Gear Transmission Error Measurement Using Phase Demodulation

Abstract

Gear manufacturers in all fields of industry are under increasing pressure to deliver products of high accuracy and which generate ever lower levels of vibration and noise. Over the past decades, transmission error (TE) measurement has become more popular as a means of measurement for research and quality control. However, dedicated measurement systems have often proved incapable of measuring TE under operating conditions. This paper presents an overview of TE measurement techniques and their applications. In addition, an introduction to a versatile and portable method of measurement based on FFT analysis and demodulation is given. This method is easily implemented using current generation FFT analysers or signal analysis software, and is suitable for research, diagnostics, condition monitoring and quality control applications alike.