Tooth Tips: Donald R. McVittie P.E.
What load can you expect a gear set to carry? An accurate answer would be too complicated for this column, and while a simple...
Tooth Tips: Donald R. McVittie P.E.
Everyone knows that a pair of gears needs some backlash so that the teeth aren't "pinched" (running with both flanks touching). Many people, though,...
Tooth Tips: Donald R. McVittie P.E.
A favorite gear engineer's saying is "if the input shaft turns and the output shaft doesn't, the gear drive has failed." That "definition" implies...
Tooth Tips: Donald R. McVittie P.E.
Sometimes there simply is no easy fix for a misalignment problem. Maybe the box is bored out of line, the gears weren't matched originally,...
Tooth Tips: Donald R. McVittie P.E.
When gears are worn, they lose their accuracy. Like an engine camshaft, gears need a smooth, accurate shape to carry their load. When the...
Tooth Tips: Donald R. McVittie P.E.
Most gear tooth failures provide clues that help us make replacement gears that outlast the originals. Sometimes it's simple, like "no oil," but more...
Tooth Tips: Donald R. McVittie P.E.
Misalignment of an overhung pinion is easy to understand, but sometimes we see signs of misalignment even though the gear and the pinion are...
Tooth Tips: Donald R. McVittie P.E.
Here's a checklist for "walking around" inspections of operating gear drives. It's intended to help you keep track of the health of your drives...
