Engineering Simulation for Reliable Gearbox Development at Elecon Engineering
Technology Category
- Automation & Control - Electric Drives & Control
- Functional Applications - Warehouse Control Systems (WCS)
Applicable Industries
- Equipment & Machinery
- Mining
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Experimentation Automation
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
Services
- Testing & Certification
About The Customer
Elecon Engineering Co. Ltd, established in 1951 in India, is a pioneer in breakthrough innovations in the manufacture of material handling equipment, industrial geared motors and reducers, mining equipment, casting processes, alternate energy, and more. Elecon takes pride in being Asia’s largest Industrial gearbox manufacturer. The company has expertise in providing customized gearboxes for a variety of applications including steel mills, high-speed turbines, sugar mills, windmills, marine vessels for the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy, plastic extrusion, satellites, and antenna drives for the Indian Space program.
The Challenge
Elecon Engineering was faced with the challenge of developing a reliable gearbox that meets market demand. The complexity of gear mechanisms, which transmit rotation and torque between axes in a machine, presented numerous technological problems. To achieve high load-carrying capacity, reduce the weight of gear drives, and increase the strength of the gearbox, engineers had to carry out gear-tooth stress analysis and perform tooth modifications to optimize gear drive design. Performance parameters such as tooth bending, surface distress, and tooth deflection were contributing to gear tooth failure. The challenge was to evaluate gear tooth performance quickly, regardless of construction material and manufacturing processes.
The Solution
Elecon engineers used ANSYS® MechanicalTM to construct a 3-D model of the gear and pinion while maintaining the optimized profile of teeth. They applied local high mesh refinement at the contact region and calculated loads on the mating gears that act along the pressure line. These loads were then applied in ANSYS Mechanical. Engineers performed transient analysis to simulate the frictional motion of the gears. This approach allowed them to obtain accurate results along with extensive, customized reports of loads, stresses, deformation, and transmission (gearbox) errors. They were able to identify potential failure modes early in the product development cycle, predict gear misalignment and its source, and minimize misalignment across the load range. They also investigated the full scope of conditions to understand the effects of design parameters on product durability and performance, thus avoiding excessive prototype testing.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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