A new method for description of the pitting process on worm wheels propagation

• Comprehensive testing was performed to document pitting development on worm wheel.
• Higher measurement accuracy of the pitted area is achieved.
• Dynamics of the pitting development is revealed.
• Connection between geometrical error and pitted areas is suggested.

The purpose of this study concerning the pitting damage on worm wheels is dual. The first aim is to formulate an empirical correlation between the pitted area and the number of load cycles based on the determination of damaged areas from digital images. Second, it aims at revealing damage dynamics by using the very same set of digital images processed and presented in a novel way.Test results for 6 teeth are used to formulate a new correlation between the pitted area and the number of load cycles, which is then compared to the referent one. Results show that the differences between the pitted areas measured in this study and in the referent one surely exist, which has an impact on the empirical formulation and thus the prediction of the worm wheel life. Also, an interesting finding is how the damaged areas overlap on the teeth, with more than 50% occurring only on one tooth or two. This could be explained through the contact complexity of a real worm pair.