AGMA publishes new paper on Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Gears

The American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA), Alexandria, Virginia, USA, has announced the publication of a new technology paper, Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Gears. The publication of the paper is part of the AGMA Emerging Technology Committee’s goal to bring information on new, advanced technologies to the AGMA membership.

Kirk Rogers, PhD, Senior ADDvisor^SM of The Barnes Group Advisors, is the author of the paper, which also includes input from members of the AGMA’s Emerging Technology Sub-committees on 3D Metal Printing and New Materials.

“I’m excited that the committee has been able to oversee the generation of this paper as it fills a key need for AGMA members, obtaining an overall understanding of metal Additive Manufacturing and how if may affect gear manufacturing directly. There are a lot of assumptions and misunderstandings in reference to metal AM,” stated Justin Michaud, President, R.E.M. Surface Engineering and Chair of the AGMA 3D Printing subcommittee. “This paper will help address these issues by providing enough information to complete a high- to medium-level evaluation of the technology without overwhelming the reader.”

According to the association, the transition of Additive Manufacturing technologies from legacy uses in rapid prototyping to true manufacturing is already taking place in the aerospace, defence and medical implant industries. The AGMA Emerging Technology Committee has reportedly provided a consideration of this technology with a focus on gears.

The Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Gears paper discusses seven different metal Additive Manufacturing technologies, as defined by the ASTM Committee F42, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, USA, with the ability to reduce the price of complex components, reduce the number of assembly parts in high-level assemblies, and to increase performance by enabling complex designs.

The paper discusses opportunities for the power transmission industry in Additive Manufacturing, including:

• Manufacturing complex geometries such as internal cooling or lubrication channels
• Reducing gear system inertia through the use of advanced designs that are difficult to manufacture conventionally
• Improving durability by the use of multiple optimised materials in a single part
• Changing the cost of manufacturing by only placing material where it is needed
• Reducing product development time and time to market
• Improving safety, repeatability and assisting users with aids and tools

Mary Ellen Doran, AGMA Director, Emerging Technology, commented, “This paper provides AGMA members with a snapshot of the current state of 3D printing metal and where it is beginning to intersect with the gear industry. There is a lot of information out there on additive right now. But this paper is unique in that we worked to keep the focus on how this technology may directly be used to make gears. We hope that this is just a springboard for more activity by AGMA committees in this area.”

The paper, Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Gears, is available view/purchase via the company’s website.

www.agma.org