Material Selection and Processing Techniques: Crucial Factors for Gear Engineering

Abstract

Abstract Gear drives are susceptible to consistent wear due to repeated cyclic stress around the teeth while in the application. The repeated cyclic loadings have effects on the tribological performance of the components. Also, the downtime data from bottling plants showed that there is a significant increase in gear failure, which resulted in maintenance costs. The contact between a pair of gear in the mesh is complex, which leads to several failure modes like; micropitting, scuffing, micro pitting, and wear as a result of rotation. Materials formed the fundamental elements in which production/manufacturing processes depend on. The selection of materials for high-quality manufacturing depends significantly on the complicated relationship between their properties and manufacturing techniques. Recently, great varieties of materials and processing techniques are available to a gear designer. However, the choice of material and processing methods at a minimized cost poses a challenge to gear designers. In the present study, the importance of material selection and processing methods towards efficient gear design and transmission have been enumerated. Failures associated with materials and processing techniques have also been established as well as the methods of improving the mechanical properties. It is expected that the adoption of the highlighted findings into gear design would result in a reduction of failures and efficient gear transmission.