Study on Residual Stresses and Deformations in Turning of Aerospace Thin-Web Gears Considering the Initial Heat-Treatment State and Clamping Constraints

As transmission systems evolve toward lightweight design, gear webs are becoming thinner and more sensitive to deformation caused by the coupled action of heat-treatment residual stress, finish-turning thermo-mechanical loading, and clamping constraints. Existing studies mainly treat the initial residual stress or the machining-induced residual stress separately and often simplify the clamping boundary as an ideal fixed constraint. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes an initial-field-driven prediction framework for aerospace thin-web gears. The post-heat-treatment residual stress/strain field is reconstructed using the eigenstrain reconstruction method using measured residual stress and deformation data and is then introduced into the ABAQUS finish-turning model as the actual initial state. A three-jaw-chuck boundary consistent with the experiment and a progressive element birth–death strategy driven by the measured cutting force and temperature are used to describe material removal. In addition, a laser displacement sensor on-machine measurement (LOMM) method is developed for initial pose correction, deformation monitoring, and clamping-force interval optimization. The predicted final residual stress (FRS) distribution and machining deformation agree with the experimental measurements, with errors generally below 10%. The optimized clamping-force interval of 1350–1650 N provides a balance between cutting stability and deformation suppression. This work clarifies the coupled roles of the initial heat-treatment state and clamping constraints in thin-web gear finish turning and provides a reproducible modeling route for FRS and deformation prediction.