But a line of stock ground-tooth, spiral-bevel gears from Arrow Gear Co., Downers Grove, Ill. (arrowgear.com), cuts delivery to days and costs by 50% or more. It includes 53 gear combinations in sizes to 16-in. diameter and quality levels to Q13.
"The line targets manufacturers of power-transmission systems looking to reduce costs for prototype development and low-volume production," says Arrow CEO and Chairman, James J. Cervinka.
Blanks can be modified in about two weeks to fit specific gearboxes. Only gear teeth are carburized and hardened as opposed to through hardening common for most stock gears which simplifies machining. The use of special FEA software optimizes tooth contact patterns under fully loaded conditions to account for gearbox deflections.