In the changing landscape of gear manufacturing, choosing the most efficient and accurate gear machining method and tools is critical. The part, production process and batch size determine the choice of tool and gear manufacturing method. It is why one should always gather prior information before buying gear cutting machines online.

Why precession is important?

Gear machining is done on raw material and your challenge is acquiring tight dimensional tolerances. Careful preparation of the quenching phase provides a relatively easy hard part turning operation, followed by hard part machining of the gears. In hard part turning, predictable machining and good surface finish are essential. All this must be accompanied by profitability.

What is power skiving?

Power skiving is a continuous cutting process much faster than mortising and more flexible than broaching. Although power skiving as a concept has been with us for a century, it has only recently been that development has taken a new direction. Given the rapid evolution towards more robust and rigid machines with synchronized spindles, the use of power skiving is spreading like wildfire. Power skiving can be applied to both internal and external gears, but is especially productive in internal machining operations. The method works especially well in series productions, where short lead times are critical.

Gear quality

Gears are typically classified based on a standard that specifies the gear tolerance requirements after the machining operation. The most common standard for classifying cylindrical gears is DIN 3962, which measures different gear parameters and classifies them on a scale from 1 to 12. Other customer-specific standards are also used, but all have more or less the same evaluation parameters. The quality class of the gear is usually determined by the requirements of the part and depends on the area of ​​application of the gear. Other requirements to get good quality gears are –

  • High quality tools,
  • Cleaning contact surfaces,
  • Minimum eccentricity of both the tool and the part,
  • Stable grip,
  • Stable and precise machine.

How to apply gear manufacturing?

It is often necessary to tailor the gear tool profile to suit each specific gear. This implies that the size and shape of the tooth gap must fully match the tool. Important points when ordering a gear milling tool –

  • Module size
  • Pressure angle
  • Gear Tooth Profile (Ridge, Profile, or Ridge Chamfer)
  • Head height modification factor
  • Head and foot diameter
  • Helical angle
  • Gear quality requirements
  • Tool diameter range (min-max) possible
  • Coupling type and size

It is preferable to provide a complete gear graphic with all the necessary information.

What is disc milling?

Disc machining is a process that machines the gaps between teeth one by one. Disc milling methods are easy to apply on machining centers, multitasking machines and turning centers; thus allowing complete components to be machined in a single setting. Flutes typically machined on sub-contracted or master milling machines can now be machined in-house using disc milling technology. For this reason, machining with disc cutters does not require a high initial investment.

By Richard