Objective  In order to solve the problems of complex and variable gear parts and low knowledge reuse rate in the process of virtual design and simulation of agricultural gearboxes.

Method  Based on the classification of gearbox gear knowledge, the ontology was used to describe the gear design knowledge. Combining knowledge engineering and parametric design technology, a knowledge-based virtual gear design method was proposed. This system was verified using the complex spline gear design of tractor gearbox as an example.

Result  A virtual design system for gearbox gear was developed using the three-dimensional modeling software NX as a platform. The gear design requirements were obtained through the human-machine system interface. With the support of gear design knowledge base and model library, the gear structure was inferred using knowledge reuse. Driven by the geometric parameters, a gear model that met the design requirements was quickly constructed to achieve the rapid and intelligent design of gears with complex structures. The verification results showed that the system could automatically output the detailed spline gear structure model in seconds when entering the design requirements in the man-machine interface.

Conclusion  This system can better support the virtual design and simulation of gearbox, shorten the development cycle of agricultural machinery, and also provide a technical reference for the virtual design of other mechanical product.