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AITS 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1220 (2022) 012025 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1220/1/012025

Research of gear drives

A Dobreva, V Dobrev and G Mollova

University of Ruse, 7017 Ruse, Bulgaria

adobreva@uni-ruse.bg

Abstract. Worm gear drives possess important advantages such as: compact design, high power
density due to a high gear ratio within a single gear stage. However, these gear drives often show
high sliding speeds within the tooth contact, resulting in relative low efficiency coefficient in the
meshing. Therefore, an exact calculation regarding efficiency in the meshing and load capacity
is important during the beginning stage of the machine design process. Currently, no calculation
method is available to analyze worm gears considering efficiency in meshing and contact
strength. The objective of the research implemented was to analyze extensively the meshing
efficiency and the contact stress behavior of various geometry designs of worm gears drives.
Optimization research has been implemented considering the criteria mentioned. All
calculations and theoretical analysis have been implemented for different center distances,
different modules, gear ratios and rotational speeds of the worm shaft. Simulation results are
shown and discussed. Important conclusions and recommendations are suggested.

1. Introduction
Worm gear drives are quite suitable for transmitting large gear ratios in one stage. A worm drive is a
power transmission device in which a worm meshes with a worm gear to transmit power between two
non-intersecting shafts that are oriented at a right angle. An important feature of these drives is the
probability to achieve self-locking (for large gear ratios) when reversing the direction of the power flow.
Due to the great values of the sliding speed, heating is often the determining limit of the load capacity.
On the other hand, one of the significant advantages of worm gear drives is their quiet operation capac-
ity.
Worm drives have been widely used in various applications: noise is to be limited; space is limited;
absorption of shock loading is required; minimum maintenance is necessary. The application of the
worm gear drives is approximately 10 percent of all mechanical power transmissions.
Research of worm gear drives is carried out worldwide, which is described in the books and publi-
cations of Niemann and Winter [1], Hoehn et al. [2], Octrue [3, 4] and Houser [5]. Based on the scien-
tific results achieved, a method for overall worm gear capacity estimation has been developed within
the DIN 3996 standard [6].
The axes of the worm and the worm wheel intersect (most often) under 90, figure 1.
There are three types of worm-gear drives: a) those with cylindrical worms (figure 1 a); b) globoid
worm - cylindrical gear (figure 1 b); c) globoid worm - globoid wheel (figure 1 c).

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AITS 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1220 (2022) 012025 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1220/1/012025

Figure 1. Types of worm gears: a) cylindrical worm - globoid wheel;

b) globoid worm – helical involute gear; c) globoid worm - globoid wheel.

2. Theoretical Background
Depending on the method of generation, the following types of cylindrical worms are to be differentiated
according to the German Standard DIN 3975 [7]:
- ZA – Flank form A (straight sided axial worm - type ZA): The straight shape-producing line of
the cutter and the tooth generator of the worm coincide. Flank form A is obtained by setting a
trapezoidal rotary cutter in such a way that its cutting edges lie in the axial section. It is produced
by milling or grinding with a relevant profiled cutter or by skiving.
- ZN – Flank form N (straight sided normal worm - type ZN): The straight shape-producing line
of the cutter and tooth flank generator of the worm coincide again, but do not cut the worm axis.
Flank form N is obtained by setting a trapezoidal rotary cutter at axis level in such a way that
its cutting faces lie in the plane inclined by the reference lead angle m, thus determining the
normal profile. It is produced by milling with a conical end-milling cutter or a relatively small
disc-milling cutter.
- ZK – Flank form K (milled helicoid worm-type ZK): Flank form K is obtained by engagement
of the worm with a rotary cutter of double cone form or by a milling cutter. Convex profiles in
axial planes are achieved.
- ZI - Flank form I (involute helicoid worm-type ZI): The tooth flanks are parts of involute heli-
coid surfaces. They are tangential to a plane whose normal with respect to an axial section is
slewed round by reference lead angle m and inclined to the worm axis by the angle of generation
ɑ°. Flank I is obtained by grinding with a flat sided grinding wheel.
The load capacity calculation methods of worm gears are described in details in DIN 3996 [6]. The
most significant criterion is the contact strength calculation due to the following reason: the relative high
friction coefficient and the high sliding speed between the flanks of worm and worm gear leads to high
local contact pressure.
The other important criteria are: bending capacity, wear (usually appears on the tooth flanks of bronze
worm wheels), scuffing and heating.
The efficiency of a worm gear drive is usually evaluated between 50 and 96 percent, depending on
lubricant; speed; surface roughness; load; material pair; worm profile; worm gear size; worm number of
starts and temperature [8-12].
The efficiency calculations for worm drives are standardized in AGMA 6034-B92 [13], BS 721 [14]
and DIN 3996 [6]. The author's team completed successfully some research tasks in the field of energy
efficiency in the area of gear drives and machine science. The results of these investigations are de-
scribed in details in the following publications: [15–19]. Gear losses cause a significant proportion of
the overall power loss. Friction within the meshing contact of two tooth flanks relates to the applied load
of the tooth system and results in load-dependent gear losses.

2
AITS 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1220 (2022) 012025 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1220/1/012025

3. Methods
Categories of criteria have been selected according to which an optimization study of worm gear drives
is performed. The most significant group of criteria are the tribological parameters: coefficient of friction
and meshing efficiency in worm gearing. The friction coefficient is calculated in accordance with [17]
and [18]. The meshing efficiency is determined according to [1] and [6].
The second important group are the kinematic criteria: frequency of rotation of the input shaft, sliding
speed and gear ratio. All calculations have been implemented with three values of rotational speed of
the input shaft: 750 rpm, 1000 rpm and 1500 rpm.
The third main category of criteria includes the load capacity of the worm gear drive on the criterion
contact strength. Strength calculations have been performed considering the contact strength criterion
for worm gears of type ZI with the nominal output torque for the corresponding center distance and for
the relevant rotational speed of the worm shaft.
The contact stresses obtained are to be compared with the permissible contact stress calculated ac-
cording to the methods of [1] and [6]. All calculations have been implemented for different center dis-
tances, different modules, gear ratios and input shaft rotational speeds.

4. Results and Discussion

Considering the described methodology, the values of the efficiency in the worm gear meshing have
been calculated and compared for different values of the gear ratio, center distance and rotational speeds
of the worm. A conclusion can be deduced that as the gear ratio increases, the meshing efficiency
decreases. Worm gear drives with a gear ratio between 12 and 30 are characterized by the highest
efficiency values.
A significant tendency can be observed that at higher rotational speeds of the worm, the meshing
efficiency of the gear is reaching higher values. The charts in figure 2 show the results obtained at center
distance a = 125 mm.

Figure 2. Efficiency coefficients in the worm gear meshing

for center distance a =125 mm.

Strength calculations have been performed considering the contact strength criterion for worm gears
of type ZI with the nominal output torque for the corresponding center distance and for the relevant
rotational speed of the worm shaft.

3
AITS 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1220 (2022) 012025 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1220/1/012025

Figure 3. Efficiency coefficients and contact stresses in the worm gear meshing
for center distance a =125 mm.
The contact stresses obtained are lower than the permissible contact stress calculated according to the
methods of [1] and [6].
There is a positive trend that at higher rotational speeds the values of contact stresses decrease by the
same values of meshing efficiency in the worm gearing. The lowest values of efficiency in the engage-
ment - from 0.6 to 0.7 - are observed in worm gears, which are of the type: self-locking. For the same
type of gears, the contact stresses have the highest possible values: about 300 to 340 MPa.

5. Conclusions
An optimization study of worm gear drives is presented. Three categories of criteria have been applied:
tribological, kinematic and load capacity. Calculations and analyzes of the results have been performed.
The influence of the gear ratio and the rotational speed of the worm shaft on the meshing efficiency
in the worm gearing and the variation of the values of the contact stresses has been established.
The results obtained can be used at an early stage of the design process of worm gear drives, allowing
the designer to choose the optimal parameters in terms of maximum meshing efficiency in worm gear
drives.

Acknowledgements
The authors’ team expresses gratitude and acknowledgements for the support of the scientific fund at
the University of Ruse, Bulgaria.

References
[1] Niemann, G. and H. Winter: Maschinenelemente, Springer Verlag, (1996).
[2] Hoehn, B.-R., Neupert, K. & Steingroever, K.: Wear Load Capacity and Efficiency of Worm
Gears", VD1 Berichte, No. 1230, pp.409-425, (1996).
[3] Octrue, M.: Relationship between wear and pitting phenomena in worm gears. American Gear
Manufacturers Association, paper 97FTM9, (1997).
[4] Octrue, M.: Evolution des methodes de calcul de la capacite de charge des engrenages a r'oue et
vis tangentes pression et usure", 4th World Congress on Gearing and Power Transmission,
Paris, France, 1, pp. 405-417, (1999).
[5] Houser, D. R., Su, X. & Vaishya, M.: Effects of wear on the meshing contact of worm gearing,
AGMA 99FTM18, (1999).

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AITS 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1220 (2022) 012025 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1220/1/012025

[6] DIN 3996: Calculation of Load Capacity of Cylindrical Worm Gear Pairs with Rectangular
Crossing Axes, Beuth Verlag, Berlin, Germany, (2012)
[7] DIN 3975: 2/2007, Begriffe und Bestimmungs größen für Zylinder-Schnecken-getriebe mit sich
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[12] Murphy, W. R. and Cheng, V.M: The Effect of Lubricant Traction on Worm Efficiency, Gear
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[13] AGMA 6034-B92: Practice for Enclosed Cylindrical Worm gear Speed Reducers and Gearm
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[14] BS 721-1: Specification for Worm Gearing — Imperial Units, BSI, London, UK, (1963).
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