Two-stage gearbox

A 35:1 two-stage design moved from AGMA and fatigue calculations to a printed assembly check.

My contribution
Team lead; Pinion 1 and Shaft 1 design
When
Fall 2024
State
Design and printed prototype complete
Printed gearbox prototype; assembly and drivetrain motion checked
35:1 design ratio (5:1 × 7:1)
Pinion 1 calculated factors: SF 1.6, SH 1.2
Printed prototype checked assembly and motion
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Project brief

ProblemDesign a two-stage non-reverted gearbox.
ConstraintDesign requirements: 4 HP input at 1500 RPM and 55,000-hour life.
My responsibilityI calculated and modeled Pinion 1 and Shaft 1, selected bearings, and coordinated parallel workstreams.
Project scopeTeammates designed the other gears and shafts.

Decisions and iterations

Size Pinion 1

AGMA bending and contact stress calculations gave design factors SF 1.6 and SH 1.2 for the specified material assumptions.

Pinion 1 dimensioned drawing; my gear-design contribution

Resolve Shaft 1 loading

Shear and bending moment diagrams in two planes identified shoulder and keyseat critical locations for Goodman fatigue analysis.

Select bearings

SKF 61817 bearings were specified against calculated life and reliability requirements; the calculation workbook preserves the assumptions.

Check the assembly physically

The printed prototype let the team check assembly fit and drivetrain motion.

Results and context

The calculations target 4 HP at 1500 RPM and a 55,000-hour design life. The plastic prototype checked assembly and movement; testing at the design load would require a separate working gearbox.

Shaft calculation review: Final report · page 10 ↗ flags a possible variable error in the shaft fatigue factors.

Technical details

AGMA calculations

The design is 35:1 overall, with 5:1 and 7:1 stages. Pinion 1 calculations used AGMA bending and contact factors; the complete workbooks and drawing are linked below.

Shaft fatigue and bearing selection

Shaft 1 used two-plane shear and bending moments, shoulder/keyseat checks, Goodman fatigue, and SKF 61817 bearing selection. The 55,000-hour life was a design target. The report flags a possible variable error in the shaft fatigue safety-factor calculations (page 10); those calculations require review.

Shaft 1 layout, bending moments, and shear forces used to find the critical sections. Report page 6.
Drawings and prototype

The printed model made assembly clearances and drivetrain movement inspectable before any load-capable build.

Project values and components
Total ratio35:1 (5:1 × 7:1)
Input / Output1500 RPM → 42.86 RPM

Photos and files

Reports and files

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