The state of the art of wind turbine gearboxes
Much has been written here about the global growth in the wind turbine industry. Today, more than 341,320 wind turbines are operating worldwide. In...
Future of gear design relies on overcoming present
Increasing application demands and the need for higher performance mean the future is coming fast for gear designs. The next generation of gear engineers...
Forging the next generation in gear quality
Forging and casting are commonly used processes in gear manufacturing. While both provide product close to near net shape, forging offers several benefits casting...
Optimizing gear performance
Throughout the past several months, our technology experts at TimkenSteel have discussed various topics in Materials Matter around steel used in the gear industry...
Optimizing Gear Performance
Our technology experts at TimkenSteel have discussed various topics in Materials Matter around steel used in the gear industry – clean steel and why...
Controlling Distortion by Choosing the Right Materials
Perhaps the most costly factor in the manufacture of high-precision components like gears is that of unplanned dimensional changes or distortion of the final...
Machinability and the Cost of Manufacturing Gears
When it comes to material-associated gear manufacturing costs, machining and gear-tooth cutting costs stand out as primary contributors. The gear blank and tooth machining...
Enhanced Steel Performance During Vacuum Carburizing of Gears
Many references cover the history and development of low-pressure carburizing, colloquially known as vacuum carburizing, so we’ll start our discussion with the motivations of...
Use of Clean Steels
Manufacturers can benefit greatly by using gear steels that provide consistent quality and can minimize their manufacturing costs. The next few articles in the...
Materials Modeling for Better Gear Design and Performance
Prior articles in this series have highlighted the importance of clean steels as they relate to gear design and preventing premature component failures. Discussions...
Increasing Gear Set Power Density
Increasing the power density of your gear sets allows you to develop durable gear sets with an existing design but higher horsepower and torque...
Power Density: Why Steel Cleanness Matters
As early as the mid-1980s, the concept of mechanical“power density” was introduced based, in part, on the use of clean steel.
Today, the demands being...
Common Gear Failures
The strength, toughness, and cost effectiveness of steel make it the most widely used material in gear-making . Different steel compositions offer an array...
Industry Standards For Steel Cleanness
The correlation of steel cleanness to the performance of parts made from steel has been recognized by engineers for many years. This has been...
Steel Cleanness and Why Measurement Matters
In the past, cyclically loaded gearbox components often experienced fatigue failure caused by large oxide inclusions. Gradual improvements to the steelmaking process led to...
Additive Manufacturing: Challenges, Possibilities, and the Gear Industry
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a technology that has the potential to fundamentally alter manufacturing, specifically metal manufacturing. The ability to design complex shapes, which...
Nitriding’s “White Layer” and Isotropic Superfinishing
Developed in the early 20th century, nitriding has evolved into a standard process across many industrial applications. Often considered the simplest technique for case...
Gear Corrosion in the Manufacturing Process
No matter how well gears are designed and manufactured, gear corrosion can occur during the manufacturing process, which may, in turn, result in catastrophic...
Comparing Surface Roughness Parameters
Effective gear design must account for a range of potential failure modes. As discussed in previous Materials Matter columns, gear failure modes can be...
Lambda Ratio
The lambda ratio was originally developed to quantify the quality of lubricant operating regimes relative to bearing performance . Starting around the 1990s, the...
