INSPECTION

InvestIgatIng epIcyclIc gear WhIne

SKF KeepS wind turbineS Spinning gearing up For Land, Sea, and air
Site Safety tooth tipS
Company pRofile: KGK International Q&a: Suren Rao, ph.D. Gear Research Institute
FEBRUARY 2009

FOCUSED
KAPP KX 500 FLEX

dual dressing spindles

flexible

efficient on-board measuring e r workpiece indexing i c gonom

Ge a re d t o m a k e t hings move.
KAPP Technologies 2870 Wilderness Place Boulder, CO 80301 Phone: (303) 447-1130 Fax: (303) 447-1131 info@kapp-usa.com

KAPP ) niles
www.kapp-niles.de www.niles.de www.kapp-niles.com www.kapp-asia.com www.kapptec.com

gearsolutions.com

February 2009
VOLUME7NO.71

FEATURES
20
p. 20

by russ WillcuTT This company is constantly seeking manufacturers of equipment that will save gear manufacturers time and money while providing the quality they require.

CoMpANyPROFILE KGK InTERnATIonAL

22 30
38

SKF KEEpS WINd turbINES SpINNINg

by colin roberTs Wind turbine gearboxes outfitted with SKFs latest high-capacity bearings will provide greater reliability and longer life.

gEArINg up For LANd, SEA, ANd AIr

by JosePh l. arvin anD JaMes J. cervinka Arrow Gear describes how the use of advanced design technology is expanding its range of power transmission applications in a wide range of environments.

INvEStIgAtINg EpICyCLIC gEAr WHINE

p. 22

by Dr. F. kaMaya, Dr. M. eccles, Dr. J. Pears Testing epicyclic gear systems leads to discoveries that will help eliminate gear noise during the design phase.

DEPARTMENTS
8
INduStryNEWS
New products, trends and developments in the gear-manufacturing industry.

17
p. 30

SItESAFETY Terry McDonalD

Dont make the mistake of trimming your safety program during trying economic times, which would expose your company to major liability.

19 52

tootHTIPS

Determining the reasons for materials-based fatigue failures can be a challenge, but dont underplay the role of resonance.

WilliaM crosher

Q&A WiTh suren rao, Ph.D., Managing DirecTor

Gear Research Institute

INDUSTRY RESOURCES
45MACHINES
p. 38
Gear Solutions (ISSN 1933 - 7507) is published monthly by Media Solutions, Inc., 266D Yeager Parkway Pelham, AL 35124. Phone (205) 380-1573 Fax (205) 380-1580 International subscription rates: $72.00 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Pelham AL and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gear Solutions magazine, P.O. Box 1210 Pelham AL 35124. Publications mail agreement No. 41395015 return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 503 RPO West Beaver Creek Richmond Hill, ON L4B4R6. Copyright 2006 by Media Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

48MARKETPLACE

51ADVERTISERINDEX

FEBRUARY 2009

LeTTeR

FRom THe

EDITOR

David C. Cooper
publIsher assocIate publIsher

We have always been an advocate for productive relationships between academia and the gear-manufacturing industry, and were delighted to have the opportunity to provide you with insights into what many consider to be the epitome of such a collaboration: The gear research institute, which is located at Pennsylvania state university. suren rao, Ph.D.the gris longtime managing directorwas very kind in taking the time to share his own professional history with us, along with a description of the institutes structure, equipment, capabilities, and research thrusts. The gri allows industry leaders such as boeing, Timken, honeywell international, and sikorsky aircraft, among many others, to call on its highly skilled faculty and staff to address issues of interest and benefit to companies across the gear-manufacturing spectrum, whether that involves the aerospace, automotive, industrial, or other markets. at the same time, its university setting allows engineering students to get a glimpse of this exciting industry at a point when many are considering what direction their career might take. What impressed me the most, however, is Dr. raos academic approach to meeting the challenges faced by gear manufacturers. We really dont look at the value of the projects presented to us, he says, so much as whether or not we can offer a solution. you can read more of his comments in the Q&a closing out this issue of the magazine. as for our features, James J. cervinka, who is ceo of the arrow gear company, and Joseph l. arvin, president, have penned gearing up for land, sea, and air, which describes how the use of advanced design technology is expanding the companys range of power transmission applications in a number of environments. colin roberts, who is head of the skF groups Technical Press, has contributed skF keeps Wind Turbines spinning, which discusses how wind turbine gearboxes outfitted with the companys latest high-capacity bearings provide greater reliability and longer life. This article is also something of a field report, providing you with information directly from an skF client who is already benefiting from this technology. Drs. F. kamaya, M. eccles, and J. Pears of romax Technology have written investigating epicyclic gear Whine, which contains the results of tests on these systems that will help eliminate gear noise during the design phase. bill crosher explores resonance-based fatigue failure in his Tooth Tips column, and Terry McDonald points to the importance of not scrimping on your safety program during trying economic times in site safety. kgk international is this months company profile, in which you will read of their new equipment offerings for the gear industry. We are pleasedas alwaysto be able to share their expertise with you. Many of you are probably aware of our exciting plans for the new year, which involves the launch of Wind Systems magazine this spring. We are simply amazed by the amount of interest and the number of inquiries weve already received. you are invited to visit our Web sitewww.windsystemsmag.com, which is currently in developmentto sign up for your free issue or to download a PDF of our media kit. e-mail general inquiries to info@ windsystemsmag.com, and send story ideas or article submissions to me at russ@windsystemsmag.com. as is the case with Gear Solutions, were always interested in hearing from you! all best:

Chad Morrison Russ Willcutt

edItor

EdItorIAL

Brad Whisenant
NatiONal SaleS maNager

SALES

CIrCuLAtIoN

Teresa Hall
maNager assIstant

Jamie Willett Kassie Hughey

assIstant

Jeremy Allen
art dIrector

Art

Michele Hall
graphIc desIgner

CoNtrIbutINg WrItErS
JosePh l. arvin JaMes J. cervinka WilliaM P. crosher dr. M. eccles dr. F. kaMaya terry Mcdonald dr. J. Pears colin roberts

P O. BOx 1987 Pelham, al 35124 . (800) 366-2185 (800) 380-1580 fax

Published by Media solutions, inc.

Dav id C. Cooper presIdent Chad Mor rison vIce presIdent Ter esa Ha ll operatIons

Russ Willcutt, editor Gear Solutions magazine editor@gearsolutionsonline.com (800) 366-2185

gearsolutions.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage-and-retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. The views expressed by those not on the staff on Gear Solutions magazine, or who are not specifically employed by Media Solutions, Inc., are purely their own. All "Industry News" material has either been submitted by the subject company or pulled directly from their corporate web site, which is assumed to be cleared for release. Comments and submissions are welcome, and can be submitted to editor@gearsolutionsonline.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS
Major Capital Investments at Forest City Gear

NewProducts, Trends,Services, andDevelopments

Forest city gear announces it has invested more than $6 million in the purchase of new capital equipment for the manufacture of gears during the last 18 months. according to ceo Fred young this reinvestment of revenue was made for a variety of reasons, primarily to expand the companys manufacturing capabilities and to maintain the companys industry-wide reputation for staying on the leading edge of manufacturing technology. our customers expect Forest city gear to always lead the way in devising new production techniques to make better gears for them, at a competitive cost and with superior service, he says. Thats a tall order, but its one we welcome. our track record speaks for itself in this area, as Fcg has reinvested an average between 25 and 40 percent of our annual revenue for the last 30 years in the purchase of gearmaking machinery and ancillary equipment. in addition, weve made some major investments in green technology over the last two years. We always buy high-end equipment, not only because it generally affords us higher quality, service, and train- fred young, Ceo of forest City ing from our suppliers, but also because we realize Gear, inspects a gear made on better performance, lower maintenance requirements, the companys recently acquired better trade-in value, and more substantial deprecia- equipment. tion allowances, young says, adding that one impetus for these new purchases was the companys success in supplying many of the gears on the 2011 Mars rover, a win achieved in part because of the previous investment in leading-edge technology. We never wait until we get an order to buy machines with enhanced capability. We already have it and have developed it before we start exploring new opportunities. Thats a real advantage for Fcg. gene Fann, gear technology manager, joins young in detailing these recent equipment purchases and the new capabilities that resulted from this substantial investment. These include: Gleason PSA 500 gear shaper with electronic helical guide to eliminate the need for helical lead guides; special face gear attachment (perhaps the only one in the usa presently) allows increased shaping capability, more prototype capability and shorter lead times, along with more accurate face gears, which in some instances can substitute for bevel gears; Gleason PSA 300 gear shaper with electronic helical guide and automatic column inclination, also accepting our face gear attachment; Fellows/Bourn & Koch MS450-125 CNC gear shapers with radial crowning and electronic helical guideless shaping; Koepfer 200 CNC 7-axis gear hobbers with automatic loading and worm-milling high-helix hob head; Koepfer MZ130 CNC 5000 rpm gear hobber with auto-load gear and worm hobber; expands the companys size range in gear diameter and diametral pitch;

Hofler Helix 400 SK gear grinder, using a 20mm dia. cbn wheel for closer to shoulder tolerances on cluster gears; Samputensili RI 400 CNC 5-axis twin generating and form gear grinder with linear motors for precise positioning down to 0.001mm, according to the builder; Samputensili RI 375 CNC gear and thread grinder with internal, spur and helical gear grinding; highly modified profiles and crowned teeth to 400mm diameter and shafts up to a meter in length can be machined in this grinder, along with worm and special thread form grinding; Wenzel Gear Tec LH87 CMM with rotary table; up to 900mm diameter gears inspected and large bore to accommodate long shafts; Wenzel Gear Tec WGT 600 CNC analytical checker with air bearing technology; said to be the most accurate in the industry. other purchases and improvements include Mitutoyo Digimatic Model hDs h24c height gages; a sunnen sv1005 automated honing machine; two kellenberger kel-vista Type UR Model 175-600 universal cylindrical grinding machines; a centric senjo seike Plc 101saii automatic chamfering machine with swivel; hurco vM1 machining centers; a Jenfab Mini belt inline cellular spray washer/dryer; and a Star/SU PTG-1 hob and shaper cutter sharpener. The company also installed a retrofitted isotropic superfinishing reM tumbler and installed an oberlin filtration system with environmentally-friendly chiller. With all this new equipment weve needed substantial training from our suppliers, young says. What weve enjoyed as a collateral benefit is the cross-pollination from other customers plants around the world. This has made us a better gear company, im certain. he mentions that Fcg frequently sells gears to its competitors, based on the advanced technology developed at his company. We really believe in raising the bar for our entire industry. it gives us a competitive advantage, of course, but its also a benefit to american manufacturers, who represent our customer base and our future in business. Forest city gear was founded in 1955 in

Companies wishing to submit materials for inclusion in Industry News should contact Editor Russ Willcutt at editor@gearsolutionsonline.com. Releases accompanied by color images will be given first consideration.

gearsolutions.com

rockford, illinois, by evelyn and stetler young, parents of Fred young, the current ceo. a classic family-run company, Fred operates Forest city gear with his wife, Wendy, as well as their daughters and a sonin-law, who are all active in the business. For more information on this announcement call (815) 623-2168, send e-mail to everett hawkins, director of sales, at ehawkins@forestcitygear.com, or visit online at [www.forestcitygear.com].

Gleason Introduces the Genesis 160TWG Threaded Wheel Grinder

Faster, more-flexible hard finish grinding of cylindrical gears with diameters up to 160mm is now possible with the introduction of gleasons new genesis 160TWg Threaded Wheel grinder. it features an exceptionally high speed cam-driven double grip loader that helps it cut floor-to-floor times without the need for the considerably more complex designs available on the market. The 160TWg speeds setup times by integrating a stock dividing sensor right into the grinding head, so stock dividing is done fast and automatically using the machines nc motions rather than relying on typical time-consuming manual adjustment. in addition, the 160TWg gives users a host of dressing systems to choose from to meet the need for either maximum dressing speed, or maximum flexibility: For high volumes and maximum productivity, a patented diamondplated master dressing system is available, integrated into the clamping fixture and capable of dressing the latest multi-start grinding wheels in 10-20 percent less time than with conventional dressers;

For exceptional flexibility, a CNC dressing unit with a singleflank dressing tool can be used, featuring new gleason contour dressing software and precise axis motions to create any profile modification (e.g. tip or root relief, pressure angle modification or crowning) to the grinding wheel. This dressing process is similar to those used on gleason profile grinders; A conventional CNC dressing unit is available with a double-flank dressing gear to simultaneously dress both flanks. The use of powerful sieMens cnc direct-drive spindles and gleason proprietary software all combine to give the 160TWg a

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unique capability to produce a higher quality, quieter gear. For example, users will benefit from the 160TWgs patented anti-twist capability to compensate for or control undesirable flank twist, and they can take advantage of gleasons vrM grinding process (patent pending) to produce much quieter gears by making subtle kinematic adjustments in the grinding process. The 160TWg is the latest in the family of gear production equipment from gleason called genesis. all of the genesis machines share a common platform: a single-piece frame cast from an advanced polymer composite material, which can be made more accurately and with inherently more rigidity than conventional cast-iron assemblies. This platform design also ensures a small, compact machine footprint and enables the user to install and relocate the machine with no special lifting equipment or special foundations. To learn more go to [www. gleason.com].

Kapp Technologies Announces New Sales Representative

kaPP Technologies is pleased to announce that Dwight smith of cole Manufacturing systems, inc., has been awarded a contract to exclusively represent kapp and niles products in the northeastern region of the united states. smith was previously teamed with kapp Technologies from 2001 to 2006. he will serve kapp Technologies customers in new york, Michigan, indiana, northern ohio, Pennsylvania, and new Jersey. smith brings a wide range of experience in gear manufacturing, metrology, analysis, and project management that will offer customers a unique resource for investment considerations. he has also developed and presented the gear basic training sessions throughout north america since 1989, and he has served as chairman of the agMa handbook committee. his company, cole Manufacturing systems, represents complementary gear-related equipment manufacturers. kapp welcomes smith and looks forward to the knowledge and experience he will offer its customers as part of its sales team. he can be reached at (248) 601-8145 or dsmith@colemfgsystems.com. go online to [www.colemfgsystems.com]. contact kapp at info@kappniles.com or [www.kapp-niles.com].

Mabry Castings Completes Kaizen Project

Mabry castings lTDa gray iron casting and ductile iron casting foundry located in beaumont, Texashas adopted lean manufacturing philosophies and principles as their main focus for facility improvements to increase overall competitiveness and offer enhanced customer service. To this end it has just completed a lean kaizen project in their gray iron castings and ductile iron casting finishing department. installation of improved lighting, ergonomic work stations, more-efficient chain hoists, and increased use of drop bottom casting hoppers have resulted in better castings flow, improved material handling, and reduced delivery times. The company is expecting an improvement in lead times of up to 25 percent to its customers from the lean techniques incorporated in this project. Management describes it as just one of many lean initiatives to be undertaken, with the great success of this lean project solidifying the companys strong belief in continuous improvement. eliminating waste in every department is a key element in corporate business strategy. Mabry castings is a subsidiary of advanced Metals group llc and produces gray iron castings and ductile iron castings for oil and gas drilling, waterworks, agriculture, automotive aftermarket,

FEBRUARY 2009

11

construction, marine, machine tool, gear, aTv, rail, transit, and off-road vehicles. iron castings are produced in green sand on hunter 20 and hunter 32 molding units and on an air set no-bake molding line. castings sizes range from 5 lbs to 3,500 lbs. To learn more go to [www.mabrycastings.com].

TYROLIT Announces Restructuring

cincinnati Tyrolit, inc., Tyrolit Wickman, inc.,

and cal state abrasives have announced the formation of TyroliT, l.l.c., now operating as one sales organization. The company will continue to dedicate itself to serving the shared markets with exceptional products and solutions in the areas of abrasives technology. The new team at TyroliT, l.l.c., was built around its customer service representatives, sales and marketing personnel, and applications engineers. one of the key factors in

forming this new company was to simplify communications with its customers. The new sales organization provides the customers with one place to call for support, and one place to conduct all commerce. All business and/or correspondence should be directed to: TyroliT, l.l.c. 3010 Disney street cincinnati, oh 45209 in other news, David Diedrich has been hired as superabrasive key account sales manager of the north american division. he brings 20 years of technical sales and management experience in the abrasive industry, with most of his knowledge concentrated in superabrasives. Most recently he held a position with the national research company as sales and marketing manager. During his tenure he created a new business model that drove sales by 23 percent in the first 18 months. he also grew product sales 121 percent of goal by penetrating global markets and launching new products. he has held positions with globally recognized companies within the industry, including both general electric and the norton company. Diedrich will be focused on defining and developing strong, long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with key superabrasive accounts in the u.s., with the focus on profitable sales growth. The companys primary contact number is (888) TYROLIT, or (888) 897-6548, and e-mail should be sent to tyrolit-us@tyrolit. com. also contact Jason MelchervP of marketing, North Americaat (513) 458-8187 or jason.melcher@tyrolit.com. go online to [www.tyrolit.com].

Appointments Made at Schafer Gear

schafer gear has appointed Paresh shah as vice president of engineering and business development. in this role he oversees all engineering-related functions. he also works with executives and sales representatives on business development. he had previously been schafers engineering manager. in the past he has worked for a number of gear manufacturers in the united states and

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holds a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering, as well as a masters degree in mechanical engineering from the new Jersey institute of Technology. in making the announcement schafer President bipin Doshi said, since Paresh joined the schafer team he has been instrumental in formalizing and updating critical engineering procedures. he has also worked very hard on new projects and business development. our customers appreciate his in-depth knowledge of their markets. Tricia robertson has been named customer relations specialist at the companys south bend production facility. one of her primary responsibilities will be to serve as a direct point of contact for customers. a graduate of Purdue university, robertson holds a bachelors degree in consumer and family sciences. Prior to joining schafer gear she was employed by Mercury switches. Due to recent business development initiatives, schafer gear has been positioning itself to manage unprecedented growth, says bipin Doshi. The addition of Tricia will significantly enhance our ability to provide the best possible customer experience as our company continues to grow. Dennis sharp has been appointed production manager, and ryan Finfrock as senior process engineer. both will work at the south bend production facility. sharps primary responsibilities will include leading the production department. Finfrock will be responsible for new part quoting, process development, process improvement, and tool design. he also supports the manufacturing floor and quality areas. a graduate of indiana university south bend, sharp holds a bachelors degree in business administration and marketing. Prior to joining schafer gear he was employed by affinia, where he was plant manager. Finfrock holds a bachelor of science in technology degree from Purdue university and is currently pursuing his masters degree in business administration at indiana university south bend.

he was previously employed by Fairfield Manufacturing. These two individuals provide the right mix of production and engineering experience to enhance our growth and our ability to serve our custom-

ers needs, says robert Doshi, operations manager. Their skill sets have allowed them to jump right in and make immediate contributions to the success of the company. Mary howie has been named human resources specialist for the south bend production facility. she has assumed the primary responsibility for all schafer personnel related activities including administration of hiring, payroll, and benefits. Prior to joining

THE SEVENTH LARGEST USED MACHINERY WAREHOUSE IN THE WORLD

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schafer she served in the hr department of gaska Tape in elkhart, indiana. according to schafer executive vice President stan blenke, having Mary howie in our human resources department expands our ability to serve the needs of our growing employee base, he says. Mary brings a wealth of experience to this critical position. Three more appointments include becky Zumbrun, who has been promoted to the position of production supervisor; Michele copper, who is moving up to the role of shipping and receiving supervisor; and clayton steele, who has been appointed manufacturing engineer in the gear production area. Zumbruns responsibil-

ities include the direction and coordination of daily production department activities, processing materials flow and product quality. she also administers employee training and safety programs. an eight-year veteran of the united states Marine corps, she previously worked at scott brass in Mishawaka, indiana. in her new role she will be responsible for scheduling, recording, and distributing all incoming and ongoing shipments at the gear production plant. Prior to assuming her current role whe was a driver for schafer gear. steele is a graduate of Purdue university where he majored in agricultural and biological engineering with a focus on machine systems design. he also

worked at schafer gear during the past four years as an intern, where he gained handson experience through his work with multiple production machines. Founded in 1934, schafer gear Works is a leading producer of high-precision, customengineered gears and machined parts. an iso 9001:2000 company, schafer has production facilities in south bend and Fort Wayne, indiana, and rockford, illinois. For more information go to [www.schafergear.com].

Apex to Auction Large-Capacity Gear Manufacturing Equipment

apex auctions, the global leader in machine tool auctions, has announced it will be offering for sale a unique selection of large-capacity gear manufacturing equipment in spring 2009. The machinery is currently in operation at The reid gear company, which is closing due to the retirement of their Managing Director Tom reid. The reid gear company was founded in 1897 in order to fulfill a burgeoning demand for the design and manufacture of gears and gearboxes, primarily in the clyde engineering industries. over the past 100 years the companys products have been

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and continue to be used by a wide variety of industries such as sugar processing and steel production. over 280 lots of engineering equipment have been made available for sale, including: Maag Maag Maag Maag SH450/500s Heavy Duty Gear Cutting Machine SH350/500 Heavy Duty Gear Cutting Machine SH100/140 Gear Cutting Machine SH100 Gear Cutting Machine

all equipment will be available for auction online through the apex auctions Web site, with the major machines available for immediate sale. apex holds over 150 auctions per year of surplus cnc and manual machine tools from a wide range of engineering companies in the united staets, the united kingdom, and europe. More information, and a full lot listing for this auction, can be found on the apex Auctions Web site or by contacting the head office at +44 (0) 1273 224466. send e-mail to info@apexauctions.com or go online to [www.apexauctions.com].

Mida Optical Twin Probe System from Marposs

a new system that enables the installation of both tool setting and part inspection probes onto machine tools using a single wireless interface unit will be presented by Marposs corp. at WesTec 2009 in booth 2519, March 30-april 2, in los angeles. The new Mida optical Twin Probe systemwhich incorporates an extremely compact, tubetype optical receiver interface (ori)simplifies probing applications, especially in situations where connecting cables prove difficult such as installations on machines with rotary tables or twin pallets.

This powerful combination facilitates the speedy measurement of tool length, diameter, and breakage detection, together with part setup and inspection, in one easily installed package. The robust system combines the ori unit with the new Mida oTs30 optical transmission tool setting probe and e83Wa touch probe, providing excellent repeatability, sturdy design, and a large transmission envelope. The Twin application is managed easily by Marposs probing cycles, switching automatically between oTs30 and e83Wa, according to the task in hand. This is one of the most fundamental tasks, given that working and measurement speed are among the most important features of machine tools. other new products to be presented by Marposs at WESTEC include the Mida Laser 75P programmable non-contact tool setting system, and the Merlin Mobile wrist-mounted portable gauge computer. To learn more call (888) 627-7677, send e-mail to marposs@us.marposs.com, or go online to [www.marposs.com].

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All we heAr on the rAdio, see on television, or read in the newspapers and on the internet these days seems to be bad news about the economy. it would appear that all of manufacturing is in big trouble, and that were all in a situation where we must cut payroll and expenses wherever we can in order to survive. you know all about this, of course, but i want to express my concern that you might feel that your safety program is an easy target for cost cutting. in reality, our safety programs are absolutely the last place that should be considered for cutting costs. in times such as these were requiring our employees to accomplish more while working the same, or even fewer hours. in tight times we ask a lot of our employeesmore, even, than we do in good times. it only makes sense, therefore, that its even more important that we have a good, active safety program in place. our employees deserve the proper personal protective equipment (PPe), the best possible safety training, and our utmost attention to any possible hazardous situation.

SITESAFETY
terryMcdoNALd
Member of the ANSI Subcommittee on Gear Safety

One of the worst mistakes you could make during trying economic times would be cutting your safety program, which would expose your company to major liability.
best PPe. This is not the way to save money, because this approach leaves you wide open to tremendous liability, and only one accident can literally put your company out of business. Thats why its even more important in trying economic times to be sure and put safety first. in the last issue of Gear Solutions we discussed seasonal affective disorder, or saD. a large part of this disorder is caused by stress, which is becoming more common in workplace settings and elsewhere. i recently read that approximately 80 percent of all adults in this country suffer from some level of stress. are there things we can do to alleviate some of the stress that were under? There are a number of Web sites that have good information on combating stress in the workplace. among them are www. cdc.gov/niosh/topics/stress and www.stress.org/2001harris.pdf. These two sites are a start, but there are many more available once you start looking for information on this subject. With the economy such as it is, and everyones 401k tanking, stress is a very real hazard in todays workplace, so we need to do all that we can to help our employees combat stress. in other matters, how many of you actually keep up with osha requirements? There is a new administration in power now, which will bring an infusion of people with new ideas into the safety environment. Will you be able to keep up with the changes we know will be coming? Many have felt that for the last number of years osha has been held down from really tackling the problems existing in the workplace due to lack of funding and backing from the administration. i expect there will be major changes in the next few years, and we all should be prepared to deal with them. i think that regular trips to www.osha.gov will have to be a major item on your agenda. Will it help, or just cause more paperwork? i dont know, but what i do know is that if we dont keep up with osha regulations we are exposing our company to a slew of problems, not all of which can be solved by simply paying a fine. so stay informed, and save your money for safety equipment!

If we dont keep up with OSHA regulations we are exposing our company to a slew of problems, not all of which can be solved by simply paying a fine. So stay informed, and save your money for safety equipment!
This is true in the best of times, of course, just as it is right now. unfortunately, when money is tight, its the little things that get put offor cut off altogether. if your employees do not have the proper ear or eye protection, its easy to look for the cheapest possible alternative instead of searching for the

AbOUTThEAUThOr:
Terry McDonald is partner and manager of repair Parts, inc., and a member and pastchairman of the ansi b11.11 subcommittee on safety requirements for construction, care, and use of gear cutting equipment. contact him at (815) 9684499, rpi@repairpartsinc.com, or [www.repairpartsinc.com].

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in the pAst 50 yeArs advances in gear technology have been driven by energy and aerospace, specifically by the gas turbine, jet engine, wind, hydro turbines, and the helicopter. During this time improved manufacturing techniques and material control have extended gear life by as much as 80 percent, in some instances. in such applications, where the sounds and vibrations can be in sympathy with the gear, failures that can occur are attributed to fatigue cracking. Fatigue failures are one of the most confusing of all materials phenomena. in most standard listings that provide references to types of gear fatigue failure, the most insidious and destructivenamely resonanceis not even listed. one reason is probably that the destruction is so massive that the cause is difficult to identify. in large, heavy, slow-running gears, such failures are almost nonexistent. gears with a high power and speed relative to their size, and light weight, experience resonance because the shaft speeds can excite the natural frequencies, especially for high-speed, lightweight gears such as thin webbed bevels. gears may be designed with consideration of resonant frequencies, which may make them heavier and more costly. Fortunately there are certain tests

TOOTHTIPS

Author, engineer, and former director of the National Conference on Power Transmission

williamCroSHEr

Determining the reasons for materials-based fatigue failures can be a challenge, but dont underplay the role of resonance, especially in drives that are critical to operation.
in 1963 serious tooth breakages in helicopter transmissions were attributed to gear resonance conditions with insufficient damping. in r.J. Drago and F.W. browns paper 80-C2/DET-22, reference is given to a helicopter gear that exploded during operation because one of the resonant frequencies coincided with an excitation frequency. crane traveling drives have been subject to the sudden fracture of one or more bevel gear teeth, normally the high-speed stage. sometimes the fracture occurs long after it has been in service, and at other times this happens almost immediately. This failure pattern is associated with resonance. in these drives torsional vibrations arise from the pulsating torque of the gear/shaft/coupling. These vibrations are increased when the bevel gears mesh frequency approximates the shaft/coupling frequency. In automotive transmissions drive rattle is excited by the angular acceleration caused by the fluctuating torque output. since the resonance cannot be avoided, it is only diminished by improvements in the gear layout. in a temper mill, after replacing gears the gear mesh frequency resulted in chatter marks. Data was gathered with the use of modern vibration analysis. it was learned that the vibration from the gear mesh is amplified as it goes through resonance between 200 to 300 rpm. and this energy was being transferred through the strip to the mill rolls. Drives deemed critical require torsional analysis at the earliest design stage to identify potentially damaging resonances. When not carried out at the start the drive may require dampening devices to reduce vibration-induced stresses. vibration analysis is also used to monitor the vibrations with transducers and computers. The causes can then be determined in time to avoid a catastrophic failure. in many instances, but not all, there is a time period that permits an orderly shutdown due to the slow rate of crack propagation. When there is a time period prior to failure when the cracked tooth is transferring some of the load to adjacent teeth. There are several signal-processing methods that provide gear vibration analysis in the major areas of predictive maintenance, and fatigue testing. agMa paper P .159.05, identification and correction of Damaging resonances in a gear Drive, includes an investigation of an air turbine starter gear.

Drives deemed critical require torsional analysis at the earliest design stage to identify potentially damaging resonances. The causes can then be determined in time to avoid a catastrophic failure.
available that can identify the natural frequencies and the resulting stress levels. several methods, such as siren or bang tests, are available to determine a gears natural frequencies and modes. When it is known that the frequencies are in the operating excitation range, the designer has two choices: modify the design, or provide damping. Damping is very effective in reducing resonant frequencies, and a popular method is to fit one or more damping rings into a machined groove in the gears rim. The ring centrifugally expands, altering its mass.

AbOUTThEAUThOr:
William P crosher is former director of the national conference on Power . Transmission, as well as former chairman of the agMas Marketing council and enclosed Drive committee. he was resident engineer-north america for Thyssen gear Works, and later at Flender graffenstaden. he is author of the book Design and Application of the Worm Gear.

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COMPANY PROFILE

KGK INTERNATIONAl
by russ Willcutt
as a longtime distributor of okuma machine tools, kgk internationalwhich is based in buffalo grove, illinoiswas already well acquainted with the gear manufacturing industry and interested in broadening its related offerings. With many Japan-based manufacturers seeking representation in the united states, kgk had quite a few to choose from, but it finally decided to focus on two areas that would complement its existing okuma line with Fanuc controls: gear measurement and hobbing. With that decision made, the next involved how to introduce the two lines to potential customers in north america. We decided to take advantage of the fact that iMTs 2008 coincided with our decision, so thats when and where we introduced the TTi line of gear measurement equipment and a hobbing machine and hob resharpener manufactured by the hamai company, according to Tom Donnowitz, sales manager for kgk international. These are both midsize companies with long histories, but they needed help marketing their products in the united states, so thats where we came in. We saw the quality of both companys productseven contacting current TTi users in the u.s., of which there are about a dozen, to make sure they were satisfiedand that they were priced competitively, so we felt that the gear manufacturing industry would benefit from knowing about them. Tokyo Technical instruments, or TTi, is a family-owned business that was founded in 1972 to provide cost-effective, high-precision gear verification to companies around the world. They offer everything from the scl-250s, which is the worlds first mobile and ultra-compact tooth profile and toothlead gear checker, to the 1500e stationery model, Donnowitz says. This line allows us to offer a full range of equipment that is capable of measuring gears from 1mm/.04 to 1550mm/61 diameter. TTi also manufactures the majority of the parts used in its machines in-house to reduce delivery time and to improve quality control. Donnowitz explains that the TTi machines feature a symmetric frame design and a large spindle for stable operation. The X and y guideways are similar to a milling machine, utilizing dovetailed turcite-coated slides with a mirror finish

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This company is constantly seeking manufacturers of equipment that will save gear manufacturers time and money while providing the quality and accuracy they require.

developed by the company to provide high wear resistance. The e-series machines also use heidenhain glass scale and ensure an accuracy of 0.1 micron. Major auto manufacturers in Japan use TTi machines for their ease of use and accurate reporting, he says. The company also reports that there is a trend toward using their double-flank gear rolling testers in the automated manufacturing line to ensure accurate gear production and to reduce product loss. a new project focuses on the calibration of gear measuring machines. like others, TTi uses a master gear for final machine calibration before its shipped to a customer. This type of calibration is accurate as a comparative measure, but there is some question as to its precision as an absolute calibration in the 3D position. TTi is working with university researchers on developing new formulas to provide a more-precise process for 3D calibration. The company has designed two ball-wedge artifacts that can theoretically measure both lead and profile for absolute 3D position. one is currently at the TTi facility, and the other is being tested by the Japan gear Manufacturers association. existing means of calibrating 3D position often require multiple tools and time, he says, but if this method is proven it would allow for more-accurate and less-expensive 3D calibration. kgk has also agreed to represent the hamai company, which was established in 1938 to produce high-precision gear hobbing and automatic hob sharpening machines. hamai previously supplied mechanical hobbing machines to the u.s. market, but now is offering a new line of cnc machines. in addition to the n60 (see sidebar for specs), We offer the n40, with a 40mm/1.57 cutting diameter, and the N80H (80mm/3.14 cutting diameter) hobbing machines, as well as the gn150 hob sharpening machine, with an 80mm/3.14 sharpening diameter, Donnowitz says. These precision machines are capable of high-speed dry cutting, including crowning and taper gear cutting. a subsidiary of kanematsu kgk corporationone of the worlds largest international industrial machinery trading companieskgk international has been in business for more than 25 years and has two locations in the united states: its illinois headquarters and an additional showroom in suwanee, georgia. With application engineers on staff to assist customers in developing turnkey packages, Donnowitz says its priorities are quite clear. our goal is to provide our customers with manufacturing solutions that fit their needs perfectly, and to back up each sale with the excellent customer service that were known for, and to which all of our efforts are dedicated.

neW producTs from KgK inTernaTional

TTi equipmenT for measuring spur/helical inTernal gear profile, lead, piTch: 120Emodule range 0.2-4.0mm: OD range 130mm 150Emodule range 0.2-4.0mm: OD range 160mm 300Emodule range 0.5-12mm: OD range 350mm 450Emodule range 0.5-12mm: OD range 500mm 600Emodule range 1.0-20mm: OD range 650mm 800Emodule range 1.0-20mm: OD range 850mm 1000Emodule range 1.0-20mm: OD range 1060mm 1200Emodule range 1.0-25mm: OD range 1250mm 1500Emodule range 1.0-25mm: OD range 1550mm SCL-250S (spur/helical gear profile, lead) module range 0.5-4.0mm: oD range 260mm TF-40NCdouble flank gear rolling tester w/ data TF-66NCdouble flank gear rolling tester w/ data hamai equipment for hobbing, hob resharpening: N60 CNC hobbing machinecapabilities include crowning and taper gear cutting; high-speed dry hobbing eliminates cutting oil costs. Max. work diameter 60mm/2.36 GN150 automatic hob resharpening machinehob arbor equipped with tailstock center to increase holding rigidity and reduce cycle time; servo motor-driven indexing head and table for quick, precise operation. Max. workpiece diameter 80mm/3.14

Call (847) 465-0160, send e-mail to sales@kgki.com, or visit online at [www.kgki.com].

FOrMOrEiNFOrMATiON:

SEPTEMBER 2008

21

SKF KeepS
SpINNING
by colin roberts

WIND TURbINES

Wind turbine gearboxes outfitted with SKFs latest high-capacity bearings will provide greater reliability and longer life.
the signing of a contract for more than 5,000 sets of sKFs latest high capacity cylindrical roller bearings (hCCrB) for wind turbines will give added load carrying capacity, more reliability and longer life to the nanjing Gear Companys range of gearboxes for wind applications. the following articlebased on a recent site visitexplores the reasons for their choice, and the benefits they will enjoy as a result. about 50 percent of these bearings are destined for gearboxes for european and u.s. customers, and the other half for chinese and other asian customers. With a range of gearboxes suitable for wind turbines from 200 kW to 2 MW the company will now increase the competitiveness of their already well-respected brand. ngc is the leading supplier in china for gearboxes for wind turbines. it is also the leading supplier in china for high-speed and heavy-load gearboxes for many industries, including steel and mining. The hccrb bearings will be of differing sizes in the bore diameter range 150 mm up to approx 300 mm, and occupy all of the classical cylindrical bearing positions in the wind turbine gearboxes where non-separate mounting is acceptable. This is mainly the case in planetary wheels. When asked why skF was chosen for this order, which is the biggest order between the two companies, h. yueming ngc general managersays in the wind power business we attach great importance on high quality and innovation. We chose skF because we know that the most important component to ensure reliability of the gearbox is the bearing, he explains. We will have the best bearing supplier in the world to ensure the quality of the gearboxes we produce. We also believe that skF will provide the best technical service in the bearing field, and we hope to develop a long-term cooperation to make technology exchanges to enhance our capabilities. successful prototype tests, and technical information from skF experts at their cylindrical roller bearing development center in germany, were also influential in finalizing the decision to select the new high-capacity bearings.

HCCrb Features

The unique feature of the hccrb is that load-carrying capacity has been increased substantially while maintaining the boundary and internal dimensions of standard cylindrical roller bearings. For engineers with a good knowledge of bearings that means a bearing was created that combines the load carrying capacity comparable with a full complement bearing, with

the benefits of a bearing with a cage. along with the higher carrying capacity the new designs offer increased life. calculations show that in one particular application the skF explorer version of the hccrb will have an increase in bearing rating life of 35 percent compared with the standard full complement version, and 43 percent compared to a standard caged version. according to iso international standard 281 there are two ways to increase the

Fig. 1: Two types of HCCRB: outer ring shoulder guided (JA), at top; inner ring shoulder guided (JB) at bottom.
load carrying capacity while maintaining standardized boundary dimensions: increase the dimensions of the rollers and maintain the same number of rollers; and increase the number of rollers and maintain the roller dimensions. For the first method there are other technical problems, because increasing roller dimensions reduces the inner and outer ring thicknesses and also the width of the side flanges. This results in reduced ring stiffness and flange strength, which in turn increases the risk of reduced bearing life due to increased wear, fretting corrosion, and ring creep or even ring fracture. The second method offered theoretical improvements. all bearing companies have known this, and many have applied this as far as they could. The design that allows the maximum number of rollers is the full complement design. here, the maximum number of rollers are placed between the rings leaving no space for a cage. This type of bearing is available from a number of bearing suppliers. such bearings have limitations because the rollers are always in direct contact with each other, which cause sliding and increases friction and heat generation.

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under certain circumstances, among them higher speeds, this leads to wear and premature bearing failure. bearings with cagesthe vast majority of bearings produced worldwidedo not have this problem because the rollers sit in cage pockets preventing them from contacting each other. however, the addition of the cage takes up space, which reduces the maximum number of rollers possible.

unique Achievement

The unique feature of the hccrb was achieved by a completely new window-type cage design that resulted in two versions; an outer ring shoulder guided cage (code Ja); and an inner ring shoulder guided cage (code Jb), as seen in fig. 1. With these cages an extra one or two rollers per row can be added

Fig. 2: Cage positions: standard (top); inner ring guided (middle); outer ring guided (bottom).

Fig. 3: Comparison of bearing types.

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supporting a planetary wheel. calculations of four different bearing types show that the two new hccrb bearings significantly outperform the standard caged version and the standard full complement version.

Conclusion
Fig. 4: Table of bearing types.
to the bearing for the standard range, all of them separated by a cage. For customized bearings, even more rollers are possible. it is these rollers that deliver the additional carrying capacity, while the cage increases bearing life and overall performance compared to a full complement version. The new cages differ from the standard cage in a number of ways that cannot be seen with the naked eye. but the most noticeable is that the standard cage is oriented around the connection circle of the mid-points of all rollers, while the new cages are moved toward the outer ring (Ja type) or towards the inner ring (Jb type), and that allows more space for more rollers (fig. 2). The new cage designs were tested in prototype hccrb bearings for more than one year in many different tests to fully evaluate their capabilities and compare them with bearings fitted with standard cages and full complement bearings. all tests showed no limitations of the new bearing designs compared to standard designs. in fact, the new cage designs provide the following additional benefits: Improved oil flow by decreased cross section of the cage, which reduces heat generated; Lower weight that reduces inertia forces; Reduced slip in low load conditions which reduces the risk of smearing. Figure 3 shows a gearbox application where the bearing under consideration is

With the new hccrb bearings the nanjing gear company will be able to offer even higher load carrying capacity to their customers. This allows customers to consider greater gearbox reliability or a smaller gearbox, depending on the expected loads transmitted through the gearbox. and with wind turbine designs increasing in size and MW output all over the world, this puts nanjing gear company in a position of even greater potential for these big turbines.

AbOUTThEAUThOr:
colin roberts is head of the skF groups Technical Press and is based in The netherlands. To learn more go to [www. skf.com].

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Just as its name implies, Wind Systems magazine will address all aspects of this booming industry, providing information pertinent to landowners and managers, site developers, maintenance workers, economic development professionals, construction companies, tower and componentparts designers and manufacturersin short, everyone involved in the systems central to and surrounding wind power generation. Brought to you by Media Solutions, Inc., publishers of Gear Solutions and Venture magazines.
Subscribe today at:

windsystemsmag.com

GearinG Up
by Joseph l. arvin and James J. cervinka

FOR lAND, SEA, AND AIR

Arrow Gear describes how the use of advanced design technology is expanding its range of power transmission applications in a wide range of environments.

Fig. 2: gear displacement conditions

work on the project were heralded as a dramatic savings of both time and expense. in fact, arrow was able to complete their design, development, and manufacturing work in just six months, as compared to the conventional 10 months, while producing a design that performed with exacting quality and precision. now, six years later, arrow has continued to fine-tune this technology and has a 100-percent track record of consecutive successful development projects. however, what was once primarily an aerospace-oriented capability is now being used by arrow for a broader range of systems, including land- and water-based power transmission applications. What is this gear production technology, how is it used, and just how far will it reach beyond the aerospace industry? To answer these questions one must first understand the complexities of the process of developing and designing spiral bevel gears.

Fig. 1: Contact pattern

as with many other industries, ongoing advancements in the precision gear industry are bringing about a paradigm shift in the way gearing products are manufactured. arrow gear companywidely known as an innovator in the gear business, and among the most technically advanced facilities in the worldis pushing forward into the next generation of production technique for bevel gears. arrow produces more loose gears for aircraft jet engines than any other gear manufacturer. in 2002 arrow first reported on a new, fully integrated system at their plant that showed a great deal of promise as the next generation of methodology for producing gears. at that time they had just completed work on a new gear design for an aerospace customer. The results of arrows

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a critical attribute of a spiral bevel gears design is its contact pattern. simply stated, the contact pattern is the area in which the gear teeth come in contact as they engage and disengage during their rotation. When a gear is installed in a gearbox and is powering the designated application, there are varying degrees of pressure, or loads, on the gear teeth. These loads are affected by box deflections, bearing movement, and temperature changes. When the gear teeth are subjected to these variables, the contact pattern will change. This is where the issue of contact pattern becomes so important. For a gear to perform properly under load, the contact pattern must be a certain shape and at a certain location. Typically, an ideal tooth contact pattern under load should encompass the bulk of the tooth surface while avoiding any contact with the edges of the tooth surface or the radius in the root of its mating part (fig. 1). another critical issue to consider when assessing how the contact pattern will perform in an operating gearbox is gear displacement. in the operation of many gearboxes, the gears and their shafts do not remain in a fixed orientation. Thermal forces and stress from being under load can cause significant movement of the gearbox components from their original positions. There are typically four different types of movement that can take place. These types are described as offset, pinion in and out of mesh, gear in and out of mesh, and shaft angle (fig. 2). it is this movement that is referred to as gear displacement, and it can occur in any combination of the four types.

understanding Contact pattern and gear displacement

Conventional Methods for Contact pattern development

The size and position of the contact pattern has always been a primary design consideration for gears. and for many years, achieving a good contact pattern was performed through the same methods that the vast majority of gear producers still use today. The conventional method of achieving an ideal contact pattern is performed in the following way. First, an engineer will make an educated guess at the gear tooth geometry required to provide a correct contact pattern. Typically this

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Fig. 3: tCa study

is a 40-60 percent central toe, non-loaded contact pattern. next, the part is fabricated and the gear teeth are machined to an undeveloped summary of machine settings. When the gear and its mating pinion are finished they are run together in a tester. More often than not, the contact pattern will not be correct in this first attempt. This requires going back and changing the settings on the gear tooth grinder, then producing a new pinion. The parts are checked again. This trial-and-error process can continue through many cycles until the best educated guess for contact pattern location is achieved. but how will the gear perform under load in a gearbox, and what will the contact pattern look like then? answering this question leads to more steps in the trial-and-error process. First, the gears are mounted in the gearbox and run under light to medium load to determine the contact pattern movement. Then the gears are visually inspected to check the contact pattern, which is indicated by a light wear pattern on the mating tooth surfaces. if the pattern is not correct, which is commonly the case, the gear tooth grinder has to be set up again with new machine settings, and another pinion is ground. This cycle continues

until a suitable contact pattern is developed when run under full load. For a new gear design this process can take several months to complete. and while this is a time-consuming and costly process, it was just the way it had to be doneor it was, until new computer-based technologies for gear development became available.

A New Method for Contact pattern development

To address the traditional limitations of conventional methods, arrow gear implemented a highly advanced system for performing contact pattern development, a system that provides a dramatic reduction in the time and expense of the process when compared to conventional methods. This system uses a combination of state-of-the-art development software and machine tools. among its key components are The gleason Works g-age, cage, Minigage, loaded Tca and T-900 finite element analysis software packages. and for machine tools the system utilizes gleason corp.s Phoenix cnc tooth cutters and Phoenix cnc tooth grinders, in conjunction with a Zeiss-Hfler CNC gear inspection

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system. More detailed information on the use of this system will follow, but here are a few highlights of its capabilities. using the development software, engineers can build virtual models to predict how the gear will perform in actual operation. This in turn generates the settings to be used by the machine tools. in addition, these settings for the machine adjustments are automatically downloaded to the machine tools, greatly reducing the time spent on setup. Perhaps the most dramatic aspect of this system is that ideal settings of the machine toolswhich are required to produce the desired contact patternare typically achieved in the first or second attempt on the gear manufacturers shop floor. in essence, this system eliminates the two step trial-and-error process that was once required to first perform the initial development on the gear grinding machines, and secondly to achieve an acceptable full load contact pattern on the final product. The bottom line is that development time is reduced, and the gear producer is able to provide a significant cost savings to the customer.

The process of developing a contact pattern with this system is very complex. however, to provide a clear understanding of how the system works, the conceptual highlights of a typical development will first be presented. The process begins by receiving the customers design requirements. This would include drawings of the part detailing the critical geometry, such as ratio, diametral pitch, and so on. in addition, it is helpful if the customer can supply specifications on operating torque and the gear displacements. engineers begin the process of contact pattern development by establishing a working file for the part based on its geometry. using the cage software, a tooth contact analysis study, or Tca study is performed (fig. 3). This indicates the location of the contact pattern without load. Finally a loaded Tca is performed, taking into account all the displacement conditions (fig. 4). once the Tca study is performed for all displacement conditions, the ideal contact pattern is identified. With this information, a finite element analysis is performed that predicts real stress on the tooth surface as well as the root fillet (figs. 5, 6). This study allows the engineers to determine whether there is a

developing the Contact pattern through Computer Modeling

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potential for failure resulting from excessive or nonuniform pressures anywhere along the line of engagement of the gear tooth (fig. 7).

Customer benefits: A Case Study of the pto gear Set

This advanced approach for design and contact pattern development provides numerous customer benefits. Foremost among these

are dramatic savings of time and money. an example of these two benefits to the customer was illustrated in arrows involvement with the previously mentioned aircraft jet engine project. The details of this project are presented in the following case study. arrow supplied gearing on two locations of the engine. The first bevel gear set was used in the upper tower shaft or power take-off. The second bevel gear set was used in the

accessory gearbox. as this was a new engine, arrow was called upon to perform both the gear tooth design and the fabrication of these bevel gear sets. as with all jet engine gears, this was a demanding application due to the high degree of gearbox deflections. Faced with the doubleedged challenge of both a difficult job and a short lead time, arrow began work on the project utilizing the design and manufacturing tools explained earlier. The two different gear sets were then produced and shipped for installation in the engine. here are the results.

Fig. 4: displacement conditions

Fig. 5: Finite element analysis

Fig. 6: additional finite element analysis

Fig. 7: path of engagement

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Fig. 8: gear inspected after 75-hour run

First of all, a normal time frame for developing the desired contact pattern under full load can be up to six months. utilizing the initial computer generated model, arrow manufactured the prototype gear sets, which were placed in the gearbox and run under full load during engine tests without requiring any modifications to the contact pattern. resulting from their advanced technology, arrow was able to save its customer tens of thousands of dollars, and they were able to get their engine to the marketplace several months earlier than past performances. After the gears were run in the engine for 75 hours, they were visually inspected (fig. 8). both contact patterns on the run side and start side were exactly as predicted. This approach saved a significant amount of expense and time for the company creating the engine.

This system for designing gears is used for the most part to design or improve designs on new or existing gear sets. however, there are additional capabilities of the system. if the system is provided with the proper information, virtual models of the gear teeth can be created to predict the proper location of the contact pattern. This information, compared with the actual contact pattern, can provide valuable insight to the cause of a failure or other problems. in addition, this approach can improve beam strength of the tooth up to 30 percent and significantly increase gear life.

troubleshooting and Failure Analysis

Conclusion

in todays competitive manufacturing environment customer demands for fast delivery and lower costs are prevalent. The computerized closed-loop approach to gear production is ideally suited to this climate. in addition, by reducing development time, this technique allows the product to be released to the market much sooner, substantially reducing costs to the oeM. in view of the numerous benefits of this technology, the closed-loop methodology promises to become the standard development technique in the gear industry for years to come.

AbOUTThEAUThOrS:
James J. cervinka is ceo and Joseph l. arvin is president of the arrow gear company. To learn more call (630) 969-7640 or go to [www.arrowgear.com].

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INvESTIGATING EPICYCLIC GEAR WhINE

by Dr. F. kamaya, Dr. M. eccles, and Dr. J. Pears

Testing epicyclic gear systems leads to discoveries that will help eliminate gear noise during the design phase.

gear whine is a major source of unwanted noise in automotive applications. it is tonal in nature, which makes it more apparent to the human ear than other stochastic noise mechanisms. Prediction of gear whine behavior in automatic transmissions is a particularly complex problem, where the conventional Fea approach precludes the rapid assessment of what if? scenarios due to the slow pace of model building and solution times. This paper will present an alternative approach, which is a fully parametric functionality-based model, including the effects of and interactions between all components in the transmission. it will be shown how the transmission error in all gear pairs can be predicted, and how this can be used to excite the transmission model dynamically to predict the vibration response in any part of the system, including the housing. examples will be given to demonstrate the ability of this approach to rapidly investigate the system-wide effects of variation in parameters such as bearing pre-load and casing-bearing bore positional tolerance.

2.1: Bearings
rolling element bearings are added to the model by selecting the appropriate component from a pre-defined catalogue. The model includes a detailed representation of the rolling element internal details (as shown in Fig.1) and allows for the non-linear stiffness to be determined for any load condition, developed from standard methods [6]. The stiffness sub-matrix, linking the displacements and tilts of the inner and outer raceway geometric centers, is obtained as the slope of the force versus deflection curve at the bearings operating displacements [7]. The stiffness terms include the contacts of the rolling elements with the raceways, the non-linear effects of internal clearance, and preload.

1: Introduction

The source of this gear whine noise is a dynamic excitation at the loaded gear meshes caused by transmission error (Te) [1, 2]. The vibrations excited by the Te are transmitted through the gears and shafts to the main bearings, where they are coupled to the housing and produce acoustic radiation. Therefore, the Te to noise transmission path includes the majority of the components in the gearbox. The philosophy of this approach is to enable the design engineer to identify any potential failure modes (such as high gear whine noise leading to customer complaints) so that countermeasuresimproved gear micro-geometry, insensitive to manufacturing variability, for examplecan be implemented as early as possible in the design process, when the design space is large and the costs of making the changes low. This idea is sometimes known as Failure Mode avoidance [3].

Fig.1: Parameters included in the modeling of a taper roller element bearing 2.2: Non-uniform Components
in order to include the mass and stiffness properties of non-uniform components such as the housing and the planet carrier, those parts are first imported as finite element models. The models are then connected to the appropriate bearing components using rbe2 elements, and the model grounded if necessary (housings must normally be grounded in some way). component mode synthesis is then performed on the Fe models to generate a reduced mass and stiffness matrix. it is important to note that this process only needs to be performed once, during the modeling stage, and ensures that the subsequent system analyses will be rapid because a full Fe analysis is not required.

In the automotive industry, the shaft/bearing/housing analysis calculations are typically performed either by a number of programs making a series of approximations (linear bearings, rigid housings, etc.) with the corresponding reductions in accuracy, or by resorting to a full Fe model of the whole transmission system. however, such an exercise in Fe can only be attempted by experts with a sophisticated Fea package, and by expending much time and effort. even then success is not guaranteed, due to the difficulty in accurately modeling bearing contact and the limitation that the Fea method would not include gear tooth contact, and so, in the case of gear whine prediction, be limited to unit Te excitation. alternatively, a proprietary software package can be used [4]. in this approach, modeling and analysis of a complete automatic or manual transmission is quickly completed [5]. gears, planetary gear system, bearings, and shafts are modeled as analysis objects with correlation to validated tests. all the gear meshing points, forces, load distributions, and boundary conditions are calculated and considered. The planetary carriers and housing are imported as Fea components and coupled with the internal transmission through the bearing nodes. The transmission system model built by this approach is very compact compared to conventional finite element models. since the gears, shafts, bearings, and clutches are all defined as objects, it is much easier and faster to obtain these 3D components by just keying in the design parameters and editing their attributes. The modeling time for those components and assemblies is significantly reduced and any possible mistakes, which may inevitably happen in a conventional modeling process, can be avoided. The engineer does not have to consider details such as defining the powerflow for a particular speed, the direction of gear mesh forces, or the stiffness of non-linear loaded bearings.

2: Modeling

2.3: Gears
any spur, helical, hypoid, or bevel gear can be defined and analyzed within the system. helical gears are typically described in terms of macro-geometry parametersnumber of teeth, module, helix angle, pressure angle, etc., and micro-geometry parameterscrowning, involute, and lead slope, etc. The gear contact analysis includes a consideration of the calculated gear mesh misalignment, a non-linear tooth stiffness, as well as the detailed micro-geometry surface definition. The predicted position of the contact on the tooth flank will influence the effect of the gear mesh force. For example, if the contact is away from the center of the tooth, this will generate a turning moment on the gear, which will have to be reacted by the supporting bearings. as well as gear pairs, planetary gear sets can also be modeled. an example is shown in Fig. 2.

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Fig. 2: Planetary gear set 2.4: System Model

Fig. 3: A model of a six-speed automatic transmission

The non-linear analysis can be completed in a couple of minutes. The results show the full six degree of freedom deflection of the system, the rotational speeds of and forces acting on all components, gear and bearing misalignments. additional results, such as the expected damage that each component will suffer, are also calculated.

a complete six-speed automatic transmission is shown in Fig. 3. For a detailed analysis report on this transmission, please see [8].

3: Analysis

3.2: Planetary Transmission Error Analysis

a typical four planet epicyclic gear set is shown in Fig.5. To consider the time-varying behavior of the planetary system, the rotation of the planet carriers must be considered. a full system quasi-static analysis is therefore performed at each rotational position of the transmission. This analysis then includes the effects of:

3.1: Static Analysis

When the system model is completed, the boundary conditions of the analysis are then defined. This entails specifying the input speed and torque (or power) and which clutches or brakes are locked. The convergence scheme is shown in Fig. 4.

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 time-varying misalignment due to shaft, bearing and housing deflections; load (torque) sharing between planets. A calculation of how the torque is shared between the planets is important; this will also change with time and is dependent on many factors including the backlash of the individual gear mesh (perhaps due to manufacturing errors) and the stiffness of the gear mesh; relative phasing of planetary gear meshes,

including the phasing between the various sun-planet meshes, phasing between the various ring-planet meshes, and phasing between the ring-planet and sun-planet meshes of a given planet. Previous studies have shown the critical importance of phasing in planetary gear noise [9, 10, 11]. a key point is that the analyses are solved simultaneously. For example, it is not possible

to solve the shaft-bearing system to predict the mesh misalignment and then use this misalignment to predict the transmission error at the gear mesh. This is because the details of the tooth contact are not only influenced by the misalignment, but the misalignment is influenced by the tooth contact. From interrogating the system analysis results, it is possible to extract the time-varying mesh misalignment and transmission error of each gear mesh, including all phase information. These transmission errors are the source of the gear whine; to calculate the vibration response of the transmission system to this excitation, it is necessary to predict the modal properties of the system. The mode shapes and frequencies of the system are then auto-

Fig. 4: The static analysis convergence scheme

Fig. 5: A typical 4 planet epicyclic gearset

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matically calculated at a steady state load condition [12]. The mode shapes of the system are then excited by the predicted transmission error across a frequency range appropriate to the vehicle operating speed. The relative phase of the transmission error excitations can be critical and so is included in this analysis.

4: parametric Investigation

it is often interesting and useful to investigate variants of a baseline analytical model. For

example, an engineer may want to study the functional effects of the variability of various parameters of a design due to manufacturing tolerances of clearances or gear microgeometry profiles. a significant problem with many cae methods is the difficulty in modifying the model to perform analysis on variants of the model. For example, if a shaft component needs to be modified it is often necessary to re-model the Fe component [13]. This can be a significant time overhead. With the approach described in this paper, the model is defined entirely parametrically so it is very quick and easy to make these changes. To illustrate the potential of this methodology, a simple five speed transaxle gearbox was modelled. This is shown in Fig. 6. The differential cage has been removed to show the internal differential bevel gears.

4.1: Investigation 1
an investigation was performed into the sensitivity of the nominal design to tolerances in housing bearing bore lateral position. These tolerances can be of the order of 100um and are due to the manufacturing and assembly processes. For clarity of explanation, the positional tolerance of the two input shaft bearings was studied. The outer races of the two bearings were independently displaced from -100um to +100um in the X and Y directions (see Fig. 7). This type of study can be quickly set up and the analyses completed in a few minutes. a single load case, first gear, 40nm on the input shaft, was analyzed. The influence of bearing outer race displacement on the predicted gear mesh misalignment and transmission error of the first gear pair is shown in main effect plots [14] in Fig. 8. it is clear from these graphs that the largest influence on the mesh misalignment and transmission error is from the left bearing, and a movement in the y direction has the greatest effect. This is a simple example and shows how the modeling approach can be used to give a rapid understanding of the effects of tolerances. in a more complete study it would be necessary to investigate the effects of all bearings on all gear meshes. This type of comprehensive study could easily be completed in less than four hours.

Fig. 6: A five-speed transaxle gearbox

Fig. 7: The gear bearings to be studied in investigation 1

4.2: Investigation 2
an investigation was performed into the sensitivity of the nominal design to changes in bearing preload. variations in the bearing preload result from assembly tolerances and also thermal expansion of the housing. an understanding of how the preload effects mesh misalignment and housing vibration (and so gear whine noise) is vital. a study was set up to vary the preload on the counter shaft bearings from -50um (clearance) to 150um, in steps of 50 um. The variation in the predicted mesh misalignment of 1st gear is shown in Table 1. it is clear that the pre-load of this bearing has a significant effect on the misalignment. For each candidate a modal analysis was completed [12] and the model excited with the predicted transmission error. The housing vibration was predicted at a position expected to be a significant source of airborne noise, see Fig. 9. The housing vibrations for the six variants are shown in Fig. 10. it is clear that the variation in the preload has a significant effect on the housing vibration. This is mainly due to the change in bearing and

Fig. 8: Main effect plots for mesh misalignment and transmission error of first gear

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Fig. 9: The location of the predicted housing vibration

Table 1: The effect of input shaft bearing preload on gear mesh Fig. 10: The predicted housing vibration as a result misalignment of first gear transmission error showing the sensitivity to the bearing preload

system stiffness modifying the natural frequencies of the gearbox and changing the transfer paths from gear mesh to housing. This is another simple example to show how a parametric study into nvh performance can be quickly performed. in a more complete study, the effect of the bearing preload on other performance criteria (for example, bearing damage) would be simultaneously assessed. This is possible and could be completed in an overnight run. This type of information is useful for the design engineer as it gives guidance on tolerance specification from a functional rather than from a manufacturing perspective.

5: Conclusion

This paper has shown how a software-based parametric modeling can be used to predict gear mesh misalignment, transmission error and gear whine. The potential of the approach was then demonstrated by showing how it was possible to perform a parametric investigation into the effects of the variability of the bearing pre-load and bearing bore positional. using this approach, an engineer can investigate any parameter tolerance and the effects on the Te and nvh behavior of a complex transmission. it is important to note that the study can be initialized
continued on pg. 50 >

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RED RING #GCY-12, 12 Dia, 9 Cutter-Head REF#101 RED RING #GCU-12, 12 Dia, 9 Cutter-Head REF#101 KANZAKI #GSF-400CNC5, CNC, 16 Dia, 10 Cutter-Head 90 REF#101 RED RING #GCU-18, 18 Dia, Crowning REF#101 RED RING #GCJ-36/60, 60 Dia, 12 Cutter-Head REF#101

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FELLOWS #3, 3 Dia, Fine Pitch, w/Change Gears REF#101 FELLOWS #7125A, 7 Dia REF#101 FELLOWS #4AGS, 7 Dia REF#101 FELLOWS #10-4, 10 Dia, 4 Face REF#101 FELLOWS #10-2, 10Dia, 2 Face REF#101 FELLOWS Z-Type Horizontal, 18 Dia, Change Gears, Nice REF#101 FELLOWS #36-6, 40 Dia, 6 Face, 6 Riser REF#101 FELLOWS #36-6 Spur/Helical, 36 Dia, 6 Face, w/Vari Helix Head REF#101 FELLOWS 100 Dia, 8 Face-Width, Change Gears, Extra Guide, Gears REF#101 FELLOWS #10-2, (10 Dia), 2 Face REF#102 FELLOWS #10-4, (10 Dia), 4 Face REF#102 FELLOWS #4A Versa, 10 Dia, 3 Face, 4 DP, New 70s REF#103 FELLOWS #8AGS Vert Gear Shaper, 8 Dia, 2 Face, 6-7 DP REF#103 FELLOWS #10-2, 10 Dia, 4 Face, 4 DP REF#103 FELLOWS #20-4, 20 Dia, 4 Face, 4 DP, 70s REF#103 MAAG #SH-100/140, 57 Dia., 12.6 Face, 2 DP, Internal Attachment REF#103 FELLOWS #3-1, 3 Max Dia, 1 Face, Pinion Supp, High Precision REF#103 FELLOWS #48-6 INTERNAL GEAR SHAPER ONLY,0-72"OD,6" Face REF#103 FELLOWS Model Z Shaper, 5" Stroke, 17" Bore in Table, 50s REF#103 LORENZ #SJV00, 7 Dia, 2 Face, 50s REF#103 MAAG #SH-100K 47/12.6/1.7 60s Internal Attachment REF#103 MAAG #SH-150, 57" Dia.12.6" Face REF#103 MICHIGAN #18106 SHEAR-SPEED GEAR SHAPER,14" DIA,6"FACE 4 DP REF#103 PFAUTER #SH-180 Shobber 7" capacity hobbing, 9.45" cap REF#103 STANKO / RPM #48-8 Gear Shaper REF#103 FELLOWS #36-6 Max Dia 36 6 Face, 3 DP REF#103 FELLOWS #7, #7A, 715, 75A,, 7 Dia, 0-12 Risers, Several Avail REF#103 FELLOWS #HORZ Z SHAPER, 10 x 6 Dia 27.6 Face 8.5 REF#103 MAAG #SH-75C, 30/8/2.5/52 REF#103 MAAG NBP 40 REF#103 FELLOWS #6, #6A, #645A, From 18-35 Dia, 0-12 Risers REF#103

GEAR GENERATORS, STRAIGhT bEvEL

GLEASON #710, 10 Dia, Coniflex REF#101 GLEASON #14, 24 Dia, Coniflex w/gauges, gears REF#101 OERLIKON #K4A, 60/90 Dia w/Templates, Crowning, Gears REF#101

GEAR TESTERS/ChECKERS (incl CNC)

GLEASON 13, Universal Angular Bevel Tester REF#101 GLEASON #17A, 90-Degree Hypoid Bevel Tester REF#101 FELLOWS #12M, 12 Dia, Involute REF#101 FELLOWS 600RL, 24 Dia, Roll Checker REF#101 Please Check Our Website to View the Gear Testers and Recorders in Our Inventory REF#103

GEAR GENERATORS, SPIRAL bEvEL (hYPOID)

GLEASON #16, 16 Dia Hypoid Spiral Bevel Gear Generator REF#101 GLEASON #26, 36 Dia, Hypoid Spiral Bevel Gear Generator REF#101

MISCELLANEOUS GEAR GRINDERS CNC

HOEFLER #H-650/800, 36 Dia, CNC w/On-Board Inspection, New 98 REF#101 GLEASON # 130, 36 Max Dia, CNC Curvic Cplg, Comp Reb REF#101 CINCINNATI CHOMIENN RC REF#103 HEALD, #273A INTERNAL GRINDER REF#103 MAAG SD-32-X REF#103 NILES 630-CSP REF#103 WARNER & SWAYSEY #4A M-3580 Turret Lathe, 28 1/4 Swing, 80 Centers, 12 Spindle Hole 50/25 Motors, 480/3 Phase, Year 1965 REF#100 TOS SU & SUS Series Conv Lathes REF#105 TOS SUA Series CNC Flat-Bed Lathes REF#105 GLEASON #37 Str. Bevel Planer, 6 Dia REF#103 GLEASON #54 Str, Bevel Planer, 60 Dia REF#103 GLEASON #104 Angular/Straight Bevel Tester REF#103 GLEASON #125GH, REF#103 GLEASON #529 Quench, 16" Diameter REF#103 GLEASON #463, 15 Dia REF#103 GLEASON #496 Straight. & Spiral. 7.5 Dia REF#103 GLEASON #12 Sharpener, 40 Dia REF#103 GLEASON #6 Tester REF#103 GLEASON 726-Revacycle REF#103 GLEASON 725-Revacycle REF#103 GLEASON #106 Hypoid REF#103 GLEASON #4, #13 and #17 Testers REF#103 GLEASON 645 Hypoid Generators REF#103 GLEASON/GOULDER IL600SV REF#103 GLEASON/TAG 400 REF#103 GLEASON Phoenix 200G Hypoid Grinder CNC REF#103

GEAR GRINDERS
MAAG #HSS-30A, 11.8 Dia, Spur REF#101 REISHAUER #AZA-K, 13 Dia, SPA Diamond Disc, Taper Grinding New 79 REF#101 REISHAUER RZ-300E, 11.8 Dia, Diamond Disc Dresser, Shift New 85 REF#101 SHG-360 OKAMOTO, 14 Dia, FAESSLER DSA, Crowning, New 74 REF#101 DETROIT GEARGRIND GGI-16x3A Internal Gear Grinder REF#101 MICHIGAN DETROIT GG-10x24A, 10 Dia, Ext Gear & Spline Grinder REF#101 REISHAUER ZA, Gear Grinder, 13" Dia, 6" Face, Strait & Helix REF#103 RED RING #SF-500 Int/Ext, 26 Dia, 30 Face, 2 DP, 88 REF#103 RED RING #SGJ-18, 18 Dia., 9 Face, Internal Attachment, New 78 REF#103 DETROIT Gear Grinder #GGI-16x3A, Internal Gear Grinding, 16" OD REF#103 HOGLUND, Model #264, CNC Internal Gear Grinder REF#103

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CIRCLE GEAR and MACHINE

STRAIGHT BEVEL GEARS
.25 to 34 diameter 32 dP to 1.5 dP .5 module to 16 module

SPIRAL BEVEL GEARS

.25 to 33 diameter 32 dP to 2 dP .5 module to 12 module

since 1951 circle gear has served chicago land as a full service gear manufacturing facility. in addition to bevel gears circle gear also provides spur gears, helical gears, herringbone gears, worm and gear sets, internal gears, splines, racks and sprockets.

Please e-mail your inquiries to sales@circlegear.com

1501 South 55th Ct. Cicero, IL 60804 Ph: 708-652-1000 Fax: 708-652-1100

circlegear.com

GEAR GRINDING SERVICES

Gear cutting from raw material to finished parts Ground tooth gears and pinions to 1 D.P. and up to AGMA quality class 13
From 1 Diameter, 64 D.P. to maximum sizes listed
spur Gears helical Gears spur & helical Gears, crown hobbed internal Gears & splines Ground Gears, crowned or straight herringbone Gears, center Grove

AbundAnt MAnufActuring, inc.

820 cochran street statesville, nc 28677 Phone: (704) 871-9911 Fax: (704) 871-9961 email: Kevin@abundantmFg.com Website: WWW.AbundAntMfg.coM

Max. Face
24 24 22 8 20.5 14

Max. Size
92 P.d. 72 P.d. 72 P.d. 100 P.d. 72 P.d. 36 P.d.

Max. Pitch
1 d.P. 1 d.P. 1 d.P. 1-1/4 d.P. 1 d.P. 2 d.P.

geAr grinding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 diameter geAr hobbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 diameter 36 Face geAr shAPing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 diameter 8 Face gear shaving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 diameter

2182 E. Aurora Rd., Twinsburg, OH 44087 Phone: (330) 425-4419 Fax: (330) 425-8600 www.mwgear.com E-mail: sales@mwgear.com

AbundAnt Geared to service your needs!

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mARKeT
manufacturing excellence through quality, integration, materials, maintenance, education, and speed.

PLACE

We Manufacture Broaches & related tooling for any Broach Machine

Sharpening or reconditioning alSo production Broaching
We Weld Broken & Chipped Broaches

Broach house Mfg., inc.

We Have Used Broaches In Stock
11383 Route 166 Marion, Il 62959 618-993-3530 Fax:618-997-9158 e-mail: gerard1@midamer.net

When it has to be right.

(Statesville Chambers 2006 Industry of the Year)

Gearbox Repair Gear Grinding to 94 Industrial Gears to 250 Turbo Compressor Gears Custom Drives Spline Broaching Gear Metrology Stock Planetary Speed Reducers

Now HiriNg
Machine Tool Mechanics Machine Tool Mechanic Trainee Machine Tool Electrical Machine Tool Builder Trainee Panel Builders
must have own tools three years experience preferred high school education or ged required overtime required must have own tools some experience preferred high school education or ged required entry level Position overtime required

www.thegearworks.com
C U STo M G E A R S E R v i C E S S i N C E 19 4 6

machine tool Field service technician

3 years minimum electrical machine tool experience, Fanuc control exPerience, traveling required. r.P. MacHiNe offers coMPetitive wages, beNefits, 401K retireMeNt aNd relocatioN costs oN all PositioNs

iso-9001
THE GEAR WORKS SEATTLE, INC.
500 S. PORTLAND STREET SEATTLE, WA 98108-0886 PHONE: 206.762.3333 FAX: 206.762.3704 EMAIL: SALES@THEGEARWORKS.COM

APPLy In PErSon or SEnd rESuME To BILL@rPMAChInE.CoM

FEBRUARY 2009

49

< continued from pg. 44

quickly and then the analysis performed in a timescale that is acceptable to a modern design and development program. Future work will focus on automatically identifying those key tolerances that should be well controlled and those tolerances that have little or no effect on the system behavior. This understanding will lead to a reduction in manufacturing costs and an improvement in the nvh performance.

references:

1) harris, s.l., (1958) Dynamic loads on the teeth of spur gears, Proc. inst. Mech. Eng., Vol 172, pp 87-112 2) gregory, r.W., harris, s.l., Munro, r.g., (1963-1964) Dynamic behaviour of spur gears, Proc. inst. Mech. eng., Vol 178, Part I, pp 207-226 3) Davis, T. P., (2006) science, engineering, and statistics, applied stochastic Models in business and industry, 22(56), pp 401- 430 4) RomaxDesigner R12.5., (2007) Romax Technology, uk 5) song, y., Tylee-birdsall, a., roeloffzen, e., (2005) Modelling and analysis of

a Modern automatic Transmission gearbox, Proceedings of naFeMs World congress 6) allan, r k, (1954) rolling bearings, sir issac Pitman & sons, ltd, london 7) Harris, J., James, B. M., Woolley, A. M., (2000) Predicting the effects of housing Flexibility and bearing stiffness on gear Misalignment and Transmission noise using a Fully coupled nonlinear hyperstatic analysis, Proc. institution of Mechanical engineers, C577/005/2000 8) Pears J., Smith A., et al. (2007) Predicting variation in the nvh characteristics of an automatic Transmission using a Detailed Parametric Modelling Approach, SAE NVH 2007, 2007-012234 9) Schlegel, R. G., Mard, K. C., (1967) Transmission noise control approaches in helicopter design, pp 67-DE-58, ASME

10) Seager, D. L., (1975) Conditions for the neutralization of excitation by the teeth in epicyclic gearing, Journal of Mechanical engineering science, pp 17, 293-298 11) Parker, r. g., (2000) a physical explanation for the effectiveness of planet phasing to suppress planetary gear vibration, Journal of sound and Vibration, 236 (4), pp 561-573 12) Pears J. et al., (2005) investigation of methods to predict parallel and epicyclic gear transmission error, sae 2005 World conference, 2005-011818 13) campbell, b., stokes, W., et al, (1997) Gear noise reduction of an automatic transmission through finite element dynamic simulation, sae nvh Conference, 971966 14) Matlab R2007a, The Mathworks Ltd

AbOUTThEAUThOrS:
Drs. F. kamaya, M. eccles, J. Pears are with romax Technology. visit online at [www.romaxtech.com].

Machinery Corporation
50 gearsolutions.com

GIBBS

ADvERTIsER INDEX
COMPANY NAME PAGE NO.
Abundant Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Allen Adams Shaper Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Allied Sinterings Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 b & R Machine and Gear Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 bourn & Koch Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 broach house Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 buffalo Gear Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 butler Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Carnes-Miller Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Circle Gear & Machine Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Clifford Jacobs Forging Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Cole Manufacturing Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Encoder Products Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,42 Euro-Tech Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Gear Manufacturing Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33,49 Gear Solutions Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Gibbs Machinery Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 hanik Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 havlik International Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27,48 hobSource Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 hydra-Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Innovative Rack & Gear Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 James Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 KAPP Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 KGK International Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Kh Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 KISSsoft USA LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Kleiss Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Klingelnberg Gmbh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Lawler Gear Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Micro Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Midwest Gear Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Mitsubishi heavy Industries America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bC Mohawk Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 New England Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Overton Chicago Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 P&G Machine & Supply Co Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Precision Gage Co Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Process Equipment Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Quality Transmission Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 R P Machine Enterprises Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,15,49 Raycar Gear & Machine Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Repair Parts Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Riverside Spline & Gear Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Russell holbrook & henderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Stor-Loc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,49 The broach Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IbC The Company Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 The Gear Works Seattle Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 TMFM LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Toolink Engineering Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC TSA America LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Wind Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

CORPORATION

www.hanikcorp.com

FEBRUARY 2009

51

Q&A
surenrAo
MANAgINg DIRECTOR gEAR REsEARCH INsTITuTE
up the facility that eventually accommodated the gear research institute. it had existed in the chicago area since 1982, but we brought it to Penn state in 1996, about three years after i joined the university. in addition to being managing director of the gri, i am also a senior scientist with the applied research lab. GS: How is the institute structured, and what activities are conducted there? SR: While the gri is affiliated with Penn state, it is an independent, not-for-profit corporation that is supported by membership dues and research funding. The institute is governed by a board of trustees representing gri members, the american society of Mechanical engineers, and the american gear Manufacturers association, and our staff is made up of myself, a number of my colleagues on the universitys faculty, three full-time technicians, and graduate students from the college of engineering. We have an aerospace research bloc, where companies such as boeing, curtiss Wright controls, and Timken, among others, join together to support research in that particular area. We also have single-client sponsors such as rolls royce and northrop grumman Marine systems. as for our activities, we do a lot of gear inspection, so we have very well-established capabilities in that area. We have a gear measurement lab equipped with two inspection machines and a coordinate measuring machine, and it is my opinion that we probably have the most comprehensive gear testing capability in the country. so were equipped to break a lot of teeth, whether thats by single tooth or running gear fatigue, and we can test gears to their destruction. We carry out research for consortiums, individual companies, the federal government, and a host of other clients. We get to work on these fascinating projects, and they get the benefits of a team of academic researchers tackling the challenges faced across the gearing spectrum, whether that be aerospace, automotive, or

GS: Tell us about your academic background and what brought you to the Gear Research Institute at Penn State. SR: i was raised in india, and my father was an engineer, so it wasnt a difficult decision for me. i chose mechanical engineering because i like to see and feel what im working on. after id received my undergraduate degree i went to work for an institute that developed new equipment for the indian machine tool market. i then completed my masters degree at McMaster university in ontario and earned my doctorate from the university of Wisconsin-Madison. a few years after earning my Ph.D.i spent three years at battelle laboratoriesi went to work for national broach, where i was in charge of product development. That gave me a great deal of experience with parallel axis gears, spur and helical gears, and gear finishing and grinding, and i introduced a series of cnc machines for gear manufacturing while i was there. i left that company in 1990 and joined the national science Foundation in Washington, D.c., which basically funds academic research. after a few years in that position i heard of an opening with the applied research laboratory at Penn state. This lab is classified as a university affiliated research center, or uarc, for the u.s. navy, and they were interested in establishing a gear manufacturing research facility there. To make a long story short, they needed someone to head

You can see what an incredible resource the Gear Research Institute is for this industry, with the added benefit of getting engineering students excited about gear manufacturing.
industrial. and we really dont look at the value of the projects presented to us so much as whether or not we can offer a solution. GS: What are the institutes areas of particular expertise? SR: There are two main areas that we get involved in, both of which i consider to be my own specialties as well. one is the affect of manufacturing on durability, especially the finishing processes on components such as gears. another involves looking at a variety of materials for gear applications, which mostly involves steel at this point in time, but the next few years will probably see us examining materials such as high-temp alloys. We also get into research involving gear noise and various finishing technologies. so you can see what an incredible resource the gear research institute is for this industry, with the added benefit of getting engineering students excited about gear manufacturing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact Suren Rao, Ph.D., at (814) 865-3537 or sbr1@psu.edu. go online to [www.gearresearch.org].

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For Return Information, Fax To: 205-380-1580