In addition, the gradual engagement of the teeth of helical gears results in less impact loading and smoother operation. They are also able to handle higher loads but work less efficiently than spur gears. It is also quite more difficult to manufacture a helical gear owing to its complex teeth design. Conversely, helical gears are capable of handling high speeds, making them suitable for spur gear applications like in generators and pumps, while their quieter operation makes them ideal to use in automobile applications.
The most common designs of this gear are the single and double helical gears. As the name implies, a single helical gear design contains a single row of angled teeth while a double-helical design employs two rows of angled teeth. Double helical gear design offers more durability without requiring any axial load production. Apart from these designs, there are also other types of helical gears which include screw and herringbone gears.
Also known as a crossed helical gear, screw gears are the types chosen for non-intersecting configurations because of their same-hand pairs. However, they have lower efficiency rates and load capacities, making them not ideal for applications that require high power transmission. On the other hand, herringbone gears have two tracks of teeth touching each other, forming that ‘V’ shape, from which the name has been derived.