Calculating the Load Distribution and Contact Stress of the Disposable Harmonic Drive under Full Load

Mechanical equipment that will not be reused is defined as disposable machinery. Disposable harmonic drives (HDs) are commonly used in the field of aerospace and are sensitive to payloads. Reasonable calculation of the gear strength is essential for structural design. A method of calculating the contact characteristics of HDs under full load by combining a surface contact model with a three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) is proposed in this work. The mathematical model was established for calculating the no-load backlash of conventional and disposable harmonic gears after assembly. Afterward, the tooth load distribution and surface contact stress were determined using the Hertz contact theory. Finally, ABAQUS software was used to establish the FEM of the disposable HD, and the results were compared with those obtained from the theoretical model. The results revealed that the disposable harmonic gear can realize short-term transmission under full load.