By J.L. Moya, A.S. Machado, J.A.

Velsquez, R. Goytisolo, A.E.

Hernndez, J.E. Fernndez, and
J.M. Sierra
A Study in
Asymmetric Plastic Spur Gears
This paper presents a
theoretical analysis of a
procedure to determine the
Lewis Factor, which can play
a major role in the fracture
of asymmetric plastic gear
teeth.
T
The basic weakness of plastic spur gear teeth is
tooth fracture brought on by the accumulation of
stress at the root of the tooth and by the geometry
of the tooth. Tooth width and height play a major
role in failure, as does the Lewis Factor, which has
a direct effect on the expression to calculate tooth
strength. This study describes a theoretical analy-
sis of a procedure to determine the Lewis Factor
for asymmetric teeth.
IntroductIon
The most common failure of well-lubricated metal-
lic gears is caused by pitting at the flank of the
tooth. Volumetric fatigue is of secondary impor-
tance. However, the most frequent failure in
plastic spur gears teeth is tooth fracture, when
stress originating at the root of the tooth and tooth
geometry play decisive roles [1]. The Lewis Factor
is decisive for calculating the bending strength of
gears, and most traditional texts in the literature
on gears employ graphs and tables to calculate it
[2-11]. However, since asymmetric plastic teeth
are still somewhat recent inventions, their Lewis
factor values are nowhere to be found in the
above- cited papers despite them being a sine qua
non to calculate bending strength.
This paper analyzes the procedure to calcu-
late the Lewis factor for asymmetric teeth and
describes the values of this parameter in terms
of the coefficient of asymmetry and teeth number
[12-13].
SymmetrIc GearS
There is a range of procedures for calculat-
ing the Lewis Factor (LF) for symmetric gears.
According to Black [14], the starting point to
calculate this factor is the constant strength
parabola in the tooth, as shown in fig. 1,
which establishes that the LF is determined

by the expression: ; t and h are

obtained from the figure and p is diametral pitch.
Faires [15] proposes the procedure illustrated in fig.

2. It can be deduced from the figure that:



and , where the expression, is

termed the LF (y) Other standards such as DIN
3990 [16] calculate the most critical section by
Load angle in asymmetric gear tooth.
Outside angle for asymmetric spur gear drive for
coast side profile.
Pressure angle for asymmetric spur gear drive for
driving side profile.
Pressure angle for asymmetric spur gear drive for
coast side profile.
Load angle in spur and helical gear teeth
Pressure angle for spur and helical gear teeth.
Angle at top of the tooth.
Critical radius of curvature at the
root of the asymmetric tooth.
Radius of curvature at the root of the tooth for driv-
ing involute profile.
Radius of curvature at the root of the tooth for coast
involute profile.
Inverse shift profile coefficient.
Face width
Coefficient of asymmetry.
Radial clearance.
Outside circle diameter.
Base circle diameter for asymmetric spur gear drive
for coast side profile.
Pitch diameter.
Eccentricity.
Geometric factors.
Tooth height coefficient.
Distance from critical section to intersection of the
tooth centerline and the line of action for load at tip
of tooth, in the asymmetric tooth.
Distance from critical section to intersection of the
tooth centerline and the line of action for load at tip
of tooth and the curvature radius of the root trochoid
for spur and helical gear teeth.
Module.
Bending moment produced by the horizontal compo-
nent of transmitted force.
Normal resultant force in the tooth.
Tangential force.
Vertical force.
Top land thickness.
Critical tooth thickness in the asymmetric tooth.
Critical tooth thickness for driving side profile.
Critical tooth thickness for coast side profile.
Tooth thickness on pitch diameter.
Tooth thickness at critical section for
spur and helical gear teeth.
Variable angle to determine Lewis factor.
Section module.
Shift profile coefficient.
Lewis factor for asymmetric gear teeth.
Lewis factor for spur and helical gear teeth.
Lewis factor for asymmetric teeth from the regression
equations obtained by the Statgraphics software.
Numbers of teeth.
nomenclature
extending a line at an angle of 30 from the tooth axis of sym-
metry, tangent to the tooth-root profile in points a-a.
aSymmetrIc GearS
The authors calculations of the LF were based on figs. 4, 5, and
6. The stress produced at the root of the tooth due to flexion can
be calculated using the following expression:


Multiplying and dividing by the module:

From the expression (2),

is designated as:



then the expression (2) can be rewritten as follows:


(4)
34 gearsolutions.com

is the LF for asymmetric gear teeth.
Observe the difference between the expression (3) and the
expression (5) for symmetric gear teeth [16]:


(5)
After considering the DIN 3990 standard [16], the algorithm
proposed by Gonzlez [17], and the characteristics of asym-
metric teeth, the authors propose the algorithm in fig. 5 to
calculate . The concept of the asymmetry coefficient was
incorporated to cater for asymmetry. It is the relation between
the driving side profile and the coast side profile angles:

. Fig. 4 illustrates how the LF varies for different

numbers of teeth and asymmetry coefficients, and its differing
values are described in table 1.
Using Statgraphics software, the authors found the regres-
sion equations to obtain the values of the LF for asymmetric
teeth depending on the number of teeth and the asymmetry
coefficients. Three expressions were established considering
the range of number of teeth so that values were precisely cal-
culated:
For

(with 98,9% reliability level and abso-
lute error of 0,0053) = - 0,0315949 + 0,0269414Z+
0,405287C - 0,000462649Z
2
- 0,103118C
2
Fig. 1. Determination of the Lewis Factor, according to Black.
36 gearsolutions.com
For

(with 99,13% reliability level and abso-
lute error of 0,00058) = - 0,0543935 + 0,011263Z +
0,0685655C - 0,0000845454Z
2
+ 0,0404041C
2

For

(with 99,13% reliability level and absolute
error of 0,00058) = - 0,0599137 + 0,00834091Z +
0,028519C - 0,0000413636Z
2
+ 0,0581197C
2

Table 2 provides a comparison of LF values for asymmetric
teeth calculated using the algorithm developed by the author
Fig. 2. Determination of the Lewis Factor for symmetric
gears.
Fig. 3. Asymmetric tooth profiles.
APRIL 2010 37
C
Values of Lewis factor according to the number of teeth Z and the coeffcients of asymmetry C
Z=10 Z=12 Z=15 Z=20 Z=30 Z=40 Z=50 Z=60 Z=70 Z=80 Z=90 Z=100
1,00 0,201 0,245 0,289 0,320 0,358 0,389 0,408 0,421 0,429 0,429 0,442 0,446
1,05 0,228 0,267 0,308 0,351 0,392 0,396 0,415 0,435 0,437 0,438 0,450 0,454
1,10 0,232 0,272 0,314 0,354 0,399 0,403 0,422 0,442 0,444 0,445 0,458 0,462
1,15 0,242 0,277 0,320 0,358 0,406 0,410 0,430 0,450 0,452 0,453 0,466 0,470
1,20 0,237 0,282 0,326 0,371 0,413 0,417 0,438 0,458 0,460 0,461 0,474 0,478
1,25 0,247 0,288 0,332 0,378 0,421 0,424 0,446 0,466 0,468 0,469 0,482 0,487
1,30 0,252 0,294 0,339 0,385 0,429 0,432 0,454 0,475 0,477 0,478 0,490 0,496
1,35 0,257 0,300 0,345 0,392 0,437 0,440 0,463 0,483 0,486 0,487 0,498 0,505
1,40 0,263 0,306 0,352 0,400 0,445 0,448 0,472 0,492 0,495 0,496 0,510 0,515
1,45 0,268 0,312 0,359 0,408 0,454 0,457 0,481 0,502 0,504 0,505 0,520 0,525
1,50 0,274 0,319 0,366 0,416 0,463 0,466 0,491 0,512 0,514 0,515 0,530 0,535
Z=30 Z=40 Z=50 Z=90
C

=
1
,
0
0
C

=
1
,
3
5
C

=
1
,
5
0
C

=
1
,
0
0
C

=
1
,
3
5
C

=
1
,
5
0
C

=
1
,
0
0
C

=
1
,
3
5
C

=
1
,
5
0
C

=
1
,
0
0
C

=
1
,
3
5
C

=
1
,
5
0
0,358 0,437 0,463 0,389 0,446 0,471 0,408 0,463 0,491 0,442 0,498 0,530
0,378 0,435 0,451 0,370 0,427 0,454 0,406 0,463 0,491 0,445 0,503 0,532
Table 1: Values of the Lewis Factor for asymmetric teeth.
Table 2: Comparison of Lewis Factor values for asymmetric teeth calculated using the algorithm developed by author and
the regression equations from the Statgraphics software.
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and the regression equations from the
Statgraphics software.
concluSIonS
New expressions for calculating the Lewis
Factor are obtained. The principal failures
and the calculation methods are analyzed
and compared with the Finite Elements
Method [18]. The limitations of present cal-
culation expressions and new coefficients
and formulas for the particular case of asym-
metric gears are offered. All information was
obtained by employing the most advanced
methods of graphic design, geometric mod-
eling and simulation. The positive influence
of asymmetric profiles combined with tooth
profile modification on the bending strength
of teeth is demonstrated.

referenceS:
1) K. Cavdar, F. Karpat, F.C. Babalik,
Computer aided analysis of bend-
ing strength of involute spur gears
with asymmetric profile Journal of
Mechanical Design 127 (3) (2005)
477- 484.
2) W. Lewis, Investigation of strength of
gear teeth, Proceedings of Engineers
Club, Philadelphia, P.A. (1892) 16-23.
3) E. Buckingham, Manual of gear design.
Editorial Industrial Press Inc., New
York, 1971.
4) D.W. Dudley, Gear Handbook: Design,
Manufacture and Application of Gears,
Fig. 4: Variation of the Lewis Factor according to the number of teeth and the
asymmetry coefficient.
APRIL 2010 39
Fig. 5. Algorithm to determine Lewis Factor values (YF)
40 gearsolutions.com
Editorial Continental, S.A., Mxico,
1980 (in Spanish).
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des Engrenajes, Villars, Paris, 1991 (in
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Fig. 6. Stress at the root of the
asymmetric gear tooth.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
J.L. Moya and A.S. Machado are in the Department of Applied Mechanics
at Central University of Las Villas [www.uclv.edu.cu] in Cuba. J.A. Velsquez
is on the mechanical and electrical engineering faculty at the Universidad
Veracruzana [www.uv.mx] in Mxico, and R. Goytisolo is on the mechani-
cal engineering faculty at the University of Cienfuegos [www.ucf.edu.
cu] in Cuba. A.E. Hernndez, J.E. Fernndez, and J.M. Sierra are in the
Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering at the University of Oviedo
[www.uniovi.es] in Spain.
A. Machado was the recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the State
Secretary of Education and Universities, Ministry of Education and Science,
Spain. This study was financially supported by research project MAT2003-06153.
APRIL 2010 41