Meshing performance investigations on a novel point-contact hourglass worm drive with backlash-adjustable

摘要

To satisfy the increasing requirements of high-precision and high bearing capacity in industrial robot and aerospace technology, a novel point-contact hourglass worm drive consisting of an involute helical beveloid (IHB) gear and an oblique planar enveloping (OPE) hourglass worm is proposed in this paper. It is characterized by a high manufacturing accuracy, high carrying capacity, and low error sensitivity, and is backlash-adjustable. According to the differential geometry theory and the spatial meshing principle, the mathematical model for this novel hourglass worm drive is established, the meshing performance basic equations are deduced, and a precise adjustment method for the tooth backlash is demonstrated. In addition, the tooth contact analysis (TCA) is simulated by numerical analysis and finite element analysis. The prototype is manufactured and relevant transmission performance tests is conducted to verify the theoretical correctness. This theoretical and experimental research lays the foundation for the industrial application of this novel hourglass worm drive. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.