GEARS MACHINING

Cylindrical gears
spur

Helical

Types of gears

Involute tooth profile

GEAR MANUFACTURING
Introduction
Because of their capability for transmitting
motion and power, gears are among the most
important of all machine elements.
Special attention is paid to gear manufacturing
because of the specific requirements to the gears.
The gear tooth flanks have a complex and precise
shape with high requirements to the surface
finish.

 Gears can be manufactured by most of the

manufacturing processes.
(casting, forging, extrusion, powder metallurgy, machining)

Two principal methods of gear machining are

gear forming, and gear generation.
In gear form cutting, the cutting edge of the
cutting tool has a shape identical with the shape
of the space between the gear teeth.

Spur and helical gears cutting

METHODS:
form milling using a cutter (with the same
edge profile as the shape of the tooth space)
and a dividing device
hobbing using a hob and a generating process
for creating a tooth profile
shaping using a shaper cutter and a
generating process for creating a tooth profile
broaching

Form milling
In form milling, the cutter called a form cutter travels
axially along the length of the gear tooth at the
appropriate depth to produce the gear tooth.
After each tooth is cut, the cutter is withdrawn, the
gear blank is rotated (indexed), and the cutter proceeds
to cut another tooth.
The process continues until all teeth are cut.
Each cutter is designed to cut a range of tooth
numbers.
The precision of the form-cut tooth profile depends on
the accuracy of the cutter and the machine and its
stiffness.

Gear machining form milling

 The disc cutter shape

conforms to the gear
tooth space.
Each gear needs a
separate cutter. However,
with 8 to 10 standard
cutters, gears from 12 to
120 teeth can be cut with
fair accuracy.
Tooth is cut one by one by
plunging the rotating
cutter into the blank as
shown in fig.

Form milling by
disc cutter

 The end mill cutter shape

conforms to tooth spacing.
Each tooth is cut at a time and
then indexed for next tooth space
for cutting.
A set of 10 cutters will do for 12
to 120 teeth gears.
It is suited for a small volume
production of low precision gears.
The form milling by end mill
cutter is shown in fig.
To reduce costs, the same cutter
is often used for the multiplesized gears resulting in profile
errors for all but one number of
teeth. Form milling method is the
least accurate of all the roughing
methods.

Form milling by
end mill cutter

Gear machining form milling

(single gear tooth cutter)

Gear milling tollerances and surface

finish
Type of cut

IT

Ra

Form milling
shape mill

9 11

3,2 - 6,3

End milling

8-9

3,2 - 6,3

Spur gear milling

Determine the important dimensions and
proportions of the gear tooth element
Control the spacing of the gear teeth accurately
on the periphery of the gear blank
Select the correct number of cutter for the
required number of teeth on the gear
Determine the proper speed of the cutter, feed
of the table and depth of cut
Set the cutter and the work and perform the
actual operation

Gear Nomenclature

17

1. Determination of gear
blank and other
particulars:
a) Blank diameter = m(Z+2)
b) Tooth depth = 2.25m
c) Tooth thickness= 1.57m

2. Indexing:
3. Selection of cutter
4. Selection of cutting
speed, feed and depth
of cut

Helical gear milling

1. Determination of the gear tooth proportions
2. Making arrangement for indexing
3. Seletion of table gear train
4. Selection of cutter and setting of the table
5. Determination of speed, feed and depth of cut

1. Gear tooth proportions

Helix: on a cylinder of
revolution this is a
curve whose tangents
are inclined at a
constant angle to the
axis of the cylinder.

Lead of a Helix
Varies with:
Diameter of work
Angle of helix
If surface of cylinder unwound to produce
flat surface, helix would form hypotenuse of
right-angle triangle, with circumference
forming side
opposite and lead
side adjacent

Lead: The distance between two

consecutive intersection of a
helix by a straight generator of
the cylinder on which it lies.
Helix angle: The acute angle
between the tangent to a helix
and the straight generator of
the cylinder on which it lies.
tan = D/ l
helix angle
D diameter of work
l lead of the helix

Pitch dia = Zm
Normal module mn =mcos
O.D. or Blank dia. =Zm + 2mn
Tooth depth = 2.25mn

2. Methods of indexing
Only direct or simple methods of indexing are
performed to divide the periphery of a work.

3. Change gear calculations

The workpiece must rotate through one complete
revolution by the time the table moves through a
distance equal to the lead of the helix
The lock pin at the back of the index plate is removed
Driver / driven = 40T1 / T2
= Lead of the machine / Lead of the work

T1 pitch of the leadscrew in mm

T2 Lead of the helix to be milled in mm

4. Selection of cutter
The tooth profile of a helical milling cutter should
correspond to the tooth form across the normal.
Z = Z / cos
Z the number of teeth for which the cutter is
selected
Z the number of teeth in the helical gear
helix angle

5. Table setting
The table of the
universal milling
machine must be
swivelled to the
required helix
angle of the work

Determining the Helix Angle

To ensure groove of same
contour as cutter is produced,
the table must be swung to angle
of helix

Tangent of helix
circumference of work
lead of helix
3.1416 x diameter(D)

lead of helix