Industrial metrology LABORATORY TESTS ON STEEL AND PLASTIC GEARS

At our laboratory we carry out specific tests on gears that need to be checked according to the regulations, regardless of the nature of the material.

GEAR - IMPORTANCE AND MATERIALS

A gear is a toothed mechanical element, such as a shaft or wheel, which by rotating on its axis and coupling to another toothed element transmits a torque by changing the speed and/or direction through well-known laws of motion. Gears are used in all applications where power transmission is required, from small clock mechanisms to gas turbine rotatives and operating machine movements.

CHARACTERISTICS OF INDUSTRIAL GEARS:

variety of applications to which they may be subjected
materials from which they are made (steel, cast iron, aluminium, plastic, sintered powders, etc.)
Surface coating treatments
Complex geometries and contact paths (straight or helical gear, cylindrical gears, bevel gears)
Quality grade (ISO, DIN, AGMA, JIS, BS, …)

These aspects may make clear the importance and need for advanced information both in the design and in the study of the operation of these complex mechanical components.

In addition, a malfunction of a gear system can lead to significant consequences for the entire system on which it is mounted (machine shutdown, sudden breaks, further damage) The resulting economic damage is orders of magnitude greater than the cost of the component alone.

In Unilab you can find technical analysis services specifically dedicated to these components and that help you both in the development phase of new projects and in the study of the behavior of established systems.

Several aspects related to gear performance can be analysed such as:

the choice of material and its strength characteristics
the performance of surface coatings
the goodness of heat treatment
Conformity of the delivery semi-finished product (bar, forged, spindle, near-net-shape)
determination of the chemical composition, classification of the material and its microstructural characteristics
Analysis of thermal treatments (surface and mass)
Heat treatment

LABORATORY TESTS ON GEARS - STUDY OF GEOMETRY

What can we check in Unilab from a geometrical point of view? Using continuous scanning ZEISS measuring machines, equipped with motorized IV axis, we can verify the main geometries of the gears and certify the conformity to the geometrical specifications of the customer:

Tooth inspection – macrogeometry (before and/or after heat treatment or surface treatment)
Profile control – microgeometry
Roughness control, depending on the finishing process (grinding, electrochemical polishing, etc.)

In the case of plastic gears, the macro geometry can also be checked in UNILAB by means of tomography, with evaluation of injection defects and study of the uniformity of the technopolymer (distribution, orientation of the reinforcing fibers)
Dimensional, geometric and roughness measurements can be made of: cylindrical and conical gears, crankshafts or camshafts, transmission shafts, screws and worm wheels, bearings, cycloids as well as components such as gearboxes and gearboxes.

LABORATORY TESTS ON GEARS - WORKING STUDY

Correct geometries mean control of vibration and acoustics. Suitable surface treatments mean long life of the systems. Correct lubricants ensure long life of the wheels. These studies can be carried out at the design stage, on functional prototypes but especially on end-of-life components, to study conditions in operation.
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