ductile iron
   To Promote the production and application of ductile iron castings Issue 1, 2001   

Gearing Up For The 21st Century

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Gear Performance Improvements


NOISE REDUCTION

VIBRATION & NOISE REDUCTION
TYPE OF METAL RELATIVE DECREASE IN AMPLITUDE VIBRATION / CYCLE
Steel 1.0 - 2.0
As-Cast Gray Iron 20 - 60
Heat-Treated Gray Iron 20 - 30
As-Cast Ductile Iron 3.0 - 9.4
Q & T Ductile 3.0 - 5
Austempered Ductile Iron 10 - 15

Figure 3.1

All gears make noise when they are operating.  Noise comes from the design, from allowable variations in dimensional tolerances and from the material used for the gear.  With everything else being equal, a set of gears made from a material that has good damping characteristics will be quieter than a set made from a material that does not.

Graphite flakes in gray cast iron will cause significantly better damping properties by comparison to any other ferrous metal.  The nodules in ductile iron behave similar to the graphite flakes in gray iron, cushioning vibrations as they are transmitted through a part.

Figure 3.1 shows the relative damping capacity of as-cast and heat treated gray and ductile iron compared to steel.

The ability to dampen vibrations using Dura-Bar means that ductile iron gears will be quieter than steel gears made to the same dimensional tolerances and have similar surface finishes.  Gray iron gears will be quieter than steel or ductile iron gears and are an excellent choice for low stress applications.

 

 

 

 

Figure 3.2

Automotive balance shaft gears require high precision when made from steel in order to meet the noise standard.  The tolerances are not as critical when using gray or ductile iron, which allows the gear to be made at a lower cost.

Figure 3.2 shows the qualitative relationship between noise level and AGMA classification using steel, ductile and gray iron.                                          

HEAT-TREAT DISTORTION

Iron and steel grow when heat-treated because of the volume change in the atomic structure.  With Dura-Bar, the growth is predictable because of the strict metallurgical process controls.  Predictable growth minimizes additional processing steps after heat-treat.

Plus...

  • Since Dura-Bar does not require carburizing, heat-treat distortion caused by variations in the rate of carbon diffusion into the part is eliminated.

  • Due to the continuous casting process, Dura-Bar will not have residual stresses that can be present in rolled steel bars.                                                         Back to top


FEATURES

Notice:  AFS/SAE 2002 Meeting
(Not a reprint)
Ductile Iron Answers the Pipe Maker's Dream
Designing with Ductile Iron
The Advantages of Investment Casting Technology
Use of Bismuth in Ductile Iron
Compactability
Venting - "The Lost Art"
The Effect of Boron in Ductile Iron
Physical Properties of Manifold Materials
Nickel (Not a reprint)
Miller & Co. Offers Ceramic Filters (Not a reprint)

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