Wear-resistant polymer gears

Recording of the online seminar

Application examples with polymer gears

Your questions and our answers (FAQ)

What is a gear?
The gear is a round component with evenly distributed teeth around its circumference. It is used to transmit power between two rotating gears or between a gear and a gear rack. Other types are used depending on the application.

What types of gears are there? 
The most common types of gears/gearing components are

• spur gears
• gear rack
• worm gears
• bevel gears

Different gears and gear types are often combined with each other to realise certain motion sequences.

When do gears fit together?
For gears to move smoothly, it is important that the teeth can mesh. To achieve this, the teeth of the gears must be the same size and therefore have the same module. This applies to all gearing components, e.g. also for gear racks, bevel gears, etc.

What is the module of a gear?
The module indicates the size of a gear. The module is calculated by dividing the pitch circle diameter by the number of teeth (m= d/z).
Please note that only gears with the same module can be combined.

How long does a gear last?
The service life of a gear depends on various factors. Firstly, which specification (e.g. module or number of teeth) the gear has and how the gear is used (e.g. application temperature, torque or speed). If you would like to know in advance how long a gear will last in your application, you are welcome to fill out our form for a free service life calculation.
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How are the gears made from the iglidur® high-performance polymers?  
At igus®, gears are manufactured using three production processes:

• injection moulding with iglidur® granules
• Mechanical processing from iglidur® bar stock
• 3D printing with iglidur® SLS or FDM materials

Depending on your enquiry, we will advise you free of charge and without obligation with regard to production in order to find the most economical solution together with you.

How are the iglidur® gears tested? 
We have test rigs in our test laboratory to test our gear made from a wide range of iglidur® materials in various scenarios. We are also happy to provide you with samples for your application-related tests.

What is the minimum order quantity? 
There is no minimum order quantity for our gears. You can request and order no minimum order quantity.

Can the iglidur® gears be lubricated? 
External lubrication of the gears is not necessary. All the materials we use are already tribologically optimised and designed for dry operation. However, if lubrication is required, this is possible in conjunction with a silicone-free lubricant.

I need a special design, is this possible?  
Yes, the production of special geometries is possible and can be realised for all quantity scenarios thanks to our diverse manufacturing processes. We will be happy to advise you individually on your special geometry and the appropriate material. You can request your customised gear here .

What are the advantages of iglidur® gears?
The iglidur® gears require no external lubrication and are therefore maintenance-free. With our gears, you also benefit from a long service life thanks to wear-resistant materials, which we achieve through the formulations of the iglidur® materials. Compared to metal gears, plastic gears are low-noise and offer optimum emergency running properties. The tribological optimisation of the materials also results in a low coefficient of friction.

When does a gear need to be replaced?  
As soon as the gear is no longer able to transmit power due to wear, it must be replaced. Geometric adjustments such as module, number of teeth or by selecting the right material, the service life of the gear can be increased.

What areas of application are there? 
The iglidur® gears are used in all industries. Depending on the area of application, we offer special materials which, for example, have FDA conformity or certain fire standards (e.g. the automotive sector) or similar.

Polymer gear instead of metal gear