Gear backlash refers to the clearance, or play, between the teeth of gears in a mechanical transmission system. Gear designers have strived to minimize gearing systems’ backlash due to the impact on precision, efficiency, noise, vibrations, wear, motion control, system complexity, and safety. Their significance varies depending on the applications, but designers need to carefully consider these factors when developing robotics systems to ensure they meet the desired performance and safety standards.

The performance of an Electric Vehicle Power Unit is directly connected with critical tolerances. Tolerances drive opportunities for performance enhancement with cost reduction. The tests normally used to determine and validate tolerances are both expensive and time consuming with prototype parts. By replacing the initial tests with Digital Twin simulations, results can be obtained quickly, and at a much lower cost. This article discusses one of these tests and the results.