Gears for Steel Plants and Metal Processing
Rolling mills, roller tables, cranes and coilers put gears under shock load, heat and scale. We manufacture replacement and OEM gears for steel and metal plants, from pinion shafts to large double helical gears.
Shock Loads, Heat and Scale
Steel plants are among the hardest environments for gears. A slab entering a roll gap sends a torque spike through the whole drive; roller tables start and stop under load thousands of times a day; cranes lift ladles of liquid metal. Add heat, scale and water, and gear failures quickly become production stops.
Nika Gears manufactures gears for these drives to drawing: tough, through-hardened or induction-hardened gears with strong tooth roots, and case-hardened, ground gears where the gearbox design calls for them.
Typical requirements
- Loadhigh shock, reversing
- Environmentheat, scale, water
- Typical gearsdouble helical, helical, spur
- Shaftspinion and drive shafts
- Materials34CrNiMo6, 42CrMo4, 18CrNiMo7-6
- Documents3.1, UT on request
Where Do Our Gears Run in Steel Plants?
Mill Drives and Pinion Stands
Double helical pinions and gears that split torque between upper and lower rolls, plus mill gearbox stages.
- Double helical sets
- Forged, Q+T or induction hardened
Roller Table and Conveyor Drives
Spur and helical gears, pinion shafts and drive shafts for roller tables, transfer cars and cooling beds.
- Frequent start-stop
- Robust spur and helical stages
Ladle and Overhead Cranes
Hoist, trolley and travel drive gears, ring gears for slewing and gear couplings in crane drives.
- Safety-critical hoist gears
- Full traceability
Which Materials for Steel Plant Gears?
| Application | Typical choice |
|---|---|
| Rolling mill pinions and gears | 34CrNiMo6 or 18CrNiMo7-6, forged; Q+T, induction hardened or case hardened and ground |
| Roller table gears | 42CrMo4 Q+T or induction hardened |
| Crane hoist gears | 18CrNiMo7-6 case hardened and ground |
| Drive spindles and shafts | 34CrNiMo6 or 42CrMo4 forged, Q+T, UT tested |
Final material and heat treatment follow your drawing. We advise when the specification is open.
Which Gear Types for the Steel Industry?
Related industries: mining · power generation · industrial machinery · all industries
Steel Industry Gear Questions
Can you supply rolling mill pinion stand gears?
Yes, double helical pinions and gears up to Ø1,800 mm and module 30, forged and heat treated to drawing.
Do you offer ultrasonic testing of forgings?
Yes, on request, together with EN 10204 3.1 certificates.
Can you copy a gear from a worn mill part?
Yes. We measure the sample and its mate, prepare drawings for your approval and manufacture the replacement.
Choosing Gears for Steel Mill Drives
Gears in steel plants fail for predictable reasons: overload from roll bites and cobbles, fatigue from constant reversing, and wear from scale and water entering the gearbox. Choosing the right material, heat treatment and tooth geometry addresses all three.
Toughness first
Mill drives see peak torques several times the nominal value. A gear that is too hard throughout may crack; a gear that is too soft will pit and wear. The usual answer is a tough core – 34CrNiMo6 or 18CrNiMo7-6 – with a hard tooth surface from induction hardening or case hardening.
Double helical for heavy drives
Pinion stands and main mill gearboxes often use double helical gears. They carry high torque without axial thrust on the bearings, which simplifies the stand design. We manufacture both helices in one set-up so the apex alignment stays correct.
Roller tables and auxiliaries
Roller table drives use many identical spur and helical gears and drive shafts. Series consistency matters here: a plant may stock dozens of the same gear. We manufacture series with batch inspection reports.
Documentation
Steel plants expect traceability. Every Nika Gears order includes EN 10204 3.1 material certificates, heat-treatment and hardness reports, and dimensional reports; ultrasonic testing of forgings is available on request. See our quality page.
For welded gearbox housings and heavy fabrications in the same plant, our sister company Nika Steelworks can help. Send your drawing for steel mill gears from Türkiye.
Send a gear drawing. Get an answer within 24 hours.
Include the PDF or STEP file, module or DP, number of teeth, material, heat treatment, accuracy grade and quantity. We reply with questions or a quotation.