35th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

ON PRODUCTION ENGINEERING
25 - 28 September 2013
Kraljevo - Kopaonik
Faculty of Mechanical and Civil Engineering in Kraljevo

PARAMETRIC DRAWING OF A CYCLO DRIVE RELATIVE TO INPUT SHAFT ANGLE

Nenad PETROVIĆ, Mirko BLAGOJEVIĆ, Zorica ĐORĐEVIĆ, Vesna MARJANOVIĆ

Faculty of Engineering University of Kragujevac, Serbia,
[email protected] , [email protected], [email protected], vmarjanovic @kg.ac.rs

Abstract: Gears with a cycloid profile have very good working characteristics in kinematic and dynamic domains.
These types of gears generally have convex on concave contact surfaces, which influences the decrease in stress as well
as contact wear of the sides of the gearing. The most commonly used profile of cycloid discs is an equidistant of the
shortened epitrochoid.
Given that this is a complex curve, this paper gives a program code for its automated generating. Using the input
parameters of the cycloid disc, as well as those of other elements of the cyclo drive which are in contact with the
cycloid disc (central static gear rollers and output rollers), the program creates a drawing of the cycloid disc as well as
the afore mentioned rollers. The particular contribution of this paper is that the acquired drawing is made for any set
rotation angle of the input shaft. The drawing represents a very valuable and time efficient initiate for a planar analysis
of stress and deformation states using finite element analysis for cyclo drives.

Key words: cycloid drive, cycloid gear, automated generating

1. INTRODUCTION The key component of the cyclo drive is the cycloid disc.
The cycloid disc profile is an equidistant of the shortened
Cyclo drives, part of the planetary drive group, have a epitrochoid while the annular sun (central) gear has rollers
wide application in the industry thanks to their excellent instead of teeth. The cycloid gear is made with one tooth
characteristics, particularly, their wide range of gear less than the number of rollers on the central gear (only
ratios, smooth transmission, high efficiency, compact some newer cycloid drive designs have two teeth less). In
size, and high overload capacity. Some of its other strong practice, most commonly used systems of cyclo drives
suits also include low noise, long and reliable service life, have two cycloid disks which are rotated by 180º of each.
compact design, and suitability for frequent start-stop and Other operational components of cycloid drives are given
reverse duty. in Figure 1.
The basic information about cycloidal gearing is Stress analyses in the contact of the cycloid disc and the
presented by Kudrijavcev [1] and by Lehmann [2]. central rollers are most commonly performed for
Parametric equations for equidistant of trochoid have characteristic angles of the input shaft. This is the case
been developed by Litvin and Feng [3]. Meshing due to the complex geometry of the cycloid disc which
conditions have been covered by Chen, Fang, Li and has to be rotated around the central axis by the offset cam
Wang [4]. Computerized design for generation of surfaces and around its own axis, which is a time-consuming
and curves has been developed in [5]. An analytical process. By automating the drawing process it is possible
model has been developed by Blanche and Yang [6] with to avoid the likelihood of human error as well as
machining tolerances to minimize backlash and torque shortening the time needed to position the gear meshing
ripple. Distribution of loads has been analyzed in [7], [8], in the desired contact position.
and [9]. Level of efficiency has been examined by Gorla, As a basis, a two-dimensional sketch drawn in AutoCAD
Davoli, Rosa, etc. in [10]. can be imported into any modeling and analysis program
as reference geometry. AutoLISP has the capabilities of
automating the drawing process, and as such is ideal for
the purposes of parametric input drawing.

2. CYCLOID DISC PARAMETERS AND

PROFILE

Tooth profiles are any curves which satisfy the basic laws
of meshing. If the profile of one tooth, distance between
axis and transmission ratio are all known, the profile of
the second gear can then be defined completely. It is a
curve of the same character as the profile of the first gear,
except with different parameters. Roulettes are curves
Fig. 1. Operational components of a cyclo drive assembly which satisfy the fundamental rules of meshing and they

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can be eater involutes or cycloids [9].
A cycloid is a curve which is traced by a point located 3. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND
anywhere on a (rolling) circle which rolls along a ROUTINE
stationary (basic) circle. The rolling circle has a radius, Ra
(1), while the stationary circle has a radius, Rb (2). For In this section, the requirements as well as the
defining these radiuses it is necessary to know the pitch methodology of the program will be explained. The
circle radius of the central gear, r, as well as the gear program is written in AutoLISP which is a dialect of the
ratio, urc. LISP programming language. AutoCAD can be
programmed by AutoLISP to automatically generate
parametric drawings and perform other manipulations.
Variables are input via the command line in the AutoCAD
interface. Writing the code for AutoLISP is possible with
the use of any text editor or the Visual LISP editor.

3.1. Input And Output Requirements

The necessary input values, as well as the order in which
they are calculated and input, required to draw the drive
are given in Table 1. These values are derived from a
basic previous calculation based on the drive
requirements.
Table 1. Values required by the program in order of input
No Value Label
1 Radius of the pitch circle of central gear r
2 Gear ratio uCR
Fig. 2. Visual representation of auxiliary angles and
circle radiuses 3 Correction coefficient ξ
4 Radius of ring gear * r2
Cycloids can have different forms depending on the
position of the rolling circle in relation to the basic circle, 5 Radius of central gear roller * q
as well as the position of the point on the rolling curve 6 Input shaft rotation angle Θ
which traces the cycloid. The most commonly used tooth
profile for cycloid gears is an equidistant of the shortened 7 Diameter of output mechanism Dvk
epitrochoid. 8 Adopted number of output rollers u
r Diameter of shaft needle bearing
Ra = (1) 9 Dcz
uCR + 1
(2) The values marked with an asterisk (*) are meant to be
Rb = r − Ra adopted from calculated values which the program should
The equations for x and y coordinates for the equidistant display for the user before its required input.
of the shortened epitrochoid are given by functions (3) The output of the program needs to be a simplified
and (4). drawing of a cross-section of a cyclo drive’s operational
elements assembly (cycloid gear, output rollers and
(3) central gear rollers) at a given input shaft angle. Also the
x = (Rb + Rb ) ⋅ cosα + e ⋅ cos(α + β ) - q ⋅ cos(α + φ)
program should give axis for all elements in the form of
y = (Rb + Rb ) ⋅ sinα + e ⋅ sin(α + β ) - q ⋅ sin(α + φ) (4) points. The resulting elements are shown in Figure 3.
These equations are given as a function of the angle (α)
between the starting and current position of the point of
contact of the basic and rolling curve relevant to the
centre of the base curve. Auxiliary angles, β (5) and φ (6),
are used in these equations to simplify the calculation of
the curve. They are functions of α, the radiuses of the
basic and rolling circles and size of eccentricity, e. These
angles are shown on Figure 2, where Ka is the centre of
the rolling circle and Kb is the centre of the basic circle.
⎛ ⎞
⎜ sin β ⎟
φ = arctg ⎜ ⎟ (5)
R
⎜ a + cos β ⎟
⎝ e ⎠
Rb
β= ⋅α (6) Fig. 3.Components of resulting drawing
Ra

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3.2. Program Code
The entire program is written without subroutines due to
its simple requirements. It does however consist of six
major parts. First the input of values, drawing the gear
center at input shaft angle, drawing the cycloid profile and
opening for offset cam needle bearing, drawing output
openings, drawing output rollers and finally drawing
central gear rollers. Input of adopted, previously
calculated, values is shown in Figure 4.

Fig. 4. Example of inputting values in command line

Given in figure 5 is the part of the program code with a

predetermined density of points to be joined by the curve
of n=50·z1. A density of 50 points per tooth gives a very
high precision of the curve. This segment of the code is
designated for the creation of the profile curve of the
cycloid gear.
The function of creating points required for curve
generation is repeated m times, where m= n+1, because
the spline curve which will connect them needs a tangent
for its final point.
The angle α starts at the angle of the input shaft, Θ and
changes by n/360 with every consecutive iteration
creating a point at an equal distance from the previous
one.
In the code an angle named “tetan” is used as an auxiliary
which represents the rotation angle of the cycloid gear Fig.5. Segment of the program code dedicated to drawing
around its own axis. Rotation around its own axis and the the cycloid profile
rotation around the offset cam are divided in separate
equations for the purposes of simplifying the equation. Table 2. Values required by the program in order of input
Only the final coordinates of the rotated points are used to Required input values for: Drive 1 Drive 2
create the spline which makes the cycloid curve.
Radius of the pitch circle of the
The rest of the program consists of similar repeat 72 86
central gear, r
functions for creating points and circles drawing the holes
11 13
for the output mechanism rollers, as well as the central Gear ratio, uCR
and output gear rollers.
0.4
Correction coefficient, ξ 0.35
4. PROGRAM RESULTS AND PRACTICAL 56
EXAMPLES Radius of ring gear, r2 48
7
As a result of the created program AutoCAD is able to Radius of central gear roller, q 10
generate a two dimensional drawing of a cycloid drive
assembly from the user’s values which have previously Input shaft rotation angle, Θ 0,45,198 0,45,198
been typed into the command line. Diameter of output mechanism, 14
Table 2 gives the input values for two different cycloid 8
Dvk
drives at three different input shaft angles (0º,45º and a 8
randomly selected angle of 198º) which have been drawn Adopted no. of output rollers, u 6
using this program. 50
The resulting drawings for these gears are shown in Diameter of shaft bearing, Dcz 40
Figures 6 and 7.

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 gears is much more intricate due to the cycloid gears
sensitivity to change in axial distance [9].
Creating an automated method of drawing the gear profile
has been developed in this paper. This program enables
the drawing of any cycloid drive at a particular input shaft
angle in minutes, where as this process would take a
considerably longer time to do using conventional
methods, especially for a larger number of angles. Also
this program reduces the possibility of human error and
the necessary time to draw each drive position
individually. The general idea behind the addition of
giving the cycloid drive drawing at a particular input
angle is to enable easier creation of analysis models at
various angles with a different contact for each.

REFERENCES

[1] KUDRIJAVCEV, V.N. (1966) Planetary Gear Train

(in Russian), Mechanical Engineering, Leningrad
[2] LEHMANN, M. (1976) Calculation And
Measurement Of Forces Acting On Cycloid Speed
Fig. 6. Resulting assembly drawing for Drive 1 at input Reducer (in German), PhD Thesis, Technical
shaft angles 0º,45º and 198º University Munich
[3] LITVIN, F., FENG F. (1996) Computerized Design
And Generation Of Cycloidal Gearings, Mechanism
and Machine Theory, Vol.31, No 7, pp 891
[4] CHEN, B.K., FANG, T.T., LI, C.Y., WANG, S.Y.,
(2008) Gear Geometry of Cycloid Drives, Science in
China Series E: Technological Sciences, Vol. 51, No.
5, pp. 598-610
[5] LITVIN F., DEMENEGO A., VECCHIATO D.,
(2000) Formation by Branches of Envelope to
Parametric Families of Surfaces of Curves,
Computer methods in applied mechanics and
engineering, Vol. 190,No. 35-36, pp. 4587-4608
[6] BLANCHE J.G., YANG D. C. H., (1989) Cycloid
Drives With Machining Tolerances, Journal of
Mechanisms, Transmissions, and Automation in
Design, Vol.111, pp. 337-344
[7] CHMURAWA M., LOKIEC A.,(2001) Distribution
of Loads in Cycloidal Planetary Gear (CYCLO)
Including Modification of Equidistant, 16th European
ADAMS User Conference, Berchtesgaden, Germany
[8] BLAGOJEVIC, M., MARJANOVIC N.,
DJORDJEVIC Z., STOJANOVIC B., DISIC, A.
Fig. 7. Resulting assembly drawing for Drive 2 at input
(2011) A New Design of a Two-stage Cycloidal
shaft angles 0º,45º and 198º
Speed Reducer, Journal of Mechanical Design
(ASME),Vol.133, No. 8.
5. CONCLUSION [9] BLAGOJEVIĆ, M. (2003) Kinematic and Dynamic
Analysis of a Single Stage Cycloid Drive (in Serbian),
Cycloid gears have exceptionally admirable working Master thesis, Faculty of Engineering, Kragujevac
characteristics in both kinematic and dynamic domains. [10] GORLA C., DAVOLI P., ROSA F., LONGONI C.,
The fact that the profile of the cycloid gear has a very CHIOZZI F., SAMARANI A. (2008). Theoretical
complex geometry, a shortened equidistant epitrochoid and Experimental Analysis of a Cycloidal Speed
curve, is the only limiting factor to its wider use. In Reducer, Journal of Mechanical Design (ASME),
comparison to involute gears the production of cycloid Vol. 130.

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