A perspective on gear meshing quality based on transmission error analysis

Abstract

Gears are one of the most important elements in power transmission systems. Their use is present in many industries due to their various advantages. Durability, constant transmission ratio, reduced size, high efficiency, suitability for a wide range of powers are some of the benefits. But gears also feature a number of drawbacks like vibration of the gear meshing system generating an undesirable noise. The main source of such a noise is the transmission error that result from misalignment of the gear, tooth profile errors and tooth deflections. This article is a state of the art on the theory of transmission error components that influences gear meshing. The errors of static transmission in gears may have several causes. One originates in the function of the gear mechanism which transmits the rotation and torque between axes and generates forces on the teeth, thus modifying their geometry due to elastic deformation. Another undesirable consequence that would be present even if tooth deflections were insensitive is caused by manufacturing errors such as profile, eccentricity, pitch or even assembling errors. One of the best known methods of reducing transmission error of a gear pair is the profile correction. This paper describes the main differences between static and dynamic transmission errors. It will be shown the most common methods of detecting the transmission error using analytical methodology, optimization algorithms, hybrid numerical/ Finite-Element Analysis and experimental researches in order to establish the dynamic behaviour of the gear pairs under different operating conditions.