PROJECT REPORT

Comparative Study Of Different Engineering

Materials That Are Best Suited For Gear
Manufacturing

Prepared by
Harish Deka (Bak/Iti/18/Me/032)
Ashim Choudhury (Bak/Iti/18/Me/033)
Deepjyoti Sarania (Bak/18/Me/O25)
Bitopan Barman (Bak/18/Me/024)
Abhinash Das (Bak/18/Me/022)
Prosen Daimari (Bak/18/Me/011)
Content
 Introduction
 Material which are used to manufacture gear
 Criteria for gear material
 Engineering Materials
 Carbon steel
 Cast iron
 Stainless steel
 Thermoplastic
 Brass alloy
Introduction

 Gears are used extensively transmission of power. They find application

in Automobiles, gear boxes, oil engines, machine tools, industrial
machinery, agricultural machinery, geared motors etc.

 To meet the strenuous service conditions the gears should have robust
construction, reliable performance, high efficiency, economy and long
life. Also, the gears should be fatigue free and free from high stresses to
avoid their frequent failures.

 The gear drive should be free from noise, chatter, and should ensure high
load carrying capacity at constant velocity ratio.

 To meet all the above conditions, the gear manufacture has become a
highly specialize field.
Material used to manufacture gear
 The materials used for the manufacturing of gears depends upon the strength
and service conditions like wear, noise, cost etc.

 The gears can be manufactured from either metallic or non-metallic

materials.

 The metallic gears with cut teeth are commercially obtainable in cast iron,
steel and bronze.

 The non-metallic materials like wood, rawhide, compressed paper and

synthetic resins like nylon are used for gears, especially for reducing noise.

 There's an endless number of different materials that can be used to create

gears, but as a general rule, cast iron, steel, brass, bronze and plastic are the
most common materials used for gears.

 Materials used to manufacture these gears are used keeping in mind certain
factors including design life, power transmission requirements, noise
generation.
Selection of Gear Material Depends upon:

 Types of service

 Peripheral speed

 Degree of accuracy required

 Method of manufacture

 Required dimension & weight of the drive

 Allowable stress

 Shock resistance

 Wear resistance
Criteria for gear material
we have to consider the core “necessities” for most gear materials:

 High tensile strength: If we use a material with a low or insufficient tensile

strength, we could experience a failure when dealing with static loads. Static
loads exert a consistent amount of force over time.

 High endurance: If we use a material will low or insufficient endurance, could

experience a failure when dealing with dynamic loads. Dynamic loads change
pressure or force over time.

 Low friction coefficient: Because gears are moving parts in a complex

system, they need to be made of materials that aren’t particularly susceptible
to the effects of friction.

 Manufacturability: Finally, the material needs to be malleable and capable of

being manipulated. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to cut the gear.
Factors of Material Selection:

 Strength

 Durability

 Cost
Engineering Materials

 Carbon steel

 Cast iron

 Stainless steel

 Thermoplastic

 Brass alloy
Carbon Steel

Definition:

Carbon steels are basically just mixtures of iron and carbon. They may contain
small amounts of other elements, but carbon is the primary alloying
ingredient. The effect of adding carbon is an increase in strength and hardness.
Most carbon steels are plain carbon steels.
Carbon Steel

Subcategories:

 Low-Carbon Steel(Mild Steel)

Low-carbon steel is the most widely used form of carbon steel. These steels
usually have a carbon content of less than 0.25 wt.%

 Medium-Carbon Steel
Medium-carbon steel has a carbon content of 0.25 – 0.60 wt.% and a
manganese content of 0.60 – 1.65 wt.%.

 High-Carbon Steel (Carbon tool steel):

High-carbon steel has a carbon content of 0.60– 1.25 wt.% and a manganese
content of 0.30 – 0.90 wt.%.
Application:

 Low-carbon steel (Mild Steel):

It is generally used in automobile industry for highly loaded gearing as they
have high modules of elasticity and ease of welding associated with low cost.
According to the load and rotate speed of motorcycle gear, high quality low
carbon steel is mostly used.

 Medium-carbon steel:
As a result of their high strength and easy to machine, resistance to wear and
toughness having the ability to lift larger objects for a given pulley diameter
this material is used, they are relatively inexpensive. Many automotive parts
are made of medium-carbon steel. It’s stronger and more durable than low-
carbon steel but still offers at least some ductility.

 High-carbon steel:
Due to their high wear-resistance and hardness, high-carbon steels are used in
power transmission vehicle and locomotive for having a long lasting life span
Carbon Steel

Advantages Disadvantages
 Has high resistance to corrosion  It’s so strong, carbon steel is
and scaling difficult to work with

 Highly resistant to heat and fire  It can’t be easily bent and

and thus retains its ingrained molded into different shapes, thus
temperature even in extreme limiting its utility in certain
climatic conditions applications

 As comparable to other metals, it  Carbon steel is also more

has superior durability and susceptible to rust and corrosion
strength than other types to steel

 Most versatile and can be cut in

different forms

 Due to anti corrosive property, it

is widely used for under water
purposes
Stainless steel Steel

Definition:

Stainless steel is a group of ferrous alloys that contain a minimum of

approximately 11% chromium, a composition that prevents the iron from
rusting and also provides heat-resistant properties. Different types of stainless
steel include the elements carbon (from 0.03% to greater than 1.00%),
nitrogen, aluminium, silicon, sulfur, titanium, nickel, copper, selenium,
niobium, and molybdenum.
Stainless Steel

Categories:

 Austenitic stainless steel

 Ferritic stainless steels

 Martensitic stainless steel

 Duplex stainless steel

Stainless Steel

Application:

 Stainless steel gear motors are widely used in applications where strength
and hygiene are essential.

 Stainless steel is a metal alloy commonly used in the casting of spur gears
which are used for clock , water pump and for its resistance to corrosion ,
cloth washing and dying machine and in factories like food processing and
production.

 Its also been a good use of material in power plant and aeroplane and
trains for its heat resistance capability.
Stainless Steel

Advantages Disadvantages
 Strength  High cost especially at the initial
expense
 Cleanliness
 Can be a difficult metal to handle,
 Aesthetics especially without the highest
technology machines and
 Corrosion Resistance techniques

 Recyclability  Can often result in costly waste

and re-work.
 Durability
Cast Iron

Definition:

Cast iron is a group of iron-carbon alloys with a carbon

content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively
low melting temperature
Cast Iron

Categories:

 Grey Cast Iron

 White Cast Iron

 Ductile Cast Iron

 Malleable Cast Iron

Cast Iron

Application

 It is used in grinding mills for its reliability

 It is widely used in sugarcane crusher with planetary gear box

 Longer life, corrosion resistance surface

 Refining machine

 Filter press

 Power mills

 Ice cream fridge

Cast Iron

Advantages Disadvantages
 Cast iron is tough  It has low wear resistance, mobility
and low shake-suction. Further, it
 Cast iron is durable, inexpensive has bad casting ability.

 It can bear high tensile pressure  Prone to Rusting.

or dynamic load of components
as well as withstand pressure at  Heavy.
low or high temperature
 Easily became hot
 Long Lasting Durability

 Excellent Machinability

 Resistance to Deformation

 High Vibration Damping

Thermoplastic

Definition:

Thermoplastics are defined as polymers that can be molted and recast almost
indefinitely.
Thermoplastic

Types of Thermoplastic:

 Polyimide  Polyamide(nylon)

 Polycarbonate  Poly-pheanylene sulfide

 Polyoxymethylene  Polyetheretherketone

 Polyimide

 Poly-ketone

 Ultrahigh-molecular-weight

 Polyethylene (UHMWPE)
Application:

 Thermoplastics gears have found wide application particularly in precision

drive system for watches, time switches, water and electricity meters

 Small electrical appliances such as a food equipment, mixers, Ironing

press, floor polishers etc

 Thermoplastic gears have good sliding properties which provide silent

running and maintenance free operation

 For special applications in which high chemical resistance, eg. against

acids, is required, machined gear wheels are made from the ultrahigh
molecular weight Polyethylene
Advantages:

 Possibility to combine gears with other elements, such as: springs, roller
bearings, racks and other gears.

 Less weight.

 Lower costs (for high series).

 Corrosion resistance (within some limits).

 Electrical Insulation.

 In several cases, better working in dry than metals;

 Better sound level.

 Possibility to produce the same gear with different materials (Polymer base +
different additives)
Disadvantages:

 Temperature limitations (140°C max)

 Temperature generated in the teeth's surface by friction.

 Flexion's tension on the tooth's root; Fatigue or impact resistance.

 Wearing.

 Chemical resistance

 The molding process is difficult to control

 Plastic gears can have their teeth worn down from repeated use

 As durable as metals

  Lower load-carrying capacity. 

Brass Alloy

Definition:

Brass is an alloy of copper ores and zinc ores, in proportions which can be
varied to achieve varying mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties
Application:

 Fittings (fasteners and connectors)

 Tools

 Appliance parts

 Ammunition components

 Home appliances: such as washing machine, Blenders, Stand Mixers,

Dish Washers, Dryers, Trash Compactors, Garbage Disposal.
Advantages:

 Brass gears are light weight and corrosion resistant. Brass alloys are one of
the best choices for manufacturing miniature gears through various
conventional and advanced processes for light-load applications as found in
precision instruments, miniaturized products, and slow-speed machines.

 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.

 Constant meshing work hardens their teeth.

 The advantages of brass for architectural applications include its excellent

corrosive resistance, and its joining, plating, polishing and finishing
characteristics. Brass is easily machined.
Disadvantages:

 Brass requires a good deal of maintenance since it is prone to a blackish

tarnish. The biggest challenge to upkeep most metals, including brass, is the
removal and inhibition of tarnish. All substances, especially metals, oxidize
when exposed to the air.

 The metal is less ducktile.

 Less precise tolerances

Advantages and Disadvantages of different gears

Advantages of Spur gear:

 They offer constant velocity ratio

 Spur gears are highly reliable

 Spur gears are simplest, hence easiest to design and manufacture

 A spur gear is more efficient if compare it with helical gear of same size

 Spur gear teeth are parallel to its axis. Hence, spur gear train does not
produce axial thrust. So the gear shafts can be mounted easily using ball
bearings.

 They can be used to transmit large amount of power (of the order of 50,000
kW)
Disadvantage of Spur gear

 Spur gear are slow-speed gears

 Gear teeth experience a large amount of stress

 They cannot transfer power between non-parallel shafts

 They cannot be used for long distance power transmission.

 Spur gears produce a lot of noise when operating at high speeds.

 when compared with other types of gears, they are not as strong as them.
Advantages of Helical gear:

 The angled teeth engage more gradually than do spur gear teeth causing
them to run more smoothly and quietly

 Helical gears are highly durable and are ideal for high load applications.

 At any given time their load is distributed over several teeth, resulting in
less wear

 Can transmit motion and power between either parallel or right angle
shafts
Disadvantages of Helical gear:

 An obvious disadvantage of the helical gears is a resultant thrust along the

axis of the gear, which needs to be accommodated by appropriate thrust
bearings, and a greater degree of sliding friction between the meshing teeth,
often addressed with additives in the lubricant. Thus we can say that helical
gears cause losses due to the unique geometry along the axis of the helical
gear’s shaft.

 Efficiency of helical gear is less because helical gear trains have sliding
contacts between the teeth which in turns produce axial thrust of gear shafts
and generate more heat. So, more power loss and less efficiency
Advantages of Bevel gear:

 This gear makes it possible to change the operating angle.

 Differing of the number of teeth (effectively diameter) on each wheel allows

mechanical advantage to be changed. By increasing or decreasing the ratio of
teeth between the drive and driven wheels one may change the ratio of
rotations between the two, meaning that the rotational drive and torque of the
second wheel can be changed in relation to the first, with speed increasing
and torque decreasing, or speed decreasing and torque increasing.
Disadvantages of Bevel gear:

 One wheel of such gear is designed to work with its complementary wheel
and no other.

 Must be precisely mounted.

 The shafts' bearings must be capable of supporting significant forces.

Advantages of Worm gear:

 Worm gear drives operate silently and smoothly.

 They are self-locking.

 They occupy less space.

 They have good meshing effectiveness.

 They can be used for reducing speed and increasing torque.

 High velocity ratio of the order of 100 can be obtained in a single step
Disadvantages of Worm gear:

 Worm gear materials are expensive.

 Worm drives have high power losses

 A disadvantage is the potential for considerable sliding action, leading to

low efficiency

 They produce a lot of heat.

Advantages of Rack and Pinion gear:

 Cheap

 Compact

 Robust

 Easiest way to convert rotation motion into linear motion

 Rack and pinion gives easier and more compact control over the vehicle
Disadvantages of Rack and Pinion gear:

 Since being the most ancient, the wheel is also the most convenient and
somewhat more extensive in terms of energy too. Due to the apparent friction,
we would already have guessed just how much of the power being input gives
in terms of output, a lot of the force applied to the mechanism is burned up in
overcoming friction, to be more precise somewhat around 80% of the overall
force is burned to overcome one.

 The rack and pinion can only work with certain levels of friction. Too high a
friction and the mechanism will be subject to wear more than usual and will
require more force to operate.

 The most adverse disadvantage of rack and pinion would also be due to the
inherent friction, the same force that actually makes things work in the
mechanism. Due to the friction, it is under a constant wear, possibly needing
replacement after a certain time
Disadvantages of Rack and Pinion gear:

 Since being the most ancient, the wheel is also the most convenient and
somewhat more extensive in terms of energy too. Due to the apparent friction,
we would already have guessed just how much of the power being input gives
in terms of output, a lot of the force applied to the mechanism is burned up in
overcoming friction, to be more precise somewhat around 80% of the overall
force is burned to overcome one.

 The rack and pinion can only work with certain levels of friction. Too high a
friction and the mechanism will be subject to wear more than usual and will
require more force to operate.

 The most adverse disadvantage of rack and pinion would also be due to the
inherent friction, the same force that actually makes things work in the
mechanism. Due to the friction, it is under a constant wear, possibly needing
replacement after a certain time
THANK YOU