Why Use Peek For Wear Gears

PEEK plastic gears: the material of the future, several times stronger than metal gears

In the modern industrial field, the performance of materials directly determines the service life, operational efficiency and overall cost of products. Among them, wear resistance, as an important indicator of a material's ability to resist wear and tear, is even more critical for gears, a key component in mechanical equipment. In recent years, PEEK (polyether ether ketone) material has gradually emerged as a key material in the selection of wear-resistant gears due to its excellent wear resistance, mechanical strength, chemical resistance and high temperature stability. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the wear resistance properties of PEEK and why it's the material of choice in the manufacture of wear gears.

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a specialty engineering plastic with excellent properties and is used in a wide range of applications, especially in gear manufacturing, where PEEK materials show unique advantages.

Performance characteristics of PEEK materials

Excellent mechanical properties

PEEK has high strength and rigidity, its tensile strength can reach 90 - 100 MPa, bending strength can reach 140 - 160 MPa. Compared with traditional engineering plastics, the mechanical properties of PEEK are more outstanding. At the same time, PEEK also has good fatigue resistance and wear resistance, which makes PEEK gears in the process of long-time operation can maintain stable performance, less prone to fatigue cracks and excessive wear problems. For example, in some high load, high speed working environment, the service life of PEEK gears far exceeds that of traditional metal gears and plastic gears.

Good self-lubricating properties

PEEK materials inherently have a low coefficient of friction, typically between 0.1 - 0.3, and good wear resistance. PEEK gears can operate without lubrication, reducing reliance on external lubrication systems, maintenance costs and system complexity. In addition, PEEK's self-lubricating properties effectively reduce friction and wear between gears, improving gearing efficiency and service life. For example, the self-lubricating properties of PEEK gears are particularly important in equipment where space is limited and it is difficult to install a lubrication system, such as micromachinery and medical equipment.

Excellent high temperature resistance

PEEK has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of about 143°C, a melting point of about 343°C, and a long-term service temperature of 250 - 260°C. PEEK gears are also available in a wide range of temperatures. At high temperatures, PEEK still maintains good mechanical properties and dimensional stability without softening, deformation or other problems. This enables PEEK gears to work properly in high-temperature environments, such as in automotive engines, aerospace equipment, industrial heating equipment and other high-temperature working conditions, PEEK gears have good application prospects.

Chemical resistance

PEEK has excellent chemical resistance and can resist most acids, alkalis and organic solvents. In some chemically corrosive working environments, such as chemical equipment, petrochemical and other fields, PEEK gears can work stably for a long time without performance degradation or failure due to chemical corrosion.

Good dimensional stability

The linear coefficient of thermal expansion of PEEK is small, about 5×10-⁵ / ℃, in the environment of large temperature changes, the dimensional change of PEEK gears is small, and can maintain high precision and stability. This is of great significance for gear transmission systems that require high precision, such as precision instruments and CNC machine tools.

Low water absorption

PEEK has low water absorption, which is usually less than 0.5%. In a humid environment, the performance of PEEK gears will not be greatly affected, and can maintain a stable working condition.

Application advantages of PEEK gears

Weight Reduction

Compared with metal gears, the density of PEEK material is low, about 1.3 - 1.4 g/cm³, only 1/5 - 1/6 of steel. using PEEK to manufacture gears can greatly reduce the weight of gears, thus reducing the weight of the entire transmission system, improving the operational efficiency of equipment and energy saving. In aerospace, automotive and other areas with high weight requirements, the lightweight advantages of PEEK gears are particularly obvious. For example, the use of PEEK gears instead of metal gears in the fuel system of an airplane can reduce the weight of the airplane, lower fuel consumption and improve flight performance.

Noise reduction

PEEK materials have good vibration absorption and noise reduction properties. In the gear transmission process, PEEK gears can effectively absorb and reduce vibration and noise, improve the smoothness and comfort of the transmission system. In some equipment with high noise requirements, such as household appliances, office equipment, etc., PEEK gears can provide a quieter working environment.

Improved transmission efficiency

Due to the self-lubricating properties and low coefficient of friction of PEEK gears, friction losses can be reduced during gearing and transmission efficiency can be improved. Compared with metal gears, the transmission efficiency of PEEK gears can be increased by 5% - 10%, which is important for improving the energy efficiency of equipment and reducing operating costs.

Reduced Costs

Although PEEK materials are relatively expensive, their simple processing and short molding cycles can reduce processing costs. In addition, PEEK gears have a long service life and low maintenance costs. From the point of view of the entire service life, the comprehensive cost of PEEK gears is not higher than that of traditional metal gears and plastic gears. For example, in some mass-produced equipment, such as automobiles, household appliances, etc., the use of PEEK gears can reduce costs through mass production and improve the market competitiveness of products.

Application areas of PEEK gears

Automotive Industry

In the automotive field, PEEK gears can be used in the engine, transmission, electric power steering (EPS), braking system and other components. For example, in the engine's Variable Valve Timing (VVT) system, PEEK gears can work stably under high temperature and high speed to improve engine performance and fuel economy. In transmissions, PEEK gears reduce noise and vibration, improving transmission efficiency and shift comfort. In EPS systems, the lightweight and low-noise advantages of PEEK gears improve system responsiveness and driving comfort.

Aerospace

The aerospace industry has very strict requirements on the performance and weight of components, and PEEK gears can be used in aircraft fuel systems, flight control systems, landing gear systems and other components due to their excellent performance and lightweight characteristics. For example, in aircraft fuel pumps, PEEK gears are able to work stably under the corrosive environment of aviation fuel, and reduce the weight of fuel pumps, thus lowering the fuel consumption of aircraft.

Medical Devices

In the field of medical devices, PEEK gears are commonly used in the drive system of medical equipment, such as surgical robots, rehabilitation equipment, imaging equipment, etc. PEEK materials have good biocompatibility and sterilization resistance, which can meet the health and safety requirements of medical devices. At the same time, the low noise and high precision characteristics of PEEK gears can improve the performance and reliability of medical equipment.

Industrial Automation

In the field of industrial automation, PEEK gears are widely used in the transmission system of robots, CNC machine tools, automated production lines, etc. PEEK gears' high precision, high abrasion resistance, and long service life can improve the productivity and stability of the equipment, and reduce the maintenance cost.

Electronic equipment field

In the field of electronic equipment, PEEK gears are commonly used in the drive system of printers, copiers, scanners and other office equipment. the low noise, lightweight and high precision characteristics of PEEK gears can improve the performance of the equipment and user experience.

Processing technology of PEEK gears

Injection molding

Injection molding is one of the most commonly used methods to produce PEEK gears. PEEK particles are heated to a molten state, and then injected into the mold, after cooling and curing, to obtain PEEK gears. The injection molding process has the advantages of high productivity, low cost, and suitable for mass production.

Mechanical Processing

For some PEEK gears with high precision requirements and complex structures, machining methods can be used for manufacturing. Commonly used machining methods include turning, milling, grinding and so on. In the machining process, we need to pay attention to the control of processing parameters, to avoid the processing temperature is too high, resulting in a decline in the performance of PEEK materials.

3D Printing

With the continuous development of 3D printing technology, 3D printing technology can also be used to manufacture PEEK gears. 3D printing technology has a high degree of freedom of design, the ability to quickly manufacture complex structures and other advantages, but the performance and accuracy of 3D printed PEEK gears are still to be further improved.

Development trend of PEEK gears

High-performance

With the continuous expansion of application fields and the continuous improvement of gear performance requirements, the future of PEEK gears will be developed in the direction of high performance, such as improving the strength, stiffness, abrasion resistance, fatigue resistance and other properties in order to meet the more demanding working conditions and use requirements.

Functionalization

In order to meet the special needs of different applications, PEEK gears will be developed in the direction of functionalization, such as PEEK gears with electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, anti-static, anti-bacterial and other functions.

Greening

In the context of increasing environmental awareness, the green development of PEEK gears will become a trend. For example, the development of recyclable and biodegradable PEEK materials to reduce the impact on the environment; optimize the production process to reduce energy consumption and pollutant emissions.

In summary, PEEK materials with its excellent performance characteristics, so that PEEK gears in the mechanical properties, self-lubricating properties, high temperature performance, chemical resistance, dimensional stability and other aspects of outstanding performance, and in the reduction of weight, reduce noise, improve transmission efficiency, reduce costs and so on, has significant advantages, so it is widely used in automotive, aerospace, medical equipment, industrial automation, Electronic equipment and other fields. With the continuous progress and development of technology, the performance of PEEK gears will continue to improve, and the application areas will continue to expand.