Optimization of face-hobbed hypoid gears

•An optimization methodology is proposed for face-hobbed hypoid gears.•The proposed nonlinear programming procedure is based on a direct search method.•The optimal machine tool settings and head-cutter geometry are determined.•The maximum tooth contact pressure and transmission errors are reduced

In this study, an optimization methodology is presented to systematically define head-cutter geometry and machine tool settings to introduce optimal tooth modifications in face-hobbed hypoid gears. The goal of the optimization is to simultaneously minimize tooth contact pressures and angular displacement error of the driven gear (the transmission error), while concurrently confining the loaded tooth contact pattern within the tooth boundaries and avoiding any edge- or corner-contact conditions. The proposed optimization procedure relies heavily on the loaded tooth contact analysis for the prediction of tooth contact pressure distribution and transmission errors developed by the author of this paper. The targeted optimization problem is a nonlinear constrained optimization problem, belonging to the framework of nonlinear programming. In addition, the objective function and the constraints are not available analytically, but they are computable, i.e., they exist numerically through the loaded tooth contact analysis. For these reasons, a nonderivative method is selected to solve this particular optimization problem. The effectiveness of this optimization was demonstrated by using a face-hobbed hypoid gear example. Considerable reductions in the maximum tooth contact pressure and in the transmission errors were obtained.