The process of cutting custom gears and manufacturing gear replacements demands extreme precision in terms of shape and dimensional accuracy, specifically on the edge zone properties of custom gears. Since damage to the edge zone contributes to faster wear of the teeth and can cause the tooth of custom gears to fracture and break off easily, it is imperative that the gear grinding process be as accurate as possible. This not only ensure perfect cutting of these gears, but that they will sit properly on the client’s machinery.
Gear grinding is typically the last step in the formation of custom gears and gear replacements. It’s a delicate process that requires extreme precision. Some of the equipment we use in the grinding process includes the Hofler Helix 900, which can carry out three grinding methods (index grinding, threaded grinding and profile grinding). It also gives us the capability of grinding external gears up to 39 inches in diameter.
One of the precise processes in cutting custom gears is gear hobbing which is a machining process for sprocket cutting, spline cutting and gear cutting. It is effective in replacing ground gears and custom gears. Our hobbing center has an impressive array of gear hobbers, tool and equipment that enables us to manufacture custom gears and external gear replacements all in-house.
Our milling machine, for example, is used as part of the final custom gear manufacturing process. The teeth or splines of this machine are progressively cut into the gear by a series of cuts made by a hob (a cylindrically shaped cutting tool with helical teeth). The gear hobber has two shafts that are rotated at a proportional ratio, and these are determined by the number of teeth on the gear blank. For instance, if the gear ratio is 40:1, the hob rotates 40 times to each turn of the blank, thereby, producing 40 teeth in the blank to manufacture a custom gear.
Riverside Spline and Gear is a nationwide manufacturer of custom gears and external gear replacements. For a free estimate, contact us at (810) 765-8302 or visit us online today!
REQUEST A QUOTE 
