Development of a displacement-insensitive bevel gearing system generated through additive manufacturing

This project develops a design method for displacement-insensitive bevel gears. By optimizing the contact pattern and using additive manufacturing with tailored finishing, complex tooth shapes can be produced—independent of conventional processes—enabling broader application and improved gear performance.

Key data

Description

This project aims to develop displacement-insensitive bevel gears using a novel design approach independent of conventional manufacturing. Based on an analytically defined contact pattern, gear geometry can be precisely tailored.

Additive manufacturing enables the creation of complex tooth shapes, while adapted finishing processes ensure the required surface quality. Together, these methods form a design guideline for robust bevel gears with optimized geometry, expanding their applicability and overcoming limitations of traditional production techniques.

The project results in a design guideline for developing displacement-insensitive bevel gears with complex tooth geometry. By combining analytical contact pattern design, additive manufacturing, and customized finishing, a novel development approach is established. Additionally, a finishing process is developed to enable high-precision freeform surfaces. Overall, the project demonstrates that functional gear geometries can be realized independently of conventional manufacturing methods.