Investigations on Thermal, Wear Behavior and Condition Monitoring of Polylactic Acid (PLA)/Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Composite Gears Enhanced with Silica-Coated TiO₂ (S-TiO₂) Nanoparticles

This study investigates the wear and temperature performance of injection-molded polymer gears composed of Polylactic acid (PLA) and Thermoplastic polyurethane, enhanced with 2% silica-coated TiO₂ nanoparticles (PLA/TPU/2%S-TiO₂) gears, they surpass Nylon 66's torque resistance by 23.07%, enduring 13 Nm torque in step loading conditions. Enhanced hardness and glass transition temperature, attributed to TPU and S-TiO₂ reinforcement, result in reduced wear at pitch and flank areas compared to Nylon 66 under various torques. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis reveals a transition from adhesive interactions to abrasion mechanisms, intricately linked to applied torque fluctuations. The study employs an integrated approach, combining experimental monitoring, Short-Time Fourier Transform, and Convolutional Neural Network, achieving a noteworthy 92.5% accuracy in detecting gearbox faults. These findings hold promise for enhancing machinery reliability and maintenance efficiency in industrial applications.