Strength analyses of new 2- And 3-axis-type small multiplying gears in dental hand-pieces

Two types of very small multiplying gears and arrays have been developed for new dental hand-pieces, and the increased speed ratios, modules, number of teeth, gear diameters, and gear types were calculated based on the dynamics of the machinery. The contacting and bending strengths were evaluated for gear teeth with two design concepts using AGMA equations and finite element analyses, and the contacting stresses on teem with and without DLC (diamond-like-carbon) coating layers were calculated. Fatigue and tension tests were performed to obtain an S-N curve, the Young's modulus, and the strength of the gear material, and these were utilized in the analyses. Slightly larger stresses were found for 2-axis-type' gears than for other types of gears, and the S-N curves showed that a gear lifetime of 109 cycles was satisfied. The contacting stresses in gears coated with DLC were reduced by 30%. A new prototype model of a hand-piece with small gears was successfully fabricated and tested.