Hybrid-additive gear for a wind turbine gearbox

A method for manufacturing a gear of a gearbox of a wind turbine, the gear comprising at least one of a planet gear or a sun gear, the method comprising:

• forming a base of the gear via at least one of casting or forging, the base of the gear comprising an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface, the outer circumferential surface of the gear comprising a plurality of gear teeth;
• applying a coating material to at least a portion of the base of the gear and at least a portion of the plurality of gear teeth of the gear via an additive manufacturing process so as to increase a hardness of the portions of the base and the plurality of gear teeth that includes the coating material;
• and
• wherein the coating material comprises at least one of boron nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, or a nickel-based alloy;
• and
• machining the plurality of gear teeth after applying the coating material.