A significant amount of work is being done to advance the technology of gears specifically for use in electric vehicles. No longer hidden by the noise of the internal combustion engine, the transmission has taken center stage as the noisiest component in most electric-driven cars.
Continuous generating cylindrical gear grinding is one of the most demanding grinding applications for automotive and aerospace manufacturers. To improve gear efficiency, gear life, and noise levels, gear profile tolerances and surface finish requirements are becoming more stringent. This is especially true for EV gears, which typically require lower noise characteristics than traditional automotive gears. These new quality requirements must be maintained without sacrificing cycle time, and without inducing grinding burn.
In conventional gear manufacturing, quality control is carried out for a number of pieces per batch. Most parts enter final gearbox assembly without any inspection. Among other things, this approach is based on two facts: measuring time is significantly longer than the machining time, and the limited measuring capacity available.
Examines the changing face of machine operation today
May 22, 2023
The electrification movement is in full swing despite many obstacles still in play. Regardless of these challenges, machine tool providers are expanding their machine operations and tooling capabilities to meet the e-mobility demands of the future.
When grinding steel parts, the surface of the part can "burn" if too much heat is applied in a short time. Grinding burn refers to all those structural changes in edge zones of steel parts that are caused by grinding processes in steels due to the thermal energy introduced. Grinding burn can mainly occur in the form of tempering zones or new hardening zones.
In the present paper, a spline-joint design and the extension of a back-to-back test rig were presented, which enable the testing of crowned spline-joints under high rotational speed, medium torque, high test temperature, and angular misalignments.
For the research developed in this work, an existing simulation model of the generating gear grinding process based on a penetration calculation approach is used. Further, an extension of the model considering a realistic modeling of the grinding worm topography and the macro movements of the grinding worm during the process is presented. The result of the simulation is the microinteraction characteristics throughout the grinding of the gear flank. In the end, the information about microinteraction characteristics obtained will be used for the calculation of force and energy in generating gear grinding.
Next year, farmers in Colorado will be able to fix their own tractors, and manufacturers will have to provide them with resources to help them do it. In late April, Colorado became the first state to ensure farmers can work on their own equipment with Governor Jared Polis signing “The Consumer Right to Repair Agriculture Equipment Act,” which forces manufacturers to make available the necessary manuals, tools, parts, and software to farmers who rely on complex and expensive machinery, such as tractors, combines, and other farm equipment.
Energy production, energy efficiency, energy crisis—the topic of energy concerns us today more than ever. The growth of clean energy technologies is relentless, companies want to manage their energy budgets efficiently and the carbon footprint of products will probably become a sales criterion soon.
Cutting tool specialist Sandvik Coromant is expanding its line of CoroMill Dura versatile solid-end mills with aluminum-specific tools for flexible aluminum roughing with finishing capabilities.
The new KISSsoft release 2023 comes with numerous novelties. Among others, Gear Mesh Frequencies (GMF) can now be calculated for cylindrical and bevel gears. GMF results are visualized in two different diagrams, i.e. GMF versus rotational frequency of the reference gear, and GMF versus amplitude.
At Interpack in Dusseldorf, the drive specialist Nord Drivesystems will present its wide product portfolio and great expertise in the packaging industry from May 4-10, 2023 – from decentralized frequency inverters to energy-efficient drives to high-performance surface treatments for washdown or spray areas.
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, allows Seco Tools to create products that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to manufacture. The advantages include shorter lead times, improved tool life and increased sustainability.
Recognizing the role robotics plays in adding efficiency and lowering production costs for manufacturers of all types and sizes, Suhner continues to expand its robotics offering. The fully electric EFC-02 delivers precise, constant force throughout robotic grinding, sanding and deburring processes—resulting in superior, consistent surface quality.
Christian Rhiel started in 2007 as area sales manager for turning machines for Europe and Russia and became sales manager in 2013. Due to these decades of experience in sales management, he has a feel for the needs of his customers. He has a clear understanding of the markets and knows how to expand the company and achieve its goals. With his colleagues, he will drive the company's further development and future direction.
Two Forest City Gear employees, CNC Supervisor Mike Miller and CNC Lead/Programmer Josh Gates, recently attended a four-day training retreat in Pfronten, Germany hosted by DMG MORI. The event featured various seminars and opportunities for guests to experience firsthand DMG’s newest equipment and technologies, as well as networking and a taste of German culture.
Fisher Barton has selected MSI General Corporation for the design and construction of our new industrial building and site development for Accurate Specialties’ Turning Center of Excellence on Bluemound Road. To kick off construction, a groundbreaking ceremony took place Tuesday, March 21 at 10:00 AM.
INDEX has announced the launch of the INDEX Technician Development Program (ITDP), a new, eight-month formal training program for junior technicians. Developed in response to the ongoing skilled labor shortage, the ITDP incorporates both classroom and hands-on instruction, including two months spent at the company’s global headquarters in Germany.
The American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) has changed its board of directors. These changes took place at the 2023 AGMA Annual Meeting in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Weiler Abrasives, a leading provider of abrasives, power brushes, and maintenance products for surface conditioning, is pleased to announce that after a comprehensive global search, its board of directors has chosen Arjang “AJ” Roshan-Rouz as the next CEO. He succeeds Chris Weiler in the role; Weiler will remain with the company and serve as executive chairman.
Croix Gear & Machining, recognized as a leader in the custom manufacturing of loose gears, is excited to announce the installation of a Gleason Phoenix II 600HC Bevel Gear Cutting Machine. This new equipment, combined with software upgrades on existing Gleason Phoenix 280c bevel gear cutting machines, will expand capacity and precision capabilities for spiral, straight, hypoid, and Zerol bevel gears.
I’ve been seeing a lot of hype surrounding OpenAI’s artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT-4 recently. Including acing standardized tests and writing college term papers in seconds. Each time I read about it, I wonder how it, or a future generation of artificial intelligence (AI), will be used in companies and particularly in my job. To answer my question there’s no better place to go than to ask ChatGPT-4 itself.