Benefits and limitations of parametric design implementation in helicopter gearbox design phase

Emmanuel Mermoz (1) , Jean-Marc Linares (2) , Alain Bernard (3)

1 Airbus Helicopters
2 ISM - Institut des Sciences du Mouvement Etienne Jules Marey
3 GeM - Institut de Recherche en Génie Civil et Mécanique

his paper describes a parametric design methodology implemented to reduce gearbox design phase. A helicopter gearbox is a complex mechanical system, in which parts are heavily loaded in order to save weight but that have to run for thousands of hours without failure. Such a system is strongly optimized therefore the smallest change in specifications or in geometrical environments can drastically jeopardize the scheduling. In order to speed up the gearbox design process and to strengthen its robustness regarding specifications variability, a parametric design methodology has been developed thanks to a close collaboration between the laboratories and Eurocopter.

Mots clés: Computer aided design (CAD); Design method; Gearbox

Domaines: Autre

Emmanuel Mermoz, Jean-Marc Linares, Alain Bernard. Benefits and limitations of parametric design implementation in helicopter gearbox design phase. CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology, 2011, 60 (1), pp.199 - 202. ⟨10.1016/j.cirp.2011.03.095⟩. ⟨hal-00661347⟩