Affolter Technologies SA, a technology and market leader in micro gear hobbing machines for the aerospace, medical and micromechanical industries, is introducing an innovative new technology: Worm High-Speed Power Skiving. 

“This new development will increase the productivity and efficiency of manufacturers in the automotive and aircraft industries considerably,” said Managing Director Vincent Affolter. “With this Worm Power Skiving technology, we can finish a high-precision worm in about six seconds, about four times faster than with the previous methods. Reducing cycle time by such a large step will help any worm-shaft manufacturer.” 

This new technology will help manufacturers of high volume precision worms significantly. Speed and accuracy are the main focus for small worms with a module of 0.3 to 1. “We recently saw a big demand in the automotive industry. Such worms are used in car seats or trunks, but also in other sectors,” Affolter added.

Unlike conventional worm hobbing, where the hob turns much faster than the workpiece, the Affolter engineers inverted the process. The workpiece turns extremely fast, with up to 12,000 rpm, while the new cutter (similar to a special lathe bit) turns much slower and rotates into the part. This process is only possible with a machine that can reach such speeds while providing the necessary rigidity and stiffness like the Affolter AF100 and AF110. 

The integration of such high speed spindles into the existing Affolter Gear Line machines was the first step of the process. Currently, the Affolter R&D team is focusing on an optimized machine base including peripheral support devises. The new skiving process produces an increased amount of chips, that will be addressed with new “chip disposal device.” In addition, efficient and ideal coolant supply is of high importance and is addressed by the Affolter team. It is important to keep the kinematics of the machine the same.

The Affolter engineers aimed to reduce cycle times to make the machine as productive as possible. The AF110 is equipped with the user-friendly, internally developed CNC Leste control, making communication with the micro gear hobbing center easy and quick. The compact design and the improved rigidity are other key features that guarantee short cycle times and highest efficiency. The new machine will be ready for delivery in the fall of 2016. Affolter is represented in the United States and Canada by Rotec Tools Ltd.