3,4,5-AXIS CNC MACHINING OF gears
1. Contact us with your gear data or pdf drawings. Sample drawing.
2. Purchase 3d gear tooth software. Sample IGES file.
3. Cut spiral bevel gears on 3,4-axis CNC milling machines. Example of 3-axis cutting.
We supply 3-dimensional IGES models ( sample 1, sample 2, sample 3, sample 4) of spiral bevel and other gears. Our customers use IGES models to program 3.4,5-axis CNC machines to cut spiral bevel gears with better accuracy and at reduced cost compare to previously used Gleason and Klingelnberg (sample 1_1, sample 3_1) generating.
Currently leading 3,4-axis CNC milling is more accurate tooth generating process compare to the previously used 7-axis tooth generating process known as Gleason or Klingelnberg.
The traditional machining process monopolized by Gleason and Klingelneberg requires iterations in spiral bevel tooth cutting. For example, a typical machine summary sheet from Gleason provides so-called “PROPORTIONAL CHANGES”. “PROPORTIONAL CHANGES” reduce the number of iterations in contact pattern development when the Gleason offered process is used. Because of numerous iterations, the production time and product cost increases. At least one extra gear needs to be manufactured in order to do the “PROPORTIONAL CHANGES” recommend by Gleason.
Gleason and Klingelnberg gear cutting process requires resetting the production machines and cutting the teeth 4-9 times until reasonable tooth geometry is achieved. Gear manufacturers try to reduce the number of iterations in order to cut cost. In result, the gears are delivered with less than ideal tooth contact. Unlike Gleason process 3,4-axis CNC milling produces a required tooth contact pattern without iterations. Our Spiral Bevel software accurately simulates 3-dimensional model of the final tooth contact pattern, which becomes identical to the contact pattern on the finished gears.
Very often, Gleason and Klingelnberg spiral bevel and hypoid gears have incorrect tooth contact pattern. Traditionally, gears are delivered with deviated mounting distance as the result of high manufacturing cost to make contact pattern corrections. The gear manufacturer would mark the mounting distance on the gear and on the pinion so the gears can be assembled with a better tooth contact. But, deviating from the nominal mounting distance results in reduction of clearance and backlash. It also makes it impossible to purchase a replacement pinion or a gear later.
With our high-resolution tooth contact simulation software we can make IGES gear models with nominal mounting distance. Because our advantage in controling of the tooth contact we often increase tooth contact area for 50% without reduction of sensitivity to misalignments. Root area of
the tooth can be also optimized for reduction of the bending stress for 30% or more. If the tooth form is optimized for highest area of the contact and lowest level of the root stress the size of the gear can be reduced, with significant cost reduction.
CMM tooth inspection method is more accurate compare to rolling inspection. Rolling testers have been commonly used for manufacturing of Gleason and Klingelnberg gears because the finished tooth geometry is unknown. Our IGES tooth geometry is accurate and less expensive CMM inspection method is used. Today, the inspection of CNC machined gears is done on CMM machines.
CNC gears tooth cutting process produces the finished and correct tooth surface at the first iteration. Previously used tooth contact development is not needed if the correct IGES surface is used for CNC machining. Before delivering 3d IGES model we can accurately verify the tooth contact and transmission error. The production gears are inspected more accurately against our digital master gears.
