As human history enters the 21st century, it has become a consensus to build a digital earth. Manufacturing informatization has brought new opportunities and challenges to China’s gear manufacturing industry. We should seize this opportunity, arm and transform the traditional gear technology with information technology and high and new technology, and realize the informatization and integration of medium gear technology. China’s gear manufacturing industry has a glorious history. At present, we are facing great challenges, that is, whether China, a large gear manufacturing country, will become a gear manufacturing “workshop” in the world or a powerful gear manufacturing country?
1. Informatization of gear manufacturing industry
With the improvement of the whole industrialization level, the performance requirements of gear transmission in China are also increasing. High carrying capacity, small size, light weight, long service life, low price and good service have become the weight of market competition. Advanced cell technologies such as CAD / CAM, CAE, CAPP and RPM have been widely used in China’s gear manufacturing industry. In the future, it will develop towards integration and networking. PDM, ERP-II, MIS, ERP, SCM, CSM, Internet / in, Tranet / Extranet will become the main aspects of information construction of Chinese gear manufacturing enterprises. Informatization will give China’s gear manufacturing industry wings to take off.
2. New gear materials
Nowadays, the manufacturing materials of gears in China are basically steel, or metal. With the rapid development of material science, many new materials will be used in Chinese gears. Polymer materials, such as plastics, have been applied to gears in China, and will have greater achievements in the future. Ceramic materials have been used in engine cylinders and bearings. It is also expected to be reflected in gear transmission in China. Nano materials and smart materials will play a wonderful and important role in the Chinese gear material family because of their special properties in physics, chemistry, mechanics and optics.
3. Gear Tribology
Due to the higher and higher requirements for Chinese gear devices, tribology will play a more important role in reducing the friction, reducing the wear and improving the lubrication performance of Chinese gears. Compared with the mechanical discipline, tribology is a new discipline with more potential. The tribological design will take the lubricant into account. The design idea that lubricant is a mechanical part will be reflected in the digital design of gears in China. China’s gear surface modification technology, research on new lubricants, nano lubricating additives, new lubrication methods and lubrication solutions in special environments will become hot spots.
4. Improvement of independent innovation ability
If China wants to become a world gear manufacturing power, it must improve its ability of independent innovation and build a world-famous brand. At present, world famous gear manufacturers have appeared in China one after another, showing us advanced gear manufacturing technology and products, which is a good thing. But in the long run, we can’t just be satisfied with becoming the “production workshop” of the world gear manufacturing industry. We should also have the ability to occupy a place in the competition and become a powerful country in gear manufacturing in the world. After more than 40 years of development, China’s gear technology has formed its own characteristic technologies, such as circular arc gear technology, planar double enveloping hourglass worm technology, harmonic transmission technology and so on. In recent years, it has developed step involute gear transmission, point line meshing involute gear transmission, bevel gear CNC machining machine tools and so on. In the future, we should pay attention to the innovation of China’s gear technology and obtain more innovative technology products with independent intellectual property rights.
5. Gear green manufacturing technology
China’s gear manufacturing industry is a big industry, with an annual output value of more than 3 billion US dollars. The manufacturing industry involves many industries such as energy, materials, metallurgy, machining and so on. While improving product quality and efficiency, we must pay attention to the design of the whole life cycle of products, energy conservation and environmental protection in all production links of products and product recycling. Environmental protection problems in gear heat treatment process in China; High speed dry cutting is adopted to improve efficiency and workpiece quality and avoid environmental pollution caused by coolant (lubricant); The near net shape technology of Chinese gear processing such as precision casting and forging is adopted to save raw materials and reduce cutting processes; Lubricating oil circulation and regeneration are all research hotspots. In short, the green manufacturing of gears in China is a major issue related to sustainable development. It is expected that China will be a big green manufacturing country in the future.