Gears and gearboxes are widely used in the agro industry. With the
advance in technology the agro industry has also advanced and India is
still making significant advances in this field. Agriculture has been an
essential activity for the survival of mankind. The agricultural
industry has come a long way from subsistence farming to mechanized
agriculture. Importance of Gears in Agro Industry
The industry makes use of modern technology and powered machinery in different processes. Many processes including tilling, seeding, ploughing, irrigation, pest and insect control etc. make use of a variety of specialized gears, pumps and engines for better farming technique. Agriculture vehicles like tractor also use different gearboxes.
In the early years agriculture was done with the power of hand. Oxen and horses were used for power, sowing was done by hand, threshing with flail and grain cutting with sickle. With the advance in technology, in the early years of 1900, geared tractors were used for extensive farming. In 1915 enclosed gears developed for tractors and thereafter gears became an important part of the agro industry.
Types of Gears used in Agro Industry
All agro machinery consists of different types of gears depending upon their function and property. Different gears are used differently in the industry.
- Spur gears - Transmit
power in applications utilizing parallel shafts. They are also used
as fuel pumps.
- Helical gears -
Transmit power between parallel and non-intersecting applications.
- Racks - They are used for
linear rotary power motion.
- Pinion gears - connect
shafts of motors on reducers.
- Worm gears - Worm is used
as vertical shaft threaded with small pitch angle from the
horizontal.
- Sprockets - Engages the
link of a chain in the tractor.