There are dozens of types of gears available, for all different types of applications. While spur gears represent most people’s conception of a “typical” gear, they have a number of disadvantages. They tend to suffer from wear and tear over time (especially if they don’t fit properly or are used with improper lubricant), and if they’re used in high-speed or high-stress applications, they emit a characteristic whine.
Helical gears represent a nice alternative for a variety of applications, with elongated teeth that run at an angle to the gear’s axis. But here are four things you probably didn’t know about these helical-style gears:
- Helical gears can be parallel or crossed. Due to the angular nature of helical gears’ teeth, you’d think they can only run parallel to each other. However, they can also be justified in a crossed position; in this formation, they’re sometimes referred to as skew gears.
- Helical gears are smoother and quieter. Because the contact between teeth occurs gradually, helical gears run much smoother than their spur gear counterparts. This makes them quieter and reduces the wear and tear they’ll take over time (when fitted properly).
- Helical gears have additional thrust to compensate for. One of the few weaknesses of helical gears is the fact that they have additional thrust along the axis of the gear. Thrust bearings can solve this problem, along with the addition of greater friction between meshing teeth.
- Double helical gears exist, but present their own difficulties. Double helical gears are like twin helical gears stacked side-by-side, with opposite running teeth angles. These can mitigate the thrust problem, but present their own difficulties; namely, they’re notoriously difficult to manufacture.
Helical gears aren’t good for every application, but they’re a perfect alternative for high-speed uses and other niche functions. If you’re interested in getting a quote for custom helical gears, contact Federal Gear today!