Pitch Converter
The pitch converter shows equivalent numbers for imperial and inch systems like module, diametral pitch, circular pitch and threads per inch. A gear's pitch and number of teeth determine the overall size of the gear (and the blank you need to make that gear). A Gear Dimension Calculator can give you all of the physical dimensions on the gear (diameters and lengths of features on the teeth). However, for quick conversions between diametral pitch, module, and circular pitch, the Gear Pitch Calculator is the easiest. This is often helpful knowledge when reverse engineering an existing gear.
Enter ONLY ONE PARAMETER: Module, Diametral Pitch, Circular Pitch, or TPI. The other fields will auto-calculate.
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Convert Module to Diametral Pitch
A gear's Diametral Pitch is 25.4 divided by its Module. That is, a gear with a module of 2 would have a corresponding diametral pitch of 12.7. Keep in mind, the units for diametral pitch are 1/in
Convert Diametral Pitch to Module
A gear's Module is 25.4 divided by its Diametral Pitch. That is, a gear with a diametral pitch of 16 would have a corresponding module of 1.5875. Keep in mind, the units for module are mm
Convert Diametral Pitch to Circular Pitch
A gear's Circular Pitch is π divided by its Diametral Pitch. That is, a gear with a diametral pitch of 16 would have a corresponding circular pitch of 0.1963. Here we use inches; in metric, CP (mm) = π × module (mm).
Convert Circular Pitch to Threads per inch (TPI)
A gear’s equivalent Threads per Inch (TPI) is 1 / circular pitch (inches) for single-start threads. For an N-start worm, TPI = N / circular pitch. (Note: DP = π / CP.)
Also CP (mm) = π × module and equivalently module = CP / π.
How are Gear Pitch and Module Related?
As the module of a gear increases: the diametral pitch decreases, the circular pitch increases, and the size of the gear increases
Here's a Quick Summary:
DP = 25.4/Mod
Mod = 25.4/DP
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CP = π / DP (≈ 3.1416 / DP)
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TPI = 1 / CP (single-start); TPI = starts / CP (multi-start)
From worm and worm gears to hobs and lathes, pitches can be expressed and equated between these units. This calculator will keep you from digging around in books, and keep you designing or making gears in your shop. Whether you're designing a single gear, or looking to calculate a gear ratio, we have the tools you need to get started.