• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2022

A 1.7-ton grade small excavator is a construction equipment that can perform various functions in limited spaces where heavy equipment cannot enter easily. Owing to the recent acceleration of urbanization, it has been used increasingly in drainage and gas pipes, as well as for road repair works in urban areas. The power train of a traveling reducer for a 1.7-ton grade small excavator utilizes a complex planetary gear system. Complex planetary gears are vital to the power train of a traveling reducer as it mitigates the fatigue strength problem. In the present study, the specifications of a complex planetary gear train are calculated; furthermore, the gear bending and compressive stresses of the complex planetary gears are analyzed to achieve an optimal design of the latter in terms of cost and reliability. In this study, the actual gear bending and compressive stresses of a planetary gear system are analyzed using a self-developed gear design program based on the Lewes and Hertz equation. Subsequently, the calculated specifications of the complex planetary gears are verified by evaluating the results with the data of allowable bending and compressive stress based on curves of stress vs. number of cycles of the gears.