Seattle Watchmaking

Does this wheel look worn? At first glance it may appear fine, but to the trained eye and upon closer inspection you can see that many of the teeth are worn and misshapen. It will no longer engage properly and needs to be replaced.
#7750

Nate Bartush shared these awesome shots of LIGA manufactured spring loaded wheels. These microscopic springs take up backlash in the gear train. Backlash is the play between the teeth of wheels/leaves of pinions. If the teeth are cut to exact fit of each other, they will bind or wear out very fast. Backlash causes loss of energy/efficiency and has some ‘backwards’ motion. These tiny springs take up the extra slack without binding. A more efficient system without backlash is created. And that’s one of Nate’s hairs for reference.