Basic Performance of Natural Fiber Bevel Gears Made From Only Bamboo Fibers Extracted With a Machining Center

Abstract

Metal gears can transmit large torque. The disadvantages associated with metal gears are the noise produced and necessity of lubricants. Plastic gears are advantageous because they are lightweight and can be used without lubricants. However, plastic gears have relatively low strengths and damaging environmental effects. We propose the development of a new type of gear that overcomes the disadvantages associated with metal and plastic gears whilst maintaining their advantages. To address environmental issues within manufacturing, it is particularly important to utilize sustainable and reproducible natural materials. Therefore, we devised a method for extracting high-quality and high-precision bamboo fibers using a machining center. Bamboo bevel gears, which are complex-shaped mechanical elements, were manufactured using the hot-pressing method. This paper outlines the performance and characteristics of the molded bamboo bevel gears. We investigated the degree of burning and strength of the bamboo fiber gears at various cutting and forming conditions. The results demonstrated that the degree of burning (black color) did not affect the gear strength, and the gear strength was at a maximum when the fiber length was 50% of the module size.