Polymer-Coated Metallic Gear Teeth for Torque and NVH Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional worm gear designs with plastic teeth face durability limitations as customer demand for output torque increases, necessitating a more robust gear solution while maintaining noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance.
Innovation Solution
A metallic gear hub with smaller metallic gear teeth that are co-planar or non-orthogonal to the axis, coated with a polymer layer to form the final gear teeth size, using methods such as blasting, priming, and dipping in a fluidized bed of polymer powder, followed by processing to achieve the desired gear dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If plastic teeth are used in conventional worm gear designs, then noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance is improved, but durability and torque-carrying capacity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The gear teeth are constructed as composite structures with a metallic core (steel or aluminum) providing durability and torque-carrying capacity, and an outer polymer layer providing NVH performance. This composite design allows both materials to contribute their advantageous properties to the same component.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer layer is applied over the metallic gear teeth, creating a nested structure where the polymer coating envelops the metallic core. This nested configuration allows the inner metallic structure to provide structural integrity while the outer polymer layer provides noise damping and vibration reduction.
2Reliability
If metallic teeth are used to increase torque-carrying capacity, then durability is improved, but NVH performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gear teeth are constructed as composite structures with a metallic core (steel or aluminum) providing durability and torque-carrying capacity, and an outer polymer layer providing NVH performance. This composite design allows both materials to contribute their advantageous properties to the same component.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the gear tooth have different material properties: the core provides structural strength and durability, while the outer polymer layer provides local noise and vibration damping. This local differentiation of material properties optimizes both durability and NVH performance in their respective functional zones.
3Reliability
If a polymer coating is applied to metallic gear teeth, then torque-carrying capacity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process utilizes parameter changes, specifically temperature control, to manage the polymer coating application. The metallic gear hub is heated to a temperature that facilitates polymer powder adhesion and bonding, then allowed to cool for controlled solidification. This parameter-based approach simplifies the coating process compared to alternative bonding methods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the robustness and torque-carrying capacity of the gear while maintaining satisfactory NVH performance by combining the durability of metallic teeth with the polymer coating.
Implementation Method 1
heating the metallic gear hub to a temperature that facilitates polymer powder adhesion and bonding
Implementation Method 2
dipping the metallic gear teeth in a fluidized bed of polymer powder and forming a polymer coating on the metallic gear teeth
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a system, method and apparatus for a gear are disclosed. For example, a metallic gear hub can include an axis of rotation and metallic gear teeth. The metallic gear teeth can be smaller than a final gear teeth size of the gear. The metallic gear teeth can be co-planar with the axis. In addition, the metallic gear teeth can be non-orthogonal to the axis. A polymer layer can be located on the metallic gear teeth to form polymer gear teeth on the metallic gear teeth. The polymer gear teeth can form the final gear teeth size of the gear.