How to ensure sufficient toughness and temperature resistance when processing plastic gears?

At the same time, through a number of measures when performing Plastic Parts gear machining, enough strength and heat resistance are provided to provide gear performance and durability.

1. Material selection:
High toughness materials: Select materials with high impact strength, examples are; the nylon (PA66orPA6), polyacetal (POM), polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), that and the like. These materials still possess good elasticity or toughness at sub-zero temperature.
Temperature-resistant materials: Choose materials with high HDT, like PEEK, PSU, PPS etc.; still, these composite materials remain capable to perform within high temperature conditions.

2. Additives and modifiers:
Glass Fiber Reinforcement: It is proved that the incorporation of glass fibers can enhance the stiffness, strength and high temperature resistance of plastics with a certain measure of toughness.
Carbon Fiber Reinforcement: Carbon fiber reinforcement may improve the mechanical properties of the material such as tensile strength and modulus, and decrease the coefficient of the thermal expansion, for high temperature application.
Heat stabilizers: Heat stabilizers can be incorporated into the polymer matrix so as to enhance the heat stability and oxidation characteristics of the gear material and thus increasing the service duration at elevated temperatures.

3. Design optimization:
Wall thickness design: Moderately proportion the thickness of the wall of the gears so as to prevent thin section areas which increases stress levels and lowers the efficacy of the toughness.
Cooling channel design: In Custom Injection Molded Products, the design of cooling systems should also be such that cooling should be uniform so that there is no generation of internal stress resulting in decreased toughness.

4. Processing parameter control:
Temperature control: For example in the process of Injection Molded Products or extrusion, be very careful about the melt temperature and the die temperature as overheating or over cooling the material will cause a lot of internal stress and hence less toughness.
Cooling speed: Alloy steels must regulate the cooling rate so as to prevent fast cooling that leads to higher internal stresses within the material hence the reduction of its toughness.

5. Post-treatment:
Annealing: Some of the material properties which are improved by annealing include: elimination or reduction of the internal stresses and the improvement of the dimensional stability and also the improvement of the toughness.
Surface treatments: as in electrodeposited coatings or by cladding, the hardness of the surface layer and hence the wear resistance and the toughness are enhanced in an indirect manner.

6. Testing and validation:
Performance tests: Vibration and shock tests are done, heat distortion temperature tests, bending strength tests and so on to confirm that the material and design can satisfy the toughness and temperature endurances.
Simulated operation test: Carry out long time operation test for a period of time under the expected working temperature and load to determine the performance and life of the gears.

7. Environmental adaptability considerations:
Temperature cycling: Consideration of temperature fluctuation of the working environment so as to make the gears perform well even if the temperature changes.
Chemical Stability: Some materials may be affected by chemicals, which may be present at the workplace; these materials should, therefore, be resistant to such chemicals as to reduce the ability of the chemicals to affect the toughness of the material.