Evaluation of process causes and influences of residual stress on gear distortion

In the automotive industry, heat treatment of components is implicitly related to distortion. This phenomenon is particularly obvious in the case of gears because of their typical and precise geometry. Even if distortion can be anticipated to an extent by experience, it remains complex to comprehend. This paper presents an approach to estimate the distortion based on the idea of a distortion potential taking into account not only geometry but also the manufacturing process history. Then the idea is developed through simulation and experiments including annealing to understand the impact of residual stress on gear distortion in an industrial case study.