Wade A. Smith

Polymer gears are increasingly replacing metal gears in applications with low to medium torque. Traditionally, polymer gears have been manufactured using injection moulding, but additive manufacturing (AM) is becoming increasingly common. Among the different types of polymer gears, nylon gears are particularly popular. However, there is currently very limited understanding of the wear resistance of nylon gears, and of the impact of the manufacturing method on gear wear performance. The aims of this work are (a) to study the wear process of nylon gears made using the conventional injection moulding method and two popularly used AM methods, namely, fused deposition modelling and selective laser sintering, (b) to compare and understand the wear performance by monitoring the evolution of the gear surfaces of the teeth, and (c) to study the effect of wear on the gear dynamics by analysing gearbox vibration signals. This paper presents experimental work, data analysis of the wear processes using moulding and image analysis techniques, as well as the vibration data collected during gear wear tests. It also provides key results and further insights into the wear performance of the tested nylon gears. The information gained in this study is useful for better understanding the degradation process of additively manufactured nylon gears. Conflict of Interest Statement The authors declare no conflicts of interest.