Scanning for ideas: Dynamic gear tester
A new gear tester from Promess Inc., Brighton, Mich. (promessinc.com), measures tooth-to-tooth contact variations in both directions at each degree of rotation, and can take 10,000 samples/sec.
This lets it monitor
and control torque-to-turn requirements
of the assembly being tested. The device
can also be used to monitor and apply axial
loads.
The test station uses high-resolution
angular encoders on the input and output
shafts to measure angular position. Both
shafts are also driven by a torque functional
tester with built-in torque sensors. The input
shaft puts torque on the assembly being
tested while the output shaft applies braking
torque. The tester also measures backlash
by reversing the direction of torque being
applied by both shafts and measuring the
resulting displacement. Software collects
and analyzes data, including minimum,
average, and maximum backlash, and puts it
in graphical form.
Circle 404