Accurate Machine-Settings for the Face-Milling of Hypoid Gears

Abstract

A mathematical model of the machine-settings for the face-milling of hypoid gears using accurate cutter system and a generic spiral bevel/hypoid face-milling machine is developed. Accurate cutter system is considered, which contains the inside and outside blades with pre-determined rake, relief, and blade angles in order to generate the cutter system envelope. Since, the machine-settings are based on the tangency between the gear flank and the cutter sweep envelope geometry and gear flank is sensitive to the cutter sweep geometry, therefore, the machine-settings are also sensitive to the cutter system geometry. Numerical applications for specific gear geometry are applied, in which machine-settings are calculated and compared with the previous research results. In the end of the article, a simulation was performed to generate gear tooth surfaces. Surface deviation between the gear teeth generated with the machine-settings for the simplified cutter system and the accurate cutter system are compared and the conclusion is drawn that the rake face of the blades in the cutter system has influence on the machine-settings. Due to the use of an accurate cutter system, the hypoid gears produced using this model are accurate and reduce the need of corrections in the machine-settings.