[5D4] Experimental diagnostic analysis of metal and plastic gear transmission systems
M Molaie, A Zippo and F Pellicano
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy
The vibration analysis of transmission systems is essential for understanding gear dynamics and enabling early fault detection. This study presents an experimental investigation on a plastic pinion subjected to simulated damage within a dedicated test-rig designed to replicate the driveline of an electric vehicle. Progressive tooth wear and removal were induced on the plastic pinion to simulate various levels of damage. Vibration signals were collected and analysed using time-domain statistical parameters such as average, root mean square (RMS), peak value, skewness, kurtosis and crest factor. The results reveal clear correlations between the degree of simulated damage and changes in the vibration features, demonstrating the sensitivity of selected indicators to early-stage faults. This work confirms the effectiveness of the proposed approach for condition monitoring of gear systems and highlights its potential application in predictive maintenance and fault prevention in transmission systems.
