MECHANICAL MEASUREMENTS AND METROLOGY

Course code: 15ME1142

Metrology

Gear Measurements

Class: VII Semester

Faculty: Dr. Subash Gokanakonda

 LIST OF TOPICS : METROLOGY
Unit 5
1. Form Measurement : Principles, Methods and Applications for measurement of
• Straightness
• Flatness
• Roundness

2. Surface Roughness Measurement

• Difference between surface roughness and surface waviness
• Numerical assessment of surface finish – CLA, RMS, Rz values etc.
• Tomlinson’s Surface Meter
• Talysurf

3. Screw Thread Measurement

• Elements of screw thread measurement
• Errors in screw threads
• Measurement of effective diameter
• Angle of thread and thread pitch

4. Gear Measurement
• Gear measuring instruments
• Gear tooth profile measurement
• Measurement of pitch and tooth thickness
 GEAR MEASUREMENT

• Gear measuring instruments

• Gear tooth profile measurement

• Measurement of Pitch and Tooth thickness

 GEAR MEASUREMENT

• Gears are mechanical drives for transmitting power through toothed wheel

• In a gear drive, the driving wheel is in direct contact with the driven wheel

• The accuracy of the gearing is very important factor when gears are manufactured

• The transmission efficiency is almost 99% for gears. So it is very important to test and measure the
gears precisely

• For proper inspection of the gear, it is very important to concentrate on the raw materials

• It is important to check the machining of the blanks, heat treatment and finishing of teeth

• The gear blanks should be testes for dimensional accuracy and tooth thickness for the forms of the
threads
 GEAR MEASUREMENT

Types of Gears
1. Spur Gears: Cylindrical gear whose tooth trace is straight line. Used for transmitting power between parallel shafts
2. Spiral Gears: The tooth of the gear traces is in the form of curved lines
3. Helical Gears: They are used with parallel shafts similar to spur gears and are cylindrical gears with winding tooth lines.
4. Bevel Gears: The tooth traces are straight-line generators of cone. The teeth are cut on conical surface. Used to connect
shafts at right angles
5. Worm and Wheel: A screw shape cut on a shaft is the worm, the mating gear is the worm wheel, and together on non-
intersecting shafts is called a worm gear
6. Rack and pinion:
GEAR MEASUREMENT : Terminology
GEAR MEASUREMENT : Terminology
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Terminology
1. Tooth Profile: It is the shape of any side of gear tooth in its cross-section
2. Base Circle: It is the circle of gear form which the involute profile is derived.
Base Circle Dia.= (Pitch circle dia. x Cosine of pressure angle)
3. Pitch circle diameter (PCD): It is the diameter of a circle which will produce the same motion as the toothed gear wheel
4. Pitch circle: It is the imaginary circle of gear that rolls without slipping over the circle of its mating gear
5. Addendum circle: The circle that coincided with the crests of the teeth
6. Dedendum circle: The circle that coincided with the roots of the teeth (Root Circle)
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Terminology
• Pressure Angle (α): It is the angle made by the line of action with the common tangent to the pitch circles of the mating gears
• Module (m): It is the ratio of the pitch circle diameter to the total number of teeth
𝜋𝑑
• Circular pitch: It is the distance along the pitch circle between the corresponding points of adjacent teeth 𝑃𝑐 = = 𝜋𝑚
𝑛

𝑛 1
• Diametral pitch (Pd): It is the number of teeth per inch of the PCD 𝑃𝑑 = =
𝑑 𝑚

• Addendum: It is the radial distance between tip circle and pitch circle (Addendum value = 1 module)
• Dedendum: It is the radial distance between pitch circle and root circle (Dedendum value = 1.25 module)
• Clearance (c): The distance covered by the crest of one gear with the root of mating gear
• Blank diameter: It is the diameter of the blank upto the outer periphery
Blank diameter = PCD + 2m
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Terminology

• Face: It is the part of the tooth in the axial plane lying between the crest circle and pitch circle
• Flank: It is the part of the tooth lying between the pitch circle and root circle
• Helix angle: It is the acute angle between the tangents to the helix and axes of the cylinder on which teeth are cut
• Lead angle: It is the acute angle between the tangent to the helix and plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder
• Backlash: It is the difference between the tooth thickness and the space into which it meshes.
 GEAR MEASUREMENT

• Gear Pitch

• Gear Tooth Profile

• Gear Tooth Thickness

 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Pitch

• Three methods of specifying pitch in gear

✓ Base pitch
• Measuring the distance from a point on one tooth to corresponding
point on next tooth (Step by step Method)
• Measuring the position of a suitable point on the tooth after the gear has
been indexed through a suitable angle (Direct angular measurement)

✓ Circular pitch
✓ Diametral pitch
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Pitch

METHOD -I : Tooth to tooth pitch measurement

(Point ot Point Measurement)
• This method involves measurement of variations in pitch between successive teeth of the gears
• Difference obtained in this way are relative to tooth spacing of arbitrary chosen data position
• Portable hand held instrument shown in Fig – used to measure base pitch error
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Pitch
METHOD -I : Tooth to tooth pitch measurement (Point ot Point Measurement)
This instrument has three tips.
i. Fixed measuring tip
ii. Sensitive tip whose position can be adjusted by a screw - and the further movement of it is transmitted through a
leverage system to the dial indicator
iii. Supplementary adjustable stop which is meant for the stability of the instrument and its position can also be adjusted
by a screw.
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Pitch
METHOD -I : Tooth to tooth pitch measurement (Point to Point Measurement)

• The distance between the fixed and sensitive tip is

set to be equivalent to the base pitch of the gear

with the help of slip gauges.

• The properly set-up instrument is applied to the gear

so that all the three tips contact the tooth profile.

• The reading on dial indicator is the error in the base

pitch.
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Pitch
METHOD –I : Direct Angular Measurement

• It is the simplest method of determining pitch errors

• The gear is mounted between centers

• Two dial gauges are used

• The probes of the dial gauges are made in contact with two adjacent teeth at

similar points

• The gear is then indexed through successive pitches so as to give constant

reading on dial A

• Any change in reading on the dial B indicates the pitch errors

• The actual error can be determined by deducting the individual reading on

Dial B from the mean reading

 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Pitch

Circular pitch measuring machine

• The circular pitch measuring machine consists of
1. Checking/Measuring head
2. Two measuring contact tips – One fixed and one movable
• Tips are applied on the same sides of adjacent teeth of the gear.
• The fixed tip is first set up to the required module by means of some suitable
arrangement.
• The movable tip is a two armed lever whose one contacts the gear tooth and the other
one actuates the contact point of the dial indicator.
• Measuring head compares the tooth circular pitch with that of selected tooth circular
pitch setting on two adjacent teeth
• Error/ Variation is displayed on dial indicator
• Reading obtained with this instrument will be affected by
Profile variation
Run out of gear
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Profile

• Three methods to check involute profile of a spur gear

• Optical projection method

• Using involute measuring machine

• Tooth displacement method

 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Profile

Optical projection method

• Profile of the gear under test is magnified by
optical means and projected on screen
• It is compared with master profile
• Quick method
• Suitable for checking profile of small thin
instrument gears
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Profile

Using involute measuring machine

• If a straight edge is rolled around a base circle without slipping, stylus of dial gauge attached to straight edge
would transverse a true involute
• Procedure
• Gear to be tested is held on a mandrel
• Ground circular disc having exactly the same diameter as base circle of gear under test is also mounted on
mandrel
• Straight edge of the instrument is brought in contact with base circle of the disc
• As gear and disc rotates, straight edge moves over the disc without slipping
• Stylus of the gauge is brought in contact with tooth profile
• When gear and disc rotate, stylus moves over tooth profile
• Deviation from true tooth profile is indicated on dial gauge
• This method is rapid and accurate upto 0.002mm
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Profile

Involute measuring machine

 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness

Measurement of tooth thickness

• Tooth Thickness: It is the thickness of the tooth measured along pitch circle
• As it is length of an arc, it is not possible to measure it directly
• In most cases, it is sufficient to measure chordal thickness – chord joining intersection of tooth
profile with pitch circle

Methods of measuring gear tooth thickness

1. Chordal thickness method
2. Constant Chord method
3. Base tangent method
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Chordal Thickness method (Using gear tooth Vernier calipers)
• The gear tooth thickness can be measured by a gear tooth vernier
calipers

• Since the gear tooth thickness varies from the tip to the base circle
of the tooth, the instrument must be capable of measuring the tooth
thickness at a specified position on the tooth

• The gear tooth vernier calipers has two vernier scales.

• The vertical scale is used to set the depth (d) along the pitch circle
from the top surface of the tooth

• The width (w) at the pitch circle has to be measured using the
horizontal scale
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Chordal Thickness method (Using gear tooth Vernier calipers)
• Considering one gear tooth, the theoretical values of w and d can be
found out and verified by the instrument

• From the figure, w is the length of chord ADB

• But the tooth thickness is specified as an arc distance AEB

• The depth d adjusted on the instrument is slightly greater than the

addendum CE

• The width w is called the chordal thickness and d is called chordal

addendum

𝑤 = 𝐴𝐵 = 2 ∗ 𝐴𝐷

360
We know that, 𝜃 = where, N = No. of teeth
4𝑁
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Chordal Thickness method (Using gear tooth Vernier calipers)
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Chordal Thickness method (Using gear tooth Vernier calipers)
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Chordal Thickness method (Using gear tooth Vernier calipers)
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness

Chordal thickness method is not satisfactory

• As Vernier is not reliable to closer than 0.02mm
• Measurement depends on two Vernier readings –
Each of which is a function of others (w, d)
➢ Measurement is made with an edge of measuring jaw,
not its face- which does not lead to accurate measurement

• In this method, d, w depends on N (Number of teeth)

• So, for measuring a large number of gears for set,
each having different number of teeth would involve separate
calculation – which is laborious and time consuming
• “Constant chord method” – eliminates these difficulties
• It can be applied to all gears having same pitch and
pressure angle- irrespective of number of teeth
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness

Constant Chord Method

• The chord joining those points, on opposite faces of tooth, which make
contact with the mating teeth when the centerline of the tooth lies on the line
of the gear centers

• Constant chord of a gear is measured where the tooth flank touches the flank
of the basic rack

• The teeth of the rack are straight and inclined to their center line at the
pressure angle

• Tooth thickness of rack along pitch line is equal to the arc tooth thickness of
gear round its pitch circle
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Constant Chord Method
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Constant Chord Method
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Constant Chord Method
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Constant Chord Method
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Constant Chord Method

Constant chord method is not satisfactory

 As Vernier is not reliable to closer than 0.02mm
 Measurement depends on two Vernier readings – Each of which is a function of others
(w, d)
➢ Measurement is made with an edge of measuring jaw, not its face- which does not
lead to accurate measurement

These problems can be overcome by measuring the span of

a convenient number of teeth with a Vernier callipers
 GEAR MEASUREMENT : Tooth Thickness
Base Tangent Method
• Popularly used for checking tooth thickness.
• Base tangent length : Distance between two parallel planes – which are tangential to opposite
tooth flanks. The line is also tangential to base circle (AB).
• Number of teeth over which measurement is taken for a particular gear – can be taken from
gear handbook
 Base tangent method Comparator (David Brown tangent comparator)
• It is used for measuring variations on the basic tooth profile from the outside diameter of spur
• The instrument consists of a body – on the underside there are two slides having the tips
• The tips act as measuring contacts
• The measuring tips are spread apart or brought together simultaneously and symmetrically in reference to central
axis by a screw having right handed and left handed threads
• The contact faces of the measuring tips are flat
• The caliper is set up by means of a cylindrical master gauge of proper diameter based on modul;e of the gear
being tested
• After adjusting the tips by the screw, these are locked in position by locking pins
• The properly set-up instrument is applied to the gear tooth
• The dial indicator reading shows how much the position of the basic tooth profile deviates in reference to the
outside diameter of the gear
 Parkinson’s Gear tester
Construction & Working:
• Gears are mounted on two spindles so that they are free to rotate without
measurable clearance.
• Master gear is mounted as an adjustable carriage –
• Position can be adjusted to enable wide range of gear diameters to be
accommodated
• It can be clamped in any desired position
• Gear under test is mounted on a floating spring loaded carriage so that master
gear and gear under test may be meshed together under spring pressure.
• Two spindles can be adjusted so that their axial distance = Designed gear center
distance
• A scale is attached to one carriage and vernier to other, which enables center
distance to be measured to within 0.025mm
 Limitations of Parkinson’s gear Tester

1.Generally 300mm diameter gear is maximum, usually 150mm or

smaller diameter gears are also tested.

2. Low friction on movement of floating carriage and a high sensitivity

of sensing unit is important.

3.Rolling test does nor reveal all errors since the device is sensitive to
cumulative position errors.

4. Errors are not clearly identified as type profile, pitch, helix and tooth
thickness and are not indistinguishably mixed.

5. Measurements are directly dependent on master gear