Numerical Modeling and Simulation of Cycloidal

Speed Reducer for Contact Forces in Robotic

Joints
ChintanUpadhyay1 , M. A. Parameswaran2 , *Nithin Venkataram3
1& Faculty of Engineering and Technology , M . S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore 560 054
2Technical Director, M AGTORQ Pvt. Ltd., Hosur (T. N.)

*Contact Author e-mail: Nithin31@gmail.com

Abstract
The speed reducer is a mechanism where the speed of input to output shaft is reduced by a certain ratio. The
cycloidal speed reducer is commonly used in RV-3SB series robotic joints. The paper focuses on designing a cycloidal
speed reducer for 89:1 in a single stage with torque amplification. The challenge lies in designing cycloidal speed reducer
without exceeding the contact stress limit of rollers and disc. The scope of this paper is restrcited to numerical analysis
and simulation only; material selection is beyond the scope of work. Dynamic analysis of cycloidal speed reducer is
carried out to evaluate contact forces between the disc and rollers. These contact forces obtained through simulation are
validated with the analytical values. The simulation results are found to be agreeing with the analytical results.
Key Words: ADAM S, Cycloidal Speed Reducer, Cycloid Disc, Contact Force, Housing Rollers, Output Rollers

shafts. Force distribution among various parts of

Nomenclature
Symbol Description
Angle between housing roller
force and vertical
Angular position of output
hole
Angle between resultant
force and horizontal line
e Eccentricity
Ti/p input torque
To/p output torque
Equivalent radius of
curvature
Equivalent Youngs modulus
Youngs modulus of
contacting surface i
Poissons ratio
cycloidal disc including the resultant force and angle
Unit are evaluated and corresponding stresses are also
degree calculated. The effect of various design parameters such
as eccentricity of input shaft and radius of housing
degree rollers based on forces and stresses are studied to obtain
the optimum eccentricity and roller radius [3]
degree
The cycloidal disc is the most critical part in designing
a cycloidal speed reducer. Contour co-ordinate method
mm is used to model cycloidal disc using M ATLAB. The
N-mm developed curve is modelled using the Solid works
N-mm software. Cycloidal speed reducer is simulated for
mm dynamic condition in ADAM S software for contact
forces assuming the pins are fixed. Also angular
N/mm2 velocity, torque results of cycloidal gearbox is
N/mm2 simulated in ADAM S. The challenge lies in designing
cycloidal speed reducer without exceeding contact
- stresses.

1. INTRODUCTION
The modern application of a speed reducer requires
very large speed reduction along with high torque
transmission in small space. With conventional gearing
the trend is to increase load carrying capacity by the use
of high strength material. Higher accuracy of the tooth
profile, lubrication and cooling helps to improve
efficiency and performance. The conventional gearing
contains more number of power transmitting
components which leads to increase in the inertial
effects [1]. To overcome this limitation, cycloidal speed
reducer is used.
Cycloidal speed reducer finds its application in joint of
RV-3SB series of robots. The main reason being its
light in weight, have high transmission ratio, high
efficiency and good load carrying capacity. M ost
importantly cycloidal speed reducer generated high
torque when compared to conventional gears [2]. In
order to design a cycloidal disc, one has to be familiar
with the forces acting on the disc. These forces are
computed from relative position of input and output
2. MODELLING OF CYCLOIDAL DISC
2.1 Mathematical Model for Cycloid Curve
Generation
The profile of the cycloidal disc is an epitrochoid curve
is shown in the Fig. 1. Curve is generated when circle
of radius r (generating circle) rolls externally around
the base circle of radius R (base circle). The point E, is
eccentric to generating circle by an amount e. The
point E inside the generating circle traces and
epitrochoid curve. Profile of the curve (P curve)
depends upon the eccentricity (e), which is the
difference between Og and E. The cycloidal disc is
mounted on the shaft with the eccentricity amount of
e. Pitch circle radius of housing rollers is (R+r) and
number of rollers is given by {(R/r) +1}.
The P curve is generated using given geometric
relations that are provided from the equations 1-2 [4].

MSRUAS-SASTech Journal 1 Vol. 15, Issue 1

 For input rotation angle n and assuming the output
rollers are fixed and input torque (Tip) is applied to
input shaft
3

/ = rw [ sin( )] (3)
89
=1

Fig. 1 S chematics of Cycloidal disc profile

2.2 Curvature of Disc Profile
The contact stress depends upon the curvature of the
cycloidal disc. The radius of curvature is programmed
in M ATLAB for the X and Y co-ordinates are given in
the Eqn. 1 and 2.
( + )
= [( + ) ] [ cos ( )] . . (1)

( + ) Fig. 2 S chematic with nomenclature of cycloidal disc
= [( + ) ] [ sin ( )] . . (2) with rollers

The forces between the rollers and the disc are
2.3 Law of Gearing for Cycloidal Disc evaluated by the Eqn. 4. And the forces between the
At any point of a gear tooth engagement, the normal to output roller and the disc is given by the Eqn. 5.
the common tangent plane is always passing through an / ( + )
instantaneous axis. At any position of engagement, the = . . . (4)
normal to the common tangent plane at any point of =1(( + ))2
contact between disc and housing rollers must always ( )
pass through an instantaneous axis or point P (Pitch = 89 / . . (5)

point). Point P is a common point passing through base =1(( ))2
circle radius of housing rollers and base circle radius of
cycloidal gear. Fig. 2, shows common normal at The resultant force is evaluated by the equation 6
multiple points of contact between cycloidal disc and = ( sin )2 + ( cos )2 (6)
housing rollers converge to point P. The pitch point P
lies on the line joining the center of the housing rollers Where:
pitch circle and disc center. The N is effective number /
of teeth on disc and (n+1) teeth on the housing with sin =
stationary housing.
= ( + 1)
=
Where:
= Base circle radius of housing rollers
= Base circle radius of cycloidal gear

3. MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR 3.1 Contact Stresses

FORCE EVALUATION
The compressive stresses are predominant and contact
Based on force and torque equilibrium a simple stresses at various parts of the cycloidal disc and is
procedure to arrive at forces on various elements of calculated by the formulas from Eqn. 7.
speed reducer is derived [5, 6].
0
Forces acting on the cycloidal disc: (refer Fig. 2) = (7)
1. Forces between housing rollers and cycloidal disc.
Contact forces P1 to P22 act between the
cycloidal disc and housing roller. Where:
2. Forces between output rollers and cycloidal disc. 2 1 2
Contact forces Q1 to Q3 act between cycloidal =
1 + 2
disc and output rollers.
3. Bearing reaction. A resultant of forces P and Q 1 1 21 1 22
acts at the centre of the bearing O with a resultant = +
1 2
angle of .

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4. ADAMS SIMULATION OF CYCLOIDAL
GEAR
The cycloidal gear is modeled based on the X and Y
values evaluated through M ATLAB code. The Fig. 3
shows the constraints of the roller which has revolute
joint for input and output shaft. Fixed joint is provided
for between rollers and ground. Revolute joints is
provided to output shaft to carry out angular velocity
analysis and torque-force analysis [7].
Fig. 5 Contact forces from MATLAB

5.2 Contact Force of Cycloidal Disc and

Output Rollers
Similarly, ADAM S simulation results of cycloidal disc
and output rollers are validated against the numerically
obtained values from M ATLAB.
The maximum contact force between disc-output rollers
is 3560 N. Fig. 6, shows the contact force results for
obtained in ADAM S. Fig. 7 shows a bar chart of the
analytical results obtained in M ATLAB illustrates a set
of forces acting on the output rollers subjected to the up
hilled cycloidal disc for = 0 to = 45.

Fig. 3 ADAMS simulation

5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

5.1 Contact Forces of Cycloidal Disc and
Housing Rollers
The ADAM S simulation results show the contact force
between the housing rollers and the disc, when the
output shaft is held fixed and input torque of 3000
N-mm is applied to the input shaft end. Fig. 6 ADAMS simulated results
Fig. 4, shows the contact force from ADAM S
simulation. The maximum force is found to be 534 N.
These results are validated against the numerically
obtained values from M ATLAB. From Fig. 5, it is
observed that the roller P4 has maximum contact force
when the disc rotates from 00 to 80. On the other hand,
the roller P22 experiences least contact force as the disc
rotates due the eccentricity of disc. Also the contact
stress between the disc and the roller P4 is found to be
well within the limit from the Eqn. 7.
Fig. 7 Contact force from MATLAB

5.3 Effect of Eccentricity on Maximum

Fig. 4 ADAMS simulation of contact forces
Housing Roller Disc Contact Force
Fig. 8 shows the change of maximum housing roller
force with respect to change in eccentricity. From the
above graph, it has been observed that the housing
roller force decreases with increase in eccentricity
initially at a faster rate then, at a slower rate. The
maximum value of eccentricity cannot exceed
generating circle radius. The value of eccentricity
should be arrived in way that the contact stresses are
well within the limit.

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Fig. 8 Contact force Vs. Eccentricity
5.4 Output Torque
3000 N-mm input torque was applied on the input shaft
for the ADAM S simulation while the output shaft was
held fixed in order to obtain the output torque. Fig. 9
shows the output torque was found to be 267.2 x 103 N-
mm which is 89 times of the input torque.
Fig. 9 ADAMS simulated output torque
5.5 Output Shaft Angular Velocity
The Fig. 10 represents the graph of angular velocity.
For the applied angular velocity of 89 rpm of the input
shaft the obtained output shaft angular velocity was
1.07 rpm.
Fig. 2 Input and Output shaft angular velocities
5.6 Results for Disc-Housing Roller Contact
Stresses
Analytical results for housing rollers contact stresses
are shown in the Fig. 11. M aximum Hertzian contact
stress in housing rollers is 38.58 N/mm2 which is well
within the limit.
Fig. 3 Disc-housing roller stresses in MATLAB
MSRUAS-SASTech Journal
5.7 Results for Disc-Output Roller Contact
Stresses
Analytical results for output rollers contact stresses are
shown in the Fig. 12. M aximum Hertzian contact stress
in housing rollers was 3.39 N/mm2 which is well within
the limit.
Fig. 4 Disc-output roller stresses in MATLAB
6. CONCLUSION
A cycloidal gearbox with the gear ratio of 89:1 was
successfully designed. Contact forces between the
cycloidal disc - housing rollers and cycloidal disc
output rollers are agreeing with the numerical
simulation results. And stresses are also well within the
elastic limit of the material. The effect of eccentricity
was also studied on these contact forces. Finally, a
procedure to design a cycloidal disc was implemented
which is the critical part of the cycloidal speed reducer.
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