Lubrication of Contact Area in Ball Reducer with Waved Grooves

파형 구름볼 감속기의 접촉점에서의 윤활특성 해석

Ball reducer with waved grooves has many advantages over other reducers for the high-reduction ratios, low noise and low energy loss, etc. The mechanism of force transmission is very similar to that of cam and follower in automobile valve train system especially in the contact geometry. In this study, we have investigated the traces of contact between ball and outer race and the working behaviors with a certain reduction ratio. In order to verify the contact behaviors between ball and outer race, which determines the critical endurance life the contact velocity and load are computed for a cycle. During some period of a cycle, the contact velocity reverses its direction very suddenly, which causes undesirable endurance performance of this machinery. From the computational investigation in this work, we hope to predict similar contact damages in other machinery due to this kind of contact behaviors, which is very common in many contact phenomena.