Introduction

   
Gears   are   useful   tools   in   industry   because   they   are   machine   elements   that  
transmit  motion.  They  come  in  all  forms  from  small  gears  used  in  toys  to  those  
used  in  heavy  earth-­‐moving  machinery.    

To   define   clearly   what   the   gears   are   we   can   say   that   gears   are   toothed   wheels  
that  have  been  used  to  transmit  circular  or  rotational  motion  force  from  one  part  
of   a   machine   to   another.   Spur   gears  are   the   most   common   type   of   gears.   They  
have   straight   teeth,   and   are   establish   on   parallel   shafts.     That   kind   of   gear   is  
applicable  to  all  types  of  trains  and  to  a  wide  range  of  velocity  radios  because  of  
the  simplicity  of  tooth  elements  offers  maximum  precision.  Nowadays  gears  are  
used   on   a   daily   basis   and   can   be   found   in   most   people’s   everyday   life   from  
different   gadgets   or   many   things.   Gears   are   the   most   common   means   of  
transmitting  power  in  mechanical  engineering.  

Involute  curve    
An  involute  is  a  line,  which  is  a  geometric  property  that  gradually  becomes  more  
distant   from   a   center   point.   The   involute   of   a   circle   is   a   curve   generated   by  
unwrapping   a   taut   string   from   a   cylinder,   but   also   can   be   described   by   a  
mathematical   function.     This   curve   has   some   interesting   characteristics   for   the  
construction   of   the   tooth   profile   of   a   gear,   this   are:   that   the   perpendicular   of   any  
point  of  the  involute  is  always  tangent  to  the  base  circle;  the  center  curvature  of  
the  involute  is  always  at  the  point  of  tangency  of  the  string  with  the  circle.  

First,   it   is   necessary   to   learn   how   to   construct   an   involute   curve   to   understand  

how   to   construct   a   tooth   profile.   First   you   have   to   divide   the   base   circle   into   a  
number  of  equal  parts,  and  construct  radial  lines.    

Beginning   at   A1,   construct   the   straight   line   A1B1,   perpendicular   to   0A1,   and  
likewise  beginning  at  A2  and  A3.  

Along   A1B1,   lay   off   the   distance   A1A0,   thus   establishing   C1.   Along   A2B2,   lay   off  
twice  A1A0,  thus  establishing  C2,  etc.    

  1  
Establishing  the  involute  curve  by  using  points  A0,  C1,  C2,  C3;  so  on,  like  is  shown  
in  the  image  below.  

Figure  [1]  
Construction  of  an  involute  curve  
(SHIGLEY:2006)  
 
 
The  mathematical  equation  that  describes  the  involute  trajectory  considering  the  
arc  length  function  and  polar  parametric  equations  of  the  curve  is:  
 
!! = !(cos ! + ! sin !) ;   !! = !(sin ! − ! cos !)  

!" ! − ! ! ∗ !"′(!)
           (2)  
!!(!)! + !!(!)!

Involute  curve  as  tooth  gear  profile  of  spur  gears  

The   spur   gear   is   the   most   basic   type   of   parallel   axis   rotary   transmission   gears,  
which   are   designed   to   transmit   power   efficiently,   so   it   is   important   the   design   of  
the   tooth’s   profile,   because   it   is   responsible   for   the   stresses   in   the   gear   and   to  
maintain  a  conjugate  action  on  the  pair  of  gears.  So  the  involute  curve  is  one  of  
the   most   used   profiles   to   build   the   teeth   of   spur   gears,   because   it   is   one   of   the  
easiest  ways  to  manufacture  gears  assuring  a  well  working  gear  mesh.  assuring  
the  satisfaction  of  the  fundamental  law  of  gearing  which  states  that:  

“The   angular   velocity   ratio   between   gears   of   a   gearset   must   remain   constant  
throughout  the  mesh”(cita  )  

The importance of the involute teeth gears systems is now a day one of the fastest,
easiest and less expensive ways to build a tooth’s profile; it works very well because
the involute gear allows gear trains to maintain the constant relative rates of rotation
from one gear to the next. Because of the characteristic described above of the
involute there are always one pair of teeth in contact with each other. Also this type of
profile avoids vibrations that can cause the failure of the system and wearing of the

  2  
gear.

[3] Figure 2 Schematic showing the pressure line and pressure angle.1
(SHIGLEY:2006)  

Another thing about involute profiles is the a common tangent also called line of
action which always passes trough the pitch pint regardless of where in the mesh the
two teeth are contacting. The pitch point has the same linear velocity in both pinion
and gear. Another advantages of the involute tooth profile is the reduction of noise
along the gear operation and the cutting tool to manufacture the gear is easier to
produce and to assembly in the cutting machine.

The  steps  for  designing  the  tooth  profile  are  the  next  ones:  
a) Determine  the  parameters  (module  m,  number  of  teeth  N).    
b) You  need  to  know  the  pitch  diameter  that  you  have  or  need  according  to  
the  equation  d=mN.  
c) Draw  a  line  that  cut’s  the  center    
d) Draw  a  line  tangent  to  the  pitch  circle  and  perpendicular  to  the  line  from  
the  center.  
e) Taking  the  tangent  line  at  the  pitch  circle,  measure  the  pressure  angle  you  
want,  which  standards  are  20  or  25º,  and  draw  a  line  that  represents  it.  
f) Draw   another   line   that   passes   through   center   and   perpendicular   to   the  
pressure.  Taking  the  length  of  the  perpendicular  line  as  the  ratio,  where  it  

                                                                                                               
1  This  figure  also  shows  the  common  line  of  action.  

  3  
 intersects   the   line   of   the   pressure   angle,   draw   another   concentrically  
circle,  which  is  base  circle.  
g) It’s   time   to   describe   the   tooth   profile   by   drawing   the   involute   curve  
following   the   procedure   explained   above.   The   more   divisions   you   make,  
the  more  accuracy  your  profile  will  have.    
h) Once  you  get  the  half  profile,  you  need  to  mirror  the  involute  profile  using  
the  tooth  thickness,  which  can  be  obtained  by  the  expression  below.    
! = !"/2  
i) Once  you  have  the  2  curves,  you  need  trim  them  by  drawing  the  adendum  
circle   above,   and   the   dedendum   circle   below.   This   diameters   can   be  
obtain  by  adding  and  subtracting  the  addendum  and  dedendum  distances,  
which  are  given  by  the  following  expression:  a=m;  b=1.25m  

j) Once  you  have  the  profile  all  you  need  to  do  is  reproduce  the  profile  along  
the  circumference.  

Manufacture  

Forming  Gear  Tooth  

Nowadays,   there   are   a   large   number   of   manufacturing   processes   to   form   the  

teeth  of  metal  gears,  such  as  casting  processes,  like  sand  casting,  shell  molding,  
investment   casting,   permanent-­‐mold   casting,   die   casting,   and   centrifugal   casting.    
Using   powder   metallurgy,   extrusion,   thread   rolling,   drawing,   forging   and  
blanking   sheet   metal   can   also   be   other   processes   to   manufacture   gear   teeth.     Col  
forming  or  cold  rolling  is  one  of  the  promising  methods,  in  which  dies  are  rolled  
against  steel  blanks  to  form  teeth.  Some  relevant  processes  are:  

• Casting:  The  advantage  of  this  method  is  low  cost.  The  resulting  teeth  are  
of  low  precision  and  are  used  only  in  noncritical  applications  where  noise  
and  excessive  backlash  are  not  detrimental.    
• Investment   casting:  Provides  reasonably  accurate  gears  in  wide  variety  
of  materials,  and  the  accuracy  is  a  function  of  the  original  master  pattern  
used  to  make  the  mold.  

  4  
 • Sintering:  This  process  consists  powdered  metals  (PM)  into  gear-­‐shaped  
metal  mold  cavity,  removed,  and  heat  treated  to  increase  their  strength.    
• Extruding:  It  is  used  to  form  teeth  on  long.  Which  are  then  cut  into  usable  
lengths  and  machines  for  bores  and  keyways  so  on.    
• Cold   drawing:   This   forms   teeth   on   steel   rods   increasing   strength   and  
reducing  ductility.  

Machining  

Gears   that   carry   large   loads   compared   to   their   size,   or   gears   used   to   transmit  
power   in   machinery   are   made   by   machining,   including   milling   or   hobbing.   The  
roughing  processes  can  be  classified  by:  Form  cutting  and  Generating.  

Form  cutting  

The   cutting   tool,   which   has   the   shape   of   the   space   between   the   gear   teeth,  
characterizes   the   form   cutting;   normally   the   cutter   travels   axially   along   the  
length   of   the   gear   of   the   gear   tooth   at   appropriate   depth   to   produce   the   gear  
tooth   profile.   Once   each   tooth   is   cut,   the   cutter   withdraw,   the   gear   blank   is  
rotates  and  the  cutter  proceeds  to  cut  another  tooth.    Some  of  those  methods  are:  

• Form  milling.  The  cutter  to  use  this  technique  must  be  made  to  the  shape  
of   the   gear   tooth   space   for   the   tooth   geometry   and   number   of   teeth   of  
each  particular  gear,  so  each  gear  size  need  a  different  shape   cutter   and  
the  tooling  costs  are  high.    
• Gear   Shaping.   It   uses   a   cutting   tool   in   the   shale   of   a   ear,   which   is  
reciprocated   axially   across   the   gear   blank   to   cut   teeth   while   the   blank  
rotates  around  the  shaper  tool.  The  accuracy  is  good,  but  even  little  errors  
in  the  shaper  cutter  will  be  directly  transferred  to  the  gear.  It  is  used  to  
cut  internal  gears  too.  

Generating  

In   gear   generation,   the   tool   could   be   a   pinion-­‐shaped   cutter,   a   rack   shaped  

straight   cutter,   or   a   hob.   The   cutter   can   be   considered   as   one   of   the   gears   in  
conjugate  pair,  and  the  other  as  the  gear  blank,  it  has  an  axis  parallel  to  that  of  

  5  
the   gear   blank   and   rotates   slowly   with   the   blank   at   the   same   pitch   circle   velocity  
with  an  axial  reciprocating  motion.    

• Rack   generation.   In   this   method   a   rack   cutter   is   made   for   any   involute  
pitch   to   cut   the   tooth   profile   of   the   gear.   The   rack   and   gear   blank   must   be  
periodically   repositioned   to   complete   the   circumference,   introducing  
some  errors  in  the  tooth  geometry.  
• Hobbing.   This   is   the   most   accurate   process   to   rough   gears   because   no  
repositioning  of  tool  or  blank  is  required.  In  this  the  hob  teeth  are  shaped  
to   match   the   tooth   space,   providing   cutting   surfaces   by   the   interruption  
with  grooves.  

Finishing  Processes  

Secondary  operations  can  be  made  for  gears  with  any  of  these  methods  to  obtain  
high  precision,  eliminating  errors  in  the  teeth,  when  is  needed  improving  surface  
finishing   and   accuracy   when   gears   run   at   high   speeds   and   transmit   large   torque.  
There  are  several  methods  to  finish  the  gears  like  shaving,  burnishing,  grinding  
and   lapping.     Each   of   these   processes   has   its   particular   application   cases   like  
shaving  bringing  the  accuracy  with  the  limits  of  250µin.  

Conclusion  
Gears   are   a   basic   engineering   pieces   even   though   there   are   different   types   of  
gears   all   of   them   have   same   function,   give   rotary   movement.   We   define   the  
characteristics  of  our  gears  depending  for  what  device  we  are  going  to  use  them.  
We   confirmed   whit   this   investigation   the   importance   of   the   accuracy   of   the  
calculations   are   necessary   for   the   design   and   modeling   these   pieces,   and  
specialized   machinery   to   build   them,   which   implies   different   manufacture  
processes.  So  this  help  us  as  engineers  in  designing  reliable  and  proper  types  of  
gears,  in  order  to  get  the  best  performance  of  the  machinery  involved  with  and  
reducing  the  possible  risks,  to  assure  the  integrity  of  our  mechanical  system.  
 
 
 

  6  
Bibliography  &  Reference  
[1]   Figure   1   taken   from:   Richard   G.   Budynas,   J.   K.   (2006).  Shigley's  Mechanical  
Engineering  Design(8th  ed.).  Mc  Graw  Hill.  
[2]  The  equation  is  taken  from  Involute.  (n.d.).  Xah  Lee  Web  李 网.  Retrieved  
February  10,  2011,  from    
http://xahlee.org/SpecialPlaneCurves_dir/Involute_dir/involute.html  
[3]   Figure   2   taken   from:   Childs,   P.   R.   (2004).Mechanical   design  (2nd   ed.).  
Oxford:  Elsevier  Butterworth-­‐Heinemann.  
[4]   Steve   F.   Krar,   A.   R.   (2005).  Techonology   of   Machine   Tools.  New   York,   New  
York,  United  States:  Mc  Graw  Hill.  
[5]   Norton,   R.   L.   (2008).  Design   of   Machinery  (4th   ed.).   New   York,   New   York,  
United  States  of  America:  Mc  Graw  Hill.  
[6]   Norton,   R.   L.   (2006).  Design   of   Machine:   An   Integrated   Approach  (3rd   ed.).  
United  States  of  America:  Pearson.  
[7]   M.   F.   Spotts,   T.   E.   (2002).  Elementos   de   Máquinas  (7   ed.).   México:   Pearson  
Educación.  
[8]  "Circle   Involute   -­‐-­‐   from   Wolfram   MathWorld."  Wolfram   MathWorld:   The  
Web's   Most   Extensive   Mathematics   Resource.   N.p.,   n.d.   Web.   9   Feb.   2011.  
<http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CircleInvolute.html>.  
 
 
 
 
 

  7