Research Topic

Short Title	ToRoGrind
Start of Project	Q2/2025
Funding	FVA-Nr. 761/II, IGF-Nr. 01IF23923N Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, BMWE
Contact	Dr.-Ing. T. Tobie

Project Description

The tooth root load capacity is a decisive criterion for the design of gear drives. In order to be able to dimension gears in accordance with the stresses they are subjected to, reliable knowledge of the strength values of the materials used and the machining conditions is essential. Much of the existing knowledge base in research and in standard calculation approaches for tooth root load capacity is based on gear teeth without grinding in the tooth root area. Studies on tooth root load capacity with grinding in the tooth root area are currently still incomplete and the results are sometimes contradictory. The research objective of this project is therefore to expand the knowledge base on the complex causes and effects of various influences on tooth root carrying capacity in case-hardened spur gears with grinding in the tooth root area. To this end, tooth root load capacity is being extensively investigated theoretically and experimentally, systematically varying grinding removal and grinding methods, size, beam condition, and alloy composition. Accompanying investigations of the existing material structure and component characteristics allow possible cross-influences between individual parameters to be recorded. The findings help to exploit the full load-bearing potential of gear teeth with grinding in the tooth root area. Gear wheels can thus be designed for more reliable manufacturing and for better stress resistance during use, resulting in significant advantages in terms of power density. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular benefit directly from this, as the knowledge gained can be used to improve established production chains with little effort. For example, the consequences of unwanted grinding in the tooth root area can be assessed more reliably, which helps to minimize scrap.