The study employed the finite element method to develop a validated theoretical model to investigate the distribution of thermal hoop stress around the teeth of a spur gear operating in a filler machine. Three cases of temperature distribution along the radius of a gear tooth were assumed and investigated. The outcome showed that the maximum effective stress occurs at the tip of the gear tooth and decreased circumferentially deep into the gear material. The results also demonstrated that a nonlinear distribution of the temperature around the gear teeth makes the gear material susceptible to penetrating stress and therefore increase the tendency of fatigue failure
