Corrosion of gears during the manufacturing process costs the aerospace industry millions of dollars every year. The
goals of the project discussed herein were to identify the root causes of in-process corrosion of gears and develop
preventative practices. A series of advanced manufacturing tools including statistically designed experiments (DOE),
process flow charts, and failure modes and effect analysis (FMEA) were utilized in a systematic study of the potential
causes. Test specimens included two different types of carbon steel alloys that are common base materials used to
manufacture precision gears. The specimens are subjected to various process conditions that were identified as key
process inputs that could be contributing to corrosion initiation. Some of the examined and tested factors were: coolant
types, coolant concentrations, base material heat treat condition, base material magnetism, specimen surface finish,
preservative oil application, and iron particle content in the coolant. Samples were tested in a humidity chamber to
determint: the candidates that were most likely to cause the onset of corrosion. Results of the DOE were examined for
main and interaction effects. Potential solutions were identified and implemented that minimize the corrosion of gears
during the manufacturing process.

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