Effectiveness of cutout pattern and position on distortion of driven sprocket during heat treatment process

Distortion during a hardening process increases the production costs significantly. The problem is even worse with the presence of weight reduction cutouts of various shapes and sizes in the sprocket. The study of cutout patterns and positions is necessary for optimal design in which a minimum weight with a tolerable teeth bottom runout can be achieved. In this paper, cutouts having a different pattern, size and position have been studied. The study reveals the effect of the cutouts on the distortion of the sprocket during a heat treatment process. The finite element method, incorporating an elastic-plastic constitutive model, the phase transformation and temperature-dependent material properties, is used. The conclusions drawn from this study can guide in the selection of cutout patterns and positions during sprocket design.