Effects of backlash in drivetrains using a simple but precise model

In virtual prototyping best practice is to model a system with as much flexibility as possible. This guarantees a wide range of studies in system behavior. Backlash is one aspect in drivetrains that cannot be avoided between coupling members. Thus knowledge about the limitations that come with it must therefore be well understood in order to optimally design these systems. This paper presents some of these effects on the transmission in drivetrains. For greater flexibility, a backlash model that takes into account inertia, damping and stiffness is used in this study. It is shown that the presence of backlash affects transmission efficiency. In the case where vibrations occur in the drivetrain, it is good practice to introduce the effect of backlash for better prediction of system behavior.