That Grinds Your Gears! How Gear Cutting Services Fix Wear and Tear on Gears
There's an old expression, "That really grinds my gears!" It comes from the way in which old machines used to cut gears, and you could hear metal on metal, cutting and grinding in a way that was most irritating to hear. Gear cutting is more sophisticated now, but the machines into which gears are placed still manage to grind gears down and make terrible noises when they do. The old expression still fits, but what can you do with gears after that much wear and tear? Here is how gear cutting companies can fix that wear and tear on the gears present in your machines.
If There Is Enough Metal Left on Worn-Down Gears
If there is enough metal left on the gears, you can request retooling on said gears. Get in touch with a gear cutting company to request this service. Explain what you have in terms of worn gears, and then arrange to ship them the gears to see if the company can retool them. If there is still enough metal on the gears, they can be recut for sharper, cleaner edges, and then they can be shipped back to you to reinstall in your machines. If the gears are too worn, you may just have to buy new ones.
If the Gears Are Jarring and Sticking
Older gear cutting machinery was not as precise, as quiet, or as smooth when it came to cutting gears. As such, many gears ended up wearing down a little, and then jarring in motion or sticking before moving ahead. It complicated the smooth movement of the machinery. If you have gears that were previously cut on much older cutting equipment, then your machinery probably experiences this jarring and sticking motion. Thankfully, the edges of these gears can be retooled by more recent cutting machines, making the edges and "teeth" of the gears a lot smoother and helping them fit together more easily.
The Cost of Retooling Gears vs. Replacing Gears
Usually, the cost of retooling a gear is slightly less than the cost to replace it entirely. In some cases, retooling may be the same price as replacing a gear. It really depends on your situation and if it is particularly difficult to find a replacement gear. For example, say that you have a machine that is rather old. The gears inside are extremely hard to find and replace. This is a situation where retooling gears would be beneficial until you can locate replacement gears and then replace the worn gears with the new ones. Then the cost of retooling is well worth it, given the difficulties in finding replacements.