MECH 2410 Final Presentation

Mutayab Chaudhry and Mason Chen

Team 5
NOTE: Due to the large number of DWG files, they will be in 2 separate attached folders, one
titled “Prototype CAD files” and the other titled “Prototype DWG Files(PDF)”

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Design Problem:
● Design a Gearbox assembly that will reduce speed and thus increase torque in a direct
relationship.
● The reducer assembly should be compact as possible.
● It will deliver power from an industrial electric motor to the input shaft of a
bandsaw(unresolved and undesigned according to prompt).

Design Constraints:
● Must reduce 3000RPM to approximately 500RPM.
● Must have at least 2 pairs of gears.
● Will receive 10HP from the motor.
● Motor is a NEMA 284T frame AC motor with a 1.875” keyed shaft(½” x ½” square key).
● Designed to operate under smooth load, but moderate shock may be possible
● Must be enclosed and mountable on a rigid plate.
● Operation constraints:
- 16 hours per day, 5 days per week for 5 years(~20000 hours).
- Operation environment temperature of 50-100℉.
- Mechanical efficiency greater than 95%
● Cost constraints:
- 5000 units per year.
- Moderate cost is critical.

Design Prompt:
● Design at least 2 pairs of gears.
● Final gear ratio should fall between 6.12:1 and 5.88:1.
● Final output speed should ball between 490 and 510RPM
● Design at least 3 shafts
● Design at least 8 keys
● Specify at least 6 commercially available ball bearings(life of 20000 hours)
● Specify 2 flexible couplings
● Design an enclosed housing
● Provide a means of lubricating the gears within the housing
● Provide input and output seals

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Design Process:
● Though this process is multifaceted, there is always an initial decision. For us, it fell on
the shaft minimum diameter as the starting point. Everything was designed around the
shaft minimum diameter.
● From there, gears and pulleys could be selected.
● After that point, we could specify the keys along with the commercially available
bearings.
● When the rotating assemblies were complete, the housing was designed AROUND the
shafts/gears/pulleys/bearings as to provide the tightest package available.
● After the gearbox was designed we could then specify details such as oil seals,
lubrication, motor mounting, and flexible couplings. It was at this point fasteners also
became key.

Shaft Dimension Selection and Calculation:

● It was initially theorized that we should have 4 shafts.
● 4 Shafts:
- Shaft 1 - Has 20 tooth synchronous belt pulley
- Shaft 2 - Has 20 tooth synchronous belt pulley and 20 tooth input “Pinion” spur
gear
- Shaft 3 - Has intermediate 40 tooth spur gear meshed to Shaft 2’s input gear and
16 tooth intermediate spur gear
- Shaft 4 - Has 40 tooth output spur gear meshed to Shaft 3’s 16 tooth gear
● From there we could calculate the minimum shaft diameters. Because nothing was yet
determined from the exact spreadsheet calculations, we decided to use the following
approximation formulas:

or T= 5252n*HP

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 ● Shaft Dimension Approximations:
- Shaft 1(motor): Design power = 15 HP so Dmin= 0.548in, Torque = 26.26 ft-lbs,
v=3000RPM
- Shaft 2(1:1 ratio) so Dmin=0.548in, Torque = 26.26ft-lbs, v=3000RPM
- Shaft 3(2.2:1 ratio) so T= 57.772 ft-lbs , HP= 15 HP(equivalency check) , Dmin=
0.812in, v=1363.6RPM
- Shaft 4(2.75:1 ratio) so T=158.873 ft-lbs, HP=15HP(equivalency check),
Dmin=1.347in, v=495.9RPM
● It should be noted that design power
P des = K o (overload f actor) * P (transmitting power)
- P des = 1.50 * 10HP = 15HP

Gear Selection:
● After the shaft minimum diameter was selected, we could then design the gears
● Since a mechanical efficiency of >95% was desired, we selected 20° pressure angle gears
● The gear selection was made from Boston Gear’s catalog
● The first matter was to decide the diametral pitch from the HP and torque rating:

(Only possible minimum tooth count circled for steel gears)

(Only possible minimum tooth counts circled for cast iron gears)

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● We found that the only possible diametral pitch that could handle the design constraints
was 8 diametral pitch. Now we can select gears and determine ratios.

(Gear selection in red)

● The end gear configuration we decided upon was a 20 tooth steel gears meshed with a 44
tooth intermediate cast iron gear. That ratio is 2.2:1
● The next mesh was a 16 tooth steel gear(on the same shaft as the 44 tooth intermediate
gear) that meshed with a 44 tooth output cast iron gear. That ratio is 2.75:1
● The net gear ratio is Ratio 1 * Ratio 2 = 2.2 * 2.75 for a total end ratio of 6.05. This falls
within the design constraints.
● This also means that the final drive RPM would be 495RPM. This also falls within the
design constraints.
● The gear catalog numbers we selected were as follow:
- Input Gear: YH20
- Intermediate Gear 1: YH44B
- Intermediate Gear 2: YH16
- Output Gear: YH44B
● It should also be noted that these gears do not come with a keyway or setscrew. This will
be discussed below.

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Pulley Selection:
● We also decided that the gear train should possess a clutch of some sort. This is to protect
the expensive gears. There must be a weak link in the drivetrain that serves as the
sacrificial “fuse” if you will.
● Rather than to use an expensive coupling clutch(these units do wear and are not
commonly stocked at parts stores), we decided to use synchronous pulleys and belts.
● Pulleys are made from aluminum and thus are inexpensive and also easy to machine. The
belts, since they follow a universal imperial standard, are stocked at even the lowest
grade hardware/automotive stores. That way, if a technician needed to replace a belt, they
could do so with ease, at an average cost of ~$16.00 per belt.
● We also decided that the pulley on the motor shaft and the input shaft should possess a
1:1 ratio. Since this is a “flexible” power transmission, they should not have more torque
than the other.

(Pulley selection in red)

● The pulley we ended up selecting was Martin Part #TB20H100(20H100 for part cross
reference). This is a 20 tooth H(½” pitch) pulley that uses a 1” wide belt.
● The pulley diametral pitch was selected because of the size constraint which will factor
into gear case design.

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 ● The pulley power transmission system was designed around commercially available
belts. Our end center to center distance was 7.000”. From here, we could select the belt,
which ended up being B&B Manufacturing Part #240H100G. This is a 48 tooth belt.

Bearing Selection:
● The first part in bearing selection was to decide what class of bearing we should use.
Though the default is angular contact bearings, they are significantly more expensive.
● We decided upon deep groove ball bearings. These bearings are commonly used in
motors and certain drive trains.
● The main downside of these bearings is that they do not provide axial loading resistance
as they only possess 8𝆩 of roller contact.
● However, since these gears are straight cut spur gears, there is no axial thrust and thus
deep groove ball bearings would be the right choice.
● Not only that, they are commonly available in most part stores.
● The bearing SKF part numbers we ended using were as follows:
- RLS 5-2Z (0.625” ID)
- RLS 7-2Z (0.875” ID)
- RLS 11 (1.375” ID)
● All these bearings have dual shields, which increases life and maintains lubricity.

Key Selection:
● The key selection was largely decided by Autodesk Inventor’s Shaft Design Accelerator.
● However, the Accelerator follows a mathematical relationship to shaft diameter, which
can be seen below:

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 ● Since the width of the square keys were fixed, we mainly selected key length. This was
determined that we should use the minimum length that was commercially available that
did not deviate by much from the pulley/gear width.
● These are the keys we selected:
- Motor Shaft Pulley - McMaster Carr Part #95053A467
- Motor Shaft Coupler Hub - McMaster Carr Part #95053A343
- Input Shaft Pulley - McMaster Carr Part #95053A467
- Input Shaft Gear - McMaster Carr Part #95053A467
- Intermediate Gear 1- McMaster Carr Part#95053A799
- Intermediate Gear 2- McMaster Carr Part#95053A799
- Output Gear - McMaster Carr Part #95053A990
- Output Shaft Coupler Hub- McMaster Carr Part #98870A275
- Toshiba AC Motor Shaft - McMaster Carr Part #95053A991
● It should be noted that at this point we could specify the shaft design and also gear/pulley
modifications including setscrew selection. They are listed in the respective exploded
view parts lists.(Attached in separate DWG folder)

Case Design:
● After the shafts/bearings/gears/pulleys/keys were selected and designed, we could then
design the gear case.
● The gear case had simple design mantras. It had to be:
- Easy to maintain
- Tightest possible package
- Manufacturable
- Strong
● With those in mind, we designed the case as 3 distinct portions:
- Main case
- Input cover
- Output cover
● The 3 portions are to be made from cast iron.
● The covers would serve as the mounting bores for the shafts. They would be attached to
the main case via 39 socket head bolts(for each cover) with anaerobic sealant on the
mating surfaces. The main case served as a protective enclosure that also included means
for keeping in lubrication.
● The bores by which the bearings sit also have a smaller bore slightly larger than the inner
race diameter of the respective bearings and the depth is 0.050”. This way, the inner race
will not rub on the case covers.

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 ● On the topic of lubrication, the gears will be lubricated via gear oil. The means by which
to drain and pour in fluid was via two ½”NPT tapered threaded plugs(with
sealant)[McMaster Carr Part #1799N24].
● The height of the drain hole was at the bottom of the case for obvious drainage reasons.
The height of the fill hole was slightly below the centerline of the intermediate shaft.
There is no guesswork when it comes to filling. Similar to differential or transfer case
filling methods, a technician would know they have filled enough gear oil when it starts
to come out of the fill hole level. At that point, he/she would install the fill plug.
● The geometry of the case looks complex, but it is quite simple. They follow an offset
circle around the shaft parts, then those circles are connected via tangential lines. From
there, modifications could be made such as lofts and ribs to increase rigidity without
adding significant weight.
● The means by which to mount the gear case were 4 slots at the base that provide linear
adjustment perpendicular to the axes of the shafts.

Oil Seal Selection:

● The oil seals we selected were based upon the OD’s of the motor and output shafts
● We selected spring reinforced rotary oil seals with metal casing. They are rated up to
8100RPM.
● The following seals were selected:
- Motor Shaft: McMaster Carr Part #5154T92
- Output Shaft: McMaster Carr Part #5154T304
● They sit in bores on opposing gear case covers that are the same OD as the seals. This is a
Class V interference fit. They are meant to be installed with a deadblow hammer and seal
driver. They can still be removed via seal extractor.

Flexible Hub Selection:

● The shaft coupler selection had to provide axial misalignment resistance.
● We selected common Lovejoy connectors. They provide up to 1.8° of axial
misalignment. Not only that, they are fairly inexpensive.
● We selected McMaster Carr Part #6408K19 for both the motor and output shaft. They
would be bored to the appropriate ID and broached for a key(alterations listed in
respective exploded views parts lists).
● Lovejoy spider selection: McMaster Carr Part #6408K81

Mounting Plate Design:

● The mounting plate was a battle between rigidity and weight management.

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● Derived from a simple plate, the design used ancient techniques to maintain rigidity while
not adding too much weight.
● The main mounting part for the gearbox was 4 tapped holes for the gearbox mounting
slots
● There was also a cutout in the plate where the drain plug was to avoid messes during
maintenance.
● The mounting riser plate for the electric motor was an homage to the ancient Roman
aqueducts which utilized arches and triangular prism geometry to increase structural
rigidity while cutting down on material and weight.
● The white areas seen are critical mounting surfaces that must be machined(faced) during
the manufacturing process.
● The 4 mounting slots in the motor mounting portion allow for linear adjustment parallel
to the axes of the motor shafts.
● The mounting slots for the entire assembly have raised bosses so that alignment and
shimming of the assembly in whichever application is used is not difficult.
● This is to be made from cast iron.

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Gear and Shaft Calculations:
● After designing, we wanted to verify the designs of the gears and shafts through a design
spreadsheet. Below is a sample of a gear and shaft calculation. The required strengths are
well below the designed parts.

For Input and Intermediate Gear 1:

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For Intermediate Gear 2 and Output Gear:

For Motor Shaft and Input Shaft:

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For Intermediate Shaft:

For Output Shaft:

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Shaft Component Fitment:
● All shaft components follow a Class 4(transitional) fit protocol This means that there is a
0.002” clearance between shaft and the component, being it a bearing, pulley, or gear.
● The case covers also have a Class 4 fit in reference to the bearings.
● The only component in the entire assembly that does not have a Class 4 fit are the rotary
shaft oil seals. They have a Class 5(interference) fit.
● While not a shaft component, the case cover offset clearance to the main case is also a
Class 4 fit. This is to aid in proper shaft alignment in reference to each case cover.

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Assembly:
● The assembly order is as follows:
1. Assembly each shaft sub assembly by first installing the keys(with the exception
of the motor shaft and output shaft flexible coupling keys as they will block
installation of the bearing. They can be installed after the bearings are installed)
followed by the gear/pulley/setscrews. After which the bearings can be installed.
Freezing the shafts will help contract it and aid in easier installation of shaft
components.
2. Install the oil seals on the respective covers via dead blow hammer and seal
driver.
3. Put on a thin layer of anaerobic sealant on the input cover and install on the side
of the main case opposite of the drain plug. Bolt on using the 39 socket head
bolts.
4. Seat the shaft assemblies in the cover bores, paying attention to the correct
orientation outlined by the exploded view. Gentle heat using a propane or MAPP
torch may be used to expand the bores for easier installation.
5. Following the same procedure in step 3, install the output cover carefully, making
sure the shaft assemblies do not bind up.
6. Install the drain plug. Fill the gearbox with 75W-140 synthetic gear oil until the
oil level reaches the fill plug. Install the fill plug.
7. Now the flexible couplers can be installed on the motor, output, and Toshiba AC
motor shafts.
8. Bolt the gearbox and motor to the baseplate using Grade 8 hex bolts. Loctite is
advisable. Snug up the bolts. At this point you can use a runout gauge to check
axial misalignment of the couplings and shafts. Adjust the position of the
gearbox/motor then tighten down the hex bolts.

Cost Analysis:
● Even with a small project like this, the cost is exceedingly difficult to estimate. Aside
from the part numbers that require no modifications, almost every other modified part
and customs parts(such as the gearbox housing, mounting plate, and shafts) are
impossible to estimate without prior manufacturing connections.
● The casted parts are extremely difficult to estimate price without a direct quote from a
metallurgy company sales rep or engineer.
● Not only that, a quote on 1 unit is inconsistent with 5000 units as economies of scale
dictate that high volume purchases are subject to discounts.
● With that being said, only about half the components have set in stone prices.

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Conclusion:
● We met all the design requirements, possibly even exceeding them.
● The shaft and gear calculations are not accurate within the spreadsheet as they do not
account for keyways.
● In retrospect and if possible, we would have liked:
- Appropriately sized motor
- More information on the yield strength of specific tooth geometry and materials
- More information other than just “mild steel(no grade or ASTM regulation)” as
the material of “most” shafts
- More information on real manufacturing processes

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References:
● https://www.bostongear.com/-/media/Files/Literature/Brand/boston-gear/catalogs/p-1930
-bg-sections/p-1930-bg_engineering-info-spur-gears.ashx
● https://c-rproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/timing-pulleys-catalog.pdf
● https://www.bostongear.com/-/media/Files/Literature/Brand/boston-gear/catalogs/p-1930
-bg-sections/p-1930-bg_spur-gears.ashx
● https://www.bostongear.com/products/open-gearing/stock-gears/spur-gears/spur-gears
● https://www.bostongear.com/-/media/Files/Literature/Brand/boston-gear/catalogs/p-1930
-bg.ashx
● https://www.engineersedge.com/class_iv.htm
● https://www.bbman.com/catalog/product/240H100G
● https://isccompanies.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Keyway-and-Key-Size-Dimensio
ns.pdf
● https://www.mcmaster.com/

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