Custom made gears are made from scratch to be used in specific applications. For these jobs, it’s highly important that we maintain a high level of precision; if a gear is cut incorrectly, even if it’s only off a fraction of an inch, it could compromise the gear’s ability to perform its intended function, causing the system to wear prematurely or function improperly altogether.
So how are these gears made with such a high level of precision?
Processes
There are actually many different processes used in gear manufacturing, some of which are used in combination with each other, and some of which are used for specific applications:
- Forging. Forging involves shaping metal into a desired shape. Although these shapes can be close to the proper dimensions, additional machining is almost always required to insure the proper precision.
- Casting. In casting, a liquid material (oftentimes metal) is poured into an existing mold and allowed to cool. Further machining is usually required to increase precision.
- Hobbing. Hobbing is the process of gradually cutting teeth into a gear, using a specialized hobbing machine.
- Shaving. Shaving removes small amounts of metal from the working surfaces of the gear teeth. It is used to correct errors in the gear teeth.
- Wire Cutting – Use a special EDM Machine with an electrically charges wire to precisely slice material and produce gear teeth.
- Grinding. Grinding is uses an abrasive wheel to grind the teeth of a gear to perfection gradually.
Obviously, these processes alone aren’t responsible for ensuring our gears are uncompromisingly precise—it’s the people behind these processes that ensure their accuracy.
At Federal Gear, we pride ourselves in completing every job as precisely as possible. If you’re interested in a quote on an upcoming job or want to learn more about our capabilities, contact us!