Gear hobbing

We cut about 20 custom gears a month. Typically on a Fadal with a wheel cutter and a 4th axis rotary table. Often we simply mill 14 - 16 " of teeth and blank out the gears we need on a lathe.

Since we're getting a new Integrex, we could do this same process faster, and make a "done in one part". Can you do gear hobbing on an Integrex? How does one go about setting up the job, as well as holding and finding the hob?

Stu

Mazak has a gear hobbing software option for the Integrex. That's all I know about it.

Ya well, then apparently you know more than the Mazak Folks do. They didn't even know what hobbing was... sigh

Why do I get the feeling that the company has more salesman thean machinists?

Stuart, you just have to call around and find the right applications guys. I was at a Mazak open house two years ago, and they were hobbing some massive splines on a part that must have been 18 inches in diameter. The machine was an Integrex E series. It was pretty impressive to watch.

I'm certain somebody, somewhere must know how to do hobbing on an Integrex. The MAtrix manual for EIA shows a G114.3/G113 Hobb milling cycle.

So far I've found that when ordered with a new machine the option to do it runs $1500. Since my machine didn't come with that option I've been waiting a couple weeks for an engineering request to see what it costs to retrofit it in the field... Sigh

It's not rocket science. Even I know that all I need to know is which way to rotate the spindles, the number of threads on the hobb, # of teeth on the gear, helix angle, Diametrical Pitch, and the phase shift angle.

I even spoke with the apps guy who was supposed to come out to do the training. Clearly he hasn't a clue how to hobb a gear. When I told him I could just use an involute gear cutter, he told me I couldn't cut a 32 tooth gear without getting a rounding error. Sigh... Last time I checked 32 went into 30 11.25 times. You can easilly index in C to 0, 11.25, 22.5, 33.75, 45, etc. THERE IS NO ROUNDING ERROR.

I don't have much of a clue, but even I know that much.

Arghh

If you know of an apps guy who can set up a hobbing operation on an Integrex I'd love the contact info.

Thanks,

Stu

there is a guy who is an integrex guru in new york. his name is Hal Green. google cnc logistics

Stuart ,
Programm a hobbing operation is quite simple with the option "Hobbing"
you can even do several cut at different depth because the mill spindle and the main spindle are synchronized.
But take care to some parameters after the retrofit of the option.
BA 54 ( number of the axes for hobing )
=4 for C1 for example
Really take care this parameter is correctly set up before try to run it

regards