New insert hob reduces cutting time by half

Gear manufacturing is a highly specialised industry. Manufacturers in Asia encounter critical challenges such as quality, efficiency, and repeatability. Huge gains can be seen when replacing tools on existing equipment. In some cases 80 percent reduction can be achieved. Sandvik Coromant responds by offering gear manufacturers who need more capacity a new tool instead of having to buy an additional machine. 

Sandvik Coromant has introduced  a new full profile hob for gear milling. CoroMill? 176 is an indexable carbide insert hob that can reduce cutting time by an impressive 50 per cent and more than double tool life compared to traditional high speed steel cutters.

Available for roughing, semi-finishing and finishing operations, the innovative hobbing tool solution covers gear profile sizes in the module 4-6 range (module is the pitch diameter divided by the number of teeth). With standard carbide inserts for gear profiles according to DIN3972-2, custom made
options are also available for specific profiles with, for example, addendum modification and protuberance. The hob, which is registered in accordance with DIN3968 class B, is extremely easy-to-use and features Sandvik Coromant’s groundbreaking iLock interface for ultimate precision and stability.

Gear milling
Gear milling is changing along with machine tool and software technology, as well as industry applications. The industry has also become more open to changes because of further flexibility needed with the broader use of multitask machines and machining centres. The new CoroMill 176 hob concept
have taken a very large step forward in gear milling technology and performance. A higher level of tool precision and rigidity has been achieved through a new patent-pending interface between insert and tool. The resulting stability also enables much higher metal removal rates, while also generating good surface quality. The level of rates now run at is completely new to the gear milling industry. And the good news is that it works both on newer machines and older ones. In fact, CoroMill 176 can double or in some cases even triple output with the new 176 cutter. Sandvik are also making use of the Coromant Capto tool holding concept to add strength and stability to gear milling tools or in some cases even triple output with the new 176 cutter. Also, the company is making use of the Coromant Capto tool holding concept to add strength and stability to gear milling tools.

Benefits of modern gear milling
Mass production of gears through gear hobbing can gain a lot by decreasing the overall costs thanks to the main advantages of the new tool technology: productivity increases, longer tool life, elimination of
regrinding/re-coating, and the possibility to introduce dry machining. Machining without coolant has been met with a positive response, as it reduces a lot of costs and improves the environment for operators.

Another motivation is that dry chips mean higher scrap material prices. Sandvik Coromant can now offer solutions to most industries involved in gear milling in some form, starting with module sizes from 3 up to 30. These include transmission components in equipment such as wind power, mining, marine, industrial gearboxes, agriculture, land moving, and heavy vehicles.