The lubricants required in the
future for gear service
will probably be tailored to the mating
surfaces which are to be protected
against wear. Not only will improved ferrous alloys and other metals be
used, but also there will be more nonmetallic gears in service. Whether these
will be primarily plastic gears or simply improvements on such forms as
laminated gears remain to be seen. Probably plastic gear use will increase,
particularly in small mechanisms and where loads are light and there is no wide
temperature variation.
Investigations are being made to determine what combinations of mating
gears will show the
least wear when
no lubricant is provided. This is
a fertile field and the supplier of lubricants should keep advised of the
advances.
