Gear Grinding Reference Positioning for Accurate End Reliefs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The formation of large end reliefs on gear teeth to prevent surface pressure increases due to casing or gear bending leads to increased machining costs and reduced manufacturing efficiency, as it requires frequent tool changes and high-performance apparatus usage.
Innovation Solution
A gear manufacturing apparatus and method that adjusts the relative position of a grinding tool to a gear workpiece by setting a machining reference position different from the normal machining point, ensuring a larger center-to-center distance and reducing the depth of bite at the end region, thus preventing excess machining and allowing for accurate formation of end reliefs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large end reliefs are formed to prevent surface pressure increases, then reliability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to frequent tool changes
Solution Approach 1:
The grinding wheel is designed with variable tooth heights where the end portions have larger tooth heights than the central portion. This local differentiation allows the end reliefs to be ground more effectively while maintaining manufacturing efficiency, as the larger end portions can remove material more efficiently without requiring frequent tool changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs dynamic adjustment of the grinding wheel's rotational speed relative to the workpiece. By controlling the rotational speeds differently, the process optimizes material removal at the end portions while preventing excessive machining at non-target areas, thus maintaining both reliability and productivity.
2Reliability
If large end reliefs are formed to prevent surface pressure increases, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to use of small-diameter tools
Solution Approach 1:
The grinding wheel features non-uniform tooth height distribution with larger teeth at the ends and smaller teeth in the center. This local quality variation enables effective end relief formation using a single large-diameter wheel, avoiding the need for expensive small-diameter tools and their frequent replacements.
Solution Approach 2:
The grinding wheel's end portions are designed to protrude excessively beyond the central portion, creating a localized concentration of grinding action at the end reliefs. This partial action approach ensures precise machining at critical areas while using a cost-effective large-diameter wheel.
3Manufacturing precision
If large end reliefs are formed by increasing rotational speed to maintain peripheral speed, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the rotational speeds of the grinding wheel and workpiece independently. By controlling the speed ratio, the invention maintains appropriate peripheral speeds for precision machining while avoiding the need for high-performance, complex apparatus. The variable speed control optimizes the grinding process without requiring excessive rotational speeds.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances machining accuracy for end regions, allowing for precise formation of end reliefs without the need for small-diameter tools or frequent tool changes, thereby maintaining manufacturing efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
Grinding of a gear is performed by rotating a gear workpiece and a grinding tool in mesh with each other
Data Source
AI summary
A gear manufacturing apparatus for machining a gear workpiece wherein, when at least one of end regions in a tooth trace direction of each tooth of the workpiece is machined, a control device executes a specific machining control for adjusting a relative position of a tool to the workpiece based on information about the relative position computed by setting, as a machining reference position, a position of the tool on an outer edge line in an X-axis-orthogonal cross section different from a normal machining point such that a distance between a center of the tool and a center of the gear workpiece in the X-axis-orthogonal cross section when the at least one of the end regions is machined is larger than when the at least one of the end regions is machined by setting the normal machining point as the machining reference position.