Gearbox design and FEA

Context: Mechanical Design, RMIT
Team: Individual
Discipline: Manufacturing, Mechatronics

8:1 single-speed gearbox assembly in SolidWorks

A single-speed 8:1 gearbox in SolidWorks, validated with motion analysis and shaft FEA that pinned the keyway as the critical stress point.

A one-speed gearbox providing 8:1 reduction without reversing the output rotation, modelled as a full assembly of gears, keyed shafts, bearings and housing.

What I did

Designed and assembled the gearbox in SolidWorks.
Validated the drivetrain with motion analysis, then applied the resulting loads in FEA on the input shaft to evaluate stress, displacement, strain and factor of safety.
Identified the keyway as the critical stress concentration and recommended design changes.

From the bench

Input shaft displacement plot
Stress concentration at the keyway