Manufacturing Technology 2025, 25(3):331-340 | DOI: 10.21062/mft.2025.031

Methodology for Comprehensive Testing and Optimization of Gears for Torsional Strength

Paweł Knast ORCID...¹, Jana Petrů ORCID...², Stanislaw Legutko ORCID...³, Lubomir Soos ORCID...⁴, Marcela Pokusova ORCID...⁴, Przemysław Borecki ORCID...⁵

¹ Polytechnic Faculty, Calisia University, 4 Nowy Świat street, 62-800 Kalisz, Poland

² Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Machining, Assembly and Engineering Metrology, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, 70 800 Ostrava, Czech Republic

³ Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Poznan University of Technology, 3 Piotrowo street, 60-965 Poznan, Poland

⁴ Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Slovak Technical University, Námestie slobody 17, 812 31 Bratislava 1, Slovak Republic

⁵ Institute of Applied Mechanics, Poznan University of Technology, 60-965 Poznań, Poland

The article described a new methodology for testing the torsional resistance of a single-stage gear transmission used in agricultural machinery. The analysis encompassed the entire mechanical system rather than focusing solely on its individual components. The research identified three key ranges of structural resistance. The first range, with twist angles from 0° to 1.85° and torques up to 1050 Nm, was associated with the elimination of structural play and the alignment of contact surfaces. The second range, from 1.85° to 4.76° and torques up to 3450 Nm, confirmed the resilient behavior of the gearbox according to Hooke's law. In this range, the system worked stably and maintained repeatability of parameters. The third range, above 4.76° and 3050 Nm, showed the presence of permanent but local deformations. However, these displacements did not affect the functionality of the system in less demanding applications. The maximum torque of 5500 Nm did not cause macroscopic damage or oil leaks, which proves the high quality of the design and the effectiveness of material optimization. The developed method allows for an accurate determination of the safety factor and a detailed assessment of the strength properties. It can be used to optimize transmissions in various sectors such as agriculture, automotive and aerospace. The results also form the basis for further experiments, including fatigue tests and contact stress analyses. The proposed methodology enhances the predictive accuracy of gearbox durability under various load conditions. These advancements support the development of sustainable and efficient mechanical systems across multiple industries.

Keywords: Gear, Torsional strength, Research methodology, Structural optimization, Design, Gear diagnostics

Received: January 17, 2025; Revised: April 29, 2025; Accepted: May 2, 2025; Prepublished online: June 17, 2025; Published: July 4, 2025  Show citation