Design and Selection of Material for Plastic Gears

The use of plastic and polymer composite gears is increasing because of their low cost, lightweight and quiet operation compared to metal gears. Plastic gears find application in printers, cameras, timers, counters, etc. Four different combinations of materials for pinion and gear were selected in the present work, and a comparative study was done to investigate mechanical and thermal properties analytically. Analytical results were validated using SOLIDWORKS and ANSYS. Design 1 and Design 2 were found out to be preferable designs. Maximum principal and maximum shear stress generated were minimum for Design 1 (pinion of Polycarbonate and gear of Acetal copolymer). Simultaneously, the deformation and temperature rise were minimum for Design 2 (pinion of Nylon 66 and gear of Acetal copolymer).