Gear Tooth Grinding Infeed Adjustment for Uneven Allowance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method for grinding gear toothing often results in scrap due to uneven pre-machining, where some tooth flanks are not adequately prepared, leading to incomplete material removal and rejection of parts, as the initial machine setting may not account for manufacturing deviations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves measuring the actual allowance on tooth flanks at multiple axial positions to determine the necessary radial infeed of the grinding tool, adjusting it within the tolerance band to ensure material removal on all flanks, thereby adapting to variations in pre-machining quality and preventing scrap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fixed radial infeed corresponding to the nominal value is used for grinding, then the machine setting is simple and consistent, but some tooth flanks with unfavorable pre-machining quality will not be adequately ground, leading to scrap
Solution Approach 1:
The invention measures the actual allowance on tooth flanks at multiple axial positions before grinding. This preliminary measurement action enables determination of whether sufficient material is present for complete grinding, allowing the process to adapt the radial infeed accordingly to ensure all tooth flanks are properly ground.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention dynamically adjusts the radial infeed of the grinding tool based on measured allowance values. Instead of using a fixed nominal infeed, the system adapts the infeed amount according to actual pre-machining quality, ensuring complete material removal on all tooth flanks while maintaining connection to the nominal value for quality control.
2Manufacturing precision
If the radial infeed is increased to ensure complete material removal on all tooth flanks, then grinding quality improves, but the tolerance band for width of teeth and spherical measure may be exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses feedback from measured allowance values to determine the appropriate radial infeed. The measured actual allowance on tooth flanks feeds into the control logic that decides whether to use the nominal infeed or an increased infeed, ensuring that tolerance specifications are met while achieving complete grinding where possible.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the radial infeed parameter based on measured conditions. When allowance measurements indicate sufficient material presence, the system increases the radial infeed beyond the nominal value to ensure complete material removal, while still maintaining the final dimensions within the tolerance band through controlled adjustment.
3Productivity
If adaptive radial infeed adjustment is implemented based on allowance measurement, then the proportion of good parts increases, but the process complexity and measurement requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary measurements of the allowance on tooth flanks at multiple axial positions before the grinding operation. This advance measurement enables the system to determine the appropriate radial infeed setting, increasing the proportion of good parts by identifying and addressing insufficient allowance conditions before grinding begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different radial infeed values to different local conditions on the gear. By measuring allowance at multiple axial positions and adapting the infeed based on local material presence, the system optimizes grinding for each specific tooth flank condition, thereby increasing the proportion of good parts without requiring complete system redesign.
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 significantly increases the proportion of good parts by ensuring all tooth flanks are machined correctly, utilizing the tolerance band to maintain quality and prevent rejections, even in cases where initial settings would fail to produce acceptable parts.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor 3, for example an inductive sensor, records measurement data from which the position of the tooth space can be inferred
Implementation Method 2
the grinding tool is brought into engagement with the toothing to be ground, whereby the allowance on the tooth flanks before grinding is ground off
Data Source
AI summary
A method for grinding a gear toothing, in which a target value with a tolerance range is defined for the tooth width. The method includes: a) measuring the location of the surface of the tooth flanks of the gear at least two axial positions offset in the direction of the axis of rotation; b) determining the actually present allowance of the gear based on the measured values determined in step a); c) grinding the toothing by radial infeed of the grinding tool relative to the toothing, c1) wherein the radial infeed corresponds to the target value of the tooth width, if the determination under step b) indicated that such an allowance is present on all tooth flanks that material will be removed from all tooth flanks, or c2) wherein the radial infeed takes place at a value higher than the target value of the tooth width, the higher value still corresponding to the tolerance range for the tooth width, if the determination under step b) indicated that such an allowance is present on all tooth flanks that material will be removed from all tooth flanks only with increased radial infeed.