Process Performance Comparison of ECH and PECH for Quality Enhancement of Bevel Gears

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis of constant-current electrochemical honing (ECH) and pulsed electrochemical honing (PECH) for quality enhancement of straight bevel gears. The quality of straight bevel gears after finishing by ECH and PECH is compared focusing on tooth flank finish and microgeometry. Tooth flank finish was evaluated in terms of percentage enhancement in average roughness value, maximum roughness value, and 5-point roughness value. Percentage enhancements in pitch error, pitch variation error, accumulated pitch error, and total runout were used to evaluate the microgeometry of the bevel gears. It was found that the PECH process is capable of simultaneously enhancing the tooth flank finish and microgeometry of bevel gears by more than 50% as compared with ECH-finished bevel gears. The PECH-finished gears also exhibited superior microstructure as compared with ECH-finished gears. These improvements will enhance the service life and working performance of gears. © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.