verzahnen

Verzahnen refers to the forming and shaping of gear teeth on a component so that it can mesh with another gear. The resulting gear train enables the transmission of torque and rotational speed between shafts. Verzahnung is central to mechanical power transmission in machines ranging from clocks to automotive gearboxes. The most common form is the spur gear with straight teeth, but there are many types, including helical gears (tooth lines are angled), bevel gears (for intersecting shafts), and internal/external gear combinations.

The geometry of gear teeth is defined by several concepts. The involute tooth profile is the standard in most modern gears because it provides smooth, constant-velocity transmission and tolerance to small center-distance variations. Key terms include module or diametral pitch (the size of the teeth), pressure angle (often 20 degrees), and the addendum and dedendum (the tooth height above and below the pitch circle). Gears are designed for a specific gear ratio, calculated from the number of teeth on the gears in mesh.

Manufacturing methods for Verzahnung include gear cutting (hobbing, shaping, milling), gear finishing (grinding), and forming processes such as gear rolling or cold extrusion. After cutting, teeth are usually heat-treated to increase hardness and wear resistance, followed by finishing operations to achieve precise tolerances.

Standards and tolerances govern the interchangeability and performance of gears. International and national standards specify tooth geometry, runout, backlash, and surface finish to ensure reliable meshing under operating conditions. Verzahnung is essential in diverse applications, including automotive transmissions, industrial gearboxes, robotics, and precision instruments such as clocks.