ABSTRACT
Wooden pegs set in a hub were the components of the first operational gears. Lubrication was not considered a necessity even though these wooden gears would have benefited from lubrication. Gears continue to be the commonly used means of transmitting mechanical power and controlling motion, which increased their usage in many applications. Gear systems may involve one or more types of the basic gear designs and speeds can range from very low to extremely high while transmitting light or heavy loads. Lubricants for gearing systems have to perform the general task of transferring forces, minimizing wear, and reducing friction. Lubrication specifications for industrial gear lubricants have historically been less formal than for automotive lubricants. Many different types of gears comprise industrial gear systems and are used under a vast number of different conditions. Polyalkylene glycol gear lubricants provide an especially low coefficient of friction that makes them suitable for gears with a high sliding percentage, specifically, worm and hypoid gears.
