Gears

Used since classical antiquity, gears and gear trains are among the great inventions of mechanics.  Development and improvement of gear systems is a continuing process in which Ticona’s engineering resins have come to play a significant part.  Already used in many small applications, plastic gears are rapidly gaining acceptance in a variety of new, larger and higher power uses.

Among the advantages of plastic gears over those made of metal are:

• Lighter weight
• Quieter operation
• Inherent lubricity
• Corrosion resistance
• Wider range of configuration  
• Lower cost production

Cams, lugs, ribs, webs, shafts, and holes can all be molded in one integral design in a single operation, enabling volume production gear trains to be manufactured at significantly lower cost.

While plastic gears offer these many advantages over metal gears, their effective use requires proper design and engineering to account for possible dimensional and property variations over the expected range of operating conditions.  As a global leader in plastic gear materials technology, Ticona offers not only a broad line of engineering and high-performance polymers that are excellent candidates for gear applications, but also extensive know-how and a variety of resources to support the development of plastic gear applications by our customers.

Numerous standard grades available from Ticona provide the low coefficient of friction and the strength, stiffness, fatigue and wear resistance needed for gears. These materials are used in wide-ranging applications including:

• Automotive actuators (e.g. power seats, window lifts, mirrors, throttles, ignition, parking brakes, latches, closures)
• Large and small appliances (e.g. vacuum cleaners, appliance timers, HVAC actuators, washing machine transmissions, food processors, hand-held mixers)
• Industrial (e.g. power tools, conveying line rollers, water and gas meters)
• Electronics (printers, copiers, scanners, audio and video equipment)
• Medical dispensing devices
• Home (e.g. watches, toys, window blind mechanisms)
• Garden (e.g. irrigation sprinklers, mowers, sweepers, blowers, fertilizer spreaders, swimming pool equipment)

A powerful centerpiece for Ticona’s development work is a P-GEAR™ (Plastic Gear Evaluation And Research) Tester.  As plastic gears move into higher power applications, this computer-controlled wear, fatigue, and noise tester is being used to provide designers with the material data needed for such advanced applications.  Ticona also supports development of plastic gears through membership in AGMA, the American Gear Manufacturers Association.