Use of Plastic Gears for Power Transmission in Low-Torque Robotics: Wear and Fatigue Analysis

Samillan E.; Vilca Y.; Apaza J.; Pereyra G.; Diaz C. · SSRG International Journal of Mechanical Engineering (2026) · DOI: 10.14445/23488360/ijme-v13i5p107

Resumen

This work presents a theoretical methodology, in the form of a simulation, for evaluating a pair of plastic pinion-wheel gears intended for power transmission in low-torque robotics applications. The geometry of the gear pair is parameterized in CAD, and a polymeric or engineering material with traceable properties is selected, along with a FEM model that includes tooth-to-tooth contact. The wear of the gear is estimated from the contact variables using an Archard-type law, accompanied by a parametric analysis for tribological uncertainties. Flexural fatigue at the tooth root is studied using the Stress-Life (S-N) approach, which provides indicators of gear life.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa