Gears are used in many types of equipment including: agricultural equipment, cranes, motors, actuators, metal working equipment and mining equipment. With gears being used in such a wide variety of equipment, it’s important to know each gear’s purpose. Below are some of the most common gear types, however, this list is not exhaustive. Read on to find out what each gear type looks like and how they are commonly used.
Spur Gears
These are the least complex type of gear and are usually external gears. In other words, the teeth of the gear are on the outside, not the inside. In spur gears, the edges of these teeth are straight up and down and have wide gaps between them. Gear manufacturers may customize spur gears to improve their function. Spur gears are commonly used together with worm gears.
Helical Gears
Helical gears are also called “dry fixed” gears and their teeth are set at an angle, unlike spur gears. The small gap between teeth and the angle allows helical gears to make less noise when they run, as the teeth move more progressively. Therefore, if you’re looking for a quieter machine, consider using helical gears. Like spur gears, helical gears and worm gears are commonly used together.
Bevel Gears
Unlike spur and helical gears, bevel gears have the shape of a right circular cone. Bevel gears are used on a variety of equipment including: cars, power plants and trains. Its cone shape increases its versatility, allowing the user to change the angle at which it operates. Although the angles are movable, they are usually mounted at 90-degree angles. There are many different types of bevel gears made by gear manufacturers including straight bevel gears, spiral bevel gears, zerol bevel gears and hypoid bevel gears.
Worm Gears
Worm gears also have their own unique shape, which resembles a screw. Worm gears are actually a type of helical gear, but it has different features and purposes. Worm gears are typically used to accomplish a low speed gear ratio as well as high torque. As mentioned above, they are commonly used with helical and spur gears.
Rack and Pinion Gears
Racks are metal strips with teeth that can be paired with circular gears. Racks are typically used with pinion gears and this gear type can be found in many types of equipment. They are the most common gear type to operate locomotives and also aid in the rotation of steering wheels.
Keep in mind that these are just a few of the common gear types used and that most gear types can actually be customized by gear manufacturers.
Did we forget any gear types that you find important? Please feel free to let us know in the comments
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