Our Expertise
Gear Design
Internationally recognized experts in gear design for applications from miniature actuators to huge machines, from slow moving drives in telescopes to extreme velocity in turbine compressors. Powertrain prides itself for the innovative design application of 3D mesh analysis including the influence of the gear body, shafts, bearings, and housings. This allows development of flank modifications that minimize transmission error significantly.
Design activity includes deep analysis of predicted life and design margins of the system. For high-speed applications rotor dynamics is employed to define critical speeds and amplitudes.
Our expertise includes spur and helical gears, bevel and face gears and worm gears of all types. Powertrain has a depth of knowledge in manufacturing processes and proper application of QA overview. This is critical for creating cost-effective designs with a minimum of revisions as the product goes into production. This includes not only the gearing, but also the castings, forgings, and any specialized finishes.
Internationally recognized experts in gear design for applications from miniature actuators to huge machines, from slow moving drives in telescopes to extreme velocity in turbine compressors. Powertrain prides itself for the innovative design application of 3D mesh analysis including the influence of the gear body, shafts, bearings, and housings. This allows development of flank modifications that minimize transmission error significantly.
Design activity includes deep analysis of predicted life and design margins of the system. For high-speed applications rotor dynamics is employed to define critical speeds and amplitudes.
Our expertise includes spur and helical gears, bevel and face gears and worm gears of all types. Powertrain has a depth of knowledge in manufacturing processes and proper application of QA overview. This is critical for creating cost-effective designs with a minimum of revisions as the product goes into production. This includes not only the gearing, but also the castings, forgings, and any specialized finishes.
Planetary Gear Systems
Planetary drives often achieve higher power density, compactness, and cost reduction. Powertrain has designed many planetary systems utilizing various design concepts. Our design skills include in-depth deflection prediction in the planet carriers and the gear bodies along with bearings, shafts, and housings. This review includes the effectiveness of multi-mesh power distribution and dynamic transmission error. Powertrain has designed and patented the planet flex-pin mounting applicable to helical meshes. Projects range from 15 MW test stand drives with relatively low RPM to turbine drives involving outputs of up to 60,000 RPM.
Planetary drives often achieve higher power density, compactness, and cost reduction. Powertrain has designed many planetary systems utilizing various design concepts. Our design skills include in-depth deflection prediction in the planet carriers and the gear bodies along with bearings, shafts, and housings. This review includes the effectiveness of multi-mesh power distribution and dynamic transmission error. Powertrain has designed and patented the planet flex-pin mounting applicable to helical meshes. Projects range from 15 MW test stand drives with relatively low RPM to turbine drives involving outputs of up to 60,000 RPM.
Shaft Analysis
Our typical shaft design development includes an in-depth analysis using state-of-the-art calculation methods such as provided in DIN 743 and ASME standards. In addition to stress analysis, we have experience regarding metallurgical requirements and the influence of heat treatment methodology.
Shaft design often includes interference fits including keyless joints reacting rotational torque. We have extensive experience including assembly methods and friction enhanced joint design. Our joint fit analysis includes details such as micro-slip and the influence of surface finish. Our involvement in hydraulic assisted assembly of keyless joints goes back some 40+ years.
Our typical shaft design development includes an in-depth analysis using state-of-the-art calculation methods such as provided in DIN 743 and ASME standards. In addition to stress analysis, we have experience regarding metallurgical requirements and the influence of heat treatment methodology.
Shaft design often includes interference fits including keyless joints reacting rotational torque. We have extensive experience including assembly methods and friction enhanced joint design. Our joint fit analysis includes details such as micro-slip and the influence of surface finish. Our involvement in hydraulic assisted assembly of keyless joints goes back some 40+ years.
Bearings
Gear assemblies influence bearing load and life and varying gear arrangement concepts influence the gear meshes, thus they need co-development. Powertrain has a close association with major bearing manufacturers, and we have sophisticated software for this complex analysis.
Gear assemblies influence bearing load and life and varying gear arrangement concepts influence the gear meshes, thus they need co-development. Powertrain has a close association with major bearing manufacturers, and we have sophisticated software for this complex analysis.
Quality Assurance
The founder of Powertrain Engineers, Ed Hahlbeck, spent years in the gear industry as the manager of Quality Assurance. He provided solutions to product quality issues involving many industries including; US Army vehicles, NASA antennas, major air conditioning drive systems, world's largest mining trucks and excavators, most all equipment types in the oil and gas industry, and many others.
This experience helps to create specifications there are effective and practical in the gear manufacturing process.
The founder of Powertrain Engineers, Ed Hahlbeck, spent years in the gear industry as the manager of Quality Assurance. He provided solutions to product quality issues involving many industries including; US Army vehicles, NASA antennas, major air conditioning drive systems, world’s largest mining trucks and excavators, most all equipment types in the oil and gas industry, and many others.
This experience helps to create specifications there are effective and practical in the gear manufacturing process.
Product Enhancement
Many clients have engaged Powertrain Engineers to provide improved driveline reliability or to accommodate increases in torque capacity. We have an excellent reputation in this regard and have earned patents for several of the results our clients experienced. Of course, these patents are assigned to our clients.
Many clients have engaged Powertrain Engineers to provide improved driveline reliability or to accommodate increases in torque capacity. We have an excellent reputation in this regard and have earned patents for several of the results our clients experienced. Of course, these patents are assigned to our clients.
Failure Analysis
Powertrain Engineers has provided failure analysis reports to many clients of all sizes. This work includes the careful rating of the failed component and comparison of the metallurgical quality and type of failure. We are associated with highly regarded forensic laboratories that include SEM-EDS capabilities with fracture magnification of up to 300,000X. In addition to determining the failure source, we can provide solution activities and plans for testing the product revisions to access the life predictions.
Powertrain Engineers has provided failure analysis reports to many clients of all sizes. This work includes the careful rating of the failed component and comparison of the metallurgical quality and type of failure. We are associated with highly regarded forensic laboratories that include SEM-EDS capabilities with fracture magnification of up to 300,000X. In addition to determining the failure source, we can provide solution activities and plans for testing the product revisions to access the life predictions.
Procurement Assistance
Our extensive experience in manufacturing and our close association with many domestic and some offshore gear shops can be helpful for clients to find component manufacturers with an acceptable quality history. Our associations include shops proficient in prototype programs as well as shops able to oversee high quantity production.
In addition to these recommendations, we can provide the desired specifications to add to the manufacturing drawings or to the procurement document to be included with purchase agreements. We find these specification overviews highly effective in establishing long-term relationships that assure consistent quality control. We are often involved in the validation of first article reports to ensure that these procurement specifications are being met.
Our extensive experience in manufacturing and our close association with many domestic and some offshore gear shops can be helpful for clients to find component manufacturers with an acceptable quality history. Our associations include shops proficient in prototype programs as well as shops able to oversee high quantity production.
In addition to these recommendations, we can provide the desired specifications to add to the manufacturing drawings or to the procurement document to be included with purchase agreements. We find these specification overviews highly effective in establishing long-term relationships that assure consistent quality control. We are often involved in the validation of first article reports to ensure that these procurement specifications are being met.
Test procedure and equipment
Powertrain Engineers has provided test procedures and test tooling for their projects under development and in some cases for the client’s general compliance testing. We were employed by the Department of Energy to oversee the design of wind turbine transmission test stands both at NREL in Boulder CO and Clemson Drivetrain Testing Facility in South Carolina. We participated in design and oversite for the testing of huge mining truck transmissions and wind turbines from 350KW to 15MW along with high-speed product testing at speeds to 60,000 RPM. Our service includes association with world class providers of wireless stress measurement of gear teeth, shafts including long time range testing.
Powertrain Engineers has provided test procedures and test tooling for their projects under development and in some cases for the client’s general compliance testing. We were employed by the Department of Energy to oversee the design of wind turbine transmission test stands both at NREL in Boulder CO and Clemson Drivetrain Testing Facility in South Carolina. We participated in design and oversite for the testing of huge mining truck transmissions and wind turbines from 350KW to 15MW along with high-speed product testing at speeds to 60,000 RPM. Our service includes association with world class providers of wireless stress measurement of gear teeth, shafts including long time range testing.
On-Site Assistance
As is sometimes the case when clients are producing and assembling new and innovative designs, we are called upon to witness the development and assembly on an onsite basis. The same may be true for the testing program to assure the test procedure is correctly implemented.
As is sometimes the case when clients are producing and assembling new and innovative designs, we are called upon to witness the development and assembly on an onsite basis. The same may be true for the testing program to assure the test procedure is correctly implemented.