Experimental Investigation of Polymer Matrix Composites Gears with Different Fiber Proportions

Abstract

Nowadays many of the conventional materials are effectively replaced by composite materials, because of their light weight to stiffness ratio. Gears are the very essential components in mechanical power transmission, and drive in the most industrial rotating machinery. Polymer gears are used in motion and power transmission under different loads and speeds. Gears are generally made from metallic materials but recently advanced polymeric materials were developed because of low cost, light weight, high strength and improved performance of the system. Nylon, polymers, acetal and derlin are the structural polymeric materials used in printing and robotics, mechanical machines such as washing machines, sugarcane crushing machine and gear pump that are used for power and speed transmission. The paper investigates the polymer matrix composites gear with different fiber proportions. The main objective is to make glass fiber reinforced polymer gears using epoxy resin with various proportions of E-glass CSM (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%). The work investigates the wear testing of polymer gears of different proportions with metal gear using gear testing rig. The paper focused on morphology of fractured surfaces of polymer gears using scanning electron microscope. Finally, the gear is modeled in Catia software and imported to Ansys for static structural application.