Repair & Remanufacturing | Reliability Enhancement & Hardening | Tight Tolerances

Power Transmission

Gicam technology can use DED laser resurfacing to restore precision rotating components in power transmission systems, such as gear shafts and housings, cylinder rods, and pump impellers and shafts. It targets only the worn areas—bearing surfaces, splines, and bores—while maintaining concentricity and balance tolerances.
Contact Us
Repair & Remanufacturing

Gear Shafts: Bearing Sizes and Splines

A forged, heat-treated shaft that is worn only on its bearing surfaces and splines: reworking these areas rather than replacing the entire shaft changes the economic equation.
These shafts experience localized wear at the bearing seats, seal seats, and coupling splines, while the shaft body retains its mechanical integrity. DED allows for the precise rebuilding of these areas to restore them to their nominal dimensions—a far more cost-effective alternative than replacing a forged and heat-treated shaft, which can sometimes involve long lead times for specific or older gearboxes.

This repair is a staple of industrial maintenance, but DED provides a superior metallurgical bond compared to traditional processes (metal plating, TIG welding), which is essential for the fatigue resistance of a shaft subjected to high torsional torques. Precise control of the process also ensures compliance with the tight concentricity tolerances required for gear meshing and dynamic balancing.
Return to nominal size → Bearing, seal, and splines re-machined, without replacing the forged shaft.
Superior metallurgical bond → Better fatigue resistance than metal plating or TIG hardfacing.
Gear Shafts - Bearing Sizes and Splines
Photo: Sonett72 - Wikimedia Commons — License — modified image

Key Takeaways…
Gicam technology can use DED laser cladding to rebuild the bearing seats, seal seats, and coupling splines of a gearbox shaft, restoring them to their nominal dimensions. The resulting metallurgical bond is superior to that achieved by metallization or TIG welding, and the precise control of the process ensures compliance with the concentricity tolerances required for meshing and balancing.

FAQ

Can DED restore a worn gear shaft to its original dimensions?

Yes, the resurfacing process targets worn bearing seats, seal seats, or splines, followed by finishing machining to restore the nominal dimension and concentricity tolerances.

How does DED differ from metallization or TIG cladding?