Between Gears and shafts, the shaft should come
first because pulleys and gears are usually mounted on a shaft. The shaft is
normally circular and elongated and rotates while transmitting power across the
different parts of the machine structure. The shaft could also communicate power
after it is produced mechanically by a machine that absorbs the power.
Between the two
varieties of shafts, counter shafts and also line shafts transmit power between
the sources that produces power to the machine that is absorbing the power. On
the other hand, machine shafts are different because they constitute a part of
the machine itself like crankshafts.
Common sense
indicates that a huge manufacturing industry is busy each day to produce the
different kinds of shafts essential to the efficient running of machinery. Mild
steel is the material used in making the usual shafts. Shafts of greater
strength would be made of alloy steel such as nickel or nickel-chromium.
Chromium-vanadium steel may also be used. The processes involved in making
shafts are hot rolling, while finishing to size requires cold drawing, turning
and grinding.
Just like shafts,
gears are also common machine parts used in everyday life. Gears help to change
the rotation rate of a shaft in the machine. Gears also help to change the
direction of rotation and can transform the rotary movement into linear
movement. Depending upon patterns, sizes, designs and uses, we have spur gears
and helical gears, worm gears, etc. Some other gears are internal and external
gears which are very important too and serve a variety of purposes.
Internal gears have
teeth on the inner cylinder which is hollow and offers low sliding and
high-stress loading. They may be used in rollers and timing applications.
External gears have
teeth on the outer surface of the cone, a popular and simple gear system.
Mining and paper-making equipment use them.
Gears and shafts are the like
the nuts and bolts of machinery.