Alexander Kapelevich from AKGears LLC, Shoreview, Minn. (akgears.com) and Thomas McNamara at Thermotech Co., Hopkins, Minn., (thermotech.com) have a few ideas for better medical gear sets. Their ideas center around an alternative to traditional design guides, one called the Direct Gear Design method. It does not use the basic rack parameters. Instead, it uses the required performance parameters and operating conditions to define the needed gear-tooth shape. The result is a gear set with a significant reduction in contact and bending stress. And the stress reduction pays off in a higher load capacity, reduced size and weight, and extended life.

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