3d Design Solidworks Graphic Gears

Welcome to SolidWorks tutorials for beginners and in this Solidworks exercises, you are going to learn to make gear 3D model. It contains the both video and step by step pictorial explanations for creating different types of gear (Spur gear, helical gear bevel gear etc) in the graphics area of this CAD software. By doing this exercise, you will learn Solidworks features application like Extrude Boss, Extrude cut, Straight line, Center line, Axis and Circular Pattern. You will see how to use Solidworks features and sketch tools in simple manner to create Spur gear 3D model. Also see How to make Spring 3D Model

Before going to this solidworks tutorial, you should have some knowledge about the gear, its types and major uses in engineering. Checkout Best SolidWorks Training Materials here.

What is Gear (Mechanical Gear)?

Gear or Gears are toothed wheels which helps to transmit power and motion of one shaft to another by means of engagement of its teeth. The power transmission is very effective which gives positive drive and have constant velocity ratio. Gear box is very compact in construction due the relatively small distance between drive and driven shaft.

Note: Drive shaft means which is directly connected to drive machine (e.g. motor) and driven shaft means the rotation caused due to motion of drive shaft (It is drive by drive shaft).

Gears are well capable to huge amount of power transmission as compared to chain and belt drives. You can achieve speed reduction even in small range which is cannot achieves by using chain or belt drives. These are the some of advantages of gears.

The great disadvantages is that requires good lubrication and clean working atmosphere due to engagement of teeth's. Construction is very compact because of that manufacturing cost is also high. It also needs perfect alignment of shafts to provide efficient power transmitting capability with less loss and vibration.

Related SolidWorks Exercise : How to Create Plate Washer 3D Model

Major uses of gears are:-

In automobile, used as Gear box to change the output shaft rotational speed with respect to input shaft speed.
In Heavy lifting equipment (e.g. crane), motor is couple to speed reduction gear to gethigh torque of heavy weight lifting
Process industries, mechanical agitators, mixers, conveyor belt drive etc need speed reduction gear box
In Marine application, Main engine is turned with turning gear arrangement (pinion and gear type flywheel), Diesel engines cranking arrangement contains speed reduction gear box
In chain pulley
Purifier drive mechanism( worm gear)
Lathe, drilling, Milling, Grinding and other machine tool applications

Types of Gears

Spur Gear:-

Teeth of spur gear is cut parallel to the axis of the shaft and so it is also called straight toothed gear. Because of the teeth alignment, you can use only when the drive and driven shafts are parallel. If you draw the profile of spur gear, it looks like an involute curve.

Helical Gear:-

In helical gear, the teeth is cut an angle to shaft axis and profile is involute which is similar to spur gear. Hleix angle of both drive and driven gears should be same and one of should be right hand and other in left hand direction.

Bevel Gear:-

Bevel gear is seem like truncated cone, where the gear tooth size and thickness decreasing towards the apex of the cone. It enables the power transmission in 90 degree where shaft axis are intersecting. Bevel gear have two types of tooth cut which are either straight or spiral cut.

Worm Gear:-

Worm gear is different from other gear which consists of a worm and wheel. It enables 90 degree power transmission, where shafts axis are not intersecting. Worm is just like threaded screw which engages with tooth of worm wheel. Main specialty of this gear is high speed reduction ration as compared to other gear types. Read more in wikipedia

Let us see how to create different types of gear 3D models with video tutorial and step by step pictures.

How to Make Spur Gear 3D in SolidWorks Exercises

Step-1: New Part File

Open the SolidWorks and New part File. If you don't know it, read how to create new part File. Select the Plane (e.g. Top Plane) and normalize using the "Normal To" Button.

create new part file and selec front plane how to make spur gear 3d

Step-2: Create Circle Sketch

Go to the Sketch Command manager and select the "Circle tool" from it. You can select it from the Tools menu also.

draw circle sketch using circle sktching tool how to make spur gear 3d model in solidworks

This is the dedendum circle of gear. And you have to give dimension as per your requirement using Smart Dimension tool. Here, it is completely dimensions are selected roughly and only for solidworks tutorial purposes.

Step-3: Apply Extrude Boss/Base feature

To make dedendum circle as solid part, you have to apply extrude boss/base feature tool to circle sketch.

apply extrude boss or base for dedendum circle preview how to make spur gear 3d model in solidworks

Step-4: Draw Gear Tooth Shape

Select one face of extruded solid cylinder model and apply "NormalTo" option from the heads-up toolbar. You can apply it by clicking right mouse button and select the NormalTo from it.

apply normalto from headsup toolbar how to make spur gear 3d model in solidworks

You have to draw centerline using the Center line sketching tool.

draw centerline across the cylinder face through orgin how to make spur gear 3d model in solidworks

Then draw gear tooth shape using the Line sketching tool which is shown as in the figure.

draw spur gear tooth shape on cyliender face how to make spur gear 3d model in solidworks

It should make it as closed loop for application of SolidWorks feature tools.

Step-5: Apply Extrude boss

To convert tooth shape sketch to solid gear 3D tooth, apply extrude boss/base feature on it.

apply extrude boss to spur gear tooth shape how to make spur gear 3d model in solidworks

3d solid spur gear tooth shape final how to make spur gear 3d model in solidworks

Step-6: Apply Circular Pattern

Before applying circular pattern, you have to make an axis for drive it. For that go to "reference plane" and select "Axis" from it.

axis menu select from the feature command manager solidworks how to make spur gear 3d model in solidworks

Axis property manager will appear and select "cylindrical/conical face" option and select the same in "selections" section which shown in the figure. And click OK.