This paper presents a semi-automated design algorithm for computing straight bevel gear involute profiles. The proposed formulation is based on the Tredgold approximation method. It allows the design of a pair of bevel gears with any desired number of teeth and relative axes inclination angles by implementing additive manufacturing technology. A specific case study is discussed to calculate the profiles of two straight bevel gears of a biomedical application. Namely, this paper illustrates the design of the bevel gears for a new laparoscopic robotic system, EasyLap, under development with a grant from POR Calabria 2014–2020 Fesr-Fse. A meshing analysis is carried out to identify potential design errors. Moreover, finite element-based tooth contact analysis is fulfilled for determining the vibrational performances of the conjugate tooth profiles throughout a whole meshing cycle. Simulation results and a built prototype are reported to show the engineering feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed design approach.

This paper addresses the contribution of structural compliance on stiffness and safety of a R-CUBE Haptic Device. Structural compliance is determined in several poses via FEM analysis and addressed by referring to local and global indices of performance. Results are also compared with evidences from experimental tests. Comparison of numerical and experimental data allows to identify and separate the contributions to the overall compliance that are due to the structural stiffness, and other contributions such as joint clearance, pose and loading conditions.

Presented is a procedure to individually specify conjugate hypoid gear tooth flanks. fully Cartesian coordinates for the hypoid tooth flanks are derived in terms of a planar rack with a specified constant pressure angle. These coordinates define a "coordinate curve" on the tooth flank. Each coordinate curve depends on an axial coordinate and the entire tooth flank is established as a family of these coordinate curves. This process results in global interference between locally conjugate hypoid tooth flanks if the pressure angle is constant. A differential equation is established for the axial variation in the rack's pressure angle to avoid global interference. The resulting axial variation in normal pressure angle is combined with the determination of coordinate curves to obtain fully conjugate tooth flanks. An automotive hypoid gear pair is presented to showcase the process. Unloaded Ease-off (UEO) topography is used to quantify conjugate action for the example hypoid gear pair. Subsequently, axial and transverse profile modifications are applied individually to the ideal tooth flanks to accommodate generalized loading conditions. Loaded Transmission Error (TE) and maximum contact pressure are reported for a set of input torques.