A gear that is exposed to the environment, as opposed to being housed in a protective gear box. Open gears are generally large, heavily loaded, and slow moving. They are utilized in such applications as mining and construction machinery, punch presses, plastic and rubber mills, tube mills, and rotary kilns. Open gears require viscous, adhesive lubricants that bond to the metal surfaces and resist run-off. Such lubricants are often called gear shields. Top-quality lubricants for such applications are specially designed to protect the gears against the effects of water and other contaminants.