Performance of HT-Thermoplastic Spur Gears Made Out of Polyaryletherketone (PAEK)

Ongoing development trends in the automotive industry towards higher operating temperatures in many gear applications will require more heat and wear resistant polymers on top of the currently used Nylon and Polyacetal. The performance of these HT-polymers will open new opportunities to replace metal gears and contribute to weight, cost and noise reduction. Using Polyaryletherketone a wide test range has been conducted including fatigue testing under different temperatures and gear testing under dry, greased and lubricated conditions, varying speed, load and temperatures. The results indicate a superior performance of Polyaryetherketone gears especially under elevated temperatures and lubricated conditions.