Welcome

Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) now has more than 50 years of experience, across four professorships, in the research and development of drive technology, gearboxes, and gear tooth systems.

Gear drives are at the center of the scientific focus of the Chair of Drive Technology. Its core activities include, in particular, tribology, load-carrying capacity calculation, simulation of thermal behavior, and the development of efficient testing methods. Within the classification of gear drives, the main areas of focus are spur and helical cylindrical gearboxes, planetary gearboxes, and worm and crossed-helical gearboxes. This classification is reflected in the organizational structure of the chair, which is divided into two teams: cylindrical gearboxes and worm/crossed-helical gearboxes.

The Cylindrical Gearboxes working group conducts research on the load-carrying capacity, efficiency, and geometry of cylindrical gearboxes, with a focus on large gearboxes and turbomachinery gearboxes. The working group operates various test rigs and maintains simulation models for calculating scuffing load capacity, tooth friction, and load distribution, as well as for the manufacture of cylindrical gears.

The Worm and Crossed-Helical Gearboxes working group conducts research on the load-carrying capacity, efficiency, and geometry of angular gearboxes, with a focus on worm gearboxes with steel/bronze material pairings and crossed-helical gearboxes with steel/plastic material pairings. The working group operates a test facility with several back-to-back test rigs for worm and crossed-helical gearboxes with center distances between 30 and 120 mm. These test rigs are used to validate in-house simulation programs and to carry out experimental research on lubrication, friction, and wear.

The overarching objective of both working groups is the optimization of gear drives, particularly with regard to reducing friction, extending service life, and increasing power density. The levers for these optimization tasks lie in micro- and macrogeometry, gearbox topology in the case of multi-stage gearboxes, materials engineering and heat treatment, as well as surface engineering.