Gear Production
Issue link: http://gear.epubxp.com/i/556595
12—GEAR Production Supplement F E A T U R E and selecting bearings. Models created in Concept can produce unit-cost estimates, predict gear and bearing durability and provide early assessments of NVH performance. The 2015 release of the software includes improved third-party CAD interoperability, including the ability to import complex 2D or 3D shapes such as planet carriers and differential cages. This version also has some new and improved components, such as detailed spline analysis and planetary modeling. Web-based Design eAssistant, from German-based GWJ Technology GmbH, is a web-based program for designing several machine elements (shafts, bearings, gears, springs and shaft-hub connections) in accordance with DIN and ISO standards and accepted literature. "Due to the web-based technology, the latest version is always available. No investment costs are required; updates and service packs are a thing of the past," explain company offcials. "Pay as you go; pay only for what you use." The only system requirements are a Java-compatible web browser. Cylindrical gear pair designs, for example, follow DIN 3960, 3961, 3964, 3967, 3977 and 868. The allowances for tooth thickness and center distance can come from a database or be defned individually. Additional chamfer can be part of the gear design calculation. Both full- depth teeth and stub-tooth gears are possible. Engineers can defne fank modifcations, such as end relief, and both symmetric and asymmetric lead crowning. Other features are available on request, such as the ability to design gears with helix angles greater than 45 degrees and with a non-integer number of teeth (i.e., number of teeth with decimal places). Finished geometries can be exported using eAssistant CAD plug-ins or the DXF interface. When simulating geartooth forms in eAssistant, an engineer can choose whether to display the lower, middle, and upper allowances for the tooth thickness, the tip circle diameters, or center distance. The program displays hints and warnings as required, such as for meshing interferences. In addition to the geometry calculation, eAssistant also calculates a gear's load capacity (DIN 3990 Method B) to determine a gear's fatigue and static strength, as well as surface durability (pitting), tooth bending strength and scuffng load. Other factors affecting the working of a gear pair can be considered, such as base material, lubricants, grinding notches and operating modes. Recent enhancements to eAssistant include a new module specifcally for calculating rack- pinion gear pairs, which replaces using a New eAssistant CAD plug-ins from GWJ Technology Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge and SolidWorks (shown) let designers create 3D gear rack models in those CAD systems.