Experimental investigation about surface damage in straight and crowned misaligned splined couplings

In this paper an experimental investigation has been carried on, in order to determinate the different damage patterns and the corresponding entity on the surface of splined couplings with straight and crowned teeth, subjected to variable working loadings. In particular, experimental tests have performed by means of a dedicated test rig, allowing to realize different working conditions, as the angle between the axis of shaft and hub and also the presence of lubrication. Teeth surfaces after tests have been analyzed by considering as damage parameters both surface roughness and gap between teeth. Results show that the wear pattern on crowned teeth is completely different with respect to the straight ones; in both cases, the value of the misalignment angle and the presence of lubrication may substantially influence the entity of the surface damage.