Hypoid gear vendor/mfr in North Texas? 1

[AHartman]

Can anyone recommend a good hypoid gear vendor or manufacturer in North Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth)? I've got a worm gear set in a handheld medical device we're developing, and the noise and efficiency have proven too difficult a problem to tackle. I want to investigate a different type of gear, and the hypoid seems like a good candidate.

My application is 100:1 ratio, motor speed ~6000 rpm, load at the end of the drive train about 6 oz-in (40 Nmm).

Thanks in advance to any advice or helpful links anyone can provide!

-Adam Hartman

 

[MikeHalloran]

Hypoids at that ratio will require a tiny pinion or a huge ring gear.

Take a look at Helicon gears.

I wouldn't worry too much about location, what with Fedex and UPS and such.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[gearcutter]

It’s unusual that you’re finding that a worm set is so noisy. They are generally regarded as one of the quietest form of transmission due to the mostly sliding action.

Sounds to me like you need a gear design consultant; before engaging the services of a manufacturer. It could save you a heap of costly experiments.


Ron Volmershausen
Brunkerville Engineering
Newcastle Australia

http://www.aussieweb.com.au/email.aspx?id=1194181

 

[bithkits]

Are you saying the audible noise is too high or the vibrational/electrical noise received by the controller/motor is too high?

Either way, I agree with the above, worm drives are usually very smooth and quiet.

What materials are you using? Steel on steel can 'bite' and get a bit bumpy...

A threadrolled worm and vesconite (or similar plastics) worm wheel yield very good (quiet) results.

Hypoid gears have greater axial forces to contend with as well...

Adriaan.
I am a Mechatronics Engineer from South Africa.

http://www.martin-electronics.co.za

 

[AHartman]

@gearcutter - We don't have any in-house expertise in gears, so we can't say for certain if the set is designed correctly. The brass worm was designed at one vendor and the nylon gear designed at a different vendor, but they worked in conjunction with the same design data.

@bithkits - The audible noise/vibration is unacceptably loud. Electrical noise is not a problem. We're using a brass worm and a nylon gear. Nylon was chosen by the vendor specifically for low friction and quiet operation. Is there any other names I can search for vesconite as?

 

[gearcutter]

Gear consultants are usually not "in-house".
Generally you have to bring them in.

I'm really surprised to hear that there has been no design validation and you've left all the design work to the manufacturers......IMHO that is not their job, to do your design work for you. If this is OK with you then you'll only 'get what you've got.'

For critical applications involving worm sets; it is most unwise to mate parts from different manufacturers. It is most important that worm sets are made as a matched set. This can only be done properly under one roof on the same machines. The same is required of bevel gears particularly spiral & hypoid sets and even helical gear pairs.

Ron Volmershausen
Brunkerville Engineering
Newcastle Australia

http://www.aussieweb.com.au/email.aspx?id=1194181

 

[AHartman]

@gearcutter - I agree 100%, but these design decisions were made 2 years ago when I wasn't even with this company! My preference is DEFINITELY to get it all done under one roof with a reasonable 3rd party verification, but I need to know who to call/e-mail, and that's why I originally started the thread.

 

[gearcutter]

Your original question was for manufacturing, not design

Here is link to the AGMA's list of consultants:

http://www.agma.org/membership/consultant-list/

I know that one of them, Ray Drago, has had a lot to do with medical related gearing so I figure he'd be the first consultant to speak to.

Ron Volmershausen
Brunkerville Engineering
Newcastle Australia

http://www.aussieweb.com.au/email.aspx?id=1194181