Nowadays, gear units are increasingly being made out of different types of plastic. In many cases, this class of materials is a good alternative to steel. However, as the strength of plastics greatly depends on their temperature, determining material properties – which are needed for sizing gears – takes a lot more time and effort than for steel gears.

In KISSsoft, 55 plastics are available for selection for sizing gears (modules Z012-17/Z070). This range of plastics covers properties from VDI 2545 and VDI 2736, 20 SABIC plastics, DSM, Victrex and newly added material data resulting from a collaboration between the University of Erlangen and German industrial partners. The list includes different types of plastic, such as non-fiber-reinforced polyamide and polyacetal, high-performance plastic with integrated lubricant and plastics with or without carbon fibers or (long) glass fibers.

Would you like to find out more about the subject "plastics"? Then register for our free web demo on September 27th at the website below.