The effects of gear tooth breakage
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Generally, we find that when a gear in a gearbox breaks, the gears are replaced in pairs. This is because on equipment with high rotational speeds, vibration increases after a gear breaks, which affects the equipment’s service life. But in cases where the rotational speed is not high (around 1500 revolutions per minute), is it necessary to replace the gears? ? How significant is the impact of losing one tooth on the equipment? Judging from the gear meshing, it shouldn’t affect the normal operation of the equipment, right? ?
I’ve never experienced broken teeth in the gears. When there were abnormal noises coming from our reducers, we basically replaced them right away. If you still use reducers with broken teeth, I don’t think there will be any major problems, but the noise level might be higher.
I think it depends on the location and extent of the break. If it occurs in the middle area and within the pitch circle, the load will obviously be uneven, leading to increased shock, more noise, and greater vibration, which can trigger a chain reaction. If the tooth is only slightly damaged and the break is at one of the ends, it will have little impact on the transmission
If the break occurs at the point where the two gears mesh, it will affect the equipment’s transmission mechanism. I recommend replacing it, as this interference hinders the transfer of energy within the equipment, reduces control accuracy, and can sometimes cause the equipment to stop operating or get stuck. It may also affect the lubrication of the equipment, as the broken tooth prevents the lubricating oil in the gearbox from reaching the gears.
A broken tooth definitely needs to be replaced; it has nothing to do with the speed of rotation. Don’t change it; otherwise other parts will be affected as well.
Check whether the broken part is on the actual meshing line
In my opinion, a gear with broken teeth must be replaced; if it isn’t replaced and continued to be used, the teeth on the other gear that was in mesh with it will no longer experience any stress. This leads to increased stress on the adjacent gears, thereby significantly reducing the lifespan of those gears； Furthermore, regarding your point that \"on devices with high rotational speeds, vibration increases after a tooth breaks, which affects the device’s service life,\" this high speed is relative; in fact, even on devices with lower rotational speeds, vibration increases after a tooth breaks, and this as well affects the device’s service life.
For broken or crushed teeth, it is necessary to consider the type of gear, the location, length, and height. An experienced craftsman can make minor repairs to allow it to be used again. It indeed cannot be repaired; the vibration component must be replaced after repair. My gear has broken teeth on the low-speed side, while the gear on the high-speed side is fine; it was repaired and continues to be used. It depends on the location – what causes it: fatigue, overload, tooth wear, lubrication, quality issues, center distance, contact surface, as well as differences in the center distances on both sides.
If a tooth breaks, it must be replaced; otherwise, continued use over time will cause all the teeth of the gear to wear out