If you’re unacquainted with the world of gear manufacturing, some of the terminology we use to describe our products and processes may confuse you. That’s why we’ve come up with this short glossary of terms to help you understand the basics of the industry:
- Spur. Spur gears are “traditional” gears, circular with teeth around the edge.
- Helical. Helical gears are like spur gears, but with slanted or curved teeth.
- Worm. Worm gears consist of a toothed circle that drives a revolving cylinder, much like a screw.
- Hypoid. A hypoid gear is a type of spiral bevel gear where axes do not intersect.
- Hobbing. Gear hobbing is a process used to cut teeth progressively into shape.
- Torque. A torque is a measure of a gear’s tendency to rotate in response to a force.
- Pitch Circle. The pitch circle is an imaginary circle that rolls against the pitch circle of a connecting gear.
- Clearance. A gear’s clearance is the radial distance from the top of one tooth to the bottom of the corresponding groove in the connecting gear.
- Full Depth. The full depth of a gear is the sum of the addendum (the distance between the pitch circle and the outermost circle of a gear) and the dedendum (the distance between the pitch circle and the innermost circle of a gear).
- Diametrical Pitch. The diametrical pitch is the number of teeth per unit volume.
- Face Width. This is a measure of the length of tooth parallel to the gear axes.
- Gear Ratio. This is a ratio of the number of teeth in a larger gear to the teeth in a smaller gear.
Hopefully these terms and definitions have given you more insight into how the realm of gear manufacturing functions. If you’re interested in learning more or if you’re ready to get started with a custom job, be sure to contact us!