Are 3D Printed Gears Viable for Professional Use?

[Jarfi]

I am looking for a very specific sort of gears. And I know they don't exist in any stock so I am convinced I need them custom made, googling gears really just gives me sloppy results. I'm not finding any professional-looking websites. They look sketchy or boring at best, definitely off-putting.

Is there any high-quality, easy to use and reliable website/corp/service in europe that makes custom racks and bevel gears on demand?

 

[jack action]

They look professional and are in Europe.

 

[Jarfi]

They look professional and are in Europe.

thanks

 

[Danger]

Bookmarked to 'Resources" folder. Thanks, Jack.

 

[Baluncore]

Why not describe the gears and racks you want. While I prefer to buy stock gears, I cut my own gears when needed. I can usually find what I need.

 

[Danger]

I cut my own gears

Really? By hand or machine tools? That's not a facetious question. In my locksmithing career, I made most of my keys by hand with a file and eyeballing it. They had to be accurate to within .001". (Well, factory tolerance for a Schlage pin-tumbler unit is .002", but my pride wouldn't let me be that sloppy.) I was always far too timid to attempt gears or screws, though. (I did them on a lathe in shop class back in high-school, and even that was annoying.)

 

[Baluncore]

In a Barber Colman gear hobbing machine, or a milling machine for small quantities.

 

[Danger]

Oh, yeah... I think I saw that on eBay or something when I was snooping around for a cheap Unimat-type lathe. It looked pretty cool. I have no need of one though, because of my approach to design. I work with what I have, so I never need custom parts. (Well, that might change now that I've gotten into some seriously heavy-duty stuff, but I'm still trying to go "off-the-shelf".) I've decided not to bother with the lathe, though... I'm holding out for a 3D printer, which is actually cheaper.

 

[Jarfi]

Oh, yeah... I think I saw that on eBay or something when I was snooping around for a cheap Unimat-type lathe. It looked pretty cool. I have no need of one though, because of my approach to design. I work with what I have, so I never need custom parts. (Well, that might change now that I've gotten into some seriously heavy-duty stuff, but I'm still trying to go "off-the-shelf".) I've decided not to bother with the lathe, though... I'm holding out for a 3D printer, which is actually cheaper.

Are 3d printed gears viable? I've actually considered making some 3d printed gear for the prototype, but the gears are small, 20mm pitch diameter so I bailed on that one.

Why not describe the gears and racks you want. While I prefer to buy stock gears, I cut my own gears when needed. I can usually find what I need.

I'm afraid bevel gears in 1:8 ratio are rare. I googled something but the ratio is so big that the bigger one is close to being just a rack. Also the "rack/bevel" gear is not circular, but has around 62 degrees of a circle.

 

[Danger]

Are 3d printed gears viable?

Depends upon both the printer and the application. As far as I know, a "sintered-metal" unit can output parts that approach the toughness of tool steel. Something made by a regular plastic shaper such as a RepRap will handle anything that any other plastic gear would be used for, such as in a VCR (remember those?) or RC model or kitchen blender.

edit: Oh, one thing though... These things do not come out "clean". You have to file and/or sand them to get rid of aberrations.