Worm Gears

Ardi Noerpamoengkas, ST., MT.

Machine Elements 3
 Worm Gears
• Introduction (MD section 11-9)
• Gear terminology (MD section 11-10)
• Gear tooth load (MD section 11-14)
• Gear strength and wear analysis (MD section
11-11  section 11-13)
• Gear set efficiency (MD section 11-14)
• Heat energy dissipation (MD section 11-15)
• Gear standard (MD section 11-16)
 Introduction
• It is used for large speed ratio applications,
200 to 1
• The worm is very similar to a screw
• The worm gear is similar to a helical gear
• The shaft which both are mounted are usually
90 degree apart
• The gear engagement occurs without the
shock prevalent and uses a sliding action may
produce overheating
 Gear Terminology
• The axial pitch of the worm (paw)
– The distance between corresponding points on
adjacent teeth
– Equal to the circular pitch of the gear (for shaft that
are 90 degree apart)
• The lead (l)
– The axial distance the worm advances during one
revolution of the worm
• The lead angle of worm (λw)
– The angle between a tangent to the pitch helix and
the plane of rotation
 Gear Terminology
• Gearing equation

Vpg pitch line velocity of gear, Vpw pitch line

velocity of worm, λw lead angle of worm, l
lead, dw pitch diameter of worm.
• Lead

l lead, Ntw number of teeth or threads of

worm, paw the axial pitch of worm
 Gear Terminology
• The angle relationship of the worm and gear

λw lead angle of worm, ψw helix angle of

worm, λg lead of gear, ψg helix angle of gear
• The center distance (c)

dw pitch diameter of worm, dg pitch diameter

of gear
 Gear Terminology
• The minimum pitch diameter of worm (AGMA
recommendation)

pg circular pitch of gear

• The velocity ratio
 Gear Terminology
• The helix angle of gear

Pg diametral pitch of gear, Png normal

diametral pitch of gear, png normal circular
pitch of gear, pg circular pitch of gear, paw axial
pitch of worm
 Tooth Loads
• The forces acting on worm gears

φn normal pressure angle.

Tooth Loads
Tooth Loads
Tooth Loads
 Gear Strength and Wear Analysis
• Dynamic load (Fd)

Vpg pitch line velocity of the gear

(feet/minute), Ftg gear transmitted load (lb)
 Gear Strength and Wear Analysis
• Lewis method for strength analysis

• Analysis is applied to the gear

• The simplified Lewis equation
 Gear Strength and Wear Analysis
• Buckingham equation
for wear analysis
• The Buckingham
equation 
dg gear pitch diameter,
b face width, K1
constant which
depends on the
material and geometry
of the gear
 Gear Set Efficiency
• The sliding velocity (Vs)

Vpw pitch velocity of worm

 Gear Set Efficiency
• The coefficient of friction (for a carburized and
ground worm driving a phosphor bronze gear)
 Gear Set Efficiency
• The efficiency of a worm gear set
 Heat Energy Dissipation
• It can be determined by two ways.
– Due to heat transfer, such as radiation and
convection
– By considering the lost horsepower
• The cooling surface area of the housing, Ac,
(AGMA recommendation)

c center distance in inches

 Heat Energy Dissipation
• By considering some heat transfer ways

H the energy dissipated through the housing,

Ccr combined heat transfer coefficient, Ac area
of housing exposed to ambient air, Δt
temperature difference between oil and
ambient air.
 Heat Energy
Dissipation
• Determining
Ccr
 Heat Energy Dissipation
• By considering the lost horsepower

• It must be meet Hd ≤ H condition

 Gear Standard
• The axial pitch standard values of the worm
(AGMA recommendation)
¼, 5/16, 3/8, ½, 5/8, ¾, 1, 1 ¼, 1 ½, 1 ¾, 2
• The limiting values for lead angles
 Gear Standard
• It has been suggested as 6 deg of lead angle
for each thread of worm
• A quadruple threaded worm would have a
lead angle of 24 deg
• The face length or axial length of the worm
 The Reference
• Machine Design, Aaron Deutschman.