Polyurethane Gears, Sprockets and Star Wheels

Polyurethane teeth, to run more smoothly

A steel gear hammers at every tooth engagement, rings through the whole structure and needs constant lubrication. Cast polyurethane teeth run more quietly, damp the shocks and spare the parts in mesh — on many drives: conveyors, chains, transfer systems. Soremag makes these gears, sprockets and star wheels to order, or reproduces them from an existing part, depending on the project.

Parts we make

A look at the toothed and drive parts we cast in polyurethane. The list is not exhaustive: feasibility depends on the geometry, the load and the environment, depending on the project.

Engrenage droit à denture de polyuréthane bleu coulé à chaud sur moyeu d'acier à alésage claveté — fabricant Soremag

Gear on a steel hubSteel-hub gear — polyurethane teeth, keyed bore

Poulie crantée en polyuréthane rouge surmoulée sur moyeu d'acier claveté, adhérisation validée — Soremag Québec

Timing pulley on a steel hubTiming pulley — for synchronous belts

Couronne dentée en polyuréthane ambre translucide moulée sans moyeu, denture extérieure

Gear ringGear ring — to mount on your own hub

Engrenage droit tout polyuréthane bleu à moyeu saillant, haute dureté pour transmettre le couple — Soremag Québec

All-polyurethane spur gearSpur gear — quieter than steel

Engrenage droit mince en polyuréthane ambre translucide coulé à chaud, profil de denture reproduit selon l'équipement

Reproduced-profile gearCustom-profile gear — from a drawing or a sample

Roue étoile en polyuréthane bleu à huit lobes, alésage claveté usiné — Soremag, Laval (Québec)

Star wheelStar wheel — driving and indexing

Étoile de convoyeur en polyuréthane rouge coulé à chaud à empreintes rondes, prise non marquante

Conveyor starConveyor star — container transfer

Pignon d'entraînement massif en polyuréthane noir haute dureté à dents larges — Soremag Québec

Drive sprocketDrive sprocket — wide teeth, heavy duty

Pignon de chaîne en polyuréthane rouge moulé, denture qui ménage la chaîne en prise — Soremag Québec

Chain sprocketChain sprocket — limits metal-to-metal contact

Galet de guidage à collerette en polyuréthane ambre surmoulé sur bague d'acier usinée

Flanged guide rollerFlanged guide roller — overmolded steel bushing

Gears (gears)

Gears cast in polyurethane, on their own or on a metal core. Polyurethane can run more quietly and absorb shock loads, depending on the load and the speed.

Toothed wheels

Toothed wheels in various diameters and pitches. Casting makes it possible to produce large diameters without expensive metal tooling, depending on the run size.

Parts with a metal hub

Polyurethane teeth overmolded on a steel hub : a rigid core for the drive and a polyurethane working surface. Feasibility depends on the geometry and the loads.

Parts with a bore

Bore machined to the required diameter, with or without a hub, for mounting on a shaft. Tolerances set according to the function of the part.

Parts with a keyway

Keyway machined into the hub to transmit torque. Dimensions according to the shaft and the drive arrangement.

Sprockets (sprockets / pinions)

Drive sprockets for chains and transfer systems. Polyurethane can absorb shock and limit metal-to-metal contact, which can spare the chain in mesh.

Drive stars

Stars that drive or index a product along a line. Polyurethane gives a grip that is soft and non-marking, suited to fragile products depending on the application.

Conveyor stars

Transfer and guide stars for conveyors (bottles, containers, parts). Polyurethane can cut noise and wear at repeated contact points.

Guide components

Guide wheels, cam followers and positioning parts that carry the product along. A polyurethane working surface that is tough and quiet, as the job requires.

Custom tooth profiles

Tooth profiles reproduced or designed for your equipment: number of teeth, pitch and shape matched to the application, depending on the project.

Manufacturing from an existing part

No drawing? In many cases a part or a sample is enough to get production going again, depending on the condition of the part.

Reverse engineering

From a worn gear to a new part

From an existing gear, sprocket or star wheel, we take the characteristics needed to reproduce it:

number of teeth, diameter, tooth profile, width, bore, mounting method and durometer

. The

wear marks

and

backlash

observed also help pin down the original geometry.

When the teeth are worn, a survey may call for

validation

— sometimes right on the equipment — to confirm the center distance and the mesh before casting, depending on the project.

Learn more about reverse engineering →

Pignon de chaîne usé en polyuréthane rouge, dents arrachées, reçu comme échantillon pour reproduction sans plan

Relevé de cotes au pied à coulisse numérique sur le pignon usé, croquis coté et duromètre Shore A — reverse engineering

Comparaison avant-après : pignon usé aux dents arrachées à côté du pignon neuf en polyuréthane rouge coulé

Overmolding on a metal hub

Polyurethane teeth on a steel hub: a rigid core for the drive, a resilient and hard-wearing working surface.

Surmoulage sur métal

Polyurethane cast on a steel hub

The metal hub carries the machined drive features —

bore, keyway, mounting holes

and, if needed, a

shoulder

or an

insert

— then the polyurethane is cast and overmolded on top with the right surface preparation and bonding system.

The result is a part that combines the rigidity and the mounting of metal with polyurethane teeth. Feasibility and the type of bonding system depend on the geometry, the loads and the service,

depending on the project

See overmolding on metal →

Moyeu d'acier usiné avec alésage claveté et bande d'adhérisation appliquée au pinceau, prêt pour le surmoulage

Coulée à chaud de polyuréthane rouge liquide dans un moule à denture autour du moyeu d'acier — surmoulage sur métal

Pose du couvercle sur le moule rempli de polyuréthane rouge, léger surplus aux évents qui sera usiné — moulage ouvert

Engrenage fini : denture en polyuréthane rouge coulé à chaud adhérisée sur moyeu d'acier claveté, moule vide en arrière-plan

Where our gears and star wheels work

Three application families where cast polyurethane proves itself — and the industries where you find it.

Food, Pharma & Cosmetics

Star wheels for conveying and capping: a soft, non-marking grip on bottles and containers, with less noise at repeated contact points.

See the food processing industry →

Packaging — film & extrusion

Sprockets and line drives: polyurethane teeth damp chain shock and spare the parts in mesh on lines that run around the clock.

See the packaging industry →

Industrial manufacturing & equipment

Replacement gears, coupling spiders, toothed wheels reproduced with no drawing: enough to get specialized equipment running again without waiting on an original part.

See industrial manufacturing →

Questions about polyurethane gears and sprockets

Why a polyurethane gear or sprocket instead of metal? +

Depending on the application, a polyurethane gear or sprocket can cut running noise, absorb shock and reduce metal-to-metal contact, which can spare the teeth in mesh. Polyurethane also brings flexibility and good wear resistance. The real gain depends on the load, the speed and the environment, and is confirmed by a trial or by operating data.

Can you make a part without a drawing, from a worn part? +

Yes, in many cases. Through reverse engineering, we take the number of teeth, the diameter, the profile, the width, the bore and the mounting method from a sample or a worn part, even with no drawing. Depending on the condition of the teeth, the survey may call for validation, sometimes right on the equipment.

Can you cast polyurethane onto a metal hub with a keyway? +

Yes. Polyurethane can be overmolded onto a metal hub that carries the bore, the keyway, the mounting holes and, if needed, a shoulder or an insert. The result is a part that combines a rigid steel hub with polyurethane teeth. Feasibility depends on the geometry and the loads, depending on the project.

Gears, sprockets and star wheels in polyurethane