Influences on the Wear Behavior of Small Module Gears lubricated with High Consistency Greases.

Small module gears (m_n ≤ 1 mm) are increasingly important in drive technology due to ever more rigorous requirements regarding, e.g. performance and weight. They can be found in numerous applications which are subject to very different operating conditions. Often, small module gear applications are grease lubricated. This results in the lubrication supply mechanism (i.e. channeling/circulating) playing an important role in regard to the resultant gear failure mode. In the experimental investigations conducted herein, the focus was on gear sliding wear. The influence of the operating conditions and the grease composition on the lubrication supply mechanism, and thus wear behavior, was investigated using case carburized, small module gears (m_n = 1 mm). The operating conditions, especially rotational speed, were shown to have a significant effect on gear wear behavior. Increasing rotational speed did not necessarily lead to lower wear. Also, the grease composition was shown to affect wear behavior.