Performance improvement method for Nylon 6 spur gears

Plastic gears made of Nylon 6 are especially susceptible to failure due to extreme heat accumulation in the single tooth mesh area, which results in damage that consequently shortens gear teeth life and causes transmission errors. In this experimental study, the teeth width of plastic spur gears made of Nylon 6 were modified and investigated. The values of load sharing, F/b, in single and double tooth meshing areas were leveled by widening the single tooth zone along the meshing area, and the performances of both modified and unmodified gears were studied experimentally under three different loadings. It was observed that modified Nylon 6 gears exhibit lower tooth temperatures, which results in a decrease in wear rate as compared to unmodified gears. Consequently, teeth width modification helps to increase Nylon 6 gear performance.