Dual-idler gear-rack transmission mechanism: Analysis and optimization of vibration excited by defects

Wenhe  Han; Pengfei  Wang; Shuming  Guo; Shuyan  Wang; Chenglin  Ruan; Jiahao  Yuan

doi:10.59400/sv3284

Dual-idler gear-rack transmission mechanism: Analysis and optimization of vibration excited by defects

Wenhe Han
Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. of Shanghai Research Institute of Building Sciences, Shanghai 201506, China

Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Safety Intelligent Control of Building Machinery, Shanghai 200032, China
Pengfei Wang
College of Mechanical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Shuming Guo
College of Mechanical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Shuyan Wang
College of Mechanical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Chenglin Ruan
College of Mechanical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Jiahao Yuan
College of Mechanical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China

Article ID: 3284

Keywords: dual-idler gear-rack mechanism; meshing impact; dynamic simulation; structural optimization; vibration and noise

Abstract

In long-distance heavy-load transmission systems, the unique high load-bearing capacity and trajectory constraint characteristics of the double-idler rack-and-pinion mechanism can significantly improve the reliability of the transmission system. However, engineering practice has revealed that factors such as tooth profile distortion caused by residual stress from rack rolling, flatness errors of mounting surfaces, and linear expansion due to environmental temperature changes can markedly alter the dynamic meshing characteristics of the rack and pinion. During the meshing process of the double-idler rack-and-pinion, the deformation of the rack and pinion and installation errors can lead to meshing impacts, thereby generating significant impact noise. This paper analyzes abnormal meshing states influenced by changes in center distance and pitch, constructs a defective meshing model for the rack and pinion, and further identifies factors more sensitive to defective meshing impacts through dynamic simulations. Finally, the paper proposes a flexible floating idler shaft structure that effectively reduces meshing impacts. The results demonstrate that the proposed structure yields significant improvements, particularly in the direction of pitch variation, which is more sensitive to vibrations. Specifically, the effective vibration values for random pitch micro-variations and sudden rack pitch changes are reduced by 60.5% and 23.4%, respectively, while those for sudden changes in rack center distance are reduced by 57.01%. This research provides new methodological support for optimizing the dynamic characteristics of precision rack-and-pinion transmission systems.

Published

2025-10-28

How to Cite

Han, W., Wang, P., Guo, S., Wang, S., Ruan, C., & Yuan, J. (2025). Dual-idler gear-rack transmission mechanism: Analysis and optimization of vibration excited by defects. Sound & Vibration, 59(6). https://doi.org/10.59400/sv3284

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Issue

Vol. 59 No. 6 (2025)

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Article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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