Plastic gears are widely used in automotive, industrial, and consumer applications due to their cost-effectiveness, low weight, corrosion resistance, and quiet operation. In the automotive industry, plastic gears can be found in critical subsystems such as windshield wiper mechanisms, seat adjusters, electric window lifters, HVAC actuators, and headlamp positioning systems.
These components often operate under variable loads, harsh environments, and elevated temperatures - requiring consistent performance and longevity. Selecting the right material for plastic gears is therefore not just about choosing a polymer - it’s about balancing mechanical strength, thermal stability, and tribological performance to ensure durability and precision over the gear's lifecycle.
In this blog, we will walk through how to select an appropriate material for plastic gears using Altair® Material Data Center™ (AMDC), leveraging its powerful filtering and advanced search capabilities.
Key Selection Criteria:
Selecting the right material for plastic gears involves meeting a specific set of mechanical, thermal, and functional performance criteria. Below are some of the essential material properties that you might want to consider:
Mechanical Properties
- High Tensile Modulus: Ensures sufficient stiffness and dimensional stability under operational loads, minimizing deformation and maintaining gear accuracy.
Thermal Properties
- High Melting Temperature: The material must retain its mechanical properties at elevated temperatures typically encountered in engine compartments or interior electronics.
- Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE): Reduces dimensional changes due to temperature fluctuations, improving gear meshing accuracy and long-term reliability.
Special Characteristics
- Creep Resistance: Supports long-term load-bearing capability, critical for applications under continuous or cyclic loading.
- Tribological Performance: Materials should exhibit low friction and high wear resistance, ideally formulated for sliding applications. This includes grades that are internally lubricated or reinforced for enhanced durability.
- Lubricant Additives: Materials pre-filled with internal lubricants or designed for dry-running conditions help reduce wear and eliminate the need for external lubrication.
Find the Perfect Match with Advanced Search & Filters:
Altair® Material Data Center™ makes the process of selecting the right material intuitive and highly customizable through its Advanced Search and Filter functionalities:
- Advanced Search Options - Narrow down material candidates based on:
- Application-specific certifications (e.g., automotive-grade)
- Special material characteristics, such as creep resistance or tribological performance
- Numerical property ranges for Young’s modulus, tensile strength, etc.
- Filter by Material Type or Producer - Quickly refine your options by polymer type (e.g., POM, PA66-GF, PEEK) or filter by preferred manufacturers.
- Side-by-Side Comparison - Use interactive comparison charts to evaluate multiple materials simultaneously - making it easy to weigh trade-offs between properties.
Want to see it in action? Watch the workflow on YouTube -
Download CAE-Ready Material Cards:
Once you’ve identified a suitable material, you can instantly download simulation-ready cards for direct use in:
- Altair Software’s / Solvers: OptiStruct, SimLab, Radioss, Inspire, SimSolid
- 3rd party CAE Solvers: Abaqus, Ansys, LS-Dyna, Nastran, PamCrash
This eliminates manual material input and ensures simulation accuracy.
Why It Matters?
With growing complexity in gear design and performance requirements, data-driven material selection is no longer optional - it’s essential. Altair® Material Data Center™ enables engineers to make informed decisions quickly and confidently by combining deep material insights, simulation integration, and application-specific filtering.
By aligning your selection criteria with the actual performance requirements of plastic gears, you can streamline your design process, improve reliability, and reduce time-to-market - all without guesswork.
Have Questions or Want to Share Your Own Selection Workflow?
Working on a component and unsure what material to choose? Drop the key selection criteria in the comments below - we’ll suggest a customized material selection workflow using Altair® Material Data Center™ to help you get started.
To access Altair® Material Data Center™, go to - https://materials.altairone.com/page/landing
