Improving Gear Hobbing Machine Drive Systems by Computer-Aided Design Part I: Computational analysis of torsional rigidity for rotational transmission mechanism

Summary

This study has been undertaken for the purpose of providing a computer program system for computing the torsional rigidity of complex rotational transmission mechanism, in which the total rotational transmission mechanism is represented by a mathematical model. The program system is based on the principle of the synthesis of dynamic rigidity and computes the torsional static and dynamic characteristics of the mathematical model, mode shapes, and distributions of the potential, kinetic and damping energies in the entire system for each natural frequency identified. The computed results are used to guide the designer in proposing design improvement toward the optimum design. The effectiveness of the program system is demonstrated by simulating a specific rotational transmission mechanism of a small size gear hobbing machine ( maximum workpiece diameter: 360 mm ) widely used in gear production shops. The computed and measured results of the compliance frequency response of the hob-worktable relative torsional angle are compared showing a fair correlation.