Gear Cutting a Face Gear Tooth Profile

[gearcutter]

In case you've ever wondered how the tooth profile of a face gear is generated -

https://youtu.be/bwiPhjK3pdQ

 

[tbuelna]

Face gears are similar to other gear types such as spiral bevels. If all you require is a low-performance gear set, it is not too complicated to produce. But if you require a high-performance gear set, the geometry involved can get very complicated. A good example of this is the face gear set developed for the latest AH-64 main gearbox upgrade.

 

[tbuelna]

gearcutter- Face gears also become problematic when the ratio is low or when the face width to pitch diameter is beyond even very modest limits. What commonly occurs with face gears is that the contact area shifts around quite a bit as the teeth pass in/out of mesh. The contact area also moves around as the mesh loads vary. Not easy to get consistent contact with a face gear mesh.