You know what gears are. You’ve probably used at least a handful of devices and machines today that rely on gears to function. But do you know why gears exist in the first place, and what role they play in your machines?
Let’s take things back to basics and talk about what gears are used for on a fundamental level. Gears are simple machines, much like levers, whose job is to transmit power from one part of the machine to the other. For example, the gears in a bike transmit power from the pedals to the back wheel.
But it’s more complex than just transferring power—you can modify that power to suit your needs, making gears a kind of “conversion” step.
Increasing Speed
You can increase the speed of the turning gears by introducing a gear with a larger diameter. As the smaller wheel turns, the bigger wheel has to turn faster in order to keep up. What’s to stop this from increasing energy indefinitely? Well, the increase in speed comes with a tradeoff: a corresponding decrease in force.
Increasing Force
Similarly, you can increase the force of a gear’s movement by using a smaller gear in conjunction with a larger one. In this case, you’ll also be trading speed and force; your smaller gear will turn more slowly than your large gear, but will do so with far more force.
Changing Force Direction
You can also use gears to change the direction of a force. This is frequently done by using two different types of gears together, or placing gears perpendicular to one another. Helical gears and worm gears are often used for these purposes.
No matter how you’re trying to use gears or what gears you’re looking for, Federal Gear can help you. Contact us for more information about how we can make the perfect gears for your needs.