Research on the coupled mechanism of mounting and manufacturing errors for face hobbed hypoid gears

In the actual processing and installation of gears, tooth surface errors and installation errors cannot be avoided, as two important factors affecting gear meshing performance and how these interact is not clear. In the article, the coupled mechanism of tooth surface and installation error for face hobbed hypoid gears were researched. Firstly, a mathematical model of the tooth surface, taking into account the tooth pitch error, was derived from the theoretical tooth equations and coordinate transformations. Then, an analytical model of full tooth surface errors considering installation error was established. Finally, the effects of mounting errors on the meshing characteristics of face hobbed hypoid gears were explored. The study indicates that the impact of installation errors on the performance of the meshing is not necessarily negative under the pitch error exists. When the shaft angle increases by 0.5°, the peak-to-peak value of transmission error decrease by 33.8% and the contact position will move upward. For the offset direction, pinion axis direction and gear axis direction, the trends are basically the similar to the contact pattern and transmission error. Besides, there is the possibility of mutual compensation for the mounting error to ensure the meshing location.