Causes of gear tooth flank failure in a quarry excavator drive system
摘要
The development of the oil and gas sector, as well as solid mineral mining enterprises, is now concentrated in the northernmost and most remote regions of the country. It is well-known that the service life of specific components and parts of excavators, bulldozers, and loaders decreases significantly in the Arctic and Subarctic regions of Russia. An analysis of damaged gear wheels removed from mining equipment operating in northern latitudes revealed that accelerated gear pair failure can be attributed to various external factors and product quality deficiencies. This study investigated how the chemical composition of tooth material and the segregation of impurity atoms at grain boundaries influence the resistance to metal fracture and the development of contact damage during long-term, low-temperature operation. The results demonstrate that tests determining the threshold stress intensity factor K1rth for sustained crack growth can be used to model the initiation and propagation of delayed quench cracks. These cracks occur along the boundaries of inherited austenite grains in the surface layers of driven gear teeth in traction transmission systems.