A review on materials and performance characteristics of polymer gears

Abstract

In this research work an extensive review on use of advance materials and performance of polymer gears. Further, literature on polymer gears has been divided into four divisions based on the type of gear material, performance characteristic, modifications, and manufacturing techniques. Materials like polyamide and acetal and their composites are focused due to their huge application quotient. Use of in total six grades that is, PA6, PA66, PA12, PA46, PA618, and PA645 as gear material have been identified. Use of glass and carbon fiber reinforcements in PA gears with varying percentage in a range of 20%–35% and 15%–30%, respectively have been observed. Failure and performance characteristics such as wear, thermal, fatigue, load, transmission, and operational have been illustrated and described in detail. Research studies to improve thermal performance of plastic gears by modifying gear tooth and its profile has also been discussed along with their effects. Application of advance manufacturing technique such as 3D printed additive manufacturing in producing plastic gears is also talked over in this article. This compiled review work aims to assist researchers in selection of plastic gear material and to explore various factors and parameters affecting the failure behavior and performance of plastic gears.

Special issue: Advanced mathematical modeling in mechanical engineering

“…Accordingly, a series of articles within this Special Issue is dedicated to the mathematical modeling of different state-of-the-art problems in gears. [10][11][12][13] One of the subjects in focus in this field is new materials for gear manufacturing with an investigation of their characteristics versus traditional steel gears. In these senses, polymer gears were investigated by Jain and Patil, 10 who presented an investigation on the effect of strain rate on standard involute and asymmetric polymer gears using the newly designed fixture and methodology.…”

“…[10][11][12][13] One of the subjects in focus in this field is new materials for gear manufacturing with an investigation of their characteristics versus traditional steel gears. In these senses, polymer gears were investigated by Jain and Patil, 10 who presented an investigation on the effect of strain rate on standard involute and asymmetric polymer gears using the newly designed fixture and methodology. On the other side, Vasileiou et al 11 give a comprehensive investigation of the characteristics of fully ceramic gears, focus the research on the main challenges of using high-end ceramic gears, and attempt to provide insight on defining the design envelope of such gears to counter the main disadvantages.…”

Optimizing surface finish in FDM-printed polycarbonate spur gears through abrasive flow finishing: insights from physics and material science perspectives

“…Advanced machining adds complexity. The solution lies in cost-effective and efficient 3D printing, bypassing the need for moulds and streamlining the manufacturing process for polymer gears [1]. Recent developments in sustainable gear manufacturing focus on integrating ecofriendly practices such as using alternative lubricants, reducing waste, and employing advanced techniques like dry machining and gear rolling.…”