Did you know the first gears were invented by the Greek mechanics in the third century B.C.?

Since then, gears have come a long way. Now, gears are made with incredibly precise measurements in many shapes and sizes.

Plastic gears are one of the modern iterations of gears used in robotics.

Continue reading to learn the six advantages of using plastic gears.

1. Greater Design Flexibility

When you use plastic gears, you can craft exactly the size and shape you need for your robot. 3D printers make it incredibly easy to build plastic gears for your specific robot.

There are many types of gears in robotics, such as harmonic gears. Plastic will give you greater design flexibility than metal, allowing you to utilize many types of gears.

There are many open gear applications, but the flexibility of plastic expands to many more plastic gear applications.

2. Significant Cost Savings

Plastic appliance gears are much cheaper to produce than their alternatives. Not only can you save money on your gears themselves, but you can also save money by ordering many gears at a time.

As anyone who builds robots knows, you need to use gears much more often than you would expect. Choosing plastic gears will allow you to have more gears in stock that you can pull from when you want to add on to your projects.

3. Plastic Saves Weight

Plastic is lighter than almost any other building material. When you are building a robot, weight is often a huge factor.

Though you may want to add weight, you will more often want to reduce the weight of your robot, and the component materials are one of the best ways to do that.

4. Corrosion Resistant

Plastic does not corrode as metal does. Robots can be used for many things, and you do not want to worry about the integrity of your parts. When you use plastic, you are almost guaranteed greater longevity in any robot.

Over time, many metals will naturally corrode. These parts will need replacing or maintenance to continue working well.

5. Plastic Is Quieter

Plastic gears are quieter than other materials. When you use plastic, your gears will have much less friction, and you can better machine your gears to fit snugly.

That means your machine sound is quieter and overall more appealing.

6. Natural Lubricity

Plastic has much more natural lubricity than metal components. When you use metal, you will often need to add a lubricant to ensure good functioning and component safety.

When you use plastic, you can trust the material to function without any additional lubricant. The gears will work on their own, meaning fewer difficulties and maintenance down the line.

Will You Use Plastic Gears in Your Next Robot?

Plastic gears are far superior to metal gears, especially in the age of 3D printing. If you are designing your next robot, you may want to look into how you can utilize this material in your next project.

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