scope:

The quality of molded plastic gears is typically judged by dimensional feature measurements only. This practice overlooks potential deficiencies in the plastic injection molding process and its effect on the integrity of the plastic material. These deeper issues are often not given proper consideration usually until a related gear failure demands its study and evaluation. This paper identifies some of these oversights in the molding process, the resultant effect on the plastic material and discusses their likely effect on short and long term gear performance.