Simulation of the Thermal Expansion of an Inductively Heated Gear Wheel for Shrink Fitting Purposes

C. Hollenbeck [1], Z. Jildeh [1], T. Rydlewski [1], P. Kirchner [1],
[1] Imagine Engineering GmbH, Bergheim, Germany
Published in 2016

Due to the advantages of induction heating as a method for precise and efficient local heating, it is perfectly suited for thermal shrink fitting of a gear wheel on a shaft. In this work, a simulation model was established to study the induction heating of a gear wheel, its thermal expansion as well as the shrink fitting process. It was possible to find an appropriate geometry for the induction heating of the gear wheel. Furthermore, suitable parameters for the coil current and the frequency of the alternating field were identified for an efficient shrink fitting process. Finally, the detaching of a gear wheel was also studied for getting specific information about the process operation.