Gears help man go beyond the heavens

Splined shafts

In today’s age of digital electronics, it is important to remember how much can be done with something as simple as a gear. While gears are in many everyday devices, such as watches, cars, and agricultural equipment, most people take them for granted. However, without gears, we would not be able to use any of the aforementioned devices and many other things that make our lives easier. In fact, if not for gears, we would not have been able to win World War 2, or send the space shuttle into the heavens.

A gear is usually a circular piece of metal with teeth. Meshing a gear’s teeth with those of another gear allows for torque to be transmitted. Mankind first mastered the gear in ancient times. However, today’s gears are a far cry from the gears the ancient Greeks would have used. Thanks to modern gear manufacturing, companies can create custom made gears to fulfill a variety of roles, as we have already seen.

There are of course many different kinds of gears. Bevel gears, for example, are mounted at a 90 degree angle and are usually used on shafts. On the other hand, straight bevel gears have teeth that are straight and parallel to the generators of the cone. Using custom made gears, bevel gear manufacturers can increase or decrease the amount of mechanical advantage applied by changing the amount of teeth on a bevel gear.

Other types of gears include spur gears, pinion gears, helical gears, and worm gears. Every gear is special and has its own function and use. Different types of gears are often fitted together. For example, worm gears are typically used in conjunction with spur gears or helical gears. Gear manufacturing companies can create custom made gears for a variety of purposes depending on client’s needs. More.

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