Cylindrical Gears Calculator — Tooth Root Bending & Hertz Contact Stress (ISO 6336 / AGMA 2001)
Governing standard: ISO 6336· ISO 6336-1/-2/-3:2006 (load factors, contact stress Method B, bending stress Method B) · DIN 3990-1 / ISO 6336-1 Method C (KV) · AGMA 2001-D04 / Shigley §14-11 (KHβ / Km) · DIN 3960 / ISO 21771 (profile shift, involute geometry)
The MechanixCalc cylindrical gear calculator sizes and verifies spur and helical gear pairs to ISO 6336 and AGMA 2001 — the two governing international standards for gear-tooth fatigue. Enter the normal module, tooth counts, face width, helix angle, profile shift coefficients, material, speed and power, and the tool returns the tooth-root bending safety factor (SF), the Hertz contact safety factor (SH), the full involute gear geometry, tangential and axial forces, operating centre distance, transverse contact ratio and mesh efficiency in one pass.
It is built for power-transmission and gearbox engineers who need a defensible, standards-cited calculation for a new gear pair or a gear-ratio verification — and who need to hand a reviewer a complete worked calculation rather than a spreadsheet. The dimensioned gear-mesh drawing, involute tooth-profile diagram, failure-mode analysis cards and tornado sensitivity chart make the results immediately interpretable for design reviews.
What this calculator does
- ISO 6336 tooth-root bending stress (Method B) with form factor YFa, stress-correction factor YSa, helix factor Yβ, size factor YX and the rim-thickness factor YB from an optional rim-thickness input — enter it for a thin-rim or web gear and the backup-ratio penalty is applied
- ISO 6336 Hertzian contact stress with zone factor ZH, elasticity factor ZE, contact-ratio factor Zε and helix factor Zβ, including single-pair tooth-contact factors ZB/ZD for spur and partial-overlap helical gears; the permissible flank stress carries the size factor ZX and the lubricant, velocity and roughness factors ZL·ZV·ZR from your oil viscosity and flank roughness
- DIN 3990-1 / ISO 6336-1 Method C dynamic load factor KV across ISO accuracy grades Q6–Q12, AGMA 2001-D04 / Shigley Eq. 14-30 face-load distribution factor KHβ (commercial enclosed unit, uncrowned, symmetrically mounted — the accuracy grade drives KV, not KHβ), and bending face-load factor KFβ = KHβ^NF per ISO 6336-1
- Application factor KA as a selectable input (ISO 6336-6 guide table) and finite-life rating via the ISO 6336 life factors Y_NT (bending) and Z_NT (contact) — enter a required number of load cycles, or leave it for the conservative continuous-duty (endurance) design
- Profile shift analysis to ISO 6336 / DIN 3960: operating centre distance, operating pressure angle and transverse contact ratio εα computed from the involute function
- Dimensioned gear-mesh drawing with live tooth forces, involute tooth-profile diagram, and DXF export of the full-involute tooth geometry
- Sensitivity (tornado) analysis — contact safety factor SH vs ±20% variation in module, face width, power and pinion tooth count
- Rated failure modes (pitting and root fracture) with their ISO 6336 safety factors, plus clearly-badged qualitative screening indicators for scuffing, abrasive wear and noise; 8 ISO 6336-5 material classes plus a user-defined option; branded PDF engineering report
Method & formulas
Tooth-root bending stress (ISO 6336-3 Method B)
ISO 6336-3 evaluates tooth-root bending fatigue at the 30°-tangent section of the fillet. The nominal root stress σF₀ is the specific tangential load Ft/(b·mn) amplified by the form factor YFa (which captures the lever arm from the load application point to the root), the stress-correction factor YSa (which captures the stress concentration at the fillet), the helix angle factor Yβ and the rim-thickness factor YB. YB is 1.0 for a solid disc or a well-supported rim; enter a rim thickness and the tool computes the backup ratio mB = sR/hT and applies YB = 1.6·ln(2.242/mB) below mB 1.2, refusing to rate anything below mB 0.5 because the standard does not cover it. The combined load factor KF = KA · KV · KFβ · KFα then scales σF₀ to the actual operating stress. The permissible root stress σFG = σFlim · YST · YNT, where σFlim is the material's tooth-root fatigue limit (rated at the reference stress-correction factor YST = 2.0) and YNT is the life factor.
MechanixCalc implements the full ISO 6336-3 §6.4–6.6 geometric chain — including the fixed-point iteration for the root-fillet auxiliaries G, E, H and θ — so YFa and YSa share one consistent geometry. This removes the non-conservative bias that arises when YSa is omitted or when the reference YST is not applied on the permissible side.
σF = (Ft / (b · mn)) · YFa · YSa · Yβ · YB · KF · σFG = σFlim · YST · YNT · YXwhere Ft = tangential force (N); b = face width (mm); mn = normal module (mm); YFa = tooth form factor; YSa = stress-correction factor; Yβ = helix angle factor; YB = rim factor; KF = KA · KV · KFβ · KFα (combined load factor)
SF = (σFlim · YST · YNT · YX) / σF [minimum SF 1.4, DIN 3990-11 guide value]where σFlim = tooth-root fatigue limit of the material (MPa); YST = 2.0 (reference stress-correction factor, ISO 6336-3 §6.1); YNT = bending life factor (1.0 for continuous duty / N ≥ 3×10⁶; > 1 for a finite required life N_L); YX = size factor, 1.0 up to mn 5 mm and falling above it. ISO 6336-1 does not specify minimum safety factors — 1.4 is the DIN 3990-11 industrial guide value this tool adopts
Hertz contact stress (ISO 6336-2 Method B)
The contact (pitting) stress is computed at the pitch point using the Hertz formula for two cylinders in contact, then transformed to the governing single-pair contact point via the single-tooth-contact factors ZB (pinion, point B) and ZD (gear, point D). The zone factor ZH converts the pitch-point geometry into an equivalent-radius ratio, the elasticity factor ZE reflects the modulus of the gear pair (189.8 MPa^0.5 for steel–steel), the contact-ratio factor Zε shares the load across meshing teeth, and the helix factor Zβ accounts for the oblique contact line of a helical gear. For full-overlap helical meshes (εβ ≥ 1), ZB = ZD = 1; for spur and partial-overlap helical gears the single-pair factor can raise the governing flank stress by 3–13%.
σH = ZH · ZE · Zε · Zβ · √( Ft · K / (b · d1) · (u + 1) / u )where ZH = zone factor; ZE = elasticity factor (MPa^0.5); Zε = contact-ratio factor; Zβ = helix factor; Ft = tangential force (N); K = KA · KV · KHβ · KHα (combined load factor); b = face width (mm); d1 = pinion pitch diameter (mm); u = gear ratio z2/z1
SH = (σHlim · ZNT · ZL · ZV · ZR · ZX) / σH [minimum SH 1.2, DIN 3990-11 guide value]where σHlim = flank fatigue limit of the material (MPa); ZNT = pitting life factor (1.0 for continuous duty; > 1 for a finite required life N_L, ISO 6336-2); ZL, ZV, ZR = lubricant, velocity and roughness factors from your oil viscosity, pitch-line speed and flank roughness (ISO 6336-2 §11, each capped at 1.0 so the penalty applies but no lubrication bonus is awarded); ZX = size factor. ISO 6336-1 does not specify minimum safety factors — 1.2 is the DIN 3990-11 industrial guide value
Involute geometry and profile shift (ISO 6336 / DIN 3960)
Profile shift (addendum modification) with coefficients x1 and x2 changes the operating centre distance and operating pressure angle from their standard values. MechanixCalc solves the involute function inv(αtw) = inv(αt) + 2·tan(αn)·(x1+x2)/(z1+z2) by Newton iteration to find the exact operating transverse pressure angle αtw, then derives the operating centre distance a_w and the transverse contact ratio εα from the line-of-action geometry. Undercut risk is checked against the minimum tooth count z_min = 17/cos³β for each member.
εα = ( √(ra1² − rb1²) + √(ra2² − rb2²) − a_w · sin(αtw) ) / p_btwhere ra1, ra2 = tip radii of pinion and gear (mm); rb1, rb2 = base-circle radii (mm); a_w = operating centre distance (mm); αtw = operating transverse pressure angle; p_bt = transverse base pitch = π · mt · cos(αt) (mm)
Worked example
Find the pitch diameters, centre distance, gear ratio and tangential force for a spur gear pair: normal module mn = 5 mm, pinion teeth z1 = 20, gear teeth z2 = 40, no profile shift (x1 = x2 = 0), power P = 5 kW, pinion speed n1 = 960 rpm.
Given
- Normal module mn5 mm
- Pinion teeth z120
- Gear teeth z240
- Helix angle β0° (spur)
- Profile shift x1, x20, 0
- Power P5 kW
- Pinion speed n1960 rpm
Result
- Pinion pitch diameter d1100 mm
- Gear pitch diameter d2200 mm
- Gear ratio i2.0
- Centre distance a150 mm
- Tangential force Ft994 N
- Pitch-line velocity v≈ 5.03 m/s
- For a spur gear (β = 0°) with no profile shift, the transverse module equals the normal module: mt = mn = 5 mm.
- Pinion pitch diameter: d1 = mt · z1 = 5 × 20 = 100 mm. Gear pitch diameter: d2 = mt · z2 = 5 × 40 = 200 mm.
- Gear ratio: i = z2 / z1 = 40 / 20 = 2.0 (the gear turns at half the pinion speed: n2 = 960 / 2 = 480 rpm).
- Standard centre distance (x = 0): a = (d1 + d2) / 2 = (100 + 200) / 2 = 150 mm.
- Pinion torque: T1 = P × 9550 / n1 = 5 × 9550 / 960 = 47750 / 960 ≈ 49.7 N·m.
- Tangential force at the pitch circle: Ft = 2000 · T1 / d1 = 2000 × 49.7 / 100 = 994 N.
- Pitch-line velocity: v = π · d1 · n1 / (60 × 1000) = π × 100 × 960 / 60000 ≈ 5.03 m/s. The calculator then applies load factors KA, KV and KHβ before evaluating σF and σH against the material limits.
Illustrative geometry example only — the calculator continues to compute load factors, root stress σF, contact stress σH and safety factors SF / SH from your actual inputs and material. Verify all outputs against your own design requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Which ISO 6336 factors does this calculator apply, and which are simplified?
Applied in full: the form and stress-correction factors YFa and YSa from the ISO 6336-3 §6.4–§6.6 root-fillet geometry, the helix factors Yβ and Zβ, the contact-ratio factors Yε and Zε including the partial-overlap blend, the single-pair tooth-contact factors ZB and ZD, the zone factor ZH, the size factors YX and ZX, the rim factor YB from your rim thickness, the lubricant, velocity and roughness factors ZL·ZV·ZR from your oil viscosity and flank roughness, the application factor KA, the dynamic factor KV by DIN 3990-1 Method C, the face-load factors KHβ and KFβ = KHβ^NF, and the life factors Y_NT and Z_NT. Simplified and stated as such everywhere: the transverse load factor KHα = KFα is a fixed 1.10 placeholder rather than the ISO 6336-1 §8.3.4 expression (which grows for lightly loaded meshes); KHβ follows the AGMA commercial-enclosed-unit form and does not vary with the ISO accuracy grade, though you can override it; the work-hardening factor ZW is held at 1.0, which is the conservative direction; the elasticity factor ZE assumes a steel pair, which overstates the contact stress by about 9 percent for the ductile-iron option; and the tool performs no scuffing check (ISO/TR 13989) and no pointed-tip check. Every one of these limits is printed in the PDF report and returned by the API.
Can it analyse a thin-rim or web gear?
Yes. Leave the rim thickness at zero for a solid disc and the rim factor YB stays at 1.0. Enter the rim thickness below the tooth root and the calculator computes the backup ratio mB = sR/hT and applies ISO 6336-3 §7: YB = 1 for mB at or above 1.2, and YB = 1.6·ln(2.242/mB) below it, which raises the root stress and lowers the bending safety factor by the same factor. Below mB 0.5 the standard gives no value, so the calculator refuses to rate the gear rather than extrapolating — that case needs an FEA of the rim and web.
Why did my safety factors drop after an update?
The 2026-08-05 revision closed four gaps found by an internal audit, all in the conservative direction. The transverse load factor no longer steps down from 1.10 to 1.05 the moment a helix angle is entered (the step had the wrong sign — ISO 6336-1 makes this factor grow with the total contact ratio, not shrink). The permissible root stress now carries the ISO 6336-3 size factor YX, which falls above a 5 mm module. The permissible contact stress now carries the ISO 6336-2 lubricant, velocity and roughness factors ZL·ZV·ZR. And the size factor is now applied to the safety factor itself rather than only to the displayed allowable stress. For the shipped example the effect is about 4.6 percent on every safety factor; it is larger for big-module, rough-flank or slow-running gears. No design gets a better answer than it did before — that was verified across 16,800 configurations.
Which standard does this cylindrical gear calculator use?
Tooth-root bending stress is evaluated to ISO 6336-3:2006 Method B (form factor YFa, stress-correction factor YSa, helix factor Yβ) and the contact (pitting) stress to ISO 6336-2:2006 Method B (Hertz formula with zone, elasticity, contact-ratio and single-pair-contact factors). The dynamic load factor KV uses the DIN 3990 / ISO 6336 simplified Method C closed-form, and the face-load distribution factor KHβ follows AGMA 2001-D04 (Shigley Eq. 14-30) for a commercial enclosed unit — so the ISO accuracy grade drives KV rather than KHβ, and you can override KHβ with your own ISO 6336-1 Method C value. The transverse load factor KHα = KFα is a fixed 1.10 placeholder rather than the full ISO 6336-1 §8.3.4 expression, which can be larger for a lightly loaded or coarse-quality mesh; the tool states this on every surface, including the PDF report. Profile shift geometry follows ISO 6336-1 / DIN 3960 / ISO 21771. The full method and every scope limit are shown in the generated PDF engineering report.
What is profile shift and how does this tool handle it?
Profile shift (addendum modification) moves the tool radially when cutting a gear, increasing the tooth thickness at the root and reducing undercut risk for low tooth-count pinions. The coefficients x1 (pinion) and x2 (gear) shift the pitch point relative to the reference circle, which changes the operating centre distance and operating pressure angle. The calculator solves the involute equation by Newton iteration to find the exact operating pressure angle αtw, derives the operating centre distance a_w and checks the undercut limit x_min = (z_min − z)/z_min for each member.
What is the minimum safety factor for gear tooth-root bending and contact?
ISO 6336 does NOT specify minimum safety factors — ISO 6336-1 leaves them to agreement between manufacturer and purchaser. This calculator adopts the DIN 3990-11 industrial-gearbox guide values SF_min = 1.4 for tooth-root bending and SH_min = 1.2 for Hertz contact (pitting), and the verdict is the conjunction of both checks: a design passes only when BOTH factors clear their own minimum, and the governing mode named on screen is the one with the smallest margin relative to its own minimum. For critical or high-cycle applications a licensed engineer should confirm the safety factors are appropriate for the specific duty cycle and consequences of failure.
Can it analyse helical gears with profile shift?
Yes — the full helical-gear analysis is included: helix angle β up to 45°, transverse module mt = mn/cos β, base helix angle βb, the helical contact-ratio factor Zε (spur, partial-overlap and full-overlap branches per ISO 6336-2), helix factor Zβ, helix angle factor Yβ for bending, and overlap ratio εβ = b·sin β/(π·mn). Profile shift coefficients x1 and x2 are applied across the full involute geometry, load-factor and stress chains.
Can I set the application factor KA and rate a finite (limited) life?
Yes. The application factor KA is a selectable input following the ISO 6336-6 / DIN 3990-1 guide table (driving × driven machine shock character, floored at 1.0; default 1.25). For finite-life rating, enter the required number of pinion load cycles N_L and the calculator applies the ISO 6336 life factors — Y_NT for tooth-root bending (referenced to 3×10⁶ cycles) and Z_NT for pitting — selected by the material's strength class. The slower wheel is rated for its own N_L/u cycles, and leaving N_L blank keeps the conservative continuous-duty (endurance) design used by default.
Is the cylindrical gear calculator free?
You can use it during a free 30-minute preview with no sign-up, and a free 14-day account trial unlocks every calculator with no credit card required. The branded PDF engineering report with the full calculation trail and saved calculations are included in the free 14-day trial and in every paid plan.
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