Effect of gear teeth finishing method on properties of teeth surface layer and its resistance to pitting wear creation

This work presented the characteristics of two gear teeth finishing methods, due to the properties of gear teeth surface layer obtained at the tooth working depth. These methods are: 1) the teeth carburization, hardening to a hardness of HRC 60-62 and then grinding, 2) the soft gear shaving as the final mechanical treatment and then carburizing and hardening to the hardness of HRC60-62. This work included the test results of the contact fatigue strength carried out on the circulating power system. The Wohler curves were plotted due to the obtained results, as the basis for the practical evaluation of the considered gear finishing methods. The parameters like volume distribution of the voids, content of the retained austenite, compressive residual stress value, but also the results of contact fatigue strength tests, are more favorable for the teeth shaving method than for the teeth grinding method.