Abstract: A method for automatic 3-D FE mesh generation of helical gears is developed in this paper and the corresponding general micro-computer program is implemented by the authors. When the basic parameters of helical gears, such as the teeth numbers, modulus, facewidth, helix angle of reference circle, modified factors, hand of the driving gear and so on, re input, the micro-computer will automatically generate the 3-D FE mesh of a pair of external or internal helical gears. The applications show that the present method and its program are convenient, fiexible, and accurate in use. This provides a reliable base for the detailed investigations of internal or external helical gears and gear liable base for the detailed investigations of internal or external helical gears and gear systems. The present program can be also used to generate the 3-D FE mesh of internal or eternal spur gears, and the method can be conveniently extended to use in other gear transmissions.

Key words: 内啮合齿轮, 外啮合齿轮, 网络, 斜圆柱齿轮, 有限元法