Spur Gear size control

[PortugazD.Ace]

I've been trying to create spur gears of specific sizes, but I can't figure out how to control the size of the output for the spur gears. Can anyone help?

[sgreco]

Are you using Inventor's design accelerator to make the spur gears? I just assume this based on the description of your situation.

If so I would recommend not. I have tried it before and it is confusing to work with and easier to just draw the gear yourself.

Unless you plan to make your own gears (in which case you can do whatever you want), I just create one of the teeth and circular pattern it around the part. Copy geometry from a gear you find from a vendor of gears.

If you're in SolidWorks or ProE you have to draw them yourself anyway...which is for the better since in my opinion it is an easier way to make a gear.

[Chris is me]

I find it a lot easier to make cylinders at PD than to make gears for modeling purposes. Less pretty, but a lot easier to change when you inevitably decide to gear your drive differently.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by sgreco

If you're in SolidWorks or ProE you have to draw them yourself anyway...which is for the better since in my opinion it is an easier way to make a gear.

Solidworks will generate gears and sprockets, along with many other items.

However, I agree that just the Pitch diameter is the way to go; adding teeth just unnecessarily adds features to your model.

[kevin.li.rit]

If you're using inventor you can get a user definable gear from First Cad Library.

Here is the direct link for the I-Spur Gear.

[mplanchard]

In SolidWorks, create two configurations of the spur gear
1. Just pitch diameter (simplified)
3. With teeth if needed for visualization

If you what to test gear ratios in the assembly, use a Gear Mate with the simplified version, enter the ratio.

To see how a spur gear is created, in a new assembly insert a gear from Toolbox, then enter in pitch, teeth, pressure angle and all the other parameters. When you are learning - just take default on everything and then see what varies.

You can create the profile of a spur gear tooth based on sine and cosine functions - but this is really overkill and will bog down any large assembly in robot design.