Precision Gearbox Assembly Redesign
Full parametric redesign of a multi-stage industrial gearbox — 18% weight reduction validated through FEA, optimized for CNC machining and high-volume production.
Client
Industrial OEM · Germany
Timeline
4 Weeks
Deliverables
STEP · IGES · GD&T Drawings
Result
–18% weight · –22% unit cost
The Challenge
A German industrial manufacturer came to me with a multi-stage helical gearbox that was overweight, over-engineered in some areas, and had started failing at the bearing housings under cyclical load. Their in-house team had designed the original, but didn’t have the simulation capability to validate changes before cutting expensive tooling.
The brief was clear: reduce weight without sacrificing structural integrity, tighten manufacturing tolerances, and produce a drawing package that their CNC supplier could work from directly — with zero ambiguity.
–18%
Weight Reduction
–22%
Unit Cost Saved
0
Prototype Failures
Approach
How I Solved It
I started with a complete audit of the original geometry in Fusion 360 — mapping every surface, identifying material excess, and flagging the bearing housing geometry that was causing stress concentrations under load.
Rather than patching the original design, I rebuilt the assembly parametrically from scratch. This gave me full control over every relationship between features, making design-of-experiments iterations fast and traceable.
Geometry Audit & Failure Analysis
Imported original STEP files, ran preliminary FEA to locate stress hot spots. Identified 3 critical failure zones at bearing seats and housing walls.
Parametric Rebuild in Fusion 360
Full parametric reconstruction — every feature driven by a master sketch. Enabled rapid A/B testing of topology variants with a single dimension change.
FEA Validation (Static + Fatigue)
Ran 12 simulation scenarios across load cases defined by the client's operational spec. Iterated housing wall thickness until safety factor ≥ 2.5 at all critical points.
DFM Optimisation & Drawing Package
Reviewed every feature against client's CNC supplier capabilities. Delivered 22 GD&T-compliant drawings, full STEP + IGES assembly, and a written DFM report.
Outcome
The Result
The redesigned gearbox passed first-article inspection with zero redraws. The 18% weight reduction translated directly to a 22% reduction in unit cost through material savings and simplified machining operations. The client has since used the same parametric template as a base for two new product variants.
This is exactly the kind of project I love — where careful engineering thinking, not just CAD skill, makes the real difference.
FEA / Simulation
DFM Consulting
GD&T
CNC Machining
Parametric CAD
STEP · IGES
- Free initial consultation
- Response within 24 hours
- NDA available on request
- Taqi Zaidi
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