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Press Review Alimentation Animale

The gear that will come

This article collects a set of statements by some experts on how to improve gear performance with the search for new building materials.
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Magazine: ORGANI DI TRASMISSIONE

Publishing house: TECNICHE NUOVE

Month of publication: JANUARY 2012

Article title: THE GEAR THAT WILL BE

Article author: Simonetta Stella

Summary by: Filippo Zuolo

Institute: I.I.S. MEUCCI, Class: 3 ^ AM

 

The experts interviewed by Simonetta Stella to write this article are:

Matteo Viganò: responsible for the research and development of Sintered Stame;

Flavio Granato: Engineering Manager Shapes Division of Ensinger Italia;

Primo Penone: Automotive Manager of DuPont Performance Polymers;

Reinhard Veljovic: Market Development Manager Victrex Polymer Solutions.

 

MATERIALS AND TREATMENTS

According to Matteo Viganò, the search for new materials is very important, at least as much as the improvement in the production of materials already used at the time. An example is given by the sintered materials whose most important physical characteristic, which influences their behavior, is density, so it is important to find new ways to compress the powders such as hot pressing.

The same opinion is Flavio Granato, which indicates the search for new materials as the best method to reduce weight, consumption, maintenance and increase the reliability and silence of the gears.

Primo Penone states that under conditions of high temperatures or transmission of large powers, steel and other specific metals will still be the most suitable and used, but now also plastics are becoming known for their versatility.

Reinhard Veljovic, on the other hand, exalts the properties of the Victrex Peek polymer which, thanks to its durability, mechanical strength, dimensional precision and reliability, is convenient and efficient for constructing gears.
Finally, Matteo Viganò intervenes again to explain how the current production method of the manufactured products obtained by sintering metal powders, is environmentally sustainable for various reasons, among which he cites: the almost total use of the raw material, the recovery of heat after heat treatment following sintering with the introduction of the sinter-plate (the components are no longer heated twice, but the heat treatment is carried out immediately after sintering) and the fact that, following some processing, the pieces are perfectly clean and are not necessary further washing with soaps and solvents before use.

HOW TO IMPROVE THE SURFACE OF THE COMPONENTS

To explain the applications that coatings can have in the production of gears, Flavio Granato intervenes, illustrating how we can build gears with less noble materials and cover them with noble materials to reduce costs and improve their resistance to corrosion, hardness and friction coefficient. Also according to Matteo Viganò surface coatings have the function of improving the surface of the materials to which they are applied so as to increase the efficiency in the transmission of the torque. In sintered materials, however, the coating prevents applying a veil of lubricant to the gear (which would make it always ready to operate), since the coating closes the surface pores of the sintered material.

GEARS MADE WITH NEW MATERIALS

Veljovic says that his company now produces high-performance polymer gears so as to effectively replace the metals, emphasizing one of the properties that make these gears so useful is the high dry sliding.

Flavio Granato highlights the fact that the limitations in the use of polymeric materials is given by the maximum transmissible power, the maximum operating temperatures and the possible ovalization of the gear if subjected to a strong and constant effort. However, if coupled to a metal gear, they have excellent heat dissipation.

Other materials used are technopolymers that weigh less than metals, are not affected by corrosion, resist shock and are quite elastic.
According to Primo Penone, in addition to polymeric materials, there are also resins that have similar properties. Matteo Viganò also thinks that polymeric materials will be dangerous competitors for sintered materials.

THE TRENDS OF TOMORROW

Primo Penone talks about the efforts made to improve some characteristics of the gears, such as: reducing noise levels, increasing their durability, increasing their energy efficiency, looking for new profiles for the teeth and finding the right lubricant for the resins.
Finally, Matteo Viganò explains the real goals of the research of new materials: to guarantee the functionality that the customer wants at the lowest possible cost.