The two ZFA series gear grinders are designed to perform high-speed and high-precision finish machining on gears. The two models are each designed for a different gear size range, with ZFA160 capable of handling gears with an external diameter of up to 160 mm, and ZFA260 accommodating gears with an external diameter of up to 260 mm. Capable of meeting the increasingly sophisticated users’ needs, both ZFA160 and ZFA260 can mass-produce gears with a gear accuracy level equivalent to ISO 3 (JIS level N3).

In regard to high-speed machining performance, the two models, with a newly developed twin-table structure and high-speed rotary performance, boast a non-machining time of 4 seconds, a 33 percent improvement from ZE16C, the current model, and a 50 percent improvement from ZE26C. In addition, to secure a stable high-precision machining, ZFA160 and ZFA260 employ stiffer work-table structures, grinding stone heads, and dress units among others. Furthermore, the models’ main axis structures were made to endure high-speed machining, while, for their machines’ heads (boards to comprise the machines’ main units), a thermostable material (mineral cast), which suppresses vibration from high-speed machining and heat-caused dimension change, was adopted to stabilize accuracy during high-volume production (O.B.D. variation range during consecutive machining: app. 10 μm).

ZFA160 and ZFA260 boast features for machining EV gears as well, such as “simultaneous double-tooth flank bias adjustment,” a function to suppress distortion on flanks, and “low-noise machining,” which reduces periodical asperity on tooth flanks, among many other high-precision machining technologies.

Furthermore, as part of actions to curb environmental load, the users of the two latest models can select a circular, filter fabric coolant tank to process sludge- and coolant-containing waste from a machining process. This feature enables ZFA160 and ZFA260 to discharge zero amount of sludge-containing paper filter, helping them generate less industrial waste than other models.

As automobiles become electrified, quieter, more fuel-efficient, and produced at low cost, there is a globally growing need for high-precision finish of gears and the mass production of precision gears. In addition, as the demand for a variety of reducers for high-performance robots increases, the public are increasingly interested in gear grinders capable of high-speed and high-precision machining.

nidec.com