Worm Gears & Worm Shafts Made to Your Print
Tracey Gear & Precision Shaft manufactures worm gears, worms, and worm shafts to customer blueprints. We thread mill and CNC thread grind worms up to 6″ in diameter and 39″ between centers, hardened or soft, and we hob worm gears up to 36″ in diameter. Every set is checked for contact and backlash at its operating center distance. Every part is made in our Pawtucket, Rhode Island facility under an ISO 9001:2015 certified quality system, in small to medium production runs, 100% in the USA.
We are a build-to-print shop. You supply a complete engineering drawing, and we develop the manufacturing method to hold the gear data, tolerances, and finishes it calls out.
Worm Gears and Worms We Manufacture
- Worms and worm shafts, single and multiple start, thread milled or CNC thread ground, hardened or soft
- Worm gears, hobbed, throated (single-enveloping) and non-throated
- Matched worm and worm gear sets, tested together for contact and backlash
- Worms only, made without the mating worm gear
- Worm threads on shafts with ground journals, keyways, splines, and other features. See precision shafts
How We Make and Inspect Them
- We thread mill and CNC thread grind worms, in hardened or soft condition
- We hob all worm gears on our gear hobbing equipment
- We verify worm helix angle and lead on an optical comparator
- We test worm and worm gear sets for contact and backlash on a tester set to the operating center distance
- We produce blanks, bores, and hubs by CNC turning & milling and finish critical diameters by CNC grinding
Capabilities
- Worms: up to 6″ in diameter and 39″ between centers
- Worm gears: up to 36″ in diameter
- Pitch: 3 DP and finer, in diametral pitch, module, or circular pitch
- Starts: single and multiple
- Helix angle: up to 35°
- Lot sizes: small to medium production runs
Materials
Worm gears are typically made in bronze and cast iron. We also make worm gears in steel, stainless steel, plastics, and phenolic. Worms are typically steel and stainless steel. Material must be specified on your drawing. We do not recommend or select materials.
Finished Parts, One Purchase Order
We manage heat treating, plating, and passivation through our network of qualified vendors, so you receive finished parts from a single supplier. We provide material and process certifications when required.
Industries We Serve
- Military & defense suppliers
- Pump & valve manufacturers
- Canning & food processing equipment manufacturers
- Machinery builders
- Marine equipment manufacturers, including steering systems
Common Questions About Our Worm Gears
What size worms and worm gears can you make?
We make worms up to 6″ in diameter and 39″ between centers, and worm gears up to 36″ in diameter, at 3 DP and finer in diametral pitch, module, or circular pitch.
Can you make a worm gear without the worm?
Yes, but we need your mating worm to test contact and backlash before the worm gear ships. We do not copy or reverse engineer the worm. We use it only to verify that the new worm gear runs correctly with it. The worm gear itself must be made to a complete engineering drawing.
Can you make a worm without the worm gear?
Yes. We manufacture worms and worm shafts on their own, made to your drawing.
Do you grind worms?
Yes. We CNC thread grind worms in hardened or soft condition, and we also thread mill worms. Your drawing determines which process we use.
How do you inspect worm gear sets?
We verify the worm’s helix angle and lead on an optical comparator, and we test each worm and worm gear set for contact and backlash at its operating center distance.
Do you make double-enveloping worm gears?
No. We make throated (single-enveloping) and non-throated worm gears.
Can you make a worm gear from a sample part?
No. We do not reverse engineer parts or work from samples. We require a complete engineering drawing.
What We Need to Quote
Please send a complete engineering blueprint for the worm and worm gear that includes:
- Full gear data: number of starts, number of teeth, pitch (DP, module, or circular pitch), pressure angle, lead, helix angle, hand, and operating center distance
- Throated or non-throated worm gear
- Material and any heat treatment
- Dimensions and tolerances
- Surface finish requirements
- Any additional processes (plating, coating, etc.)
- Quantity of each part
If you are ordering a worm gear without the worm, please plan to provide your mating worm for contact testing.