positive
shifted, and the absolute value of
profile shift is identical. Attention is
to be paid that there is no change in
center distance. If there is a condition
that center distance is invariable, the
profile shifting will solve the problem
as illustrated here.
Positive shift
Negative shift
Gear Pinion
Features
( 1 ) Prevents undercutting when the number of teeth is small.
( 2 ) Helps adjusting center distance
( 3) Possible to equalize the strength of a pinion and the same of a gear by profile shifting; Make
correction (shifting) of the pinion positive. Then make correction of the gear negative. This results in
thicker tooth thickness of the pinion and the thinner tooth thickness of the gear, or equalization of the
strength.
- 18 -
(1) About Gears
( 1 ) - 7
Gear Accuracy
- Testing and
Inspecting
At KHK, the following measuring instruments are used to test and inspect the gear accuracy.
( 1 ) Gear measuring machine......To measure the accuracy of tooth profile, trace, pitch and runout.
( 2 ) 3-D coordinate measuring machine To measure the pitch accuracy of racks
( 3 ) Composite gear tester To test composite deviation
- 19 -
(1) About Gears
Axial direction
n
tio
ec
dr
al
di
Ra
( 1 ) Radial direction - relevant to tooth
proile and tooth depth
( 2 ) Axial direction - relevant to
lead error and unevenness
In order to test gear accuracy three-dimentional measurements are necessary, and the following
mesuring instruments and/or apparatuses are to be used properly.
( 1 ) Radial direction ................ Gear measuring machine, 3-D coordinate measuring machine
( 2 ) Axial direction ................... Gear measuring machine, 3-D coordinate measuring machine
( 3 ) Circumferential direction .... Micrometer calipers, gear tooth vernier calipers, rollers
(pins), ball micrometer calipers.
Shown in this figure is the correlation between each individual errors. There is a strong correlation
between each pitch errors. Also, runout error widely influence each individual errors.
Runout error of
gear teeth
Base pitch
Total helix
deviation
deviation
Total profle
deviation Strong correlation
Mean correlation
A slight correlation
Correlation between each individual errors (in case of ground gear)
- 20 -
(1) About Gears
(1)-8
Metallic Materials
for Gears and Heat
Treatment
The materials herein described are generally used domestically.
Case-hardening steel
The carbon content of case-hardening steel is low, usually about 0.15 through 0.20%. Case-hardening
steel also contains Ni,Cr,Mo,Mn, etc. It is suitable for carburizing and quenching.
Chemical composition %
JIS Designation
C Si Mn P S Ni Cr Mo
SCr420 0.18 0.23 0.15 0.35 0.60 0.90 <0.030 <0.030 - 0.90 1.20 -
SCM415 0.13 0.18 - 0.15 0.25
SCM420 0.18 0.23 -
SNC815 0.12 0.18 0.35 0.65 3.00 3.50 0.60 1.00 -
SNCM220 0.17 0.23 0.60 0.90 0.40 0.70 0.40 0.60 0.15 0.25
Bronze casting
Chemical composition % Tensile test
Tensile
Descriptions Symbol strength Applications
Cu Sn Zn Pb Others Elongation
N/
Valve cock, machine parts
Bronze etc. (Suitable for those which
continuous
CAC406C 83.0 87.0 4.0 6.0 4.0 6.0 4.0 6.0 >2.0 >245 >15 require pressure resistance,
casting
machinability and suitability
Type 6
to casting.)
- 21 -
(1) About Gears
Quenching
Quenching is the process to surface-harden tooth areas to increase their strength. Cited here are two,
among others, processes - (a) carburizing and quenching, and (b) high-frequency induction hardening.
Features
Carburizing and Quenching produces a hard, wear-resistant surface over a strong tough core.
- 22 -
(1) About Gears
( a ) One-shot entire perimeter hardening ( b ) One-shot single tooth hardening ( c ) Continuous hardening
- 23 -
(1) About Gears
( 1 ) - 9
Krrrrrrrr Krrrrrrr
Gear Noise
This figure indicates the result of survey conducted by a manufacturer that produces gears for automobile,
machine tools and speed reducers.
Configuration of gears
Accuracy of gears
Accuracy of assembly
Configuration of gearbox
Lubrication of gears
Bearing
Matrial of gears
Driving condition
Wear of gears
Bruise
Others
Technical problem:
Tooth contact Heat treatment
Tooth profile Shafting
Tooth surface finish Size of gearbox
Pitch Ball bearing, roller bearing
Center distance Rotational speed
- 24 -
(1) About Gears
Edge contact
: Plastic.
(PS2.5-24, PS2.5-48)
Decibel ( db )
- 25 -
(1) About Gears
( 1 ) - 10
Q & A
Q : Quietness of operation is very specific demand. What type of gear do you recommend ?
A : We recommend high-precision gears with better tooth-surface finish, the type tooth-surface is ground,
such as MSGA(B). Helical gears are effective for reduction of noise than spur gears. Plastic gears
are also quiet, though the strength decreases.
Q : I want to know about "backlash". Will you please explain a little about it ?
A : "Backlash" in assembled gear set is the clearanc between the teeth of the meshing gears. Some
backlash should be present in all gear meshes for smoother revolution.
Q : Do you carry any products that have the ablity to adjust backlash to minimum ?
A : KHK carries , as standard products, items with ability to adjust backlash such as Tapered Racks and
Pinions, and Duplex Worms and Worm Wheels.
- 26 -
Part 2
Production
Processes
1. Spur Gears
2. Racks
3. Bevel Gears
4. Production Facilities
(2) Production Processes
( 2 ) - 1
Spur Gears
Illustrated here is a typical process of making SS type spur gears.
Raw materials bought from material The materials are cut to size.
makers are kept in stock. The materials are
six meters in length.
Packaging
- 28 -
(2) Production Processes
Shaping Tooth-Cutting
With a lathe, a cut workpiece is shaped Tooth-cutting has been done with a gear
into gear blank. hobbing machine. The cutting usually
leaves burrs on the teeth.
The black oxide finish is somewhat Rough spots on the teeth have been
effective in preventing rust. smoothed with a deburring machine.
- 29 -
(2) Production Processes
( 2 ) - 2
Racks
Illustrated here is a typical process of making SRFD type racks.
Raw Materials bought from material Tooth-cutting has been done with a rack
makers are kept in stock. cutting machine. The cutting usually leaves
burrs on the teeth.
- 30 -
(2) Production Processes
Deburring Straightening
Mounting screw holes have been drilled Both ends have been machined so that
for easier assembly. racks can be butted against each other to
make any desired length.
- 31 -
(2) Production Processes
( 2 ) - 3
Bevel Gears
Shown here is a typical process of making SM type bevel gears.
Raw materials bought from material The materials are cut to size.
makers are kept in stock. The materials are
six meters in length.
Packaging
- 32 -
(2) Production Processes
Shaping Tooth-Cutting
With a lathe, a cut workpiece is shaped Tooth-cutting has been done with a
into gear blank. Coniflex generator. The cutting usually
leaves burrs on the teeth.
The black oxide finish is somewhat Rough spots on the teeth are being
effective in preventing rust. smoothed with a deburring machine.
- 33 -
(2) Production Processes
( 2 ) - 4
Production Facilities
Shown here is an example of machines and equipment used in gear making.
- 34 -
(2) Production Processes
- 35 -
Introduction to Gears / November 1, 2006
Head office/factory 332-0022 13-17 Nakacho, Kawaguchi-shi Tel:048(255)4871 FAX:048(256)2269
Osaka office 540-0012 Tanimachi Yuetsukan building,6-22 Tanimachi 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka
TEL:06-6763-0641 FAX:06-6764-7445
Nagoya office 465-0093 Louvre Building, 3-96 Issha, Meito-ku, Nagoya
TEL:052-704-1681 FAX:052-704-1803