A gear transmits torque and speed from one to another shaft. Different types of gear, like spur gear, helical gear, worm gear, gear rack, and more, have varying shapes and torque transmission functions. The shape of their teeth transmits torque and prevents slipping. Gears are an essential part of mechanical applications like aircraft, automobiles, pumps, power plants, and material handling equipment. Keep reading as we explain the different types of gear and their uses in detail.
Different Types of Gear
Gears have many types, features, and intended applications. Take a look at the most common types of gear from the table below.
How Do Gears Work?
A gear has interlocking teeth around its circumference. The teeth of a gear on a specific axis mesh with the teeth of a gear on a different axis. This transmits rotation from one axis of a gear to the axis of another.
Meshing Teeth
When you keep two gears together, their teeth interlock. When one gear rotates, the second one moves in the opposite direction.
Speed and Torque Conversion:
A larger gear, also called driven gear, connected to a smaller gear or driver gear reduces speed but raises force or torque. In contrast, a smaller gear driving a larger gear raises speed but reduces torque.
Direction Change
Gears can change rotational direction. For example, two meshing spur gears move in opposite directions.
Gear Ratios
The gear ratio determines how much the speed and torque are adjusted. So if a driver gear has 10 teeth and the driven gear has 20 teeth, the gear ratio is 20/10 = 1:2. It means the driven gear rotates at half the speed but doubles the torque.
What Constitutes Gear Design?
Gear shape, tooth design, and the way in which the gear axes are configured determine gear design. Let’s understand each one by one.
Gear Shape
You can find different types of gears in circular, elliptical, triangular, or square shapes. Circular gears are toothed wheels that transmit motion and torque when they are meshed with another gear. They have a constant gear ratio as opposed to non-circular gears, which causes the speed and torque to change, alternately increasing and decreasing.
Tooth Design
Gear teeth are toothed wheels that mesh together to give power and movement between shafts. They can be straight, helical, or curved. Teeth vary according to the type of gear and its intended use. They are sometimes cut directly into the gear or put inside separately.
Based on tooth shape, gears are classified into:
- Involute
- Cycloid
- Trochoid
Configuration of Gear Axes
Gear axis configuration means aligning and positioning the gear axes in relation to one another. The three main classifications of gear axes are parallel, intersecting, and non-parallel/non-intersecting.
Parallel Axes: The axes of rotation of the two gears are parallel. Spur Gear ,Spur rack, Internal gear, Helical gear, Helical rack, and Double helical gear fall in this category.
Intersecting Axes: Intersecting axes are often perpendicular to each other and translate rotation to a new direction. They include straight and spiral bevel gears, zero bevel gears and miter gears.
Non-Parallel, Non-Intersecting Axes: These gears have neither parallel nor intersecting axes. Examples include screw gears and worm gears.
Designs of Different Types of Gears
Here are the photos of different types of gears to help you visualize each better.
Conclusion
Various types of gear have unique designs and do completely different jobs in various industries. You should ensure that you’re getting the right one for your project or application. Check out Exim Engineering’s catalog of gears by leading brands. As a trusted distributor of gearsboxes and power transmission products in southern California, we stock a variety of gears and provide full support in their selection.
