There are various types of gears, with each type having its own advantages and applications. Two commonly used gears are spur gears and helical gears, and sometimes they can be used for the similar purposes. Knowing the difference between these two types of gears will help you choose the most suitable one for your application.

The Helical Gear

You can easily distinguish helical gears from spur gears by their design geometry. The teeth of a helical gear are set at an angle to the gear’s axis. These gears can be manufactured using different materials, including copper, steel, brass, cast iron and even plastic.

Helical gears are beneficial for the following reasons:

• They can transmit power between parallel or non-parallel shafts.
• Their teeth are stronger than those of a spur gear because of their diagonal positioning, allowing these gears to handle a greater load.
• They produce lower operating noise.

The Spur Gear

Spur gears are characterized by having straight-cut teeth that are parallel to the gear axis. This gear is, in fact, the most commonly used gear due to its basic design that is amenable to a variety of uses. The spur gear can also be made from various materials.

Spur gears provide the following advantages:

• They are the most economical gear as they are the easiest to manufacture.
• They offer great power and efficiency.
• They won’t produce thrust as their teeth are parallel to the gear axis.

At True Gear & Spline, we manufacture helical gears using environmentally-conscious production methods. As a forward-thinking company, we aim to consistently produce high-quality gears with minimal impact to the environment. We also invest in the latest technology to provide our customers with the best gears available on the market. Contact us today for quality service and gears!