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IMPROVEMENT OF LUBRICATION LIFE OF GREASE-LUBRICATED STRAIN WAVE GEARING BY CARBURIZING AND TWO-STAGE SHOT PEENING Kazuaki Maniwa (1), Yoshitomo Mizoguchi (2), Akihiro Orita (3) and Shingo Obara (1) (1) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan, Email: [email protected] (2) Harmonic Drive Systems Inc., 1856-1 Hotakamaki, Azumino-shi, Nagano-ken, Japan, Email: [email protected] (3) Asahi Heat Treatment Co., Ltd, 2-9-1 Kuzuhara, Neyagawa-shi, Osaka, Japan, Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT improved to prolong the lifetime of grease-lubricated SWG under vacuum operation. There are some well- This study investigated a technique to extend the life of known techniques to improve wear resistance under strain wave gearing (SWG) under a vacuum. We boundary lubrication, such as hard coatings and the use applied carburizing and two-stage shot peening to the of new lubricants. In this study, based on fundamental flexspline (FS) inner surface and the FS and circular friction tests and an evaluation of surface properties, we spline (CS) teeth surfaces to reduce wear, particularly at selected a combined surface modification technique— the wave generator (WG)/FS interface. With these carburizing and two-stage shot peening. This technique surface modifications, the FS inner surface was finished was applied to the FS inner surface and the FS/CS teeth to achieve hardness 1.3 to 1.4 times higher than that of surfaces. Surface-modified SWGs were manufactured the WG outer surface, with average roughness of 0.05 to and subjected to a vacuum life test, followed by an µ 0.1 m and surface skewness of -2 to -0.3. initial performance test and vibration test for clarifying the effect of surface modification. The surface-modified SWG lubricated with grease was subjected to a vacuum life test. As a result, the SWG reached about 516,000 output shaft revolutions without significantly increasing the input torque. After the life test, there was no severe wear at the FS inner surface. Flexspline (FS) The WG outer surface and the FS/CS teeth surfaces also exhibited much less wear. Circular spline (CS) INTRODUCTION Wave generator A grease-lubricated SWG has been widely used in space (WG) rotary devices that require lightweight and compact mechanical components. We have developed SWG with grease lubrication to achieve a longer life and lighter weight of components [1]. Fig. 1 shows a photograph of the developed SWG with a reduction ratio of 1/160 and tooth pitch diameter of approximately 50 mm. During the development, however, we found that the non- surface-modified SWG resulted in a significantly short life under a vacuum due to severe wear at the WG/FS interface and the FS/CS teeth interface as shown in Fig. 2. Operating the WG/FS interface under boundary Figure 1. SHF type strain wave gearing lubrication due to lubricant starvation in a vacuum was concluded to be the cause of severe wear at the WG/FS interface. Also, the state of high friction at the WG/FS interface under boundary lubrication could adversely affect the lubricating condition at the FS/CS teeth interface. According to the lubricating conditions in the grease- lubricated SWG mentioned above, wear-resistant performance at the WG/FS interface must be mainly _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Proc. 18. European Space Mechanisms and Tribology Symposium 2019, Munich, Germany, 18.-20. September 2019 Table 1. Specifications of test SWG No. I II III Model SHF-20-160-2A-GR-SP number φ82 mm × 30.4 mm (a pitch circle Size diameter of approximately 50 mm) Reduction 1/160 (a) FS inside surface (b) WG outer race ratio WG bearing: 440C stainless steel WG retainer: phenolic resin Materials FS: 15-5PH stainless steel CS: 630 stainless steel Modification contents: 1. Carburizing (for surface hardening) (c) CS teeth (d) FS teeth 2. Fine particle shot-peening (for improving fatigue property) Figure 2. Wear conditions of rubbing surface of non- Surface 3. Super fine particle shot-peening surface-modified strain wave gearing after 34,996 modification (for surface polishing) output shaft revs (the surfaces were cleaned out) [1] Application parts: No. I: only FS inner surface Nos. II and III: FS inner surface and TEST STRAIN WAVE GEARING teeth of FS and CS Tab. 1 lists the specifications of the test SWG. The SWG model number (SHF-20-160-2A-GR-SP) is same as that of the non-surface-modified type evaluated in the Table 2. Type of grease, application parts, and quantity previous work [1]. Three test pieces (No. I, II and III) No. I II III were evaluated in this study. Only the FS inner surface Grease type MU R2000 for No. I, and the FS inner surface and FS/CS teeth (thickener) (urea) (sodium soap) surfaces for Nos. II and III were subject to modification. WG bearing 0.1 g After the surface modifications, the FS inner surface WG outer 0.2 g was finished to achieve hardness 1.3 to 1.4 times higher Surface than that of the WG outer surface, with average FS inner surface 0.2 g roughness of 0.05 to 0.1 µm and surface skewness of -2 FS external 0.3 g to -0.3. The high hardness is expected to increase wear Teeth resistance, whereas negative skewness is expected to CS internal 0.3 g form lubricant films on plateaus and to retain a lubricant Teeth in small dimples under vacuum operation. Multiply alkylated cyclopentane (MAC) grease was used to lubricate the FS/CS teeth surfaces, between the FS inner surface and WG outer surface, and between the races and balls of the WG bearing. Tab. 2 lists the type of grease, application parts, and quantity. The WG retainer is made of cotton-based phenolic resin, and was impregnated with the base oil of grease in a vacuum. Fig. 3 shows an example of the grease spread condition (for test piece No. III). Figure 3. Grease spread condition of WG and FS for test piece No. III _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Proc. 18. European Space Mechanisms and Tribology Symposium 2019, Munich, Germany, 18.-20. September 2019 TEST METHOD Support bearings Fig. 4 shows the flowchart for the series of tests. A life (grease lubrication) test of the surface-modified SWG was conducted in a Output shaft Input shaft high vacuum following a running-in test and a vibration test. Fig. 4 also gives the vibration test and life test conditions. Transmission error and torsional stiffness were measured for test piece Nos. II and III, in order to check the SWG performance. The test SWG was assembled onto a test jig (Fig. 5) for testing. Fig. 6 shows the vibration test configuration. Test SWG Fig. 7 shows the life test apparatus [1]. In the life test, a Support bearings (grease lubrication) sinusoidal torque was loaded using an arm on the output side. During the life test, the maximum input torque was Figure 5. Test jig recorded using the input torque sensor located inside the vacuum chamber. The end of life was defined as the input torque (i.e., SWG friction) increasing by 50%. Acceleration sensor for vibration level control Performance test before life test for No. II and III Running-in Environment: atmosphere, room temperature (+22 °C), less than 50 %RH Test jig Input rotational speed: 100 r/min Load (output) torque: 0 N-m X Test duration: 128 min (80 revolutions of output shaft) Vibration direction Vibration test (X, Y, Z axis) Y Z Sinusoidal vibration: 25 G, 10 to 100 Hz, 2 oct/min Random vibration: 21 Grms, 5 to 2000 Hz, 3 min (a) Vibration test in X / Y axis (radial direction) Life test -4 Environment: vacuum (less than 10 Pa), room temperature (+22 °C) Input rotational speed: 100 rpm Load (output) torque: ± 14 N-m (sinusoidal) Test jig Acceleration sensors for Performance test after life test vibration level control for No. II and III Z Visual inspection Vibration direction X Y Figure 4. Flowchart of the series of tests (b) Vibration test in Z axis (axial direction) Figure 6. Vibration test configuration _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Proc. 18. European Space Mechanisms and Tribology Symposium 2019, Munich, Germany, 18.-20. September 2019 Vacuum chamber Input torque Output torque sensor Output side Input side sensor Magnetic fluid seal Servomotor Slip ring Test jig Arm Slip ring Table Magnetic fluid seal Weight 1000 mm Figure 7. Life test apparatus (a) No. II TEST RESULTS Fig. 8 shows the maximum input torque measured at an arm angle of 90 deg. in the sinusoidal load cycle during each life test. All the tests did not reach the end of life and were terminated as described below. The life tests for test piece Nos. I and II were stopped at about 100,000 output shaft revolutions to confirm wear conditions of the rubbing surfaces. For test piece No. I, the input toque temporarily increased at about 43,000 revolutions, and the torque was subsequently recovered by the end of the life test. Test piece No. III reached about 516,000 output shaft revolutions without (b) No. III significantly increasing the input torque. This result corresponds to life about 14 times longer than the case Figure 9. Change in transmission error under life test without surface modification. Figs. 11-1, 11-2, and 11-3 show the conditions of wear and appearance of grease on the rubbing surfaces after each life test for test piece Nos. I, II, and III, No. II: 100,118 revs respectively. The visual inspection results of each test No. I: 100,622 revs piece are summarized below.