A global synthesis approach for optimizing the meshing performance of hypoid gears based on a swarm intelligence algorithm

Abstract

To control the meshing performance of hypoid gear drive, current local conjugate theory and local synthesis method establish a relationship between the relative motion and local geometrical properties of the mating surfaces at one reference point. Theoretically, both local conjugate theory and local synthesis method cannot ensure the contact performance on the entire tooth surface resulting in uncontrolled contact pattern and undesirable transmission error. A global synthesis approach consisting of a machine-tool settings calculation model, a tooth contact analysis model, a meshing quality assessment function, and a swarm intelligence algorithm are proposed. The direction, area, and shape of the contact pattern and the amplitude of the intersection of two adjacent transmission error curves are taken as the evaluation indexes. Three curvatures of the design pitch cone of the pinion are taken as the control variables. A global selection space is then established within the reasonable range of the curvatures. An improved multiple population genetic algorithm is employed to find the optimal set of the curvatures to achieve the target values of the evaluation indexes. To avoid the edge contact and corner contact condition, a feasible region is defined on tooth surface and the contact patterns on the gear and pinion surfaces are all confined within the area. The optimized contact patterns obtained by the loaded tooth contact analysis method are similar to those obtained by the proposed approach, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of this methodology. The main novelty of this approach is to translate the derivation of the mathematical relation between the curvatures of the mating surfaces and the contact properties to solving a multi-objective optimization problem of the meshing quality indexes by the intelligence algorithm.

Editorial

“…This special issue aims to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to showcase new research findings, application cases and explore emerging technologies in the implementation of intelligent manufacturing. There are 14 original research papers collected in this issue, covering industrial digital technologies, 1,2 sustainable intelligent manufacturing technologies, [3][4][5] design for intelligent manufacturing, 6 intelligent monitoring technologies for smart workshop and machinery, 7,8 intelligent machining, 9 assembly/disassembly [10][11][12][13] and measuring technologies. 14 The distributed artificial intelligence system has been considered as an important approach to meet the everincreasing demand for manufacturing personalised products.…”

“…Hypoid and spiral bevel gears are the critical components for power transmission in automotive and aviation industries. Wang et al 7 proposed a global synthesis approach consisting of a machine-tool settings calculation model, a tooth contact analysis model, a meshing quality assessment function and a swarm intelligence algorithm to optimise the meshing performance of the hypoid gears. The proposed intelligent algorithm to the gear design is a major novelty in this work.…”

The innovative path of diversified vocal music education reform in colleges and universities under the advanced educational concepts of China and the West

“…A scheduling solution to the problem is devised corresponding to each individual in the population [23][24][25]. The coding of each individual includes a resource list and an activity list A, where the activity column represents the priority of the activity, and the resource list B represents the limit of updatable resources.…”

Optimization of machine tool settings for Spirac hypoid gears by controlling symmetry of contact paths

“…Hypoid gears are widely used to transfer power between two non-intersecting crossed axes, mostly found in the front and the rear axles of all-wheel-drive vehicles or in the rear axles of rear-wheel-drive ones 1 , 3 . Furthermore, most hypoid gears are manufactured by either the face-milling method or the face-hobbing method 2 – 4 .…”