Numerical and Experimental Study of the Loaded Transmission Error of a Worm Gear With a Plastic Wheel

Abstract

Nowadays, the wheels of worm gears with a low module can be made of plastic; thus, classical modeling can no longer be used satisfactorily. The present paper describes an original method for studying the quasistatic loaded behavior of a worm gear, with a steel worm and a nylon wheel. A generalized Kelvin model is proposed, and the computation of load sharing is described by using an equation of displacement compatibility. The history of previous deformation and the effect of the nylon’s structural damping are also taken into account. Experimental measurements of the loaded transmission error are performed with the help of optical encoders rigidly connected to the worm and gear shafts, giving access to their instantaneous angular positions. The numerical simulations fit quite well with the experimental results.