From the Shop

How We Solve the Friction Problem in Gears

Gear engineering is about more than making sure two shapes of gears fit together. There are a number of functional considerations gear manufacturers need to bear in mind when designing gears for various applications. In addition to enabling the other components of the machine to operate as intended, we need to ensure the gears can hold up to the conditions present—which often means compensating for the friction that gears will encounter in operation.

The Problem With Friction

Friction refers to the resistance of one substance moving against the other. By definition, gears move against each other, and therefore experience friction to various degrees. Under simple conditions, this isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes the friction can escalate to the point where it damages the structural components of the machine or otherwise interferes with operations.

Possible Solutions

How do we compensate for the “friction problem?” There are actually a number of different possibilities:

  • Different gear structures. First, we can reduce the amount of friction generated by a gear set by introducing different shapes. Helical gears, for example, experience friction gradually and distributed along the length of their teeth, making them capable of handling higher levels of friction with no problem.
  • Lower speeds and loads. Most friction problems only arise in certain conditions—usually, when gears are operating at high speeds, or with high loads that increase the amount of friction present. Working to lower those speeds and lows can make the friction problem disappear (though obviously, this isn’t always possible).
  • Lubrication. Lubrication is one of the simplest ways to address friction. It instantly reduces the friction between gears, but must be reapplied occasionally to keep parts moving.
  • Material selection. We can also produce gears out of special materials that don’t experience as much friction as their counterparts, such as certain metal alloys.

Friction isn’t always a problem, but when it is, we have the means to address it. If you’re interested in engineering or manufacturing gears for a high-friction application, be sure to contact us for a quote!

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