5-axis CNC milling drawing: Al 7075-T6 block with pockets, toolpath and dimensions

Custom Gears

Spur. Helical. Bevel. Worm. AGMA 8-12.

Q: Gear quality classes (AGMA)?

AGMA Class 6: commercial quality, low-speed applications. AGMA Class 8: standard industrial, most common. AGMA Class 10: precision industrial, aerospace commercial. AGMA Class 12: premium aerospace, high-speed, high-accuracy. Higher class = tighter tolerance on tooth geometry, better surface finish, more expensive. Specify class based on application — Class 8 covers 70% of gears.

Q: Hobbing vs shaping vs grinding?

Hobbing: rotary cutting with multi-tooth hob — fast, standard for most external spur and helical gears. Shaping: reciprocating cutter — used for internal gears, external gears in close quarters. Grinding: final precision finishing on hardened teeth. Production workflow for precision gears: rough-cut with hob + harden + grind for finish. For industrial gears, hob-only often adequate.

Q: Material selection for gears?

Steel 8620 carburized: most common industrial gear material. Case hardened (60 HRC surface, 30 HRC core). Steel 4140 Q&T: medium-duty gears, tough core without case hardening. Delrin: plastic gears for quiet operation, low-load, lubricant-free. Brass: precision instrument gears, corrosion resistance. Phenolic: clock/timing gears, very quiet. Bronze: worm wheel paired with steel worm.

Q: Gear heat treatment workflow?

For carburized gears: rough hob → carburize (900 °C in carburizing atmosphere, 6-8 hours) → quench → temper → finish grind teeth. Core hardness 30-40 HRC, surface hardness 58-62 HRC. Case depth 1-2 mm typical. Heat treatment is critical for gear life — worth investing in proper thermal processing. We coordinate with NADCAP-qualified heat treat partners for aerospace gears.

Q: Bevel gear cutting methods?

Gleason method: specialized bevel gear cutting machines. Highly accurate but requires dedicated machinery. We typically partner with specialty bevel gear shops for Gleason-method gears. 5-axis CNC milling: increasingly viable for lower-volume bevel gears and prototypes. Our 5-axis capability handles straight bevel and simple spiral bevel gears. For spiral bevel production, Gleason is preferred.

Q: Typical lead times for gears?

Spur and helical gears (hobbed, non-hardened): 2-3 weeks. Hardened spur/helical: 4-6 weeks including heat treatment. Ground gears (AGMA Class 10+): 6-8 weeks. Bevel gears: 6-10 weeks. Worm gears: 4-6 weeks. Internal gears (gear shaping): 6-8 weeks. Plan ahead — gear manufacturing is not fast by nature, especially for hardened and ground gears.

Custom gear manufacturing across all gear types. Spur gears, helical gears, bevel gears, worm gears, internal gears. CNC hobbing, shaping, and grinding for AGMA Class 8-12 quality. Heat-treated steel, Delrin, brass, phenolic — material matched to application.

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Motion & power transmissionWuxi, ChinaMOQ 1 partDFM review included

Technical plate for Spur. Helical. Bevel. Worm. AGMA 8-12.

How we run it

CNC for gears

Different gear types solve different drive problems. Spur gears for parallel shafts, helical for smoother parallel drives, bevel for intersecting shafts, worm for high-reduction right-angle drives.

3-7 daysTypical lead time

MOQ 1No minimum quantity

<4 hQuote response

ISO 9001Quality system

01 · Gear types

Gear types we manufacture.

Spur gears

Parallel-axis gears with straight teeth. Workhorse gear type. Most economical for basic rotation transfer.

Helical gears

Angled-tooth gears for smoother, quieter parallel drives. Higher load capacity than spur. Automotive and industrial.

Bevel gears

Intersecting-axis gears for right-angle drives. Straight bevel or spiral bevel. Differentials, gear boxes, industrial drives.

Worm gears

High-ratio right-angle drives. Large reduction ratio in single stage. Conveyors, elevators, specialty industrial.

Internal gears

Gears with teeth on inside of ring. Used in planetary gearsets. Machined by gear shaping or broaching.

Rack & pinion

Linear motion conversion. Rack (linear) + pinion (circular) for CNC machine axes, robotics, steering systems.

Sprockets

Chain drive sprockets in standard pitches (ANSI, ISO). Case-hardened teeth for chain wear resistance.

Timing belt pulleys

Toothed pulleys for synchronous belt drives. Standard pitches (HTD, GT2, XL, L).

Custom geometry

Non-standard gear geometry, custom tooth profiles, specialty applications

Different gear types solve different drive problems. Spur gears for parallel shafts, helical for smoother parallel drives, bevel for intersecting shafts, worm for high-reduction right-angle drives.

02 · Gear applications

Where our gears are used.

Automotive drivetrain

Transmission gears, differential gears, gearbox internals

Robotics

Robot joint gears, harmonic drive internals, servo reducers

Aerospace

Aircraft actuator gears, helicopter transmission, jet engine accessory drives

Industrial machinery

Gearbox internals for pumps, compressors, conveyors, machine tools

Agricultural equipment

Tractor transmissions, combine harvester drives, implement PTO gears

Medical devices

Medical robot drive gears, surgical tool gears, diagnostic equipment

Clock/precision

Clock and watch gear trains, precision instrument gearing

Marine propulsion

Marine gearboxes, propeller drives, steering gears

Heavy equipment

Mining equipment transmissions, construction machinery drives

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FAQ

Spur — questions

Gear quality classes (AGMA)?

AGMA Class 6: commercial quality, low-speed applications. AGMA Class 8: standard industrial, most common. AGMA Class 10: precision industrial, aerospace commercial. AGMA Class 12: premium aerospace, high-speed, high-accuracy. Higher class = tighter tolerance on tooth geometry, better surface finish, more expensive. Specify class based on application — Class 8 covers 70% of gears.

Hobbing vs shaping vs grinding?

Hobbing: rotary cutting with multi-tooth hob — fast, standard for most external spur and helical gears. Shaping: reciprocating cutter — used for internal gears, external gears in close quarters. Grinding: final precision finishing on hardened teeth. Production workflow for precision gears: rough-cut with hob + harden + grind for finish. For industrial gears, hob-only often adequate.

Material selection for gears?

Steel 8620 carburized: most common industrial gear material. Case hardened (60 HRC surface, 30 HRC core). Steel 4140 Q&T: medium-duty gears, tough core without case hardening. Delrin: plastic gears for quiet operation, low-load, lubricant-free. Brass: precision instrument gears, corrosion resistance. Phenolic: clock/timing gears, very quiet. Bronze: worm wheel paired with steel worm.

Gear heat treatment workflow?

For carburized gears: rough hob → carburize (900 °C in carburizing atmosphere, 6-8 hours) → quench → temper → finish grind teeth. Core hardness 30-40 HRC, surface hardness 58-62 HRC. Case depth 1-2 mm typical. Heat treatment is critical for gear life — worth investing in proper thermal processing. We coordinate with NADCAP-qualified heat treat partners for aerospace gears.

Bevel gear cutting methods?

Gleason method: specialized bevel gear cutting machines. Highly accurate but requires dedicated machinery. We typically partner with specialty bevel gear shops for Gleason-method gears. 5-axis CNC milling: increasingly viable for lower-volume bevel gears and prototypes. Our 5-axis capability handles straight bevel and simple spiral bevel gears. For spiral bevel production, Gleason is preferred.

Typical lead times for gears?

Spur and helical gears (hobbed, non-hardened): 2-3 weeks. Hardened spur/helical: 4-6 weeks including heat treatment. Ground gears (AGMA Class 10+): 6-8 weeks. Bevel gears: 6-10 weeks. Worm gears: 4-6 weeks. Internal gears (gear shaping): 6-8 weeks. Plan ahead — gear manufacturing is not fast by nature, especially for hardened and ground gears.

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