Optimal design of compact spur gear sets

In a recent article Introduction In this paper an optimal design technique to obtain compact standard spur gear meshes will be presented. The design objective will be to minimize center distance or, equivalently, pinion diameter. In general, the most desirable gear set is the smallest one that will perform the required job. Smaller gears are easier to make, run more smoothly due to smaller inertial loads and pitch line velocities, and are less expensive. The cost to size ratio is not necessarily linear, especially if the smaller gear size is made possible by using expensive heat treating procedures. However, as pointed out by Dudley [1] and Tucker [2], the cost trade-off generally favors the high hardness, small size gear. In a recent paper, Tucker [2] presented a thoughtful overview of the gear design process. His very practical presentation included the consideration of a wide range of topics which must be addressed in successful gearbox desig