INDEX has developed a “bevel gear hobbing” package, which consists of a specially designed control cycle and four INDEX cutter heads with module-dependent inserts. Equipped with these features, the turn-mill centers INDEX R200 and INDEX R300 become gear-cutting machines on which spiral bevel gears (module from 0.6 to 4 mm) can be produced – from bar stock, with front and rear end machining, complete in one setup or alternatively as a pure two-spindle gear cutting machine.
Compared to the conventional process chain with classic gear-cutting machines, users can achieve shorter cycle times and better geometry and position tolerances. And it is much more flexible. To denote INDEX-Werke as a pure lathe manufacturer would not tell all about the innovative Esslingen company. That it’s because many other technologies for metalworking are incorporated in the INDEX machines: For a long time there have been turn-mill centers that master the two chipping techniques almost equally well. Also the grinding technology is fully integrated on various INDEX machines. Now the machine tool manufacturer offers a technology package that makes the turn-mill centers INDEX R200/R300 also full-fledged gear-cutting machines. By hobbing using a continuous indexing method – which corresponds to the Klingelnberg Cyclo-Palloid method 1) – spiral bevel gears can be produced with constant tooth height in a module range of 0.6 to 4 mm.
The starting point of the development initiated by INDEX lies in its own manufacturing governed by the principle: quality-determining components are made in-house. When the tool holder production was reorganized several years ago, the decision was made to produce the required bevel gears themselves. After all, their quality is largely responsible for smooth running, the transmissible torque, and wear. Since no sufficiently productive, modern gear-cutting machine was found on the market for these parts, the management decided to technologically upgrade its own turn-mill center accordingly.
To sum it up: The technology integration was so successful that INDEX meanwhile covers its in-house need for bevel gears by an INDEX R200 and is now offering the technology to the broad market. Dr. Volker Sellmeier, Head of Technology Development, explains: “My team is committed to offering the customer a significant added value through the integration of machining processes such as gear cutting. We have achieved this with the new INDEX method for bevel gear hobbing, which enables complete machining on one machine, because you can achieve significant advantages in terms of cycle time, process and quality.”
