Energy-efficient production of gears with increased load carrying capacity through process-induced residual stresses during fineblanking

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Karsten Stahl; Professor Dr.-Ing. Wolfram Volk
• Subject Area: Primary Shaping and Reshaping Technology, Additive Manufacturing ; Engineering Design, Machine Elements, Product Development
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 531865360

The objective of this research project is to use the knowledge gained from the project periods of the SPP to produce a real helical gear by fineblanking that is suitable for series production in industrial applications. In addition to the transfer of previously obtained results into industrial practice, this also includes the further development of the manufacturing process as well as the acquisition of deeper process understanding. Another essential objective is to enable the design or dimensioning of fineblanked gears in an industrial environment. Compared to conventional manufacturing consisting of at least three process steps (milling, heat treatment and grinding), the novel process has enormous time and cost saving potential and the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions. In the planned research project, a pinion/wheel pairing embodied by stepped gears consisting of several fineblanked spur gears will be systematically investigated. The generation of high process-induced compressive residual stresses will be transferred to thinner material thicknesses and higher-strength materials. In addition to the increase in load carrying capacity due to higher compressive residual stresses in the higher-strength material, coatings are used on the tool active elements to reduce the roughness of the cut surface and thus further increase the flank load carrying capacity of the gears. In addition to predicting the roughness of the cut surface, a process simulation should also provide information on the residual stress state to be expected. The database to be generated will be used, among other things, to derive guidelines for the industrial application of the newly developed process for fineblanking of gears. These are to include, for example, process boundary conditions, calculation equations and gear design diagrams. Furthermore, standard proposals for the design of fineblanked gears in industrial applications will be drawn up on the basis of the findings from the load carrying capacity investigations. Finally, economic aspects within the process limits are investigated and documented, such as the breakdown of manufacturing costs as a function of the number of units to be produced.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants (Transfer Project)
• Application Partner: Prosimalys GmbH; Qcision AG; WELTER zahnrad GmbH; thyssenkrupp Hohenlimburg GmbH