Industry News

The international standards for gear accuracy are formulated by ISO Technical Committee 60 (ISO/TC60, hereinafter referred to as TC60). Established in the mid-20th century, TC60 is a committee within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) specifically responsible for developing various gear standards, hence it is also known as the Gear Committee. Industrialized countries attach great importance to TC60 and organize their most authoritative institutions and experts to participate in its work, such as the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) and the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). China is a permanent member of the ISO Executive Council. In the 1980s, some experts participated in the working meetings of TC60, but due to various reasons, they were unable to continue, resulting in China's failure to participate in the previous round of gear international standard development. Currently, Professor Shi Zhaoyao from Beijing University of Technology serves as the Chinese representative of TC60 and has participated in the development of ISO1328-1:2013 and other gear standards. This not only means that we can understand the new trends in international gear standard development, but also signifies that China has regained its voice in the international gear standard development.

The old version of the international standard for gear accuracy was published in 1995 [i.e., ISO1328-1:1995(E)]. China's current national standard for gear accuracy (GB10095.1-2008) is equivalent to ISO1328-1:1995(E).

With the rapid development of material technology, information technology, and manufacturing technology, many new technologies and achievements have emerged in the field of gear engineering in the past 20 years, and relevant contents have been reflected in the new version. The revision of the new version of the international standard for gear accuracy involves a lot of content. The old version was only 31 pages, while the new version, ISO1328-1:2013, is 58 pages. The new international standard provides more detailed regulations for the evaluation process of various deviations and adjusts the calculation formulas for tolerance values of various accuracy levels. This will have a significant impact on gear products and various gear equipment.

The gear accuracy standard is a fundamental standard in the machinery industry and even more so in the gear industry. Therefore, countries around the world attach great importance to this standard. After the official promulgation of the international standard for gear accuracy, ISO1328-1:2013, industrialized countries quickly initiated the process of adopting the new standard. According to the report from the TC60 meeting in Germany in November 2013, the United Kingdom and Italy have already adopted the new standard, while the United States, Japan, Germany, and France have initiated the process of adoption.

The promulgation of the new international standard for gear accuracy also requires the attention of China's gear industry, especially gear export enterprises. Some well-known foreign manufacturers of gear machine tools, instruments, and cutting tools have been paying close attention to the formulation and promulgation process of the new version of the gear accuracy standard. For example, in Germany, during the international standard formulation stage, machine tool factories, instrument factories, tool factories, and gear design software providers have already participated and followed up. Once the standard is released, relevant enterprises immediately launch instruments and equipment that adopt the new standard or release products that adapt to the new standard. The promulgation of the new standard for gear accuracy will inevitably lead to a series of revisions of other related standards and changes in the market. We expect our country to adopt this new version of the standard in a timely manner. It is hoped that domestic enterprises can seize this opportunity of international gear standard revision, follow up promptly, actively plan, and quickly transform, turning it into a driving force to promote the strengthening of China's gear industry.