The purpose will be to cover the concurrent design and analyses of gears and bearings in integrated systems like gearboxes, transmissions, and electric motor drives, so as to allow for good integration and faster optimization of the overall system. This will help gear engineers and suppliers better determine the trade-offs with the bearings, help bearing engineers and suppliers similarly with the gears, and system engineers better understand both. The examples covered are generic but should be useful both within and across industries that use these components and systems.

This 4 hour online seminar is intended to provide you with a thorough understanding of the information contained within a typical gear inspection report.  Specifically, we will look at the contents and meaning of the information contained within the gear charts, as well as the techniques used by the gear measurement system to assess gear quality.  An explanation of basic gear measurement techniques, how measurement equipment and test machines implement these techniques, and how to interpret the results from these basic measurements will be covered.  We will also discuss how to interpret the results and what corrective actions may be considered if the quality of a particular gear is unsatisfactory.

This course is an introduction to the methodology of analytical gear inspection and the evaluation and interpretation of the resulting data. The application of this information to identify and correct manufacturing errors will begin to be explored. Additionally, it reviews chart interpretation and applies inspection data to understand the causes and cures of manufacturing errors. Many chart examples are used to understand cause and effect.

This course will address both geometry and rating of involute splines of various types. The types of spline joints and their applications will be discussed. Spline configuration variations, including half depth, full depth, and special function designs, will be addressed. Both fixed and flexible spline configurations will be examined in terms of usage and design. Lubrication methods, including grease, oil bath, and flowing oil, as well as coatings appropriate for various spline applications, are examined. Shear and compressive stress rating methods are discussed with analyses methodology presented in both equation and graphical methodology via various rating charts.

Reverse engineering a gear system is a not too unusual task and in many, but not all, cases the process goes fairly well, thus it is easy to become complacent. It is important, however, to fully understand the process and the best practice procedure for reverse engineering a gear system. Failure to fully follow best practice can result, at best, in an unhappy gear user, but in the worst case it can lead to very expensive, time consuming and reputation damaging litigation. We will discuss the basic types of reverse engineering projects (e.g. upgrading an existing system to increase power or extend operating life or improve noise level; replacing gear that has simply reached the end of its otherwise successful useful life; emergency, short term, interim gear replacement resulting from an unexpected failure; responding to a system that is not providing acceptable performance, etc.). The need for understanding the operation of the system in which the gears will be used, the conditions that led to the need for the project and especially, the specific nature of the failure that occurred, if that is the reason for the project, are key, often ignored, elements of the process. In some cases, no drawings are available at all thus a design must be developed that will yield gears that provide equivalent load capacity, life, noise performance and smoothness of operation. This scenario will be discussed with recommended analyses resented. In other cases, where no drawings are available, the correct procedures to follow in developing a reverse engineered gear that truly meets the system requirements will be discussed in detail with cautionary procedures outlined. The concept of applying the AVO (avoid verbal orders) process to the overall reverse engineering process will be discussed with fact based but names and identifying details eliminated case studies to emphasize the importance of this concept. The “amnesia” issue will also be addressed in this context. The author’s experience in serving as an Expert Witness provides first-hand information that will aid in avoiding this aspect of a reverse engineering project completely…. if followed!

Learn how to develop and understand gear drive application specifications and target performance expectations. Review, select and calculate basic gear terminology variables and design parameters which define tooth bending and contact rating safety factors. Learn how to fit new gear design and ratio into existing center distance. Use commercially available software to calculate and optimize gear set power density through application of profile shift, accuracy, material and heat treatment. Review other gear design related factors of operating noise level, efficiency, lubrication, micro-pitting.We will discuss the basic types of reverse engineering projects (e.g. upgrading an existing system to increase power or extend operating life or improve noise level; replacing gear that has simply reached the end of its otherwise successful useful life; emergency, short term, interim gear replacement resulting from an unexpected failure; responding to a system that is not providing acceptable performance, etc.). The need for understanding the operation of the system in which the gears will be used, the conditions that led to the need for the project and especially, the specific nature of the failure that occurred, if that is the reason for the project, are key, often ignored, elements of the process. In some cases, no drawings are available at all thus a design must be developed that will yield gears that provide equivalent load capacity, life, noise performance and smoothness of operation. This scenario will be discussed with recommended analyses resented. In other cases, where no drawings are available, the correct procedures to follow in developing a reverse engineered gear that truly meets the system requirements will be discussed in detail with cautionary procedures outlined. The concept of applying the AVO (avoid verbal orders) process to the overall reverse engineering process will be discussed with fact based but names and identifying details eliminated case studies to emphasize the importance of this concept. The “amnesia” issue will also be addressed in this context. The author’s experience in serving as an Expert Witness provides first-hand information that will aid in avoiding this aspect of a reverse engineering project completely…. if followed!

Learn how to develop and understand gear drive application specifications and target performance expectations. Review, select and calculate basic gear terminology variables and design parameters which define tooth bending and contact rating safety factors. Learn how to fit new gear design and ratio into existing center distance. Use commercially available software to calculate and optimize gear set power density through application of profile shift, accuracy, material and heat treatment. Review other gear design related factors of operating noise level, efficiency, lubrication, micro-pitting.We will discuss the basic types of reverse engineering projects (e.g. upgrading an existing system to increase power or extend operating life or improve noise level; replacing gear that has simply reached the end of its otherwise successful useful life; emergency, short term, interim gear replacement resulting from an unexpected failure; responding to a system that is not providing acceptable performance, etc.). The need for understanding the operation of the system in which the gears will be used, the conditions that led to the need for the project and especially, the specific nature of the failure that occurred, if that is the reason for the project, are key, often ignored, elements of the process. In some cases, no drawings are available at all thus a design must be developed that will yield gears that provide equivalent load capacity, life, noise performance and smoothness of operation. This scenario will be discussed with recommended analyses resented. In other cases, where no drawings are available, the correct procedures to follow in developing a reverse engineered gear that truly meets the system requirements will be discussed in detail with cautionary procedures outlined. The concept of applying the AVO (avoid verbal orders) process to the overall reverse engineering process will be discussed with fact based but names and identifying details eliminated case studies to emphasize the importance of this concept. The “amnesia” issue will also be addressed in this context. The author’s experience in serving as an Expert Witness provides first-hand information that will aid in avoiding this aspect of a reverse engineering project completely…. if followed!

Learn how to develop and understand gear drive application specifications and target performance expectations. Review, select and calculate basic gear terminology variables and design parameters which define tooth bending and contact rating safety factors. Learn how to fit new gear design and ratio into existing center distance. Use commercially available software to calculate and optimize gear set power density through application of profile shift, accuracy, material and heat treatment. Review other gear design related factors of operating noise level, efficiency, lubrication, micro-pitting.We will discuss the basic types of reverse engineering projects (e.g. upgrading an existing system to increase power or extend operating life or improve noise level; replacing gear that has simply reached the end of its otherwise successful useful life; emergency, short term, interim gear replacement resulting from an unexpected failure; responding to a system that is not providing acceptable performance, etc.). The need for understanding the operation of the system in which the gears will be used, the conditions that led to the need for the project and especially, the specific nature of the failure that occurred, if that is the reason for the project, are key, often ignored, elements of the process. In some cases, no drawings are available at all thus a design must be developed that will yield gears that provide equivalent load capacity, life, noise performance and smoothness of operation. This scenario will be discussed with recommended analyses resented. In other cases, where no drawings are available, the correct procedures to follow in developing a reverse engineered gear that truly meets the system requirements will be discussed in detail with cautionary procedures outlined. The concept of applying the AVO (avoid verbal orders) process to the overall reverse engineering process will be discussed with fact based but names and identifying details eliminated case studies to emphasize the importance of this concept. The “amnesia” issue will also be addressed in this context. The author’s experience in serving as an Expert Witness provides first-hand information that will aid in avoiding this aspect of a reverse engineering project completely…. if followed!

A good understanding of individual failure modes and the failure scenarios that led to the actual system failure is an essential skill to designing gear/bearing systems that will operate properly for their full design life. In this course, we will define and explain the nature of many gear and bearing failures and we will also discuss and describe various actual failure scenarios. In addition, a detailed primer on bearing technology prefaces the failure scenario discussions. You will gain a better understanding of various types of gears and bearings. Learn about the limitation and capabilities of rolling element bearings and the gears that they support. Grasp an understanding of how to properly apply the best gear-bearing combination to any gearbox from simple to complex.

Gain a solid and fundamental understanding of gear geometry, types and arrangements, and design principles. Starting with the basic definitions of gears, conjugate motion, and the Laws of Gearing, learn the tools needed to understand the inter-relation and coordinated motion operating within gear pairs and multi-gear trains. Basic gear system design process and gear measurement and inspection techniques will also be explained. In addition, the fundamentals of understanding the step-wise process of working through the iterative design process required to generate a gear pair will be reviewed. Learn the steps and issues involved in design refinement and some manufacturing considerations. An explanation of basic gear measurement techniques, how measurement equipment and test machines implement these techniques, and how to interpret the results from these basic measurements will also be covered.