Worm gear or the Spur gear and why

  • Thread starter wah28
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In summary, the worm gear has a lower efficiency than the spur gear, but it is a more effective design for a combined system.
  • #1
wah28
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I need to know which gear has a better power transmission efficiency/

1. Worm gear or the Spur gear and why

as well there's a design for a device that must take power from a high speed but low torque source and deliver it to a low speed, high torque shaft. the speed reduction can't be done wtih just a single gear. it has to be a combined system. which gear should be on what. should the worm set be on the low torque , high speed end of the reduction system or the high torque low speed why?

i think that it should be on the high torque because the worm gear itself can transfer high torque and have less stress on the gears while the spur gear set would cause lots of friction between the teeth.

thanks in advance for your help
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF, Wah.
There really isn't much efficiency difference between different types of gears, although there can be between different styles within the same type.
Since a worm gear is irreversible, you have no choice as to how it is installed. The worm has to be on the high-speed end, and the roller or pinion that it drives is on the high-torque end. The mechanical advantage is far higher than it would be for a spur gear set-up of comparable size.
You should look into epicyclic gears, as well, one example of which is the automatic transmission in a car. They're capable of ratios in excess of 1,000:1.
 
  • #3
so there's no power efficiency difference for the torque power between the spur gear and worm gear?
 
  • #4
A worm gear has a lower efficiency than a spur gear. However, there is a mountain more of work to specifying and designing a gear than just the type of gear one uses. The majority of what you are looking for will depend greatly on what the actual tooth design will be.
 
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  • #5
does a spur gears which can be mounted on parallel shafts,could be mounted on two crossed shafts which don't intersect?
Does the worm,worm wheel (as a single stage)would give you the required speed?if yes,so why not?if spur gear it would be more noisy,but lower cost and higher efficiency and longer life,but needs more lubrication.
but just my ques is( How can u install spur gear,instead of worm,worm wheel gear?would u change the shaft positions?)
why wouldn't u choose helical gears?for the higher horsepower applications?
thanks.
 
  • #6
does a spur gears which can be mounted on parallel shafts,could be mounted on two crossed shafts which don't intersect?
NO, helical or hyploid gears are used in such situation.

worm system gives u a lot more reduction than spur system, so actual problem is not noise or lubrication, its the reduction needed.

obviously worm wheel can't be replaced with a spur just as such. design modifications are needed for such situation. spur is used with parallel shafts whereas worm is used in skew shaft positions
 
  • #7
ok,thank you ank_gl,im agree with u that the main difference which u can look at when ur required to choose a suitable gear box is the reduction ratio.
just i had misunderstanding of wah28 problem,thought he wanted a single stage gear box,and he wanted to know which type of gears would be the best to achieve his high torque and low speed required,so-i wondered how a worm&worm wheel could be mounted in the same shats position of spur gears,but when i read again,i found its a combined system of gear box which had both types of gears.
thanks for letting me undertand-:).
 
  • #8
For what it is worth, with spur gears the teeth roll over one another; with worm and worm wheels the surfaces slide against one another. This should give some idea of the friction losses involved. That is the way I see it.
 

1. What is the difference between a worm gear and a spur gear?

A worm gear is a type of gear that has a screw-like shape with helical teeth, while a spur gear is a cylindrical gear with straight teeth. The main difference between the two is that a worm gear can only transmit motion in one direction, while a spur gear can transmit motion in both directions.

2. What are the advantages of using a worm gear over a spur gear?

Worm gears have a higher gear ratio, meaning that they can achieve a greater reduction in speed and increase in torque compared to spur gears. They also have a compact design and are more resistant to backdriving, making them suitable for applications where precise control and high torque are required.

3. In what applications are spur gears commonly used?

Spur gears are commonly used in applications where speed and torque requirements are not as critical, such as in simple machines, vehicles, and home appliances. They are also used in low-speed, high-torque applications such as power tools and conveyor systems.

4. How do you determine the gear ratio for a worm gear?

The gear ratio for a worm gear is determined by dividing the number of teeth on the worm gear by the number of threads on the worm. For example, if a worm gear has 20 teeth and the worm has 2 threads, the gear ratio would be 10 (20/2=10).

5. What are the limitations of using a worm gear?

One major limitation of using a worm gear is its lower efficiency compared to other types of gears. This is due to the sliding motion between the worm and the gear, which results in greater friction and energy loss. Worm gears also have a tendency to generate a lot of heat, which can impact their performance and lifespan.

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