ATIA MITUL. ID-000690285.

CASE STUDY BEVEL GEAR FOR A RIDING LAWN MOWER

From this case study it is shown that, the types of engineering materials and the manufacturing processes that can be used in the production of a bevel gear for a transaxle of a heavy duty riding lawn mower. The gear is to have an outer diameter of 90mm and a maximum thickness of 12.5mm, a smooth surface finish and corrosion resistance. 1. There is several numbers of ways this gear can be produced but the following are some of the methods: Die casting: Die casting can be used by gravity and high pressure method along by using hot and cold chamber by putting the molten metal into metal moulds under high pressures ranging from 10 to 175MPa which to reduce porosity during solidification. After solidification, the moulds isolated and the finished casting is extracted. Advantages of die casting Rapid rates of production The product has high tensile strength along high quality and more suitable for casting medium. Complex shapes can be formed within shortest practical lead time. The casting has extremely smooth surfaces and mould can be repeated. Materials gain longer service life, dimensional accuracy and close tolerance.

Disadvantages of die casting There is a problem of porosity as casting weight must be between 30 grams. Its initial die cost is high and metals ' fluidity is limited. It needs trimming.

Powder metallurgy: In this method, the fine metal powder can be produced individually which are blended and then placed in a die where they are compacted through application of high pressures in order to form the desired shape. The product is then ejected from the die and then subjected to high heat to allow bonding. The solid is then cooled. The processes usually used in this case are,

producing metal powder, mixing, pressing, presintering, sintering and finishing and sizing the final product. Advantages of powder metallurgy Complex shapes can be produced as well as both metal and non metal can be manufactured. High production rate contains high dimensional accuracy. Parts have smooth finishes and porous parts can be produced.

Disadvantages of powder metallurgy Metal powders are expensive and not economical for small scale production. Dimensions can change during sintering.

Sand casting: Here the molten metal from the furnace is poured into the cavity of the sand mould. When the metal has solidified, the sand mould separates or is destroyed and the solidified casting is removed. Advantages of sand casting Low tooling and equipment cost and short production viable. Complex shapes can be formed and large components can be produced.

Disadvantages of sand casting Poor surface finishes. Low production rates. Secondary machining is required. There is a problem of high porosity. It has high unit and not suitable for mass production.

2. The materials to be used should have the properties that have been specified for the gear like corrosion resistance, yield strength. Some of the materials include: Carbon steels: These are medium carbon steels with about 0.4% - 0.5% carbon content. Advantages of carbon steels They have good machinability. They have good toughness and ductility. They have fair formability and contain low cost.

Disadvantages of carbon steels 2

It heat conductivity is very poor. It reacts to food and rusts easily.

Gray cast irons: Gray cast irons consist of mainly carbon and silicon and is versatile.

Advantages of gray cast irons They are strong materials. They have good corrosion resistance. Low cost of material. Resistance to thermal fatigue.

Disadvantages of gray cast irons They are difficult to weld. It has low tensible strength. Sometimes it may be too brittle to some application especially thin and flexible casting.

Stainless steel: This is a low carbon steel that has about 4% to 6% chromium which gives it the good corrosion resistance. Advantages of stainless steel Good corrosion resistance which allows it to be used in rigorous experiment. Stainless steel are quite resistant to rust. It has non porous and bright surface which is the easy choice of application.

Disadvantages of stainless steel It is difficult handle while attempting to fabricate stainless steel without using the high technology machines and proper techniques. It is expensive. It is difficult to weld due to its fast dissipation of heat which may produce ruined pieces.

3. For the die casting method, I would recommend the use of gray cast iron as the material If powder metallurgy is to be considered as the method of production, stainless steel would be an appropriate material Sand casting as the other method, I would consider the use of carbon steel as the material for production. 3

4. In order to produce the bevel gear, I have selected the die casting method as the means of production because of the benefits such as the good surface finishes hence eliminating the need for machining. The gray cast iron is the material I have chosen because of its properties. The process o o o o o o o o The gray cast iron is melted. The melted metal is then placed in the metal mould under high pressure of 10-175MPa. The pressure is maintained as the metal solidifies. After solidification, the moulds separate and the ejector pins extract the casting with the runners and spruces. The runners and spruces can then be removed using special trimming dies. Any extra machining can be ignored. It has low cost and good machinability. It has also good galling and wear resistance because of its graphite flakes and self lubricate which gives an excellent damping capacity.

5. Forging involves heating a metal and shaping it through plastic deformation by applying compressive forces. The forging process could be performed hot, cold or warm. It can be heated up to 2450 degrees Fahrenheit for hot forging and shaped to gain the desired part dimension. This may

depend on the material being used or on the properties needed for the product. Hot forging can be used such that the hardening of the metal using heat treatments can be eliminated. For the case of near net forging, there is a problem of material wastage of about 90% through the machining operations and material flash. The wastage can be minimised through making precision dies but this increases the tooling cost and the capital required. Near-net forged gears there is minimal grinding (usually .045 in. stock or less), which requires much shorter machining cycle times when compared to hoboing from a blank. With net-forged gears the teeth are used as-forged, and only the bore and back face require machining. The true advantage with forgings is its strength for the weight ratio which enables the designer to produce a part that is lighter and stronger.

REFERENCES 1. Black J.T and Kohser R.A, 2008. De Garmos materials and processes in manufacturing. Published by John Wiley and sons Inc. US 2. Farag M.M, 1989. Selection of manufacturing processes for engineering design. Published by prentice hall international limited UK 3. Custom part.net. http://www.custompartnet.com/wu/diecasting 4. Engineering student. http://www.engineeringstudent.co.uk/diecasting.html 5. Efunda. http://www.efunda/processes/metalprocessing.cfm 6. http://www.scribd.com/doc/11965611/Powder-Metallurgy-Class-Notes 7. http://www.castwell-castings.com/Sand-Castings-232.html 8. http://missvickie.com/resources/cookware/carbon.html 9.http://www.ehow.co.uk/facts_7609059_advantages-disadvantages-gray-cast-iron.html 10. http://www.gearsolutions.com/article/detail/5550/forging-ahead-for-gear-applications 11.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_iron 12. http://www.exmetalworks.com/stainless_steel.htm