US-20260126106-A1 - ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED GEARS FOR AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE

Abstract

A gear for transmitting motion and torque between components includes a first gear portion having a first material and which is formed by a first additive manufacturing process. The gear also includes a second gear portion having a second material and which is formed on the first gear portion. The second gear portion is formed by a second additive manufacturing process that is different from the first additive manufacturing process. At least one of the first gear portion or the second gear portion defines a plurality of teeth.

Inventors

• Ryan Patry
• Kishore Kumar Tenneti
• Yuriy Gmirya
• Michael Walter West
• Oscar Gabriel Rivera Almeyda

Assignees

• LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20241104

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A gear, comprising: a first gear portion having a first material and being formed by a first additive manufacturing process; and a second gear portion extending from the first gear portion, the second gear portion having a second material and being formed on the first gear portion by a second additive manufacturing process differing from the first additive manufacturing process, at least one of the first gear portion or the second gear portion defining a plurality of teeth.
2. 2 . The gear of claim 1 , wherein the first material different from the second material.
3. 3 . The gear of claim 1 , wherein the first additive manufacturing process is an additive friction stir deposition process, and the second additive manufacturing process is a laser powder bed fusion process.
4. 4 . The gear of claim 1 , wherein the first gear portion defines an interface feature that includes at least one of a shaft or the plurality of teeth, and the second gear portion defines a non-interface feature having a reduced wall thickness relative to a wall thickness of the at least one of the shaft or the plurality of teeth.
5. 5 . The gear of claim 1 , wherein the second gear portion defines a lattice structure defining a plurality of internal cavities therein.
6. 6 . The gear of claim 1 , wherein the second gear portion defines: at least one partition wall of an open lubricant reservoir that is configured to collect lubricant; and at least a portion of a lubrication opening that extends through at least a portion of the second gear portion.
7. 7 . The gear of claim 6 , wherein the first gear portion defines a shaft, and wherein an open end of the open lubricant reservoir faces along an axial direction relative to a rotational axis of the shaft.
8. 8 . The gear of claim 6 , wherein the lubrication opening extends at least partially through the at least one tooth to an outer surface of the at least one tooth.
9. 9 . The gear of claim 6 , wherein the first gear portion defines a shaft, and wherein the at least one partition wall is an angled wall that extends away from the at least one tooth toward a rotational axis of the shaft.
10. 10 . The gear of claim 6 , wherein the first gear portion defines a shaft, the at least one partition wall disposed radially between an inner perimeter of the at least one tooth and an outer perimeter of the at least one tooth.
11. 11 . The gear of claim 6 , wherein the first gear portion defines a shaft, the at least one partition wall disposed within a web region of the second gear portion between the shaft and the at least one tooth.
12. 12 . The gear of claim 11 , wherein the web region comprises a plurality of partition walls that are formed by the second gear portion, the plurality of partition walls together defining the open lubricant reservoir.
13. 13 . The gear of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth is a first plurality of teeth, further comprising a third gear portion formed by a third additive manufacturing operation, the third gear portion defining a second plurality of teeth that are spaced apart from the first plurality of teeth.
14. 14 . A method of making a gear, comprising: forming a first gear portion using a first material by a first additive manufacturing process; forming a second gear portion by depositing a second material on the first gear portion using a second additive manufacturing process that is different from the first additive manufacturing process, and such that the second gear portion extends from the first gear portion; and forming a plurality of teeth into one of the first gear portion or the second gear portion.
15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the plurality of teeth includes subtractively manufacturing at least one of the first gear portion or the second gear portion.
16. 16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming a third gear portion by the first additive manufacturing process, the first gear portion and the third gear portion spaced apart from one another by the second gear portion.
17. 17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first gear portion is formed by an additive friction stir deposition process and the second gear portion is formed by a laser powder bed fusion process.
18. 18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the first gear portion comprises forming an interface feature that includes at least one of a shaft or the plurality of teeth, and forming the second gear portion comprises forming a non-interface feature having a reduced wall thickness relative to a wall thickness of the at least one of the shaft or the plurality of teeth.
19. 19 . A method of repairing a gear, comprising: depositing material onto a local area of the gear by an additive manufacturing process, the local area previously occupied by material worn away during operation; and subtractively manufacturing the material to define a first portion of the gear having less wear than a second portion of the gear, the second portion of the gear being at a different location of the gear than the first portion.
20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising subtractively manufacturing a portion of the gear to define the local area.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to the field of gears used to transmit motion and torque between components. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to methods of manufacturing gears. BACKGROUND Gears are used in a wide variety of applications, such as power handling systems including transmissions in automobiles, industrial machinery, and aircraft. For example, and in aircraft applications, gears may be used to transmit rotation and torque from the engine to various components, including rotary drive systems and/or gear trains. SUMMARY One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a gear. The gear includes a first gear portion having a first material and which is formed by a first additive manufacturing process. The gear also includes a second gear portion having a second material and which is formed on the first gear portion. The second gear portion is formed by a second additive manufacturing process that is different from the first additive manufacturing process. At least one of the first gear portion or the second gear portion defines a plurality of teeth. Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of making a gear. The method includes forming a first gear portion using a first material by a first additive manufacturing process; forming a second gear portion by depositing a second material on the first gear portion using a second additive manufacturing process that is different from the first additive manufacturing process and so that the second gear portion extends from the first gear portion; and forming a plurality of teeth into one of the first gear portion or the second gear portion. Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of repairing a gear. The method includes depositing material onto a local area of the gear that was previously occupied by material worn away during operation. The method includes depositing the material by an additive manufacturing process. The method also includes subtractively manufacturing the material to define a first portion of the gear having less wear as compared to a second portion of the gear that is disposed at a different location along the gear than the first portion. This summary is illustrative only and should not be regarded as limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The disclosure will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, in which: FIG. 1 is a side view of a rotary wing aircraft, according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of a bevel gear formed from a hybrid manufacturing process, according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an additive friction stir deposition process, according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a laser powder bed fusion process, according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a bevel gear that is formed from a hybrid manufacturing process, according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the bevel gear of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a partial side cross-sectional view of the bevel gear of FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a gear inclusive of multiple sets of gear teeth formed from a hybrid manufacturing process, according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a gear formed from a hybrid manufacturing process, according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method of manufacturing a gear using a hybrid manufacturing process, according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a method of repairing a gear using an additive manufacturing process, according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated and made part of this disclosure. Gears, and particularly gears used in aerospace and defense applications, are used to transmit power from an engine to various components. For example, FIG. 1 depicts a rotary wing aircraft 100 (e.g., an airframe, an aircraft, a rotorcraft, etc.) that includes multiple rotating components that provide lift and maneuverability to the aircraft 100. The aircraft 100 includes a main rotor assembly 102 to power the main rotor blades 103 of the aircraft 100. The aircraft