Efficiency improvements in drive technology can make a significant contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions and thus to achieving global climate protection targets. Intensive efforts are therefore being made to optimize powertrains in a wide range of applications in terms of efficiency and load carrying capacity. As part of these measures, in addition to the step-by-step optimization of already established machine elements, the development of new concepts resulting, for example, from new possibilities in design and production is also necessary. High-ratio hypoid gears (HRH) with ratios significantly greater than 10 represent an example of novel concepts in the field of gear technology.

Due to the lack of reliable design methods and experimentally proven findings on the operating behavior of this type of gearing, a methodology for the geometric description of high-ratio hypoid gears is to be developed as part of the research project "High-ratio hypoid gears". In addition, fundamental experimental investigations into the load carrying capacity and efficiency of this type of gearing are to be carried out and approaches to the computational estimation of these properties are to be derived. The findings obtained in this way form the basis for a methodical design of high-ratio hypoid gears and serve to provide a rapid and reliable estimate of the operating behavior at an early stage of the gear design. Furthermore, a comparison of the properties with worm gears of similar ratios is possible.

The results are available to end users immediately after the project period and without additional financial outlay. With the aid of the new calculation methods, it is possible to design high-ratio hypoid gears economically and efficiently, which strengthens the competitiveness of SMEs within the international competition.