Non-Contact Measurement of Small-Module Gears Using Optical Coherence Tomography

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Abstract
Due to the small size and harsh transmission conditions of small-module gears, it is very difficult to measure gear characteristics with a modulus smaller than 1 mm. We proposed an optical coherence tomography (OCT) method for measuring small-module gears. Testing of a 30-tooth copper gear with a small modulus of 0.5 mm was carried out for the measurement of its modulus, tooth parameter, tooth number, pressure angle, modification coefficient, and tooth thickness by using OCT. In addition, the influencing factors on the measurement were discussed. The whole teeth profile of a 0.2 mm modulus gear was imaged by processing of the data collected from different clamping angles. Compared with the visual imaging without depth information and small-scale microscopic imaging, the OCT method has shown its superiority, and it has potential in the application of the measurement of micro gears with a small modulus of less than 0.2 mm.
Funding Information
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (51675103)
  • State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration (MSV-2018-07)
  • Shanghai Natural Science Fund (18ZR1414200)
  • Putian college campus research project fund (2017016)

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