We have two material geared motor, including plastic and metal. They mean that the gear material of the geared motor is plastic or metal. In fact, our metal gears include power metallurgy and hardware processing. But in fact, whatever metal and plastic gears, they have their own advantages and disadvantages. What we’re talking about is why we choose plastic gears to help you choose a suitable geared motor.
Plastics have many advantages over metals, including cost, design, processing, and performance.
1. Lower cost: generally, the production cost of plastic gear is cheaper than that of metal gear. Plastic gear usually does not need secondary finishing, so compared with metal gear, plastic gear can usually save cost.
2. Low noise: the excellent shock absorption performance of plastic makes the noise low during operation.
3. High design freedom: Plastic can realize more efficient gear geometry than metal.
4. High precision: the plastic gear can achieve high precision with consistent material quality and precise molding process control.
5. Strong bearing capacity: since plastic gears can be wider than metal gears, they can achieve greater bearing capacity and more power transmission in one stage.
6. Corrosion resistance: unlike metal gears, plastic gears are not corroded. Their relative inertia means they can be used in water meters, chemical plant controls, and other situations that may cause corrosion or degradation of metal gears.
7. Lubrication: the inherent lubricity of many plastics makes them very suitable for computer printers, toys, and other low load situations requiring dry gears. Plastics can also be lubricated with grease or oil.
8. Lightweight: the weight of plastic gear is often lighter than that of metal gear.
9. Good shock absorption performance: plastic gear has more bearing force than metal gear because plastic can deflect to absorb impact load. It also does a better job of distributing localized loads caused by misalignment and tool errors.
Disadvantages of plastic gear
Compared with metal gear, plastic gear has the disadvantages of low modulus of elasticity, low mechanical strength, poor heat conduction performance, and a large coefficient of thermal expansion. Temperature is the main factor affecting wear, and rotation speed and transmission torque are more important factors affecting tooth surface temperature and wear, which limit the use of plastic gear in high load and high-speed occasions.
