Gear Repair for Helicopters and Wind Turbines via Isotropic Superfinishing

The wind turbine, aerospace, and helicopter gear industries recognize the importance of surface finish and surface texture for maximizing component and system performance. Optimizing surface finish and surface texture has been shown to reduce failure rates and increase operating safety margins. Isotropic superfinishing in the form of chemically accelerated vibratory finishing has been utilized to increase the performance of new wind turbine, aerospace, and helicopter gears for many years. The wind turbine gearbox industry has also used isotropic superfinishing as a method of repairing damaged gears for over a decade. The aerospace and helicopter gear industries have only minimally employed this technology as a repair technique. As the aerospace and helicopter industries scrap many gears due to only minor surface damage, further consideration of isotropic superfinishing as a repair tool is warranted. This paper will summarize the technical capabilities, recent advancements, and economic benefits of using isotropic superfinishing to repair wind turbine, aerospace, and helicopter gears. With this information, the aerospace and helicopter gear industries will be better positioned to evaluate isotropic superfinishing's potential to recover otherwise scrap gears and thereby reduce sustainment costs.