Steel Billets for Gears and Shafts
Gears and shafts are forged from billets, then machined and heat treated. Hardenability and cleanliness decide gear life.
Steel billets for gear forging and steel billets for shaft forging are cut from the same 100 to 250 mm sections, in case hardening and through hardening grades.
Typical components
- Gear blanks and rings
- Drive shafts
- Pinion shafts
- Spindles
Recommended steel grades
SAE 8620
A low carbon Ni-Cr-Mo steel that carburises to a hard surface over a tough core.
20MnCr5
A manganese-chromium case hardening grade used for automotive and industrial gears.
16MnCr5
A slightly lower carbon sibling of 20MnCr5, giving a tougher core after carburising.
EN19
A widely used chrome-moly steel with good hardenability, toughness and fatigue strength in the quenched and tempered condition.
EN24
A high strength, deep hardening steel with very good toughness, used where heavy sections must harden right through.
Choosing the billet
State the case depth or through-hardness requirement so the right grade can be selected.
Check the billet size chart for sections and weight per metre, and use the weight calculator for any length.