Lecture 7: Spur Gear Design

CONTENTS:
1.Spur gear tooth force analysis
2.Tooth bending stress Lewis equation
3.Tooth bending stress AGMA procedure
4.Bending fatigue strength AGMA procedure
5. Permissible bending stress
6.Buckingham equation for dynamic load on gears

SPUR GEAR TOOTH FORCE ANALYSIS

The normal force F can be resolved into tangential force Ft which transmits the power
and radial component Fr which does no work but tends to push the gears apart. From the figure
Ft = F cos
(1)
(2)
Fr = F sin
Fr = Ft tan (3)
The pitch line velocity V, in meters per second, is given as

V=

dn
6000

W=

Ft V
1000

(4)
(5)

where d is the pitch diameter of the gear in millimeters and n is the rotating speed in rpm and W
power in kW.

SPUR GEAR - TOOTH STRESSES

Stresses developed by Normal force in a photo-elastic model of gear tooth as per Dolan and
Broghammer is shown in the figure. The highest stresses exist at regions where the lines are
bunched closest together.
The highest stress occurs at two locations:
a. At contact point where the force F acts
b. At the fillet region near the base of the tooth.

SPUR GEAR - LEWIS EQUATION FOR TOOTH BENDING STRESS

Lewis considered gear tooth as a cantilever beam with static normal force F applied at the tip.
Assumptions made in the derivation are:
1. The full load is applied to the tip of a single tooth in static condition.
2. The radial component is negligible.
3. The load is distributed uniformly across the full face width.
4. Forces due to tooth sliding friction are negligible.
5. Stress concentration in the tooth fillet is negligible.
The figure shows clearly that the gear tooth is everywhere stronger than the inscribed constant
strength parabola, except for the section at a where parabola and tooth profile are tangent.
At point a, bending stress

Mc 6Ft h
=
I
b t2

(6 )

by similar triangles,
t
2
2 = h or t = 4x
x t
h
2

(7)

Substitution of Eq. (7) into Eq. (6) gives

6Ft
4b x

(8)

y=

2x
3p

(9)

where y is defined as the Lewis form factor .

and substituting Eq. (9) in Eq. (8) we get

Ft
bpy

(10)

This is the basic Lewis equation in terms of circular pitch.

In SI units gears are more often made to standard modules. By substituting
p = m in equation (10), we get

Ft
b ym

(11)

Let Y = y, which is known as modified Lewis form factor, then

Ft
bYm

(12)

This is the standard Lewis equation for tooth bending stress based on module.
Both Y and y are functions of tooth shape (but not size) and therefore vary with the number of
teeth in the gear. These values can be obtained from Table 1 or Graph 1.
SPUR GEAR - TABLE 1 FOR MODIFIED LEWIS FORM FACTOR

SPUR GEAR - GRAPH 1 FOR MODIFIED LEWIS FORM FACTOR

SPUR GEAR - LEWIS EQUATION FOR TOOTH BENDING STRESS

The Lewis equation indicates that tooth bending stress varies
(1) directly with load ,
Ft
=
(2) inversely with tooth width b,
bYm
(3) inversely with tooth size p or m,
(4) inversely with tooth shape factor y or Y.

(12)

Drawbacks of Lewis equation are:

1.The tooth load in practice is not static. It is dynamic and is influenced by pitch line velocity.
2.The whole load is carried by single tooth is not correct. Normally load is shared by teeth since
contact ratio is near to 1.5.
3.The greatest force exerted at the tip of the tooth is not true as the load is shared by teeth. It is
exerted much below the tip when single pair contact occurs.
4.The stress concentration effect at the fillet is not considered.

SPUR GEAR MODIFIED LEWIS EQUATION FOR BENDING STRESS

Ft
K 'v b Y m

(13)

Where Kv is known as velocity factor and is given by Barths equation below for known pitch
line velocity V in m/s by :

K 'v =

6
6+ V

(14)

Equation (14) is used for cut or milled teeth or for gears not carefully generated.

K 'v =

50
50 + (200V)0.5

(15)

Equation (15) is used for hobbed and shaped gears.

78
K =
0.5
78 + (200V)

0.5

'
v

(16)

Equation (16) is used for high-precision shaved or ground teeth.

Ft
K 'v b Y m

(13)

The modified Lewis equation given above is used when fatigue failure of the gear teeth is not a
problem and quick estimate is desired for more detailed analysis.

SPUR GEAR - TOOTH BENDING STRESS

Factors that influence gear tooth bending stresses are :
1. Pitch line velocity.
2. Manufacturing accuracy.
3. Contact ratio.
4. Stress concentration.
5. Degree of shock loading.
6. Accuracy and rigidity of mounting.
7. Moment of inertia of the gears and attached rotating Members.
SPUR GEAR TOOTH BENDING STRESS (AGMA)
Accommodating the earlier mentioned factors, American Gear manufacturing Association has
come up with a refined form of Lewis equation as given below:

Ft
K K K
bmJ v o m

(17)

Where J = Spur gear geometry factor. This factor includes the Lewis form factor Y and also a
stress concentration factor based on a tooth fillet radius of 0.35/P. It also depends on the number
teeth in the mating gear.

Kv - Velocity factor given by eqns. (24) to (26)

Ko = overload factor, given in Table 3
Km= Load distribution factor, given in Table 4

J=

Y
Kf

(18)

Where Y is the modified Lewis form factor dealt earlier and Kf is the fatigue stress
concentration factor given below:
L

t t
Kf = H + +
r l

(19)

Where H= 0.34 0.458 366 2 ------- (20)

L = 0.316 0.458 366 2 ----- (21)
M = 0.290 + 0.458 366 2 --- (22)

rf + (b rf )2
r=
(d / 2) + b rf

(23)

Where rf is the fillet radius, d is the pitch diameter and b is the dedendum.

J value can also be obtained from the Table 2 or Graph 2

Graph 2 - Geometric Factor J:

Kv = Velocity or dynamic factor, indicates the severity of impact as successive pairs of teeth
engage. This is a function of pitch line velocity and manufacturing accuracy. It is given by
inverse of Barths equation (24), (25) & (26) or very rough value from the Graph 3.

Kv =

6+ V
6

(24)

Equation (19) is used for cut or milled teeth or for gears not carefully generated.

50 + (200V)0.5
Kv =
50

(25)

Equation (25) is used for hobbed and shaped gears

SPUR GEAR MODIFIED LEWIS EQUATION FOR BENDING STRESS

78 + (200V) 0.5
Kv =

78

0.5

(26)

Equation (26) is used for high-precision shaved or ground teeth.

SPUR GEAR TOOTH BENDING STRESS (AGMA)

Graph 3. Velocity factor Kv

Ko = Overload factor which reflects the

It is given in Table 3

degree of non-uniformity of driving and load torques.

Km = Load distribution factor which accounts for non-uniform spread of the load across the face
width. It depends on the accuracy of mounting, bearings, shaft deflection and accuracy of gears.
Table 3 -Overload factor Ko
Driven Machinery
Source of power Uniform Moderate Shock Heavy Shock
Uniform

1.00

1.25

1.75

Light shock

1.25

1.50

2.00

Medium shock

1.50

1.75

2.25

Table 4. Load distribution factor Km

Face width ( mm)
Characteristics of Support

0 - 50

150

225

400 up

Accurate mountings, small bearing

clearances, minimum deflection, precision
gears

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.8

Less rigid mountings, less accurate gears,

contact across the full face

1.6

1.7

1.8

2.2

Accuracy and mounting such that less than

full-face contact exists

Over 2.2

Over 2.2

Over 2.2

Over 2.2

SPUR GEAR PERMISSIBLE TOOTH BENDING STRESS (AGMA)

Endurance limit of the material is given by:
e = e kL kv ks kr kT kf km

(27)

Where, e endurance limit of rotating-beam specimen

kL = load factor , = 1.0 for bending loads

kv = size factor, = 1.0 for m < 5 mm and

= 0.85 for m > 5 mm
ks = surface factor, is taken from Graph 4 based on the ultimate tensile strength of the material
for cut, shaved, and ground gears.
kr = reliability factor given in Table 5.
kT = temperature factor, = 1 for T 350oC
= 0.5 for 350 < T 500oC
Graph 4 Surface factor ks

kf = fatigue stress concentration factor. Since this factor is included in J factor, its value is taken
as 1.
km = Factor for miscellaneous effects. For idler gears subjected to two way bending, = 1. For
other gears subjected to one way bending, the value is taken from the Graph 5. Use km =
1.33 for ut less than 1.4 GPa.

Graph 5 - Miscellaneous effects factor km

Permissible bending stress

[] =

e
s

(28)

where s is the factor of safety.

Hence the design equation from bending consideration is :
[]

(29)

SPUR GEARS BUCKINGHAMS DYNAMIC LOAD EQUATION

Buckinghams dynamic load equation (1932):
According to him small machining error and deflection of teeth under load cause periods of
acceleration, inertia forces, and impact loads on the teeth similar to variable load superimposed
on a steady load. The total maximum instantaneous load on the teeth or dynamic load is Fd

SPUR GEARS BUCKINGHAMS DYNAMIC LOADING ON GEAR

Fd = Ft + Fi

(30)

9.84V (Cb +Ft )

Fi =
9.84V + 0.4696 Cb+Ft

(31)

Where
Fd dynamic load , N ;
Ft transmitted load, N
Fi increment load due to machining errors and the pitch line velocity
V pitch line velocity , m/s
b face width, mm
C factor depending on machining error
Table 6

SPUR GEARS VALUE OF C TABLE 6

SPUR GEARS PERMISSIBLE ERROR GRAPH 6

SPUR GEARS EXPECTED ERROR IN TOOTH PROFILE TABLE 7

SPUR GEARS BUCKINGHAMS DYNAMIC LOAD FOR DESIGN

Ft
(12)
bYm
Rearranging, Ft = b Y m (32)
If we now substitute permissible stress in Eqn. (32) we get on the right side, beam or tooth
strength of the gear Ftd as
(33)
Ftd = [] b Y m
From design point of view Ftd Fd

Lewis equation =