In term of lightweight material applications, polymer composite gears are becoming one of the key mechanical components in energy and automotive engineering. For example, new laws in the UK and Europe are being created to reduce emissions and with fuel prices on the rise OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) are using more lightweight polymer based components to achieve optimal fuel efficiency. Since 2008 the weight of the average vehicle has dropped by 18% and experts predict that by 2025 polymers will comprise over 20% of the average vehicle's weight. This presentation is to provide a summary of current Warwick team research progress on polymer composite gears, including:

• An unique test method for polymer composite gears
• Injection mould design and moulding process investigations
• 3D printing polymer gears
• Polymer composite gear non-linear contact simulations
• A new design method for polymer gear performance