A Study on the Design and Performance of Epicycloid Bevels of Pure-Rolling Contact

Abstract

To avoid the negative influence of sliding contact, this paper tries to investigate the spiral bevels of pure-rolling contact that can be manufactured by existing manufacture technology. In this process, spatial conjugate curve meshing theory and conjugate surface theory are both introduced to investigate the geometric principles and face hobbing process of the pure-rolling contact epicycloid bevel (PCEB for short in this paper). The tooth surface models of PCEBs by face hobbing process are obtained. Next, a sample is represented to show an application of this model. Then, finite element analysis (FEA) is applied to investigate the contact mechanics characteristics of these gears. Finally, the performance experiment of a prototype is completed to evaluate the deviations between theoretical expectations and practical results. From the FEA and experimental results, it is concluded that the PCEBs can mesh correctly and achieve a higher transmission efficiency.