Systems and methods for controlling gear mounting distance using optical sensors

Abstract

This disclosure provides a "system and method for controlling gear mounting distance using optical sensors". The disclosure relates to a system including a first optical sensor, a second optical sensor, and a gear feature controller. The first optical sensor measures a plurality of first distances from a first reference point to a surface provided between a pair of adjacent teeth of a plurality of teeth circumferentially distributed around a first side of the gear. The second optical sensor measures a plurality of second distances from a second reference point to a surface along a second side of the gear opposite to the first side. The gear feature controller is configured to determine a cutting amount of the gear based on the first and second distances.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a system and method for finishing gear surfaces according to the gear mounting distance. Background Technology

[0002] The descriptions in this section are provided only as background information in relation to this disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] During manufacturing, gears, such as ring gears used in vehicle transmissions, undergo a series of operations to form high-precision reference surfaces and gear teeth. Generally, gear teeth are machined on a blank to form an unfinished gear, which then undergoes one or more heat treatments to strengthen the gear material. Some heat treatments deform the gear tooth surfaces and base surfaces, and therefore, the unfinished gear is hard-machined using machining tools to form high-precision reference surfaces and gear teeth.

[0004] Before finishing the gear teeth, the reference surface used to measure the mounting distance of the teeth is hard-machined using a device such as a pitch chuck, a three-jaw chuck, or a chuck with a reamer, an outer diameter extension chuck, and an outer diameter chuck. These machining methods introduce clamping errors and hinder accurate setting of the mounting distance due to variations in the gear's position relative to the clamping position. In another machining method, the amount of material to be removed is first determined using a ball contact technique, where the mounting distance is measured at one or more locations along the unfinished gear. This measurement is then used to determine the average amount of material removed from the gear. This technique is time-consuming and requires different measuring instruments for different gear tooth geometries. The teachings of this disclosure address these and other problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This section provides a general overview of this disclosure and is not a full disclosure of the entire scope or all features of this disclosure.

[0006] In one form, this disclosure relates to a system including a first optical sensor, a second optical sensor, and a gear feature controller. The first optical sensor is operable to measure a plurality of first distances. Each of the first distances is measured from a first reference point to a surface provided between a pair of adjacent teeth of a plurality of teeth circumferentially distributed around a first side of the gear. The second optical sensor is operable to measure a plurality of second distances, the plurality of second distances being measured from a second reference point to a surface along a second side of the gear opposite to the first side. The gear feature controller is configured to determine the amount of gear cutting based on the first and second distances.

[0007] In another form, the gear feature controller calculates the installation distance based on a first distance and a second distance, and determines the cutting amount based on the installation distance.

[0008] In one embodiment, the gear feature controller is configured to calculate an average first distance and an average second distance based on a first distance from a first optical sensor and a second distance from a second optical sensor, and to determine a cutting amount based on the average first distance and the average second distance.

[0009] In another embodiment, the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are operable to perform simultaneous measurements of the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

[0010] In one embodiment, the moving mechanism is coupled to the gear and operable to rotate the gear when the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor measure the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

[0011] In one embodiment, the system includes a third optical sensor configured to trigger a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor to measure a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

[0012] In another configuration, the third optical sensor is configured to detect the edge of the tooth to trigger the first and second optical sensors.

[0013] In another form, the gear feature controller is configured to inspect one or more undesirable characteristics of the gear based on a first distance, a second distance, or a combination thereof.

[0014] In one form, undesirable characteristics include at least one of misalignment, high runout, and geometric defects on the tooth surface.

[0015] In another embodiment, the system includes a machining tool, and a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor are arranged together with the machining tool. The machining tool is operable to rotate a gear when the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor measure a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

[0016] In one form, the machining tool includes: a computer numerical control (CNC) machine operable to machine gears; and a machine controller configured to control the CNC machine based on a cutting amount determined by a gear feature controller.

[0017] In one form, this disclosure relates to a method comprising: measuring a plurality of first distances along a first side of a gear by a first optical sensor; measuring a plurality of second distances by a second optical sensor, the plurality of second distances being measured from a second reference point to a reference surface along a second side of the gear opposite to the first side; and calculating a cutting amount based on the first and second distances. Each of the first distances is measured from the first reference point to a surface provided between a pair of adjacent teeth among a plurality of teeth circumferentially distributed around the first side of the gear.

[0018] In one form, the method further includes triggering a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor by a third optical sensor to measure each of a first distance and each of a second distance.

[0019] In one form, the method further includes removing material from the gear by a machining tool based on a cutting amount.

[0020] In another embodiment, the method further includes clamping the gear in a machining tool equipped with a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor; and positioning the gear at a predetermined position within the measurement field of the first and second optical sensors by the machining tool.

[0021] In one form, the first reference point and the second reference point are defined along a predetermined standard profile based on a standard gear artifact.

[0022] In one form, this disclosure relates to a machining system including a first laser, a second laser, and a controller. The first laser is operable to measure a plurality of first distances defined between tooth surfaces provided between a standard tooth reference and adjacent teeth of a plurality of teeth distributed around a first side of a gear. The second laser is operable to measure a plurality of second distances between a standard back reference and a back surface of the gear. The controller is configured to calculate a cutting amount based on the first and second distances.

[0023] In one embodiment, the machining system includes a machining tool, and a first laser and a second laser are arranged together with the machining tool. The machining tool is operable to rotate a gear while the first laser and the second laser measure a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

[0024] In one form, the machining tool includes a computer numerical control (CNC) machine operable to machine gears. The machine controller is configured to control the CNC machine to machine the material of the gear based on the cutting amount calculated by the gear feature controller.

[0025] In one embodiment, the processing system further includes a third laser configured to trigger the first and second lasers to measure a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

[0026] Other areas of application will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the descriptions and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To better understand this disclosure, various forms of the disclosure will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 A machine system including a distance control tool is shown according to the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 2A This is a top view of the ring gear according to the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A A side view of a ring gear;

[0031] Figure 2C yes Figure 2A A partial cross-sectional view of the ring gear obtained along line II; and

[0032] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a gear mounting control routine based on the teachings of this disclosure.

[0033] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following description is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit this disclosure, its application, or its uses. It should be understood that throughout the accompanying drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate similar or corresponding parts and features.

[0035] In the process of forming high-precision gears, such as ring gears for transmission systems, the unfinished gear is clamped in a machining tool, and material is removed from a reference surface used to measure the mounting distance defined by the reference surface to the clearance between two adjacent teeth. After finishing the reference surface, the machining tool finishes the gear teeth based on a predetermined mounting distance specified for the finished gear. This disclosure relates to a system for positioning the machining tool relative to a reference surface and gear teeth and for estimating the amount of material removed from the reference surface. The system utilizes non-contact optical sensors to measure characteristics associated with the gear teeth and the reference surface, and utilizes a gear feature controller to estimate the amount of material removed to form a finished reference surface.

[0036] refer to Figure 1 The machine system 100 is operable to remove material from an unfinished gear 102, such as a ring gear, said unfinished gear 102 including a reference surface 102A on one side and gear teeth 102B on the other side of the gear 102 opposite to the reference surface 102A. The system 100 includes a machining tool 104 and a mounting distance control tool 106 (“MDC tool 106”). In one form, the machining tool 104 includes a multi-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machine 108 and a machine controller 110 for controlling the CNC machine 108. The teachings of this disclosure are applicable to other machining tools and should not be limited to the machining tool 104 shown in the figures.

[0037] In one embodiment, the CNC machine 108 includes an armature 112 for holding a gear 102, and a spindle arm (i.e., a spindle) 114 for operating a tool (not shown) to remove material from the gear 102. The armature 112 is operable to rotate the gear 102 and is movable along one or more axes via one or more sliders 116A and 116B. Similar to the armature 112, the spindle 114 is also movable along one or more axes via one or more sliders (not shown), such that the armature 112 and the spindle 114 can be moved relative to each other to control the position of the tool and the alignment of the tool with the gear 102.

[0038] In one embodiment, machine controller 110 includes a processor and a memory for storing computer-readable instructions that are executed by the processor. Machine controller 110 is configured to operate CNC machine 108 using one or more pre-stored programs executed by the processor. More specifically, along with other components of CNC machine 108, machine controller 110 controls the torque, position, orientation, and other operating parameters of spindle 114 and / or armature 112 to form components. Machine controller 110 is accessible to an operator via computer 118, which includes a user interface such as a display 120A and a keyboard 120B.

[0039] Machining tool 104 is operable to hard machine the unfinished gear 102 to form a planar reference surface, from which mounting distances are measured to control finishing operations on the tooth surfaces of gear 102. As further described herein, MDC tool 106 positions the reference surface and gear teeth relative to the clamping plane of CNC machine 108 and estimates the amount of material to be removed from the reference surface of the gear.

[0040] More specifically, see reference Figures 2A to 2C The ring gear 200 for the axle assembly is an example of a gear 102 precision-machined by system 100. The ring gear 200 includes a plurality of teeth 202 circumferentially distributed along a first side of the ring gear 200, defining a backlash (TG) between two adjacent teeth and a pitch-to-pitch distance (i.e., pitch circle) (PP) between two adjacent protruding nodes (e.g., the distance between P1 and P3 in the figure). The gear 200 also defines a back surface 204 and a hub surface 206 along a second side of the gear 200 opposite to the first side. The back surface 204 is provided as a reference surface from which the mounting distance (MD) is measured (e.g., the distance between back surface 204 and P1 in the figure). As mentioned above, prior to machining, the gear 200 may be slightly deformed, making the back surface uneven, and thus resulting in a varying mounting distance around the gear 200. For example, in Figure 2C In this diagram, unfinished surfaces are represented by dashed lines, and standard finished surfaces are represented by solid lines. The teachings of this disclosure are applicable to other types of gears and should not be limited to the ring gear shown.

[0041] Continue to refer to Figure 1 CNC machine 108 is operable to clamp onto gear 150 via armature 112 and remove material along back surface 102A to form a substantially flat surface. In one embodiment, CNC machine 108 meshes with gear 150 along a machine reference plane (i.e., plane M), which is perpendicular to the inner diameter surface of gear 102. To position CNC machine 108 relative to back surface 102A and gear 102B, MDC tool 106 includes optical sensors 120A, 120B, and 120C (collectively referred to as "optical sensor 120") and gear feature controller 122, which estimates the stock removal amount based on data from optical sensor 120.

[0042] In one embodiment, the optical sensor 120 is arranged at and mounted with the machine 108. The optical sensor 120 is a laser measuring device used to measure or detect features along the gear 102. (Reference) Figure 2B Optical sensor 120A is arranged to measure the lateral distance (i.e., the first distance) defined between a first reference point and tooth surface features 210, such as pitch surfaces or rise-to-run surfaces, between two adjacent teeth 202. Optical sensor 120B is arranged to measure the back distance (i.e., the second distance) defined between a second reference point and the back surface 204 of the gear 200.

[0043] In one embodiment, optical sensors 120A and 120B are configured to measure, respectively, the true distances defined between optical sensors 120A and 120B and the side feature 210 and the back surface 204. In another embodiment, optical sensors 120A and 120B are configured to measure the contrast distances defined between a known standard profile of gear 200 and the side feature 210 and the back surface 204. More specifically, optical sensors 120A and 120B use optical sensors with predetermined profiles... Figure 2C The calibration is performed using artifacts captured by solid-line contours and known mounting distances. The distances from optical sensors 120A and 120B to the corresponding surfaces of the artifacts are known, and contrast distances are measured between the predetermined contour of the artifact and the side feature 210 and back surface 204 of the unfinished gear. Therefore, the predefined contour is configured as a zero-difference boundary, such that the surface of the unfinished gear 200 outside the boundary has a negative distance, and the surface inside the boundary has a positive distance.

[0044] To provide accurate measurements, gear 102 is moved to a predetermined position within the measurement fields of optical sensors 120A and 120B. Optical sensors 120A and 120B measure multiple lateral and rear distances, respectively. Specifically, in one embodiment, armature 112 is operable to rotate gear 102 while optical sensor 120A measures the lateral distance for each tooth gap and optical sensor 120B measures the rear distance. Thus, armature 112 operates as a moving mechanism.

[0045] Lateral distances provide the positional relationship between the machine plane (plane M) and the tooth features of the unfinished gear, and are more specifically used to determine the distance M1 defined between the backlash surface and plane M. Figure 2C The base plane distance provides the positional relationship between plane M and the back surface, and is more specifically used to determine the distance M2 defined between plane M and the back surface of the unfinished gear. Using distances M1 and M2, the gear feature controller 122 determines the mounting distance (M3) of the unfinished gear as the sum of distances M1 and M2, and compares the mounting distance of the unfinished gear with the predetermined mounting distance of the finished gear to estimate the amount of gear cutting.

[0046] Optical sensor 120C is provided as a triggering device to prompt optical sensors 120A and 120B to measure the corresponding distance. In one embodiment, optical sensor 120C is configured to detect the edge of the tooth and transmit a signal to optical sensors 120A and 120B for measurement as the tooth travels through the measurement field.

[0047] In another embodiment, instead of optical sensor 120C, MDC tool 106 is configured in other suitable ways to measure lateral and rearward distances. For example, MDC tool 106 is configured to track the rotation of gear 102 and enable optical sensors 120A and 120B to provide continuous measurements of the distances. Using predetermined data, such as backlash, the number of teeth along the gear, and acceptable lateral distances, MDC tool 106 can determine the lateral distances and corresponding rearward distances. In another example, optical sensor 120A is used to determine a predetermined tilt distance, such as 8 mm, and identify it as the first backlash. Using armature 112, the gear is rotated until it completes at least one full revolution while optical sensors 120A and 120B are making measurements. In yet another example, an optical sensor with an internal trigger and / or the gear can be controlled to complete more than one revolution to obtain additional measurements, and then the data can be averaged to obtain more accurate measurements.

[0048] The gear feature controller 122 is configured to analyze data from the optical sensor 120 to determine the position information of the unfinished gear and to estimate the amount of material to be cut from the back surface 204. In one embodiment, the gear feature controller 122 is a controller having a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor. The gear feature controller 122 is communicatively coupled to the optical sensor 120, the machine controller 110, and / or the computer 118 via a wireless communication link (e.g., Bluetooth, Zig-Bee, Wi-Fi, etc.) and / or a wired communication link. In another embodiment, the gear feature controller 122 may be implemented as part of the machine controller and may not be a separate unit.

[0049] To determine the position information of gear 102, in one form, gear feature controller 122 calculates the average lateral distance and average base distance by taking the sum of measurements and dividing the sum by the number of measurements taken. Controller 122 can also be configured to filter measurements before calculating the average distance to remove any outlier data points (e.g., omitting the lowest and highest measurements).

[0050] Using the average side distance and average base distance, controller 122 uses a predetermined linear regression model to adjust the average value for a specific measurement. For example, the average side distance is adjusted by multiplying the average side value by a side slope factor, which defines a linear relationship between high and low tooth thickness deviations. Similarly, the average back distance is adjusted by multiplying the average value by a base slope factor, which defines a linear relationship between high and low back distance variations. The side slope factor and base slope factor are predetermined and unique for each type of gear, such that a gear with 20 teeth and a backlash of 10 mm differs from a gear with 25 teeth and a backlash of 8 mm. The cutting amount (SRA) is then determined using the following equation, where FD 调整 This is the adjusted lateral distance, BD 调整 BC is the adjusted base plane distance, and BC is the offset constant. The offset constant is predetermined to adjust (i.e., increase or decrease) various possible gear mounting distances to improve the material for the final gear tooth finishing. For example, due to changes in heat treatment deformation, the finished gear may remove too much or too little material near the root of the tooth. The offset constant is selected to compensate for these changes in the process. After calculation, the gear feature controller 122 transmits cutting amount and position information (e.g., M1, M2, and / or M3) to cause the machine 104 to remove material from the back surface 102A of the gear 102.

[0051] Equation….SRA=-(FD) 调整 +BD 调整 +BC)

[0052] In one embodiment, after the back of the gear is machined on the CNC machine 104, the MDC tool 106 is configured to re-inspect the gear to assess the mounting distance and provide tracking data or compensation for any tool wear. For example, after machining, an optical laser measures the finished geometry of the gear. Using the finished geometry, the MDC tool 106 determines whether the tool is worn by comparing the data with predetermined standard values. If so, the MDC tool 106 provides additional tool compensation for the next gear to be machined, or if the geometry exceeds control limits, the machining process can be paused to allow the operator to inspect for tool damage or wear. In another embodiment, the acquired measurements are stored as a gear-related 2D matrix, allowing engineers or subsequent processes to utilize the data for process optimization.

[0053] In addition to calculating position information and cutting amounts, the gear feature controller 122 is also configured to inspect unfinished gears using measurements from optical sensors 120A and 120B. For example, Table 1 defines various undesirable characteristics of unfinished gears and possible actions for handling these characteristics. In the table, D1 is the lateral distance and D2 is the rear distance. In one form, the gear feature controller 122 is configured to perform one or more quality checks to assess the presence of undesirable characteristics and output the results to the machine controller and / or operator via display 120A. For example, if a gear is identified as excessively twisted, the gear feature controller 122 may output a command to the machine controller 110 to cause the machine 108 to discard the unfinished gear and retrieve a new unfinished gear.

[0054] Table 1: Gear Inspection

[0055]

[0056] refer to Figure 3 This is an example of a gear mounting control routine executed by the mounting distance control tool of this disclosure. In one form, the mounting distance control tool executes the routine while an unfinished gear is clamped by a CNC machine, due to communication with a machine controller. At 302, the control tool positions the gear at a predetermined location within the measurement field of the optical sensor. For example, the control tool transmits a command to the machine controller to move the gear to the predetermined location. In another example, the machine controller is configured to automatically move the gear to the predetermined location after it has been clamped, and the control tool is configured to determine whether the gear is in said location. At 304, as described above, the gear is rotated and the optical sensor measures a plurality of first distances and a plurality of second distances. The optical sensor performs this measurement until the gear has rotated 360 degrees.

[0057] At 306, the control tool uses the measured first and second distances to inspect the unfinished gear according to one or more quality checks, and at 308, based on the inspection, determines whether the gear has one or more undesirable characteristics. If so, the control tool at 310 uses predetermined countermeasures associated with the undesirable characteristics to handle them. If not, the control tool at 312 determines the average first distance and the average second distance, and adjusts the average first distance and the average second distance using a predetermined linear model as described above. At 314, the control unit calculates the cutting amount based on the adjusted average first distance and the average second distance and the gear's bias constant, and at 316, transmits the cutting amount to the machine controller. Subsequently, the machine controller controls the CNC machine to remove material from the back surface of the gear to form a planar reference surface based on the cutting amount.

[0058] The MDC tool disclosed herein is configured to operate within a machining tool to provide accurate cutting quantities for an unfinished gear held by a CNC machine. Using a non-contact optical sensor, the MDC tool measures features related to the teeth and back surfaces of the gear as it rotates. Therefore, the MDC tool evaluates the cutting quantity based on measurements taken around the entire gear rather than at selected locations.

[0059] The description in this disclosure is exemplary in nature only, and therefore any changes that do not depart from the substance of this disclosure are intended to fall within its scope. Such changes should not be considered as departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0060] According to the present invention, a system is provided comprising: a first optical sensor operable to measure a plurality of first distances, wherein each of the first distances is measured from a first reference point to a surface provided between a pair of adjacent teeth among a plurality of teeth circumferentially distributed around a first side of a gear; a second optical sensor operable to measure a plurality of second distances, the plurality of second distances being measured from a second reference point to a surface along a second side of the gear opposite to the first side; and a gear feature controller configured to determine a cutting amount of the gear based on the first and second distances.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the gear feature controller calculates the mounting distance based on a first distance and a second distance, and determines the cutting amount based on the mounting distance.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the gear feature controller is configured to calculate an average first distance and an average second distance based on a first distance from a first optical sensor and a second distance from a second optical sensor, and to determine a cutting amount based on the average first distance and the average second distance.

[0063] According to one embodiment, a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor are operable to perform simultaneous measurements of a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

[0064] According to one embodiment, a further feature of the above invention is: a moving mechanism coupled to a gear and operable to rotate the gear when a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor measure a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

[0065] According to one embodiment, a further feature of the above invention is that: a third optical sensor is configured to trigger a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor to measure a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the third optical sensor is configured to detect the edge of the tooth to trigger the first and second optical sensors.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the gear feature controller is configured to inspect one or more undesirable characteristics of the gear based on a first distance, a second distance, or a combination thereof.

[0068] According to one embodiment, undesirable characteristics include at least one of misalignment, high runout, and geometric defects on the tooth surface.

[0069] According to one embodiment, a further feature of the above invention is that: a processing tool, wherein a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor are arranged together with the processing tool, and the processing tool is operable to rotate a gear when the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor measure a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the machining tool includes: a computer numerical control (CNC) machine operable to machine gears; and a machine controller configured to control the CNC machine based on a cutting amount determined by a gear feature controller.

[0071] According to the present invention, a method includes: measuring a plurality of first distances along a first side of a gear by a first optical sensor, wherein each of the first distances is measured from a first reference point to a surface provided between a pair of adjacent teeth among a plurality of teeth circumferentially distributed around the first side of the gear; measuring a plurality of second distances by a second optical sensor, the plurality of second distances being measured from a second reference point to a reference surface along a second side of the gear opposite to the first side; and calculating a cutting amount based on the first distances and the second distances.

[0072] According to one embodiment, a further feature of the above invention is that the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are triggered by the third optical sensor to measure each of the first distance and each of the second distance.

[0073] According to one embodiment, a further feature of the above invention is that the material is removed from the gear by a machining tool based on the cutting amount.

[0074] According to one embodiment, a further feature of the above invention is that: the gear is clamped in a machining tool equipped with a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor; and the gear is positioned at a predetermined position within the measurement field of the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor by the machining tool.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the first reference point and the second reference point are defined along a predetermined standard profile based on a standard gear artifact.

[0076] According to the present invention, a machining system is provided, the machining system comprising: a first laser operable to measure a plurality of first distances defined between tooth surfaces provided between a standard tooth reference and adjacent teeth of a plurality of teeth distributed around a first side of a gear; a second laser operable to measure a plurality of second distances between a standard back reference and a back surface of the gear; and a controller configured to calculate a cutting amount based on the first and second distances.

[0077] According to one embodiment, a further feature of the above invention is that: a processing tool, wherein a first laser and a second laser are arranged together with the processing tool, and the processing tool is operable to rotate a gear when the first laser and the second laser measure a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the machining tool includes: a computer numerical control (CNC) machine operable to machine gears; and a machine controller configured to control the CNC machine to machine the material of the gears based on a cutting amount calculated by a gear feature controller.

[0079] According to one embodiment, a further feature of the above invention is that: a third laser is configured to trigger a first laser and a second laser to measure a first distance and a second distance, respectively.

Claims

1. A system for controlling gear mounting distance using an optical sensor, the system comprising: A first optical sensor, operable to measure a plurality of first distances, wherein each of the first distances is a surface measurement provided from a first reference point to a pair of adjacent teeth among a plurality of teeth circumferentially distributed around a first side of the gear. A second optical sensor, operable to measure a plurality of second distances, the plurality of second distances being measured from a second reference point to a surface along a second side of the gear opposite to the first side; as well as A gear feature controller configured to determine the cutting amount of the gear based on the first distance and the second distance.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third optical sensor configured to trigger the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor to measure the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the third optical sensor is configured to detect the edge of the tooth to trigger the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the gear feature controller is configured to inspect one or more undesirable characteristics of the gear based on the first distance, the second distance, or a combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the undesirable characteristic includes at least one of misalignment, high runout, and geometric defects of the tooth surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are operable to perform simultaneous measurements of the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a moving mechanism coupled to the gear and operable to rotate the gear when the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor measure the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

8. The system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the gear feature controller calculates the installation distance based on the first distance and the second distance, and determines the cutting amount based on the installation distance.

9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the gear feature controller is configured to calculate an average first distance and an average second distance based on a first distance from the first optical sensor and a second distance from the second optical sensor, and to determine the cutting amount based on the average first distance and the average second distance.

10. The system of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a machining tool, wherein the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are arranged together with the machining tool, and the machining tool is operable to rotate the gear when the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor measure the first distance and the second distance, respectively.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the machining tool comprises: A computer numerical control machine, operable to process the gear; And a machine controller configured to control the computer-controlled machine based on the cutting amount determined by the gear feature controller.

12. A method for controlling gear mounting distance using an optical sensor, the method comprising: A plurality of first distances are measured along a first side of the gear by a first optical sensor, wherein each of the first distances is measured from a first reference point to a surface provided between a pair of adjacent teeth among a plurality of teeth distributed circumferentially around the first side of the gear; A plurality of second distances are measured by a second optical sensor, the plurality of second distances being measured from a second reference point to a reference surface along a second side of the gear opposite to the first side; as well as The cutting amount is calculated based on the first distance and the second distance.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising triggering the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor by a third optical sensor to measure each of the first distance and each of the second distance.

14. The method of claim 12 or 13, further comprising removing material from the gear by a machining tool based on the cutting amount.

15. The method of claim 12 or 13, further comprising: The gear is clamped in a machining tool equipped with the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor; as well as The gear is positioned at a predetermined location within the measurement field of the first and second optical sensors using the machining tool.

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