Metal Gears, Laser Cut
A flat spur gear with the number of teeth, module and bore you choose; the template is called "Spur Gear" in the configurator. Worth knowing first: the teeth have a simplified, trapezoidal form with straight flanks, not an involute. That suits models, decoration and slow, light mechanisms; for gearboxes under load or at speed you need a milled or hobbed gear.
What it is for: Decoration and wall pieces in steampunk and industrial style, gears for model making and teaching models, display boards and window displays, drives for slow turntables and kinetic objects, templates and patterns.
Configure a gearWhat a metal gear costs
| Teeth, module, bore | 1 mm Aluminium AlMg3 | 1 mm Stainless Steel 1.4301 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 pcs | 10 pcs | 100 pcs | 1 pcs | 10 pcs | 100 pcs | |
| 16 teeth, module 2, bore 8 | €8.79 | €2.49 | €0.99 | €9.00 | €2.68 | €1.15 |
| 24 teeth, module 2, bore 10 | €9.58 | €2.89 | €1.29 | €9.95 | €3.22 | €1.58 |
| 32 teeth, module 3, bore 15 | €12.42 | €4.43 | €2.44 | €13.83 | €5.69 | €3.57 |
Price per piece incl. VAT, plus shipping, computed when this page loads with the configurator's own formula. Teeth add a lot of cut length: the outline of a 32-tooth gear is about twice the circumference of its tip circle, and the price shows it.
The limits that matter for this gear
- Tooth form: trapezoidal with straight flanks, not an involute. Two gears of the same module mesh, but need more centre distance than involute gears (see below), run with backlash and have no constant ratio. The gear is not designed for gearboxes under load or at speed.
- Size: 6 to 80 teeth, module 0.5 to 20 mm. The tip diameter is module × (teeth + 2), so 52 mm for 24 teeth at module 2; up to 550 mm the gear fits a parcel. The root diameter is module × (teeth − 2.5); between it and the bore, leave a ring of at least one module and at least the sheet thickness. With few teeth the configurator also accepts bores too large for that.
- Fine teeth: the smaller the module, the narrower the gap at the root; at module 1 with 16 teeth it is about 0.7 mm. As a rule of thumb, the gap should be at least half as wide as the sheet is thick.
- Material and thickness: steel DC01 1 to 2.5 mm, structural steel S355MC 3 to 6 mm, stainless 1.4301 1 to 5 mm, aluminium AlMg3 1 to 4 mm. Nothing is hardened.
- Bore: round, without a keyway. A keyway or a flat for the shaft is drawn in the sketcher. Tolerance ISO 2768-m, ±0.2 mm on a 10 mm bore, which is not enough for a press fit.
Common questions about metal gears
- Can I build a gearbox with it?
- For a model, a decorative mechanism or a slow drive with little force, yes. The simplified tooth form runs with backlash and unevenly, which you can see and hear. For motor gearboxes, speed or load, use milled gears with involute teeth.
- What does module mean?
- The module is the tooth size: pitch diameter divided by the number of teeth. Gears that mesh need the same module. For involute gears the centre distance is module × (teeth of gear 1 + teeth of gear 2) / 2; our trapezoidal teeth jam at that distance. Add one module, or one and a half if a gear has fewer than 10 teeth or the large gear has more than twice the teeth of the small one. Safest is to mount one shaft in a slot and set the distance on assembly.
- Which material for gears?
- For decoration, stainless or aluminium, which look good without paint. For mechanisms, structural steel S355MC from 3 mm; aluminium teeth wear faster.
- Can the gear have spokes or cut-outs?
- In the template it is solid. Spokes, windows or a pattern are added in the sketcher; that saves weight but adds cut length.
Opens the configurator with this template. Set teeth, module and bore, pick a material, read off the price.