Modelling of contact and tribotechnical parameters of metal–polymer gears taking into account wear and correction of teeth

Abstract

The estimation and the analysis of the arising contact pressures and tribotechnical parameters, that is, wear and durability, of metal-polymer spur gears using the author's computational method are presented in this study. Gears with a steel gear and pinion made of polyamide PA6 modified with dispersed carbon fibers (CF) or glass fibers (GF) whose content was 30%, PA6 + 30CF and PA6 + 30GF correspondingly, are studied. This took into account the parity of engagement, the effect of composite pinion teeth wear and gear correction. Quantitative and qualitative regularities of change of the specified parameters depending on composite type and gear correction type are established. It is found that the teeth wear of composite toothed wheels has a significant effect on reducing the values of the initial maximum contact pressures in the engagement. The distribution of linear wear along the teeth working profile and the localization of its maximum values, depending on the correction of engagement, are determined. The minimum durability of metal–polymer gears is calculated by simplified and improved methods. The optimal values of the correction coefficients at which the minimum durability is highest for both combination types of metal–polymer gears with height and angular teeth correction are established. The durability of metal–polymer gears with a driving pinion made of PA6 + 30CF composite calculated with the improved method is about seven times higher than the pinion made of PA6 + 30GF composite. In contrast to the methods of calculation of metal gears known from publications, the method presented in this study takes into account such practically significant factors as change of radii of tooth profile curvature owing to wear, their correction and number of teeth pairs at the engagement. In metal–polymer gears, there are no analytical calculation methods for modelling wear and tribological durability compared with that of the author's method.