Miniature Gears

Abstract

This chapter deals with miniature gears which, in common with their larger counterparts in the power transmission field, may be classified according to application, pitch, and quality. Miniature gears are used in three main application groups:

Low-power gears. This group encompasses the many applications of medium duty gears used in commercial products such as home appliances, power operated hand tools, toys, and small industrial equipment. In this group light or medium power requirements ranging from a few gf cm torque to about 750 W (1 hp), plus motion transmission, are the important functions.

Precision, or instrument gears. This group comprises gears which are usually small in diameter (up to approximately 120 mm) and of relatively fine pitch. Motion transmission, often coupled with high indexing accuracy and low backlash are of primary importance. Their precision ranges from low to the very highest. Applications include instrument drives, automatic control systems including servomechanisms, and computers.