1

Sample Calculations:
Design Example of Helical Gear

[Note: Some nomenclature may not match with the figure.
Ref book for Calculation : Design of Machine Elements by M. F. Spotts]

Problem (Typical)

A helical gear reduction unit has to transmit 30 Nm input torque at 1500 rpm with a total
reduction of about 37 to 40. At starting the torque may go as high as 200% and also there
is medium shock loads during operation. The material for pinion is EN 19A and for gear
wheel it is EN 18A. The gear box may be an ordinary industrial class unit preferably with
uncorrected gears. The bearing life should not be below 40,000 hours.

Soln.- Considering the helix angle for helical teeth around 12 degree we consider that
the pinion teeth will be minimum 16.
Avoiding tooth haunting and looking into size optimization (from experience) we
consider that two stage gear box with first stage reduction not more than 5 may be
considered. Let the pinions and gears have following teeth

17
1
= Z and 81
2
= Z at the first stage and 16
3
= Z and 131
4
= Z at the second stage.

Therefore, transmission ratios are:

76 . 4
17
81
1
2
1
= = =
Z
Z
i ; 19 . 8
16
131
3
4
2
= = =
Z
Z
i and

01 . 39 19 . 8 76 . 4
16
131
17
81
3
4
1
2
2 1
= = = = =
Z
Z
Z
Z
i i i
t


Design of first stage gear set:
Module on the basis of bending strength:

The Lewiss Formula for module calculation.

3
cos 2
Z Y c S
T
m
v o
n
'
|
=


EN 19A: Ultimate Strength MPa S
u
940 =
Yield Strength MPa S
y
600 =
At 300-340 BHN (Hardened and Tempered)
2

EN 18A: Ultimate Strength MPa S
u
860 =
Yield Strength MPa S
y
550 =
At 250-300 BHN (Hardened and Tempered)

For hardened and tempered (BHN up to 350, up to which hobbing can be used in
finishing cut), the allowable design strength in Lewis formula may be taken as
approximately 1/3 rd. of ultimate strength. Now considering EN 19A for pinion and EN
18A for gear allowable design strengths.

For pinion, MPa S
op
310 =
And For gear, MPa S
og
285 =

We consider the helix angle in first stage
1
| such that, 98 . 0 cos
1
= | . This intension is to
make the centre distance multiple of 10 or 5mm for uncorrected gears.

i.e., Centre distance in first stage
( )
z
n
m
m Z Z
A 50
cos 2
1
2 1
1
=
|
+
=
Nm Nm of T 60 30 % 200 = =
Now formative number of teeth become 18 and 86 for gear and pinion
and corresponding Lewiss for factors 308 . 0 = '
p
Y and 44 . 0 = '
g
Y
The product MPa Y S
p op
5 . 95 308 . 0 310 = = '
And MPa Y S
g og
125 44 . 0 285 = = '
Therefore, the pinion is weaker and it is to be designed.
Now, 2 5 6 2 11
1
' ' ' = |
o
. With such a helix angle the width factor may be
taken as 16

v
C , the velocity factor is taken for very accurate gears by hobbing and fine finished

V
C
v
+
=
6
6


Assuming that the pinion will have pcd around 50 mm V is approximately 4m/sec .
Therefore,
6 . 0
4 6
6
=
+
=
v
C

3
1
1
cos 2
Z Y c S
T
m
v op
n
'
|
=


3
m m
n
002 . 0
17 308 . 0 16 6 . 0 10 31
98 . 0 60 2
3
6
=


=


Usually for Industrial gear unit no less than 2.5 mm module is considered. Therefore, let
the module is 2.5 mm.

Now pcd
pp
d becomes 43.37.mm and pitch line velocity is less than we have initially
assumed. Therefore, without recalculating the module we proceed further for other load
calculation.

Probable Dynamic Load :

sec / 414 . 3 sec /
10 60
1500 37 . 43
60
3
m m
N d
V
p
=

t
=
t
=
637 . 0
414 . 3 6
6
6
6
=
+
=
+
=
V
C
v


t
v
t d d
F
C
F C F
1
= =
kN
d
T
F
pp
t
77 . 2
37 . 43
10 60 2 2
3
=

= =

= = =
637 . 0
1 1
v
d
C
C 1.563


kN F C F
t d d
35 . 4 77 . 2 563 . 1 = = =

Wear load Capacity:

For helical gear

1
2
cos |
=
b KQd
F
pp
w



Where
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
+
o o
=
2 1
2
1 1
4 . 1
sin
E E
K
es
and
(

+
=
i
i
Q
1
2

d
1
= pinion diameter and i=d
2
/d
1
; b=face width.
4
Considering

Pinion teeth are hardened up to = 350 BHN and gear teeth up to 300 BHN;

GPa E E 210
2 1
= = for steel
From table

MPa K 64 . 1 =

Calculating

65 . 1 = Q

Therefore,

kN
b KQd
F
pp
w
9 . 4
) 98 . 0 (
) 10 5 . 2 16 ( ) 10 37 . 43 ( 65 . 1 ) 10 64 . 1 (
cos
2
3 3 6
1
2
=

=
|
=



Comparison with probable dynamic load and wear load capacity:

From the calculated values


d w
F F )

Therefore the design is satisfactory.

Second stage Gear Design

In the specific design, which is not detailed in this example exercise, the normal
module for first stage is increased to 3 mm. For second stage the normal module is
calculated following the same procedure as in for first stage. It is finally taken as 4 mm.
for second stage. However, the gear data are as follows.













5

Sl.
No.

Description
First Stage Second Stage
Pinion Gear Pinion Gear
1. Z , Number of Teeth 17 81 16 131
2. Profile
o
20 Involute Full Depth, Un corrected
3.
n
m , Normal module 3 mm 4 mm
4. | , Helix Angle
2 5 6 2 11 ' ' '
o
2 5 6 2 11 ' ' '
o

RH LH LH RH
5.
n a
m f =
n
m 0 . 1
Addendum Height (mm)
3.0 4.0
6.
n d
m f =
n
m 25 . 1
Dedendum Height (mm)
3. 75 5.0
7.
p
d , Pitch Circle
Diameter (PCD) (mm)
52.04 247.96 65.306 534.69
8.
a
d , Addendum or Tip
Circle Diameter (mm)
58.04 253.96 73.30 542.70
9.
d
d , Dedendum or root
Circle Diameter (mm)
44.54 240.46 55.30 524.70
10. b , Face width. (mm) 63 58 68 63
11. Material EN 19A EN 18A EN 19A EN 18A
12. Surface Hardness (BHN)
(Through Hardened)
350 300 350 300
p and g may be added to subscript of Nomenclature to indicate pinion and
gear respectively. Similarly 1 and 2 can be added to indicate stage of Gear.

Tooth Loads :

Fig. 3.1 Shows a helical gear pair in contact. Fig. 3.2 shows all forces acting on
tooth of a helical gear when axes are parallel.












Fig. 3.1 : Plan view of a Helical Gear Pair in Contact
pp
d
gp
d
|
| |
|
6




n
F
| cos
t
tn
F
F = o
o
t
F
a
F
r
F
|
n t
n
tn
n
F
F
F o |
o
sec . sec
cos
= =


n n t n n r
F F F o o | o sin . sec . sec sin . = =

n t r
F F o | tan . sec =
| | tan sin
t n a
F F F = =



Fig. 3.2 : Forces on Helical Gear Tooth.

| may be as high as 30
o.
. For herring bone and double helical gear it is 23
o
to as
high as 45
o

Tooth height

Addendum 1m Same as spur gear.
Dedendum 1.25m Pitch circle dia
Addendum circle dia = P.C.D. + 2a
Dedendum circle dia = P.C.D. 2a

Centre distance

External:
( )
( )
175
0 cos 2
5 17 53
cos 2
=

+
=
+
o
n p g
m Z Z
|

m m. 180
Internal:
( )
n
p g
m
Z Z
| cos 2

= | cos
536 . 13 = |
Let
o
50 . 13 = |



Stresses in Shaft- Design Verification :

In gear unit design the size of the gear shaft usually biased by the sizes of gears, bearing
layout and centre distances. Particularly in case of shaft integral with the pinion there is
|
|
o = o
n

f
o
7
little scope of pre-designing the shaft. In such cases maximum stresses in the shaft are
estimated identifying critical sections. Then a factor of safety can be estimated using the
following formula, which is base on maximum shear stress theory under combined,
bending, torsion and direct normal stresses.


2
2
4
m a
en
y
f m
s
y
S
S
k
f
S
t +
|
|
.
|

\
|
o + o =

Where,
y
S = Yield strength of shaft material

en
S = Endurance strength of shaft material

m
o = Mean (average) stress at considered section due to axial load.

a
o = Maximum alternating stress at considered section due to bending.

m
t = Maximum shear stress at considered section due to torsion.































8
Intermediate Shaft :












































mm in are ensions All dim
178
53
Pinion Stage nd. 2
Gear Stage st. 1
50
3 r VL
F R
3 t HL
F R
HR r t
R F F
2 2

2 3 a a
F F
VR
R
2 3 a a
M M
3 r
F
HL
R
2 r
F
HR
R
2 3 a a
M M
Nm 72
3 t
F
VL
R
2 t
F
VR
R
Nm 187
plane vertical in
forces dueto moment Bending

plane horizontal in
forces to due moment Bending

9



Plan View with gears on lower Housing

















Elevation (3
rd
. Angle Projection) with both housings

A typical 3 stage Gear Box (with Cast Housing)
10





















Pictorial view of a typical 3 stage Gear Box (with Cast Housing)























A typical 3 stage Gear Box (Fabricated Housing- single piece)
11























A typical 2 stage Gear Box (Fabricated Housing- single piece)
(Note: Similar housing may be used for the given problem)

Gear Arrangement inside the above type Gear Box