The Kleiss Difference
We have developed ways of doing things that produce superior results without guessing each and every time what will or won’t work. We have gone beyond the commercialization of design, tooling, production, materials, and software. What we have proven through every project, time and time again, is that we can make a gear more precise and repeatable, in polymer, than anyone else on the planet. It may not seem particularly genius, but paying attention to minute details and knowing what details to pay attention to make all the difference between the success and failure of your project.
Tooling – We have the ability to identify and quantitatively measure the result of shrinkage. As it turns out, for gearing, the shrink rates derived from manufacturer’s specifications are not very accurate. They do not represent the non-linear characteristics that are exhibited between tip, root, and body profiles. We have developed methods and mathematics to explain those issues for a more predicable part shape. The methods used are empirical. We can measure and profile the cavities and compare to parts produced. That is precisely why we have had in our proposals old cavities and their associated parts to build a relationship. We account for temperature gradients, process variables, and material characteristics, in this way, until shape is the driving factor.
Side-bar – Measurement – Most measuring manufacturers don’t have accurate software to characterize a gear profile. Why? The market isn’t big enough and there are very few people who have spent their lives studying it. What they do have is a short-cut based on metal gearing which gives an approximation, but not precise measurements. Kleiss Gears has gone the extra mile to develop software which takes into account polymer characteristics and measures in an appropriate way. The result is better measurements accounting for typical errors that will be seen in polymers. Vendor supplied metal programs just skip over these specific errors.
Side-bar – EDM – Our experience has shown that EDM machinery can not follow a typical smooth curve CAD path. It turns out that CAD paths are made up of tiny triangles not unlike the pixels you have on your video systems. Kleiss has found however, that EDM equipment can follow certain curvature shapes when assembled in the appropriate fashion. Therefore, we can make a significant improvement in gear shape by assembling the EDM path in a particular fashion. In addition, gears like very small EDM wire diameters. We have done as small as .002” wire sizes. The rub is most EDM facilities use much larger diameters, ie .010”. This is done for speed of processing. Kleiss has found the good gears are not about speed, it’s about accuracy of shape.
Side-bar – Moisture shape deformation – It’s all about material, in this case Nylon. In this mode, it’s about measuring the effects of moisture to shape profile. We understand how temperature and humidity affect the final shape of components and how to compensate. These parts form a variance range of sizing. We then go back to the design phase and use up some of that tolerance bank we have built up to make sure parts on both sides of the variance curve perform in the same way. It’s all in the details. Kleiss has material vendors, such as Victrex, coming to us for R & D studies of their materials for various applications.
Process Control – Process control during production is a crucial part of how Kleiss maintains repeatable shapes. Process variables need to be held within 1% to be effective. In the case of Kleiss an additional variable is controlled. It is that of pressure. Gears mold better with very high pressure throughout the cycle. Therefore we have modified our presses to accommodate this method of operation. First it’s the documentation of process and then it’s the precise control of that process which makes for repeatable gearing. As an example, we have found that electric presses do not make superior gearing. Why? High pressure holding and braking burns out the electric motors in the press.
At the end of the day it’s all about shifting business risk. When you select Kleiss Gears for your project the business risk to our you is zero, because that’s what we guarantee and that’s what we do. Call us today at 715.463.5995 and let us make the difference in your project.
