Gear Quality Numbers: How to Convert

International Standards
SIGMA OEM can manufacture and supply high quality gears up to Q-number AGMA
14/DIN 3/ISO 3 for a variety of customer applications.

In the global marketplace, the Q-number standards vary from country to country. The Q-
number, also known as Gear Quality Number or Gear Quality Grade, measures the
geometric accuracy level of teeth on a gear. But when you travel from the US to
Germany, for example, a completely different scale is used for this important metric.

In the USA, AGMA (American Gear Manufacturer’s Association http://www.agma.org/),

sets the Q-number standards, while Japan uses the metrics set forth by JGMA
(Japanese Gear Manufacturers Association http://www.jgma.org/ ). The ISO
(International Organization for Standardization http://www.iso.org/iso/home.html)
provides standards for 162 countries, and Germany continues to employ the DIN
(Deutsches Institut für Normung http://www.din.de/de/). These varying standards can
lead to confusion in international transactions.

The following table provides a general cross-reference for converting the Q-numbers in
different markets. As the world economy has become increasingly global, suppliers are
better able to meet the needs of international customers when they have these
conversions at their fingertips. While there is no direct and full conversion among the
varying measurements, the table below offers a useful comparison of the most common
industrial standards.