Gears are essential components in various mechanical devices that transmit power from rotary to linear motion. The right gear manufacturing process is necessary to ensure maximum performance, durability, and reliability. With so many methods available, it can be overwhelming when choosing the ideal process that can match your intended use. This blog will dive into some standard gear manufacturing methods and their advantages.
Gear Forming
The gear-forming process involves removing material from the workpiece into the shape of the desired gear. Gear milling and gear broaching belong to the forming method.
Gear Milling
Gear milling is a process in which a milling cutter with the desired tooth profile cuts the teeth on the gear blank. This method is suitable for producing gears with small diameters and low tooth counts. One of the advantages of gear milling is that it allows for greater flexibility in tooth profile modifications. However, gear milling can be time-consuming, and the tooling cost can be high.
One of the advantages of gear milling is that it allows for greater flexibility in tooth profile modifications. However, gear milling can be time-consuming, and the tooling cost can be high.
Check here to view a video of gear milling.
Gear Broaching
Gear broaching is a method where a broaching tool cuts the teeth on a gear blank in a single pass. The broaching tool has a series of teeth that increase in size from one end to the other, and each tooth is responsible for cutting a particular section of the gear tooth profile.
Gear broaching is highly efficient for producing gears with large diameters and high tooth counts. However, the cost of the broaching tool can be high, and the process is unsuitable for producing gears with non-standard tooth profiles.
Click here to view a video of gear broaching.
Gear Generation
Gear generation is a manufacturing method that involves cutting teeth on a gear blank using a cutting tool called a hob or a shaper. The two most common gear generation methods are gear hobbing and gear shaping.
Gear Hobbing
Gear hobbing is where a hobbing machine cuts the teeth on a gear blank. A hob is a cutting tool that rotates and cuts the gear teeth as the gear blank rotates.
Gear hobbing is suitable for producing gears with various tooth profiles and is highly efficient for producing gears with large diameters and high tooth counts. However, the hobbing machine and tooling required can be expensive, and the process is unsuitable for producing gears with low tooth counts.
Click here to view a video of gear hobbing.
Gear Shaping
Gear shaping is when a shaper machine cuts the teeth on a gear blank. The shaper tool has the shape of the desired tooth profile and moves back and forth across the gear blank, cutting the teeth as it moves.
Gear shaping is suitable for producing gears with non-standard tooth profiles and can be more cost-effective than gear hobbing for producing gears with low tooth counts. However, gear shaping is a slower process than gear hobbing and is unsuitable for producing gears with large diameters.
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Tooth Profile Finishing
Tooth profile finishing is a set of manufacturing methods used to refine the tooth profile of a gear to improve its accuracy and surface finish. The four most common tooth profile finishing methods are gear shaving, gear honing, gear lapping, and gear grinding.
Gear Shaving
Gear shaving is a process where a gear passes through a shaving tool that removes a thin layer of material from the tooth surface. The process improves the tooth profile’s accuracy and the gear’s surface finish.
Click here to view a video of gear shaving.
Gear Honing
Gear honing is a process where a honing tool removes a small amount of material from the tooth surface to improve the accuracy of the tooth profile and surface finish.
Click here to view a video of gear Honing.
Gear lapping
Gear lapping is a process where a gear is placed between two mating discs, and a lapping compound removes a small amount of material from the tooth surface. The process improves the accuracy of the tooth profile and surface finish and reduces noise and vibration during operation.
Click here to view a video of gear lapping.
Gear Grinding
Gear grinding is a process where a grinding wheel removes material from the tooth surface to improve the accuracy of the tooth profile and surface finish. The process is highly precise and can produce gears with extremely tight tolerances.
Click here to view a video of gear grinding.
Conclusion:
| Manufacturing Methods | Principle | Accuracy | Roughness | Productivity | Equipment | Gear Types |
| Gear milling | gear forming | 9 | Ra6.3~3.2 | low | milling machine | cylindrical gear, bevel gear, worm wheel |
| Gear broaching | gear forming | 7 | Ra1.6~0.4 | high | broaching machine | internal gear, suitable for high quantity production |
| Gear shaping | gear generation | 8~7 | Ra3.2~1.6 | Medium | gear shaping machine | internal gear, double helical gear |
| Gear hobbing | gear generation | 8~7 | Ra3.2~1.6 | high | gear hobbing machine | cylindrical gear, worm wheel |
| Gear shaving | gear generation | 7~6 | Ra0.8~0.4 | high | gear shaving machine | cylindrical gear |
| Gear honing | gear generation | / | Ra0.8~0.4 | high | gear honing machine | cylindrical gear |
| Gear lapping | gear generation | / | Ra1.6~0.2 | high | gear lapping machine | spiral bevel gear, hypoid gear |
| Gear grinding | gear generation | 6~3 | Ra0.8~0.2 | low | gear grinding machine | cylindrical gear, bevel gear |
Choosing the appropriate gear manufacturing method is crucial to gearing performance, reliability, and efficacy. The proper process enhances gear strength, accuracy, and wear resistance. Today we have laid out some of the most common gear manufacturing processes, including gear forming, gear generation, tooth profile finishing, and gear grinding. Each method has its advantages and drawbacks, depending on variations in gear shape, size, application, and overall budget. Advancement in often-faster gear manufacturing processors advances with emerging technology signify that staying informed and regularly assessing gear manufacturing techniques is essential.
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