Material Science and

Metallurgy
(2131904)
Open Ended Problem
Academic Year 2015-16
(3rd Sem)
Batch : 1A19
Branch : Mechanical (class-1)
Topic : Gears (Spur, Helical, Bevel,
Worm)
Spur Gear: 1401101190-01 to
1401101190-06
Helical Gear:1401101190-07 to
1401101190-12

Bevel Gear : 1401101190-13 to

1401101190-18
Worm Gear: 1401101190-19 to
1401101190-22

WORM GEAR
(1401101190-19 to 1401101190-22)

Photo courtesy Emerson Power

Transmission Corp.

Basic Requirement of Worm Gear :

Worm gears are used when large gear

reductions are needed.

It is common for worm gears to have

reductions of 20:1, and even up to 300:1 or

greater.
The worm can easily turn the gear, but the gear
cannot turn the worm. This is because the angle
on the worm is so shallow that when the gear
tries to spin it, the friction between the gear and
the worm holds the worm in place.
This feature is useful for machines such as
conveyor systems, in which the locking feature
can act as a brake for the conveyor when the
motor is not turning.

Materials Used in Worm with its

Applications

Material

Notes

Applications

Worm
Acetal /
Nylon

Toys, domestic
Low Cost, low duty appliances,
instruments

Excellent
Cast Iron machinability,
medium friction.
Carbon
Steel

Low cost,
reasonable
strength

Used infrequently
in modern
machinery
Power gears with
medium rating.

Power gears with

Hardened High strength, good
high rating for
Steel
durability
extended life
Wormwheel
Acetal
/Nylon

Toys, domestic
Low Cost, low duty appliances,
instruments

Phos
Bronze

Reasonable
strength, low
friction and good
compatibility with
steel

Excellent
Cast Iron machinability,
medium friction.

Normal material for

worm gears with
reasonable
efficiency
Used infrequently
in modern
machinery

Material Specification with Proper

Name:
Worm gear sets are usually used to reduce speed
and increase torque. Since the worm drive
undergoes more contact stress cycles than the
worm gear, the worm drive is usually of a stronger
material.
Cast iron provides durability and ease of
manufacture.
Alloy steel provides superior durability and
corrosion resistance. Minerals may be added to
the alloy to further harden the gear.
Cast steel provides easier fabrication, strong
working loads and vibration resistance.
Carbon steels are inexpensive and strong, but
are susceptible to corrosion.

 Aluminum is used when low gear inertia with

some resiliency is required.
Brass is inexpensive, easy to mold and
corrosion resistant.
Copper is easily shaped, conductive and
corrosion resistant. The gear's strength would
increase if bronzed.
Plastic is inexpensive, corrosion resistant,
quiet operationally and can overcome missing
teeth or misalignment. Plastic is less robust
than metal and is vulnerable to temperature
changes and chemical corrosion. Acetal, delrin,
nylon, and polycarbonate plastics are common.
Other material types like wood may be
suitable for individual applications.
The entire gear set shall be referred to as the
"worm set", the steel driving gear as "the worm"
and the bronze-driven gear as the "wormwheel"
or "wormgear".
Generally, the yellow metal of the wormwheel is
referred to as bronze rather than brass, even
though in many cases the material actually has a
brass composition rather than a true bronze
composition

 This is due at least in part to the predominance

of SAE 65 gear bronze as the material of choice
for wormwheels in the last century.
Other bronzes or copper alloys are listed in ASTM
B427, Standard Specification for Gear Bronze
Alloy Casting.
Newer materials have since been applied, but
SAE 65 or UNS C90700 often remains the
material of choice.
Why is the material choice bronze for the worm drive and aluminium for the worm
gear?

The steel is used for high strength worm gears

(worm wheel) and steel may be plain carbon
steel or alloy steel. The steel gears are usually
heat treated in order to combine properly the
toughness and tooth hardness.
The phosphor bronze is widely used for worms
drive in order to reduce wear of the worms which
will be excessive with cast iron or steel.
Worm gear sets are usually used to reduce speed
and increase torque. Since the worm drive
undergoes more contact stress cycles than the
worm gear, the worm drive is usually of a
stronger material.

Properties of SAE 65
So, from these it is clear that bronze is the
most appropriate material for worm.
And SAE 65 is generally most common used
material for worm

Manufacturing Process Required

for Worm
Material Selection
The induction process only requires a ferrous
material to create heat in the work. To harden
steel, however, requires an alloy with relatively
higher carbon amounts.
Comon steels used in this processing for
producing gear worms are 4150 or 1050. The
latter is less expensive but has a lower
machinability.
Typically, alloys having Carbon levels of 0.40.6% Carbon offer excellent induction

hardening characteristics for both depth and

pattern.
Depending on the hardness level or tolerances,
a variety of steels are available that offer good
induction hardening ability.
The machinability of the steel is very important
in this processing, because the worm is being
finished with a cutting process, so surface
roughness is critical.
Since worms typically run with brass or bronze
gears, wear is critical.
The smoother the surface the better the life of
the gear. 16rms (0.4Ra) is possible and not
unheard of but 20-24rms is more typical and
controllable.

Worm Production Methods

The exact form of the worm teeth is a function of
the method used to finish the teeth. Worms may
be milled in a thread miller or similar machine,
using a double conical milling cutter having an
included angle equal to two times the pressure
angle of the worm. Worm tooth grinding is
usually done in a thread grinding machine, using
a grinding wheel dressed with a double conical
form. The worm teeth may also be produced by
using a single-point tool in a lathe. This is the
same method used for cutting screw threads.
Production quantities of fine pitch worms often
have the teeth produced by rolling, using the
same type of equipment used for rolling screw
threads. Multiple-thread worms are often
produced by hobbing, generating the teeth as a
helical gear. Additionally, equipment is available
for finishing worm teeth by grinding one tooth
flank at a time, using the flat side of a grinding

wheel. Machines are also available employing the

same principles for milling teeth. This system is
most commonly used on large worms.
Worm Wheel Production Worm wheel teeth are
most commonly produced by hobbing. Two
methods are commonly usedthe radial
infeedmethod or the tangential feed method.
Either method can be used to produce a throated
worm wheel. Before the hob can be designed and
manufactured, it is necessary that the hob
designer be provided with information about the
worm production method, and details of the
worm tooth profile, in order that the hob can
produce a worm wheel with a tooth profile
conjugate to the worm.
A) Radial infeed hobbing
Radial infeed hobbing is most commonly used for
worm wheels having a relatively low lead angle,
and for commercial grade products. There are a
large number of worm gear sets manufactured to
replace damaged or worn equipment. Many of
these are made in plants that don't have
equipment for producing worm wheels by any
method other than radial infeed hobbing. The
number of flutes in the hob influence the

accuracy of the tooth profile, which is generated

as a number of flats or facets. Radial infeed
hobbing is generally considered to be the most
economical method of worm wheel production.
B) Tangential hobbing
Tangential hobbing is generally the preferred
method for producing worm wheels having high
lead angles, and gears requiring particularly
accurate tooth profiles. It is necessary to use a
hobbing machine equipped with differential
gearing, so that the hob is fed longitudinally
along its axis as it revolves. The hob is designed
with a tapered section and a cylindrical section.
The tapered portion of the hob roughs the teeth,
and as the hob advances, the cylindrical section
of the hob finishes the teeth. The combination of
the rotary and axial motion creates a condition
similar to using a hob with many cutting flutes.
As a result of this the tooth profile consists of a
great many very small flats, more nearly
approximating the theoretical tooth profile.
C) fly hobbing
Fly cutting, or fly hobbing, is another method
that is used to manufacture worm wheels. This
uses a cutting tool that is essentially one
finishing tooth from a hob, mounted in a suitable

holder on the arbor of a hobbing machine

equipped for tangential hobbing. This one tooth
is traversed through the work, tangentially. The
cutting tool is usually referred to as a "fly cutter"
or "fly tool." The tool will rough and finish the
worm wheel in a single pass, except in cases
where the number of teeth in the gear and the
number of threads in the worm have a common
factor. In these cases the fly tool will have to be
indexed for each thread in the worm until the
worm wheel is complete.

References:

ANSI/AGMA 2011-A98 Cylindrical Wormgearing

Tolerances and Inspection Methods, American
Gear Manufacturers Association, 1998.