Gear Defects

• Objectives
– Calculate gear mesh frequencies
– Determine existence of gear problems
– Locate faulty gear shaft

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 Gear Defects
• How bad is the problem if we see the GMF in the
spectrum?
– Not at all
– If it is NOT there……..
• How do I know if I do have a problem ?
– Sidebands, around GMF (multiples)
– Elevated amplitudes
• Which gear/shaft has the fault?
– Sidebands
– Spacing

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 Gear Defects
• In which category of energy is GMF?
– Synchronous
– Multiples of TS (no fractional teeth)
• How important is the amplitudes of sidebands?
– Critical
– Elevated amplitudes = more severe problem
• How is GMF calculated?
– GMF = No. of teeth X TS of the shaft the gear is on
• How does gear misalignment appear in spectrum?
– 2xGMF

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 Gear Defects
• Setting Fmax for gear analysis
– 3.5 x GMF……why the extra .5?
– Accelerometer
– Mounting
• L.O.R.
– Fmax < 2KHz ; 1600 lines
– Fmax > 2KHz ; 3200 lines
• Replacing gears
– match mark!
– replace gears in sets
• Other technologies to use with gearboxes?
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 Gear Defects
The first thing to do is ...
Gear : 75 teeth

Input shaft speed: 5.05 Hz

What is the turning speed

of the output shaft?

Output shaft speed: ______

Gear : 27 teeth

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 Gear Defects
Spectral data on box
with problems. GMSH - PINION STAND
PINION STN-IUH INPUT SIDE UPPER SHAFT HORIZ
0.16
Reference Spectrum
19-APR-88 12:47:35
0.14
PK = .1655
LOAD = 100.0
0.12 FPM = 1663.
RPM = 308.
Turning speed
PK Velocity in In/Sec

0.10
sidebands.
0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02
Faulty pinion

0
Ordr: 20.00
9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33
Freq: 102.57
Frequency in Order Spec: .116
Label: GEARMESH IS AT 107 HZ Dord: .998

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 Gear Defects
25 Teeth
Input Speed = 1750 RPM

GMF = ________

17 Teeth Output Speed =_______

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 Gear Defects
256 Teeth Input Speed = 1750 RPM

GMF(1) ________
Intermediate Shaft Speed =
__________
157 Teeth
GMF(2) = _________
94 Teeth
Output Speed =
_________
 Gear Defects
25 Teeth
Input Speed = 29.16 Hz
GMF _____ Shaft Speed ________
30 Teeth

GMF ______
17 Teeth
Shaft Speed ?

20 Teeth
 Gear Defects
25 Teeth
Input Speed = 29.16 Hz
Shaft Speed ?

30 Teeth
GMF

GMF ?
17 Teeth Shaft Speed ?
 Gear Defects
• Tips :
– GMF
• appears regardless of condition
• very load sensitive
– Sidebands
• elevated amplitudes indicate problems
• spacing reveals the culprit
– Natural frequency
• excited by defects
• indicator of a problem
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 Gear Defects

• High frequency - low amplitude

– Similar to rolling elements
• Different
– Gears - synchronous
– Bearings - non-synchronous
• Calculate mesh
– # teeth X rpm

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 Gear Defects

Use transparencies for spectral data, etc. CSI CONFIDENTIAL

Start at chuck with 3.8 Hz.
Gear Defects

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 Gear Defects
Note : GMF w/sidebands at input AND output
shaft TS. The presence of both make analysis
difficult. Get better resolution data. You don’t want
14.47 Hz
5x output shaft sidebands in the data.
Paper Machine Turbine
Turbine

Gearbox
75.24 Hz 7-17
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 Gear Defects
Gearbox
Turbine

14.47 Hz

75.24 Hz.

• Turbine drives a paper machine w/ peripherals

• Problem : GMF frequency w/ sidebands at
input and output speeds are in the data.
• Acquire additional data w/ improved resolution.
 Gear Defects
GMSH - TURBINE LINE-SHAFT GEARBOX
GEARBOX - PTS=GOH GOV GOA (06-MAY-88)

Max Amp
.48 GEARBOX -GOA
Plot
Scale
0.5 GMF (14XTS) of pinion.
Dominant peak on all plots.
PK Velocity in In/Sec

GEARBOX -GOV

GEARBOX -GOH
Freq: 1001.3
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Ordr: 13.02
Frequency in Hz Sp 2: .09550
Dfrq: 75.23

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 Gear Defects
GMSH - TURBINE LINE-SHAFT GEARBOX
GEARBOX -GOH HORIZ OTBD GEAR
0.7
Reference Spectrum
06-MAY-88 10:01:46

0.6
PK = .5138
LOAD = 100.0
RPM = 4613.
0.5 RPS = 76.89
PK Velocity in In/Sec

0.4

Output shaft sideband

0.3

0.2
Input Shaft Sideband
0.1

0
Freq: 1062.0
600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200
Ordr: 13.81
Frequency in Hz Spec: .04367
Dfrq: 14.47
 Gear Defects
GMSH - TURBINE LINE-SHAFT GEARBOX
GEARBOX -GOH HORIZ OTBD GEAR
0.7
Reference Spectrum
06-MAY-88 10:01:46
0.6 Sidebands tell the story. PK = .5130
Output shaft speed sidebands. LOAD = 100.0
RPM = 4613.
0.5 RPS = 76.89
PK Velocity in In/Sec

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
Freq: 1062.3
840 900 960 1020 1080 1140 1200
Ordr: 13.82
Frequency in Hz Spec: .04389
Dfrq: 14.84

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 Gear Defects
GMSH - TURBINE LINE-SHAFT GEARBOX
GEARBOX -GOH HORIZ OTBD GEAR
0.7
Reference Spectrum
06-MAY-88 10:01:46

0.6
Input and output shaft sidebands PK = .5130
LOAD = 100.0
are present. RPM = 4613.
0.5 RPS = 76.89
PK Velocity in In/Sec

Hard to analyze! Input has

higher amplitude levels,
0.4
indicative of shaft with bad gear.
0.3

0.2

0.1

0
Freq: 1001.3
840 900 960 1020 1080 1140 1200
Ordr: 13.02
Frequency in Hz Spec: .05586
Dfrq: 75.83

CSI CONFIDENTIAL
 Gear Defects
– For consistent, accurate gearbox analysis:
• Diagram/sketch of drive train
• All shaft speeds; input, intermediate, output
• All gear data
• Type of gears ; helical / spur
• Set adequate Fmax to include 3.5 x GMF
• Quality resolution
• Ability to separate sidebands
• Proper mounting method
• Proper transducer

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