Longsheng

Which industries requirecustom gears? This is an question worth exploring in depth.

With the continuous advancement of industrial technology and the improvement of transmission system performance requirements in various fields,gear as the core component of transmission transmission systemsits the customization needs are becoming more and more prominent. From aerospace to automotive manufacturing, engineering machinery to precision instrumentation, all industries are looking for gear transmission solutions that are more efficient, reliable and suited to specific working conditions.Customized gear manufacturingnot only meets the special needs of these industries, but also promotes continuous innovation and development of related technologies.

What is the basic structure of gears?

The basic structure of gears is complex and consists mainly of three core components:

The first isgear teeth, which is a specially designed protrusion in the gear that engages each other, transferring power and rotating motion to ensure smooth and efficient transmission between gears, and Next is thetooth groove, which is the space formed between two adjacent tooth surfaces. This space exists to accommodate the tooth surfaces of pairs of gears, allowing them to enter and exit the meshing state smoothly whencustom gear manufacturing. Finally,gear bodyis the supporting and connecting part of the gear. It includes wheels (for installing and fixing gears, transferring torque) and rims (for increasing the stiffness and bearing capacity of gears and protecting gear teeth from external damage). These components work together to form an important component of the gear transmission system.

What are the advantages of customizing gears?

1.Highly matched specific needs

Customized gears can be tailored to the specific needsof the customer and actual application scenarios. In customizing gear manufacturing, the shape, size, material and performance of the gear can be precisely designed to ensure that the gear can meet the usage requirements perfectly.

2.Optimize performance and extend service life

By customizing the gear, we can optimize the parameters such as module, pressure angle and tooth profile, and obtain better performance under certain working conditions. For example,in high load, high speed applications,custom gears can provide higher load capacity and more stable transmission effects.

3.  Meeting the requirements of specialty industries

For some special industries such asaerospaceand precision instruments, standard gears often fail to meet their special requirements. These industries require high accuracy, reliability, high temperature, low temperature and corrosion resistance of gears. In custom gear manufacturing, the gear can be designed to meet specific requirements to ensure that it can still work steadily in extreme conditions.

4.  Reduction of long-term costs

While the initial investment in customized gear may be slightly higher than standard gear, in the long run custom gear can save customers significant costs by increasing efficiency, reducing failure rates and extending service life. This cost-saving effect is particularly evident in large-scale mechanical equipment and long-term use.

How to use CNC machining technology for gear customization?

1.Software Modeling:Design 3D models of gears using tools such as SolidWorks and UG NX, defining tooth profile parameters (module, pressure angle, number of teeth) and key dimensions.

2.Material selectionand pretreatment:Materials are selected according to the purpose of the gear (e.g. 20CrMnTi carburizing steel commonly used in automotive gears, wearable nylon for plastic gears gears). The material needs to be pretreated (quenched, tempered) to improve hardness and processing stability.

3.Selection of processing technology:

Process type	Applicable scenarios	Typical machine tool
Hobbing/hobbing	Mass production of standard gears	Gear hobbing machine (CNC transformation)
Milling	Small batch, complex structure gears	Five axis linkage milling machine
Grinding	High precision final machining (surface roughness Ra ≤ 0.8 μ m)	Forming grinder/CNC grinder

4.Post-treatment and quality inspection:

• Hair removal/ polishing: minor defects in tooth surfaces tooth surface ultrasonic cleaning machine or manual work.
• Quality inspection: Three coordinate measuring machine (CMM) is used to detect tooth pitch deviation and tooth orientation error. Use a a laser interferometer to verify that the tooth profile complies with ISO standards.

What industries require customized gears?

1.Industrial manufacturing

Automobiles/New Energy Vehicles

• Requirements: Transmission gears, differential gears, steering system gears (requires high temperature resistance, low noise, high accuracy).
• Case: electric vehicle gearbox planetary gear set (requires lightweight and high efficiency).

Aerospace

• Requirements: Turbine engine gears, helicopter drive gear (requires ultra-high strength, fatigue resistance, high temperature resistance).
• Case: Precision harmonic gear of spacecraft solar sail unfurling mechanism.

Machine tools/industrial equipment

• Requirements: shaft transmission gear, indexing mechanism gear (requires high rigidity, low vibration).
• Case: Worm wheel pair with high accuracy for five axis machining center.

2.In the medical field

Medical equipment

• Requirements: surgical robot joint gear, micro-detection equipment gear (require ultra-high accuracy and biocompatibility).
• Case: Microharmonic gears endoscope drive mechanism mechanism (modulus ≤ 0.1mm).

3.In the field of consumer electronics

Drones/ robots

• Requirements: Brushless motor reduction gear, mechanical arm joint gear (requires lightweight, high torque density).
• Case: Precision 4 -wheel drive universal helical gear (clearance ≤ 5 μ m).

How Do Custom Gears Solve Industry-Specific Challenges?

1. Automotive industry

• Lightweight requirements: Customized gears can use lightweight materials such as aluminum alloy to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency. At the same time, byoptimizing the gear structure, weight can be further reduced without sacrificing strength.
• High-performance transmission: according tothe transmission requirements of specific models, suitable materials and heat treatment process can be selected to improve the wear resistance and fatigue resistance of gears. At the same time, through precision machining and testing, the precision of the gear can meet the design requirements.

2. Aerospace industry

• High reliability requirements: Gears can be made ofspecial materials with high strength and toughness, ensuring their reliability and durability through rigorous testing and quality control. In addition, the gear can be specially designed and optimized according to the specific working environment of the equipment.
• Lightweight and compact: Customized gears can be designed based on optimal design and lightweight materials to minimize weight and volume while meeting transmission requirements.

3.  Engineering machinery industry

• Heavy load, harsh environment: Customized gears can be made of high strength, high abrasion resistance material, throughspecial heat treatment process, can improve the strength and abrasion resistance of gear. At the same time, thebearing capacity and service life of gears can be improved by optimizing the gear structure.
• Diversified transmission demand: can design and manufacture Customized gears according to the specific transmission needs of engineering machinery. For example,small modulus and high precision gearscan be used for equipment requiring high speed transmission, and large modulus and high strength gears can be used for equipment requiring high torque transmission.

Industry case analysis

1.Case background:A medical device company requires customized micro gears (module ≤ 0.1mm) for the transmission mechanism of minimally invasive surgical robots (such as the da Vinci surgical system), with a tooth pitch error ≤ 5 μ m.

2. Requirement parameters

• Gear type: Harmonic reducer flexible wheel (inner diameter 20mm, number of teeth 120).
• Material: Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK, density 1.4g/cm ³, temperature resistance 343 ℃).

3.Data and Computation

• Accuracy requirement analysis

Accumulated tooth pitch of error tolerance: 5 μm x 120 teeth=0.6mm.

• When working with aCNC grinder, control is required:

Cutting parameters: feed velocity f=0.5mm/min, spindle speed n=5000rpm.

Clamping error compensation: Real-time correction of position deviation (accuracy ± 1 μ m) by online measurement system.

• Material costs and processing efficiency

Material unit price: $80 /kg;

Raw weight: 439.8g

Material cost: 439.8 x 80 / 1000 = $35.18.

Processing time: 2 hours for rough processing and 2 hours for fine grinding, for a total consumption of 3.5 hours / piece.

If 1000 units are produced in bulk, the total labor cost is 3.5 × 1000 × $50 /hour=$175000.

After using aCNC grinder for machining,the tooth pitch error decreased from 12 μ m to 3 μ m, the pass rate increased from 60% to 95%, and the cost decreased by 13%.

How do enterprises decide on suppliers for customized gears?

When selecting custom gear supplier, enterprises need to take into account various factors such as technical ability, cost control and quality stability.The vendor evaluations are as follows:

Evaluation dimensions	Weight	LS Supplier Rating	Other supplier ratings
Technical capabilities	30%	85	75
quality stability	25%	90	80
cost competitiveness	20%	70	85
delivery reliability	15%	95	90
Compliance and Environmental Protection	10%	80	85

Total score	LS Supplier Rating	Other supplier ratings
Weighted total score	83.5	81.5

Competitiveness analysis of LS company:

1.Full-process customization service capability

• Comprehensive technical coverage: support for CNC precision machining (multiaxial coupling, micrometer level accuracy) and 3D printing (SLA/DLP/FDM, etc.) to meet complete requirements from prototype development to mass production.
• Fast iteration support: product development cycle is shortened by 50% through a closed-loop process called design,printing,test,optimization .

2.High precision and complex structure

• Advantages of CNC machining: up to IT5 level tolerances (e.g. gear mesh clearance ≤ 5 μ m) and nanometer surface roughness (e.g. Ra ≤ 0.01 μ m) for high-end aerospace, semiconductor applications.

• Breakthrough applications of 3D printing: Making irregular structures (such as internal hollowing and gradient material assemblies) that are difficult to manufacture with traditional processes, reducing assembly steps.

3.Rapid response and low-cost prototype development

• Fast delivery: Emergency services are available within 24 to72 hours. For example, drone manufacturer can complete the delivery of a full gear set prototype within 3 days to meet urgent needs.
• Low-cost trial and error: 3D printing reduces prototype costs by 70% (compared to injection molding processes), supports multiple version iterations, and is not limited to moulds.

Summary

With the acceleration of industrial intelligence and upgrading of high-end equipment, custom gear has become the core demand in the field of precision transmission and plays an irreplaceable role in all industries. Aerospace relies on special gears resistant to heat and radiation; there has been a surge in demand for miniaturized and biocompatible gears for medical devices (such as surgical robotic joint gears with diameters ≤ 1mm).

These industries often face complex working conditions, strict tolerances or special functional requirements that standardized gears cannot meet. Customized gears has become a key solution to improve equipment performance and reduce costs through material innovation such as carbon-fibre-reinforced aluminum matrix composites,precision CNC machining(± 1 μ m precision), and surface treatment technologies.

Disclaimer

The content on this page is for reference only.LSdoes not make any express or implied representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or validity of the information. No performance parameters, geometric tolerances, specific design features, material quality and type or workmanship should be inferred as to what a third party supplier or manufacturer will deliver through the Longsheng Network. It is the responsibility of the buyerseeking a quote for partsto determine the specific requirements for those parts.Pleasecontact usfor moreinformation.

LS Team

LS is an industry-leading companyspecializing in custom manufacturing solutions. With over 20 years of experience serving more than 5,000 clients, we focus on high-precisionCNC machining,sheet metal fabrication,3D printing,injection molding,metal stamping,and other one-stop manufacturing services.
Our factory is equipped with more than 100 advanced 5-axis machining centers and is ISO 9001:2015 certified. We provide fast, efficient, and high-quality manufacturing solutions to customers in over 150 countries worldwide. Whether it’s low-volume production or large-scale customization, we can meet your needs with delivery as fast as 24 hours. ChoosingLS Technologymeans choosing efficiency, quality, and professionalism.
To learn more, please visit our website:www.lsrpf.com

FAQs

1.Why choose customized gears instead of standard gears?

Typically, this is because custom gears can be used more accurately for specific applications. While standard gears are universal and cost-effective, in some cases their size, material, tooth profile or performance may not fully meet the working conditions of particular equipment or machinery.

2.What aspects of customized gears are worth paying attention to?

Accuracy and fit, material and heat treatment, tooth profile and meshing performance, durability and lifespan, as well as design and manufacturing flexibility. Together, these aspects determine the performance, reliability and applicability of custom gears.

3.Why are the prices of customized gears usually high?

As custom gears are designed and manufactured according to specific needs of the customer, the process involves complex design work, the use of high-quality raw materials, sophisticated processing processes and equipment, and specialized technical support and services. These factors combine to make custom gears more expensive to produce, leading to market prices that are often higher than standard gear.

4.What are the typical applications of customized gears in the mechanical manufacturing industry?

Custom gears are typically widely used in the mechanical manufacturing industry. Widely used in CNC machine tools, cranes, excavators and other fields. In these applications, custom gears can meet specific transmission requirements and play a key role in transmission power, transmission speed and steering.

Resources

Gear manufacturing

Epicyclic gearing

Gear cutting