Custom Gear Manufacturing

Precision-Engineered to Exceed OEM Standards

When off-the-shelf won’t cut it, Specialty Gear Drives builds the impossible.
At Specialty Gear Drives, our expertise extends far beyond simple repair. We operate a fully functional Gear Manufacturing Division right here in our Largo, Florida facility. This capability is the cornerstone of our promise: to drastically reduce your downtime and provide long-lasting, reliable solutions—even when the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) can’t.

Whether your component is obsolete, severely damaged, or simply requires an upgrade in durability.

What We Do

We have the knowledge, the machinery, and the experience to engineer and manufacture a perfect replacement gear or shaft, often saving you up to 60% compared to a new unit replacement period.

Call Now: 727-607-7401

Mastering the Obsolete: Reverse Engineering Excellence

The inability to find an exact replacement for a worn-out component shouldn’t bring your production line to a halt. We specialize in Reverse Engineering—a critical service that allows us to bypass slow supply chains and parts obsolescence.

Our process ensures absolute replication

This in-house control guarantees your new component will integrate flawlessly period into your existing gearbox, regardless of the original manufacturer.

Precision Measurement

We take thousands of data points from the damaged or worn sample part to precisely determine all critical dimensions, including the pitch diameter, tooth profile, pressure angle, and helix angle.

Material Analysis

We conduct material testing to determine the original composition and ensure the newly manufactured gear uses a high-grade steel alloy that meets or exceeds the mechanical properties of the original.

Blueprint Creation

This data is converted into new, precise digital blueprints that guide our CNC machinery, ensuring every manufactured piece is a perfect, drop-in replacement period.

Our End-to-End Manufacturing Process

True precision requires mastering every step of the manufacturing lifecycle. Our highly skilled, Timken-certified technicians oversee the entire process, guaranteeing a component built for endurance.

1. Gear Cutting: Hobbing and Shaping

We utilize both high-capacity hobbing and gear shaping to cut gear teeth with meticulous accuracy:

● Gear Hobbing: Our primary method for cutting external spur and helical gears. This continuous cutting process is fast and precise, allowing us to produce high volumes of gears with a consistent profile.

● Gear Shaping: Used for cutting internal gears, cluster gears, and gears with close clearances—components that cannot be accessed by a hob. We can manufacture gears up to 48 inches in diameter, accommodating large industrial applications across the Pulp and Paper, Energy, and Mining sectors.

2. Critical Heat Treatment and Hardness Matching

The longevity of a gear is determined by its hardness. We use advanced metallurgical techniques, such as Carburizing, to introduce carbon to the surface of the steel, creating an extremely hard, wear-resistant outer layer while maintaining a tough, resilient core. Crucially, we meticulously match the Brinell and Rockwell hardness ratings exactly to the original equipment manufacturer’s specifications.

3. Precision Gear Grinding

For high-speed, low-noise, and high-load applications,grinding is indispensable. After heat treatment, gears can experience minor thermal distortions. Our Gear Grinding service removes these microscopic imperfections, restoring the tooth profile to its theoretical perfect form. This
final step is vital for:
● Minimizing friction and noise.
● Achieving the quietest, most efficient operation possible.
● Ensuring the new gear mesh perfectly with its mating components for extended lifespan.

Beyond Gears

Shafts and Specialized Components

Our manufacturing capabilities aren’t limited to gearing. We also offer specialized services essential to a complete transmission rebuild:

Custom Shaft Manufacturing

We manufacture new shafts, splines, and keyways, correcting any issues with runout or dimensional accuracy.

Line Boring and Casing Repair

We repair worn or damaged gearbox casings by line boring bearing journals back to precise specifications, ensuring perfect bearing alignment—the single most critical factor for gearbox lifespan.

When you partner with Specialty Gear Drives for your manufacturing needs, you’re investing in 40 years of certified experience, a comprehensive 24-month warranty on all manufactured components, and the confidence that your new gear will perform flawlessly