UNIVERSITY KUALA LUMPUR

MALAYSIAN SPANISH INSTITUTE

SMB32103

COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING ANALYSIS

MINI PROJECT :
2.1 GEAR & RACK

NAME STUDENT ID
ANAS BIN AZMAN 54220124043
ABID NAIM BIN NOOR HAFIZI 54220124233
MUHAMMAD ALIF AQIM BIN MOHD SABRI 54220124255
MOHAMAD ARIEF FIRDAUS BIN ABDULLAH 54220124197
MUHAMMAD IRFAN ZULFAHMI BIN AHMAD GHAZI 54220124199
Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................3
2.0 Problem statement..........................................................................................................3
3.0 Objectives.......................................................................................................................3
4.0 Goals..............................................................................................................................4
5.0 Methodology..................................................................................................................5
5.1 Model Setup............................................................................................................5
5.2 Applying Boundary Conditions...............................................................................6
5.2.1 Remote Displacement : ....................................................................................6
5.2.2 Frictionless Support :........................................................................................7
5.3 Force Application.....................................................................................................8
5.4 Solving the model....................................................................................................9
5.5 Results Analysis.......................................................................................................9
5.6 Deformation ..........................................................................................................10
6.0 Discussion..........................................................................................................................11
7.0 Conslusion..........................................................................................................................11
 1.0 Introduction

The project focuses on designing and analyzing a gear and rack mechanism capable of
delivering a force of 2500N. Using a simulation based approach, we determined the torque
required in the gear to generate the desire force. This project integrates theoretical
understanding with practical simulation, enabling exploration of gear-rack systems and their
applications.

2.0 Problem statement

The objective of this project was to design a mechanism that can deliver a force of 2500 N to
a rack using a gear. The primary problem is calculating the torque required in the gear to
achive this force while ensuirng structural stability under load. A simulation-driven approach
was adopted to determine the required torque and evaluate the mechanical response of the
system.

3.0 Objectives

 To anaylze the gear and rack system to calculate the required torque for 2500N force.
 To simulate the system using 2D plan stress model to simplify calculations.
 To evaluate deformation and ensure the system’s feasibility under operational
constraintTo evaluate deformation and ensure the system’s feasibility under
operational constrain.

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 4.0 Goals

In mini project 1, our goals of this project were to design and analyze a gear and rack
mechanism that delivers a specified force of 2500N effectively. This required determing the
preciase torque that must be applied to gear to generate this force on the rack while ensuring
that the systems operates efficiently under load. An essential aspect of the project was to
simulate the mechanical behavior of the system to validate its functionality and structural
integrity. By evalauating deformation and reaction moments, we aimed to confirm that the
designed mechanism could whistand the applied forces without failure.

Additionally, the project sought to optimize the simulation process through the use of
2D plane stress analysis, balancing computational efficiency with the acurrancy. Through
these goals, the project emphasized and practical application of simulation tools to solve
engineering challenges and reinforced a strong understanding of mechanical systems’ design
and behavior.

Figure 4.1: CAD model of the component designed in ANSYS SpaceClaim 2024.

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5.0 Methodology

The methodology for this project was carefully structured to ensure a systematic
approach to designing and analyzing the gear and rack mechanism. The following
steps detail the process:

5.1 Model Setup

To simulate the mechanism, ANSYS Mechanical was used. The 2D gear and rack
geometry was created with ANSYS SpaceClaim as shown in figure 5.1(a). The
geometry was then defined as “Plane Stress” problem. The gear and rack we modeled
with a thickness of 12mm in ANSYSS Workbench, ensuring compability with the
plane stress assumption.

Figure 5.1(a) : 2D sketch created in ANSYS, showing the preliminary design

geometry for simulation.

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 Figure 5.1(b) : 2D sketch with a 12mm dimension set for the design

5.2 Applying Boundary Conditions

Boundary conditions were applied to replicate real-world constraints:
5.2.1 Remote Displacement : A remote point was created at the gear’s
center to simulate its rotation and translational constraints. This
approach allowed the gear to rotate while preventing unnecessary
movements, closely mimicking how the gear would behave in practice.
As shown in Figure 5.2.1(b), a remote displacement was applied with
x=0 = y=0 and z=0, ensuring the model is fully constrained at the
specified point.

Figure 5.2.1(a) : Illustrates the application of a remote displacement to ensure

accurate boundary condition representation.

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Figure 5.2.1(b) : Remote displacement applied with x=0, y=0, and z=0 to constrain
the model.

5.2. 2 Frictionless Support : The edge of the rack was assigned a

frictionless support, ensuring that the rack could slide freely along its
guiding surface without unnecessary resistance or constraints.

Figure 5.2.2: Frictionless support applied to the designated surface.

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 5.3 Force Application
A vertical force of 2500 N was applied to the bottom edge of rack. This force
simulated the load the gear mechanism is designed to handle, ensuring system was
tested under realistic conditions. The load was applied as a component in Y-direction
to replicate the vertical force.

Figure 5.3(a): Shows the selection of the force location.

Figure 5.3(b): Illustrates the application of the force to the designated area in
the model.

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 5.4 Solving the model
The simulation model was the solved to determine the mechanical response of the
system, this included calculating deformation, reaction forces, and the required
moment (torque) at the gear to generate the applied force on the rack.

Figure 5.4: Total deformation selected in ANSYS to evaluate the deformation

of the model under applied loads.

5.5 Results Analysis

5.5.1 Torque : The reaction moment at the gear was calculated,
revealing the torque required to achive the desired 2500 N force on the
rack. This value was found to be approximately 91803 [Link].

Figure 5.5.1 shows the maximum moment reaction.

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5.6 Deformation : Total deformation in the gear and rack system was
evaluated to ensure the structural integrity of the mechanism under load.
The color gradient indicates the deformation magnitude, with red
representing the maximum deformation of 0.0415889 mm and blue
representing the minimum deformation of 8.2964e-5 mm. The deformation
primarily occurs near the contact points between the gear teeth and the
rack, with minimal deformation observed at other regions.

Figure 5.51: Static structural analysis of a gear and rack system showing total
deformation.

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6.0 Discussion

This project successfully utilized simulation tools to analyze and design a gear-rack
mechanism. By applying realistic constraints and a simplified 2D model, the
computational requirements were minimized without compromising accuracy. The
calculated torque aligns with the theoretical expectations confirming the validity of the
approach.

7.0 Conslusion

The project achived its goal of determining the torque required in the gear to deliver 2500
N force to the rack. Through this simulation-based analysis, we gained valuable insights
into behavior of mechanica systems under load, reforcing the importance of proper
boundary conditions and assumptions in engineering design.

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