Review of the method design and additive manufacturing of gears

Abstract

Additive manufacturing technology is one of the main components of the fourth industrial revolution known as Industry 4.0. Over the last decades, the increase in the dynamics of the development of this technology manifests itself in the form of a wide spectrum of implementations of the methods in the production processes of many elements. This paper presents the latest achievements in the production of gears where the additive technologies have been applied with the use of polymers and metallic materials. The most frequently used methods in this field were indicated, as well as problems related to geometric accuracy or fatigue life of elements manufactured with the use of the methods mentioned. In addition, future directions of gear design, the implementation of which was possible thanks to the use of AM, as well as the scope of research that should be undertaken in this area in the future, were defined. Keywords: mechanical engineering, manufacturing technologies, additive manufacturing, gears