Analysis of a load application point in spline coupling teeth

The objective of this paper is to investigate the position of the resultant force in involute spline coupling teeth due to the contact pressure distribution for both ideal and misaligned conditions. In general, spline coupling teeth are in contact all along the involute profile and the load is far from uniform along the contact line. Theoretical models available in publications consider the resultant contact force as it is applied at the pitch diameter, and this study aims to evaluate the error introduced within the confines of a common approximation environment. This analysis is carried out through using finite element method (FEM) models, considering spline couplings in both ideal and misaligned conditions. Results show that the differences between the load application diameter and pitch diameter are not very obvious in both ideal and misaligned conditions; however, this approximation becomes more important for the calculation of the tooth stiffness.