On-line Gear Failure Info Resource 3

[gearcutter]

With help from Bob Errichello, these guys have put together an excellent on-line resource on gear failure modes & mechanisms.

http://gearboxfailure.com/

 

[tbuelna]

Thanks for the link gearcutter.

I took a quick glance at the website, and the information is presented in a format that can be easily understood by anyone with a basic knowledge of gear drives. It's always good to see these kinds of technical resources on the internet so that anyone working with gear drives can become more knowledgeable studying on their own.

The only minor criticism I have with simply identifying a specific failure mode (scuffing, pitting, bending fatigue, etc) after it occurs, is that unless you have enough data to establish the root cause of the failure, you cannot take the proper corrective action to remedy the problem. For example, if your gears show scuffing damage, is the problem due to improper operating conditions, substandard gear quality, incorrect lube oil, or bad design?

 

[gearcutter]

.............and hence the need for a detailed and thorough failure investigation tbuelna, to find the root cause.
Unfortunately, detailed investigations are rarely done. Most of the reports that I've seen just show a few pictures of examples found on the internet, such as the site in question. Rarely is any of it correctly correlated with the actual failure event.
The majority of the reports that I've seen are written by metallurgists, with little or no gear experience. Very talented people, but unable to fully apply their skills to the task at hand.