How a Gear Surface Is Made and What It Costs

A gear surface is primarily made by Gear Hobbing. Gear cutting (hobbing and shaping) generates gear teeth with a rotating cutter timed to the blank, then often grinds them for quality. Below is the full route to make a gear surface, the materials it suits, the tolerances to expect and the main design points. The route is free, from the finder.

Step by step

How a gear surface is made

The usual route, raw material to finished part. The amber step is where the gear surface gets its basic shape.

Stock
Start from bar, plate or billet sized for the gear surface.
Gear Hobbing (roughing)
Rough out the main shape, leaving stock on the critical surfaces.
Tooling Medium (hob) Tolerance tight (gear grade) Lead 2 to 8 weeks
Finish machining
Take the finishing passes that bring the gear surface to tolerance.
Tooling Medium (hob) Tolerance tight (gear grade) Lead 2 to 8 weeks
Holes and features
Drill, ream and tap, and where needed broach splines or cut gear teeth.
Tooling None Tolerance ±0.05 to 0.2mm Lead hours to days
Heat treatment
Harden and temper if the gear surface must resist wear or load, then finish-grind.
Tooling n/a Tolerance can distort Lead days
Grinding
Where the gear surface has bearing or sealing surfaces, grind them to the tightest tolerance and finish.
Tooling Low (wheel) Tolerance ±0.002 to 0.02mm Lead days
Surface finish
Anodise, plate or coat for wear and corrosion resistance.
Tooling Low Tolerance adds microns Lead days
Inspection
Measure the gear surface against the drawing, on a CMM for close work.

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Precision

Tolerances to expect

TYPICAL TOLERANCE IT CAN HOLD

Where this process typically lands. Tighter is possible with extra operations like grinding, at higher cost.

Materials

Materials for a gear surface

Grade	Why it suits this
20MnCr5 / 8620 (case-harden)	Hard surface, tough core
4140 (through-harden)	Medium duty
Nylon/acetal	Quiet, light, low load

Design

Design tips

General pointers. The full design-for-manufacturing list for a gear surface is in the dossier.

Higher quality class than needed. Match class to the duty.
Thin rim under the root. Thicken the rim.

Cost

What a gear surface should cost

Gears by hobbing/shaping; quality class drives cost, high-class gears add grinding/lapping after heat-treat.

PER-PART COST vs VOLUME

Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for a gear surface at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.

MODEL EST.

$39 to 110 per part at 1 off

A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.

GET THE FULL DOSSIER

Everything you need to quote and source it

The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on a gear surface and buy it well:

Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
A quote checker that tells you if a supplier quote is fair, and the red flags to watch
The full DFM list and a ready-to-send RFQ draft

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Related parts made the same way

bevel gear gear gear rack gear tooth pinion reduction gearset splined shaft spur gear worm gear worm wheel

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How is a gear surface made?

A gear surface is primarily made by gear hobbing. The route is: Stock; Gear Hobbing (roughing); Finish machining; Holes and features; Heat treatment; Grinding; Surface finish; Inspection.

What does a gear surface cost?

It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $39 to 110 per part at 1 off and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. A model estimate, not a quote.

What material is a gear surface made from?

Common choices are 20MnCr5 / 8620 (case-harden); 4140 (through-harden); Nylon/acetal.

What is the main process for a gear surface?

Gear Hobbing. Precision gears, splines and sprockets.

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