Journal of Manufacturing Processes, vol.115, pp.192-201, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
This study aims to investigate the effect of application of the lapping process on the amount of axis misalignment in elliptical spur gears. Using a Taguchi L9 experimental design, nine distinct pairs of elliptical spur gears were manufactured, each featuring three distinct modules (m), number of teeth (z), and ratio of major and minor radius of the pitch ellipse (a/b). Specialized hardware and software were developed to determine inter-axis misalignment in the gear pairs. The hardware measured the misalignment, while the software collected data from a digital indicator, recording changes in inter-axis alignment at different angular positions of the gear pairs. Three diverse parameters were utilized in the lapping processes: rotational speed of 120 rpm, 170 rpm, and 220 rpm; duration of 10 min, 20 min, and 30 min; and mass of 0.5 kg, 1 kg, and 1.5 kg. Axial misalignment of the gear pairs was evaluated both before and after the lapping process. The most significant change in misalignment was observed at 76 mm for gear pairs with parameters m = 2.0, z = 25, a/b = 1.60, while the smallest misalignment change was recorded at 5 mm for gear pairs with parameters a/b = 1.60, m = 1.60, z = 40. After lapping process, the average surface roughness values of all gear pairs improved by an average of 27.64%, and no significant weight loss was noted. The optimal lapping parameters were determined based on post-lapping average surface roughness values, and they were found to be 220 rpm, 10 min, and a 1 kg weight. Although the rotational speed and duration varied, it was observed that a constant 1 kg weight parameter was the optimal lapping weight for all gear modules.