ON INFLUENCE OF STRESS CONCENTRATION ON

FATIGUE STRENGTH FROM GEAR TOOTH ROOT

UEBER DEN EINFLUSS DER SPANNUNGSKONZENTRATION

AUF DIE ERMUEDUNGSFESTIGKEIT VON ZAHNFUSSE

O BLI&NII KONCENTRACII NAPR&@ENIjA NA

USTALOSTNU10 PRO^NOST6 KORN&
ZUBA
Jankovic Miodrag1
Faculty for Mechanical Engineering1,
Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Maksimovic Stevan2
VTI-Aeronautical Institute2
Kataniceva 15, 11000 Belgrade
e-mail: s.maksimovic@net.yu

Abstract: In the present paper the problem of stress concentration at the root of gear tooth based on the standard concept and the Finite
element method are presented. In that way the true stress value at tooth root can be used for the design or estimate of the factor of safety for
gear against failure based on the strength properties of smooth specimens. Although the standardized estimate after DIN or ISO exists, in
some cases, some other concept can be more useful. FEM procedure is especially convenient as an example by applying a new material or
by using a nonstandardized tooth form.
KEYWORDS: GEAR TOOTH ROOTH, STRESS ANALYSIS, ANALYTIC METHOD, FINITE ELEMENTS

1. Introduction
The estimate of tooth stress and strength value should be treated
according to a general rule given in the part of the science of the
strength of materials, in such a way as for any other machine part
having a shape, which reproduces stress concentration. There are
two possible ways for this estimation: by means of nominal or true
stress concentration values. The working ability of gear tooth root
is presented by factor of safety, which is given as quotient of tooth
strength and corresponding working stress. In addition, it is
necessary to use all possible differences between the testing and
given conditions in predicted service life. Some important
problems concerning the difference in the shape of tooth root are,
for example, the influence of size, stress concentration sensitivity,
rough and hardness of surface etc. Gears failures can be
categorized into several failure modes. Tooth bending, pitting,
spalling, and thermal fatigue can all be placed in the category of
fatigue failures. Methods of computation have limitations, which
are linked with the accuracy that is attainable. Perhaps the most
likely cause of inaccuracy is in the actual assessment of theoretical
stress and load concentration for any particular design. The
assessment of notched fatigue strength would be a simple matter if
it were only to apply theoretical factors to the fatigue strength of
plain material.
The focus of this paper is on tooth bending stress and strength
analysis because this is one of the most common failures.
2. Some characteristic attempts for solving the
problems
The shape of tooth root can be various, depending of the number
z of teeth, addendum modification coefficient x and radius in
tooth root. Because of that, it is not easy to give a general
procedure for exact estimates of all factors of the existing
influences. Only some characteristic attempts for solving this
complex problem will be given herein.
not used in consideration and only the nominal stress at a critical
cross-section was estimated. For the estimate of working ability
this nominal stress value was compared with corresponding
permissible stress given by experience means (Releaux,
Kutzbach). At the end of the 19th century a characteristic
calculation of tooth root stress was given by Lewis with his well-
known parabola of constant stress in all cross-sections of the
cantilever. The contact points of this parabola with a profile line
of tooth root determine the position of a critical cross-section. Just
in that phase of the development of estimate it was pointed out to
the influence of stress concentration, what was given as some
practical recommendation about tooth root radius, distribution of
force on tooth flank during the time of teeth pair mating,
application of positive addendum modification coefficient x for
pinion with the number of teeth between 10 and 30 (Merrit, ten
Bosch, Maier). The present means of cross-section position as
contact points of tooth root profile with two tangent lines with
angle of 30o was suggested by Hofer in 1947.
The first quantitative influence of stress concentration at the tooth
root was made by Baud by means of photo-elastic method and
also later by Dolan and Broghamer. S. Timoshenko developed an
expression for calculating stress concentration factor. Depending
on the treatment of nominal stress in the critical cross-section
(only bending stress or superposition of various stress
components) the formula can not be the only one and applicable in
all cases.
The testing of tooth root strength was firstly carried out directly by
the meshing gear pair and later on pulsation-testing machine by
acting of repeated force at one point on the same profile of tooth.
By the rotation of gear pair in the same direction, the teeth are
subjected to one-way bending what corresponds to testing on
pulsation machine. Only this case will be considered herein.
The estimated results from such gears testing was then satisfied
for similar gears and the influence of stress concentration, being
small, was neglected in most cases.
2.2 Aspirations to make standardizing methods

2.1 First simple attempts
The first directions to solving this problem was an experience
procedure and by means of some empirical equations. Later, in
the second half of the 19th century, the tooth was presented as a
model of a cantilever with a rectangular cross-section and the
force acts on the top of tooth. Then, the stress concentration was
It is known that the stress concentration factor depends only on the
shape of discontinuity and not on the size and the distance
between point act of force and critical cross-section. Because of
the complexity of stress state at the tooth root, a simple formula
for nominal bending stress can not satisfy this fact and then the
stress concentration factor calculated as quotient of the true stress
end and the nominal one must depend on the mentioned
distance. Niemann and Glaubitz have made an attempt to
improve this lack by using not only nominal bending stress but
also the compression and middle shear stress and by the
determination of an ideal nominal stress according to hypotheses
of complex stress state [1]. This investigation was the basis for
developing a standard procedure (DIN 3990 in 1963), where the
influence of stress concentration was neglected in normal cases
with tooth root radius greater than 0,25mn; mn – standard
module. For the estimate of working ability, the permissible
(allowed) stress was given, based on experience or from testing
of mating gears [2, 5]. The value of endurance limit of tooth root
was equal to one-half of the corresponding repeated endurance
limit of smooth bars because the stress concentration factor of
tested gears was 2.
Further developments of DIN standard were given in 1970 and
especially in 1980 [3,4]. ISO/DP 6336 was identical with this. In
these standards three methods were involved: A, B and C.
According to method A, the maximal concentrated extension
stress at tooth root can be estimated by using any possible
calculation procedure after the science of the strength of
materials in the way as the product of nominal bending stress
(only) and the recommended stress concentration factor which is
now called stress corrector factor and designed as YS
1 /(1.21+ 2 , 3 hFn / s Fn )
s  s 
YSa = (1,2 + 0,13 Fn ) Fn 
hFn  2 ρ F 
These investigations were based on a detailed experimental
strain and stress measure of M. Hirt by using the technique with
miniature strain gages. In that way more possible combinations
were determined, concerning the number of teeth, modification
addendum coefficients and radii of tooth root, the stress
distribution in the tooth root. These investigations were
supported also by other methods such as FEM, BEM, etc.
The next modification of DIN/ISO standard was presented in
1986/87, where H. Winter and M. Hirt suggested another
formula for stress concentration factor [against 8]
α kB = (s Fn 1,16 ρ )0, 28(1+ s Fn / 2 hFn )
and later again
YS = (s Fn 1,16 ρ )
0 , 43+ 0 , 2 ( ε α −1)
Parallel to the development of DIN/ISO standard, the same
attempts were made at standardizing the calculation procedure
of tooth root strength in the Association of East-European
Lands. The results were the standards RGW5744-86, TGL10545
etc. These standards are in their main characteristics practically
the same. The problem of stress concentration is herein
examined especially by means of BEM/singularity procedure
made by H. Linke [9]. In his book these two-presented models
of standard are compared and in a convenient way clearly
reviewed. Some differences smaller than 10% exist for
concentration stress at tooth root between standards DIN/ISO
and RGW.
It should be pointed out to a particular way of solving the
problem of stress concentration at tooth root made by M. Albert,
what is suggested as Austrian Standard ÖNORM M6740, part 3,
[8]. Albert has suggested a simplified wedge or cotter pin shape
of tooth profile with two straight tangent lines at tooth root. By
using Neuber's or Petersen's solution for stress concentration
factor he has obtained the nondependent stress concentration
factor from the distance between acting point of force and
critical cross-section. The factor of tooth shape for acting point at
the top of tooth YFa has not a dimension and is given as
YFa = σ n*α k , (4)
where σ is also a non-dimension term which has a complicated
*
n
formula. The maximal stress σ F at extension side of tooth root
which has tangential position on roots profile for pinion and gear
should be less than or equal to the allowable repeated bending
endurance limit σ FP of tooth root, which can be estimated from
of the corresponding nominal bending strength of material in the
form of a smooth polished bar. Similar to DIN/ISO standard, the
working ability condition is then, (Eq. 5):
σ F = K A K v K Fα K Fβ σ F 0 =
Ft 1
K A K v K Fα K Fβ YFaYε Yβ ≤ σ FP = σ 0,limYN Yδ YR
bmn SF
(5)
where K are usual loading factors, Yε , Yβ are usual stress factors;
YN , Yδ , YR are factors of fatigue life, notch sensitivity and rough
of tooth root flank, respectively. It is interesting to note that factor
Yδ is given in all standards according to Siebel und Stieler method
depending on relative stress falling [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9]. SF is the
factor of safety.
(1) 3.0 Comparison analytic and finite elements
The testing gear with straight teeth has 20 teeth, module 5mm,
breadth b = 15mm, modification addendum coefficient 0.00,
addendum coefficient 1.0 and dedendum one 1.25, material
20MnCr5, testing on pulsation machine with repeated force acting
at the point on diameter 129mm, what corresponds to a contact
ratio of 1,5, the diameters of base circle 117.46 mm and pitch
circle 125mm.Tooth root is polished, without any notch.
3.1 Analytic solutions
Corresponding tangential component of force is
Ft = Fn d b / d = Fn cos α = 0.9397 Fn ; factors are: Yε = 0.75,
Yβ = 1 . For given data, the remaining factors are differently:
(2)
YFa = 2.74, YSa = 1.65 and the stress is σ F = 153daN / mm 2 ,
(Nieman-Winter, DIN/ISO, Rinder, Roloff/Matek); Y Fa = 2.67,
(3)
YSa = 1.56 with the tooth root stress σ F = 141daN / mm ,
2
(Linke); YFa = 4.82 and the tangential tooth root stress
σ F = 163daN / mm 2 , (Albert).
3.2 Finite element solutions
For more complex geometries, however, and especially for three-
dimensional situations, analytic solutions do not exist; in these
cases numerical methods are required for both analysis. A number
of different numerical methods have been developed over recent
years for analyzing the stress distribution in a body of complex
geometry and boundary conditions; arguably the most powerful
and generally available of these is the finite element method. The
finite element method is the most versatile and generally available
numerical analysis technique. The FEM and boundary element
method (BEM) are becoming more useful and common
approaches to study gear designs. A primary reason for this is the
tremendous increase in computing power. The complexity of two
dimensional gear analyses has evolved. Albrecht [11] used the
FEM to study gear tooth stresses, gear resonance, and
transmission noise. Bibel at al. [12] successfully modeled multi-
tooth spiral bevel gears with deformable contact using FEM.
They conducted a stress analysis of mating spiral bevel gears
and analytically modeled, using gap elements from general
purpose finite element codes, the rolling contact between the
gear teeth.
Analytic results are compared with finite elements. A typical
finite element gear tooth model used in the current study is
shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 The Von Misses stress distribution at the root of the

tooth (N/mm2)

Von-Misses stress distribution at the root of tooth are illustrated in

Fig. 2.
The corresponding value of tooth root stress estimated by FEM
procedure is 161 daN/mm2, (for the corresponding force F=36000
N).
It can see that a good agreement exists between the estimated
values after standard analytic procedures and numerical FEM
computations.

4. Conclusion

The objective of the current work is to study analytic and

numerical method for the stress analyses of the gear tooth
structures. Accordingly, it is useful to apply the standard
procedure for all cases contained by standard data and only in the
cases of non-standardized gear tooth geometry which is not fully
or partially contained in the standards, any other methods, for
example FEM, have to be applied. FEM procedure gives the
values of stresses which have the tangential position on the tooth
root profile and therefore their maximal value have to compare
with the bending strength of the applying material tested on the
smooth specimens or bars. In this way it is possible to estimate the
working ability of bending tooth root of gears. Such data for
smooth bar are, for example, given by Albert's procedure after
which the gears strength are not consider as a value of a special
machine part, but the strength of applying material tested on
smooth specimens, similar to cases for any other parts, for
example, for shafts etc. For the estimate of working ability by
using such a treatment it is not needed to testing the tooth root
strength direct on the gear. This treatment is possible with the help
of the notch concept by which can be estimated the local true
stress, what makes also the FEM procedure. Accurate of finite
element results can be efficient used in fatigue life estimations of
gear tooth structure.
Fig. 1 Finite Element Model of Tooth (F=36000 N)

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