Gear Design
Various Elements of Gear Design and the
Conditions for Determining Elements
• Dimensional Considerations
• Amount and Direction of Force Considerations
• Usage and Handling Considerations
• Conditions Concerning the Manufacturing and Economy
• Environmental Conditions of Gear Usage
Dimensional Considerations
• Center distance of the shafts
Normally gears matching the center distance between the shafts is used, but
there are occasions when profile shifting is used.
• Available space for mounting gears
The decisions on tooth widths and outside diameters are affected by this.
Amount and direction of force considerations
• The amount of force transmission and the required strength of gears
Chiefly conditions affecting bending and tooth surface strengths which are
determined by material, pitch, pressure angle, profile shifting amount, tooth
width, heat treating methods, etc.
• Direction of force transmission
Affects the decision of tooth helix direction and type of gears (e.g. use of racks
for linear motion).
• Desired speed ratio
Determined by the choices of numbers of teeth.
Usage and handling considerations
• Durability of gears
Since it is mostly determined by the bending and tooth surface strengths, it
influences the decision on material, pitch, pressure angle, profile shifting
amount, tooth width, heat treating methods, etc.
• Related to the weight and maintainability
Determines mainly the size, form, material (specific gravity), and method of
shaft attachment.
Usage and handling considerations (cont.)
• Related to noise and vibration
Affects the decisions chiefly on precision grade, need for tooth grinding, use of
crowning or end relief, material, amount of backlash and lubrication method.
• Related to shock at start and stop time
Related to gear strength so that it is influenced by material, pitch, pressure
angle, profile shifting amount, tooth width, heat treating methods, etc.
Conditions concerning the manufacturing and
economy
• Ease of production and possible utilization of available production
facilities.
Influenced by manufacturing method, size and many other elements.
• Manufacturing cost
Affects choices of material, use of gear grinding, surface finish, precision class,
etc.
Environmental conditions of gear usage
• Temperature and humidity
Influences the selection of material, kind of surface treatment, etc.
• Cleanliness and sanitary considerations
Determines material, type of surface treatment, lubrication method, etc.
Basic Knowledge of the
Mechanical Design of Gears
Gearing Falls roughly into the following Five
Categories:
• Spur gear
• Helical gear
• Bevel gear
• Screw gear
• Worm and worm wheel
Involute Function
•When
the pressure angle α of the optional point P’ on the involute
curve is shown,
So, if 20°,
The formula above is expressed as , and is used to calculate tooth
thickness.
Formula for Gearing
•A pressure angle of 20° is the JIS standard.
m (module) : tooth size (mm)
P0 : pitch diameter (mm)
Dk : tip diameter (mm)
Z : number of tooth
Ca : center distance (mm)
In this case,
m becomes bigger as the number of tooth is fewer.
Formula for Gearing (cont.)
•
Also,
Thus, the tooth tip is 1*m from pitch diameter, and 1.25*m to the tooth bottom.
The bottoms of intermeshing gears interfere, so the minimum number of teeth is:
(αc is tool pressure angle)
When αc is 20°, Zg becomes 17.
The interference of tooth bottoms of gears is called “undercut”. Any slight undercut
is normal and the minimum number of teeth is 14.
Simplified Design Method for Gear
• When setting center distance Ca and speed ratio, the outline of the
module is also set based on transmitting power.
• Choose the number of teeth for the small pinion (minimum is 14) and
determine the number of teeth of the big gear by the speed ratio.
• Calculate the pitch diameter and adjust the number of teeth until the
sum of half of each pitch diameter matches the speed ratio.
Gear Cutting
• Generating Method
In the generating method, involute tooth is shaped by rack type or pinion type
cutter based on the principal of an involute curve.
• Forming Method
In the forming method, the gear is cut by a plain milling machine, using disc
shaped gear cutter that matches the gear tooth groove.
Designing Conditions in Choosing a Timing
Belt from Commercial Items
• Machine type
• Transmitting power (rated output of motors)
• Extent of load variation
• Operating hours per day
• Rotation speed of small pulley
• Speed ratio (big pulley / small pulley)
• Tentative distance between two axes
• Operating conditions (temperature, humidity)
