AGMA Member CompanySince 1946East Walpole, MA
AGMA Member CompanySince 1946East Walpole, MA
Custom worm gear manufacturing
Commercial Gear & Sprocket manufactures custom worm gears, worms and lead screws for OEMs, machine builders, replacement applications and industrial equipment — with worm gear hobbing, thread milling, CNC machining and dedicated inspection under one roof.
Worm gears made to your specifications
A worm gear set pairs a screw-like worm with a mating worm gear. Because the two parts only work when their geometry matches, we treat manufacturing and inspection of the mating components as one job.
We manufacture custom worm gears, worms and lead screws to your drawings, dimensions, pitch, lead, material, tolerance and application requirements. Send pre-machined blanks, or let us handle the additional machining for a finished component.
Worm gear sizes and pitch range
Worm gear diameter
Up to 16″
Custom worm gears manufactured up to 16 inches in diameter.
Worm & lead screw diameter
Up to 12″
Mating worms and lead screws up to 12 inches in diameter.
Diametral pitch
64 – 2½ D.P.
Worm gears 64 to 2½ D.P.; worms and lead screws 64 to 3 D.P.
Worm gears
Up to 16″ · 64 – 2½ D.P.
Worms & lead screws
Up to 12″ · 64 – 3 D.P.
Number of starts, lead, helix geometry, bore configuration, material, heat treatment, tolerances, mating components and inspection are reviewed during quotation. Need worm gear formulas? See our Designer & Engineer Resources.
How we manufacture worm gears
Dedicated worm gear equipment, thread milling, CNC machining, secondary operations and calibrated inspection — the process is chosen around geometry, size, pitch, lead, quantity and material.
Worm gears hobbed to the gear geometry, center distance, backlash and tooth contact your application needs.
Worms and lead screws thread-milled up to 12″ diameter, 64 to 3 D.P., to your starts, lead and thread form.
CNC turning, milling and shaft machining before or after gear cutting, coordinated in the same project.
Chamfering, deburring, heat treatment coordination, metal finishing and mating-part inspection.
Hobbing & thread milling
Worm requirements can include the number of starts, lead, pitch, thread geometry, diameter, bore or shaft configuration, material and the mating worm gear. We make both halves, so the set is cut and checked to work together.
Worm gears up to 16″ · 64 – 2½ D.P.
Worms & lead screws up to 12″
Worm and gear checked together
Worm gear design
The worm drives the gear through a sliding, screw-like mesh. Get the center distance, lead or backlash wrong and the set will run hot, noisy or loose — so these characteristics are defined up front.
What we confirm from your drawing:
Number of worm starts and lead matched to the required ratio.
Diametral pitch or module and pressure angle for both parts.
Center distance held so the set meshes correctly.
Backlash and tooth contact verified with the mating part.
CNC machining
Machining before or after worm gear cutting is coordinated within the same project.
Diameters, faces and hubs turned to size on the blank.
Flats, slots and milled features produced to the drawing.
Worm shafts and journals machined to your drawing.
Bores machined or opened up for the required shaft fit.
Keyways cut to your shaft and keyway specification.
Holes for set screws, mounting and other features.
Finishing & secondary operations
Finishing and inspection handled in-house or through trusted outside sources.
Tooth and thread edges chamfered after cutting.
Burrs removed from cut teeth, threads and machined features.
Specified heat treatment sourced and coordinated.
Finishes applied as your drawing requires.
Critical dimensions verified to the drawing.
Worm and gear checked together where required.
Prototype to production
Prototype worms, worm gears and lead screws for development.
Replacement worm gears and worms for existing equipment.
Worm and worm gear manufactured and checked as a set.
Short runs through production-volume requirements.
Worm gears for industrial equipment
We manufacture custom worm gears and worms for industrial machinery and power-transmission applications where the mating components must meet specific dimensional and operating requirements.
Precision worm sets for machine tool rotary tables.
High ratios in a compact, right-angle drive.
Custom lead screws for controlled linear motion.
Worn worm gears and worms reproduced for existing drives.
Industries we serve
Worm and worm gear sets for machine tool builders.
Worm gearing for rail cars and public transit equipment.
Worm gears for marine applications and defense suppliers.
Worm gears for construction equipment manufacturers.
Custom worms and worm gears built to OEM drawings.
Heavy-duty worm gearing for mining equipment.
Precision worm sets for medical equipment.
Compact worm gears for power hand tool manufacturers.
Worm gears and lead screws for specialized machinery.
Worm gear quality and inspection
Worms and worm gears run as mating components, so we follow documented inspection procedures written specifically for them — and use the actual mating parts where it helps show how the set really runs.
Tooth and thread size checked over pins or balls.
Runout inspected on the worm and the gear.
Worm lead checked against the drawing.
Whole depth, addendum and circular tooth thickness measured.
Worm gear throat diameter measured.
Center distance checked with the mating component.
Backlash checked with the mating worm.
Tooth-bearing contact and roll testing with the mating part.
Real-world experience
01
A machine tool builder needed more consistent quality, delivery and control on a rotary-table worm and worm gear set.
02
We created a production and quality process plan for both parts before quoting the work.
03
The plan gave the customer confidence, and we were awarded the manufacturing contract.
Custom worm gear manufacturer since 1946
Specialized worm gear equipment, thread milling, CNC machining, calibrated inspection and decades of practical gear experience.
Third-generation and family-owned, making gears since 1946.
Made to your drawings, pitch, lead, geometry, material and tolerances.
Dedicated worm gear hobbing and thread milling equipment.
Prototypes, replacements and production, from your blanks or ours.
Documented procedures, calibrated equipment and 120+ years of experience.
Custom worm gear quotes
Send us your drawing, specifications, quantity and application requirements. We will review your worm, worm gear or lead screw and recommend the right manufacturing and inspection process.
Worm gear manufacturing FAQ
A worm gear set is a screw-like worm running with a mating worm gear. The two are manufactured as related parts, with pitch, lead, center distance, backlash and tooth contact set for the application.
Yes. We manufacture custom worm gears, worms and lead screws to your drawings, dimensions, pitch, lead, materials, tolerances and application requirements.
We manufacture worm gears up to 16 inches in diameter, from 64 D.P. through 2½ D.P.
Worms and lead screws up to 12 inches in diameter, from 64 D.P. through 3 D.P.
We use worm gear hobbing and thread milling equipment, supported by CNC machining, secondary operations and calibrated inspection. The process is chosen around the part geometry and your specifications.
Yes. We make both worms and worm gears and have produced precision worm sets. Our inspection includes center-distance, backlash and tooth-bearing checks using the mating parts.
Yes. We support single prototypes, replacement parts, short runs and long-run production orders.
Our procedures include measurement over pins or balls, runout, lead, whole depth, throat diameter, backlash, tooth-bearing contact, center-distance checks and roll testing with the mating part where applicable — all tailored to your drawing and purchase order.
