This application is the U.S. National Phase of International Application No. PCT/EP2012/058149, entitled “Method of Hob Peeling and Corresponding Device Having a Hob Peeling Tool”, filed on May 3, 2012, which claims priority from German Patent Application No. 20 2011 050 054.3, filed May 6, 2011, and from European Patent Application No. EP 11 167 702.7, filed May 26, 2011, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The invention relates to a method for skiving a toothing or another periodic structure and an apparatus for skiving a toothing or another periodic structure comprising a skiving tool.
There are numerous methods for manufacturing gear wheels. In the chip-removing soft pre-machining, one distinguishes hobbing, gear shaping, generating planing and (power) skiving. The hobbing and skiving are so-called continuous methods, as shall be explained in the following.
In the chip-removing manufacturing of gear wheels, one distinguishes between the intermitted indexing process or single indexing process and the continuous method, which is partly also called a continuous indexing process or face hobbing.
In the continuous method, for example, a tool comprising cutters is applied in order to cut the flanks of a work piece. The work piece is cut in one clamping continuously, i.e., in an uninterrupted process. The continuous method is based on complex coupled movement sequences, in which the tool and the work piece to be machined perform a continuous indexing movement relative to each other. The indexing movement results from the driving in coordination with respect to the coupledly driving of plural axle drives of a machine.
In the single indexing process, one tooth gap is machined; then, for example, a relative movement of the tool and a so-called indexing movement (indexing rotation), in which the work piece rotates relative to the tool, are carried out, and then the next tooth gap is machined. In this way, a gear wheel is manufactured step by step.
The initially mentioned gear shaping method may be described or represented by a cylinder gear transmission, because the intersection angle (also called intersection angle of axes) between the rotation axis R1 of the shaping tool 1 and the rotation axis R2 of the work piece 2 amounts to zero degrees, as represented schematically in
Some time ago a method has been taken up anew, which is called (power) skiving. The basics are aged approximately 100 years. A first patent application with the number DE 243514 on this subject dates back to the year 1912. After the original considerations and investigations of the initial years, skiving was no longer pursued further seriously. Hitherto, complex processes, which were partly empirical, were necessary in order to find a suitable tool geometry for the skiving method.
About in the middle of the nineteen eighties, skiving was taken up anew. It was not until the present-day simulation methods and the modern CNC-controls of the machines, that the principle of skiving could be implemented as a productive, reproducible and robust method. The high durability of present-day tool materials, the enormous high static and dynamical rigidity and the high performance of the synchronous running of the modem machines come in addition.
As shown in
The cutting speed in skiving is influenced directly by the rotational speed of the skiving tool 10 with respect to the work piece 20 and the utilized intersection angle of axes Σ between the rotation axes R1 and R2. The intersection angle of axes Σ and thus the gliding portion should be selected such that for a given rotational speed an optimum cutting speed is achieved for the machining of the material.
The movement sequences and further details of an established skiving method can be taken from the schematic representation in
There are additional relative movements. An axial feed sax is required in order to be able to machine with the tool 10 the entire toothing width of the work piece 20. If a helical toothing is desired on the work piece 20 (i.e., β2≠0), a differential feed sD is superimposed on the axial feed sax. A radial feed srad may be carried out as a lining movement. The radial feed srad may also be employed in order to influence the convexity of the toothing of the work piece 20.
In skiving, the vector of the cutting speed {right arrow over (v)}c results substantially as the difference of the two velocity vectors {right arrow over (v)}1 and {right arrow over (v)}2 of the rotation axes R1, R2 of the tool 10 and the work piece 20, which [velocity vectors] are tilted with respect to each other by the intersection angle of axes Σ. The symbol {right arrow over (v)}1 is the velocity vector at the periphery of the tool and {right arrow over (v)}2 is the velocity vector at the periphery of the work piece 20. The cutting speed vc of the skiving process may thus be changed by the intersection angle of axes Σ and the rotation speed in the equivalent helical gear. The axial feed sax has only a small influence on the cutting speed vc which can be neglected and is thus not shown in the vector diagram comprising the vectors {right arrow over (v)}1, {right arrow over (v)}2 and {right arrow over (v)}c in
The skiving of an outer toothing of a work piece 20 using a conical skiving tool 10 is shown in
In order to make the productivity of the skiving—for example when applying modern cutting materials such as hard metals for dry machining—as large as possible, the gliding portion of the relative movement between the skiving tool and the work piece must produce sufficiently high cutting speeds. In skiving, the cutting speed vc is influenced directly by the rotation speed of the equivalent helical gear, by the effective work piece with respect to tool radii and by the intersection angle of axes Σ of the rotation axes R1 and R2. The possible rotation speed is limited here by the permitted rotational frequency of the machining apparatus (skiving machine) used. The size of the work piece is fixedly predetermined. The possible size of the tool is limited by the work space of the machining apparatus (skiving machine) employed and for inner toothings also by the inner space of this proper toothing. Therefore, sufficiently high cutting speeds can often be generated only by corresponding large intersection angles of axes Σ.
The intersection angle of axes Σ, however, cannot be predetermined arbitrarily in practice, because beside the purely vectorial consideration of the different movements, which are superimposed, there are a number of other aspects, which must be taken into account compulsorily. These additional aspects, which must be incorporated in the considerations, are described in the following paragraphs.
In skiving, a tool 10 comes to application, which comprises at least one geometrically determined cutting edge. The cutting edge/cutting edges are not shown in
In addition, the tool itself has a great importance in skiving. In the example shown in
When starting from a spur-toothed or a helically toothed conical skiving tool 10 as shown in the
In
In
When starting from a spur-toothed or a helically toothed cylindrical skiving tool 10, as shown in the
In the
Beside the kinematic aspects and the conditions, which result from the prescription of the desired clearance angles, also the properties and condition of the work piece 20 plays a role that is not unimportant. Again and again, there are work pieces, in which a section having a greater diameter than the diameter of the root circle joins the toothing or the periodical structure and which therefore allow only a small overrun in the manufacture of a toothing or another periodical structure.
In the
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for the chip-removing machining of the tooth flanks of a gear wheel or other periodic structures, which is in particular suitable for machining work pieces that allow only a small overrun.
In addition, the method and the apparatus shall be robust and suitable for an application in the series production, for example in the automotive industry.
This object is solved according to the present invention by a method which is herein called a modified skiving method. The modified skiving method concerns a continuous cutting method that is suitable for the manufacturing of rotation-symmetric periodical structures. As the name skiving (resp. hob peeling) indicates, a hobbing method is concerned. To be precise, a continuous hobbing toothing method is concerned. Herein, skiving refers to the description and design of the generating train with the kinematics of a helical gear.
The method relates to skiving of a work piece having a rotation-symmetric periodical structure by an application of a skiving tool. In this skiving method:
By the coupled movement of the skiving tool and the work piece, a relative movement results between the skiving tool and the work piece, which corresponds to the relative movement of a helical gear or is approximated to a helical gear.
During the machining phase, the skiving tool is inclined in the direction towards the work piece, i.e., inclined in the opposite direction as compared to the prior art's inclination away from the work piece for yielding kinematic clearance angles.
Preferably, in all embodiments, the skiving tool is inclined towards the toothing or the periodic structure on the work piece.
The tilt angle is preferably in the angular range between −2 degrees and −45 degrees and preferably between −5 degrees and −30 degrees.
An effective intersection angle of axes results, which is the smaller one in terms of the absolute value of the angle that is embraced by the two rotation axes.
Preferably, the invention is applied where the work piece allows only a small overrun, as, for example, a component having a circumferential collar.
In the modified skiving method of the invention, the relative movement sequences (called relative movement) between the work piece and the skiving tool are performed predetermined and coordinated in a way such that collisions do not occur.
The modified skiving method concerns a continuous cutting method. As the name skiving (hob peeling) indicates, a hobbing method is concerned. To be precise, a continuous hobbing toothing method is concerned.
Preferably, in all embodiments, a skiving tool like a skiving wheel is employed, which differs significantly from front cutter head tools.
According to the invention, the skiving tool has a tool section like a skiving wheel and has cutting edges that are formed in the shape of cutting teeth which protrude outwards obliquely.
According to the invention, the skiving tool has a tool section having the shape of a generating cutter, preferably the shape of a disc-type generating cutter or a deep counterbore-type generating cutter (e.g., according to DIN 3972 or DIN 5480).
The skiving-wheel-type skiving tools according to the invention are designed either as so-called massive tools, i.e., tools that are implemented essentially integrally, or as cutter head tools (hereinafter called bar cutter skiving wheel) that have a cutter head base body equipped with cutter inserts, preferably in the shape of bar cutters.
According to the invention, preferably in all embodiments, the skiving tools have so-called constructional rake angles, i.e., the rake angles are predetermined due to the geometry of the skiving tool by taking into account the kinematics.
The invention is employed preferably for component parts, which have a so-called fitting interference contour (e.g., a collision flank) and which thus can not be manufactured with a conventional skiving method in most cases.
The invention is based on the feature that the absolute value of the tilt angle δ is set to be greater or equal to 15 degrees, i.e., the skiving tool is tilted significantly more than conventional skiving methods.
Using the modified skiving method as described and claimed, the most different toothings and other periodically reoccurring structures can be manufactured.
For cylindrical toothings of the work piece, a cutting face offset e is prescribed, which is negative for inner toothings and positive for outer toothings.
In the modified skiving, material is removed progressively until the teeth or the other periodical structures are formed completely. The particular approach of skiving is the manufacturing in plural cuts or machining phases. Here for example, a tooth gap is cut firstly to a determined depth and subsequently to the full depth.
The method according to invention can be performed both as a dry or wet machining.
The modified skiving cannot be employed for the machining of outer toothings only. The modified skiving can be employed advantageously for the manufacturing of inner toothings.
The modified skiving can be employed both in the pre-toothing before the heat treatment of the work piece and also in the finishing toothing after the heat treatment, i.e., the skiving is suitable for the soft-machining and for the hard (fine) machining.
Further details and advantages of the invention are described in the following on the basis of embodiment examples and with reference to the drawings. In all schematic drawings (i.e., also in the collision representations of the
In relation with the present description, terms are used which also find use in relevant publications and patents. It is noted however, that the use of these terms shall merely serve a better comprehension. The inventive idea and the scope of the patent claims shall not be limited in their interpretation by the specific selection of the terms. The invention can be transferred without further ado to other systems of terminology and/or technical areas. In other technical areas, the terms are to be employed analogously.
Rotational-symmetric periodic structures are, for example, gear wheels having an inner and/or outer toothing. However, for example, brake discs, clutch or gear transmission elements, and so on may also be concerned. The skiving tools are particularly suitable for the manufacturing of pinion shafts, worms, ring gears, toothed wheel pumps, ring joint hubs (ring joints are employed, for example, in the motor vehicle sector for transmitting the force from a differential gear to a vehicle wheel), spline shaft joints, sliding collars, belt pulleys, and so on. Herein, the periodic structures are also called periodically repeating structures.
In the following, mention is made primarily of gear wheels, teeth and tooth gaps. However, as mentioned above, the invention can also be transferred to other construction parts with other periodic structures. In this case, these other construction parts do not concern tooth gaps, but, for example, grooves or channels.
According to the invention, a so-called modified skiving method is concerned in which the skiving tool 100 is tilted toward the work piece 50 or 60. Firstly, as follows, the basics for the design of skiving processes with tilt (inclination) are described.
Basically, the relative movement between the skiving tool 100 and the work piece 50, 60, 70 during skiving corresponds to a helical gear, also called generation helical type gear transmission. The helical gear is a spatial transmission gear.
The basic design of the skiving process thus occurs, as in the design of transmission gears, at a so-called calculation point AP. The term basic design is understood herein to refer to the definition of the spatial arrangement and movement of the skiving tool 100 with respect to the work piece 50, 60, 70 (kinematics) as well as the definition of the geometrical basic parameters of the skiving tool 100, such as, for example, the diameter and the tilt angle (basic tool geometry).
The geometrical and kinematic engagement conditions at the calculation point AP are designed as optimal as possible. The engagement conditions change with increasing distance from the calculation point AP. In this relation, skiving represents a very complex process, in which the engagement conditions vary also during the movement of the cutting edge. However, the varying engagement conditions can be influenced selectively via the engagement conditions at the calculation point AP.
Thus, the correct design of the engagement conditions at the calculation point AP have a considerable importance in the design of skiving processes.
Terms concerning the arrangement of axes:
There are several terms, which are required for the definition of the arrangement of axes. These terms are described in Table 1 below.
Terms concerning the contact between the skiving tool and the work piece:
There are several terms, which are necessary for the description of the contact between the skiving tool and the work piece. These terms are described in Table 2 below.
holds: −90° < Σeff < 90°, wherein Σeff ≠ 0°. The effective intersection angle of axes Σeff carries a sign as the intersection angle of axes Σ. The sign is defined as follows without restriction of the generality: For outer toothings, the effective intersection angle of axes Σeff is positive, if the velocity vectors {right arrow over (v)}1 and {right arrow over (v)}2 and the contact plane normal {right arrow over (n)} in this succession form a right-handed trihedron. For inner toothings, it is positive, if the velocity vectors {right arrow over (v)}1 and {right arrow over (v)}2 and the contact plane normal {right arrow over (n)} in this succession form a left-handed trihedron. For non-planar toothings, the effective intersection angle of axes Σeff corresponds to the perpendicular projection of the intersection angle of axes Σ onto the contact plane BE, i.e., the intersection angle of axes Σ in the projection of contact plane.
Further Projections:
There are different further projections, which are employed for illustrating the invention. The further projections are explained in Table 3 below.
Offset of Cutting Face:
The offset of the cutting face is defined in Table 4 below.
For non-planar toothings, the following equation [1] establishes the relationship between the angles, which describe the spatial arrangement of the rotation axes R1 and R2, and is thus important for the conversion of the individual quantities:
cos(Σ)=cos(Σeff)·cos (δ) [1]
In this generalized configuration, the intersection angle of axes Σ is decomposed into the effective intersection angle of axes Σeff and the tilt angle δ, wherein the effective intersection angle of axes Σeff is the determining quantity for the generation of the relative cutting movement between the rotating skiving tool 100 and the rotating work piece 50, 60, 70. For planar toothings, the effective intersection angle of axes Σeff and the tilt angle δ are well defined, however, the relationship [1] does not hold.
According to the invention, the tilt angle δ is always less than 0 degrees, i.e., the tilt of the tool reference plane and thus of the skiving tool 100 with respect to the contact plane (which is spanned by the two velocity vectors {right arrow over (v)}2 and {right arrow over (v)}1) is negative. Therefore, in relation with the present invention, a tilt of the skiving tool 100 toward the work piece 50, 60, 70 is concerned.
The calculation point AP with respect to the contact point BP, for a negative tilt angle δ, does not lie on the joint plumb GL as can be seen, e.g., in
Preferably, in all embodiments, the effective intersection angle of axes Σeff is in the following range: −60°≦Σeff≦60°.
According to the invention, the cutting face offset e is negative for inner toothings and positive for outer toothings. According to the invention, the clearance angles must be provided constructionaly on the skiving tool 100. Thereby, the loss of the clearing angle caused by the tilting of the cutting edges of the tool to the cylindrical component (i.e., to the work piece 50, 60, 70) must be compensated.
The side projection of contact plane in
According to the invention, a so-called modified skiving method for skiving a work piece 50, 60, 70 is concerned, wherein a rotational-symmetric periodic structure, e.g., an outer or inner toothing, is to be fabricated on the work piece 50, 60, 70, with application of a skiving tool 100. As shown in the
According to the invention, in all embodiments, the skiving-wheel-type tool section 101 has cutting edges, which are developed in the form of cutting teeth that project outwardly, as can be recognized, e.g., in the
According to the invention, in all embodiments, the skiving-wheel-type tool section 101 has the shape of a generating cutter, preferably the shape of a bell-type generating cutter.
However, in all embodiments, an adapter element may sit between the skiving-wheel-type tool section 101 and the proper tool spindle 170.
In the embodiment example shown in the
Preferably, in all embodiments, the tilt angle δ is in a range between −2 and −45 degrees. An angle range between −5 and −30 degrees is particularly preferred.
The tapering collision contour of the skiving tool 100 is realized by a conical base body in the
In all embodiments, a tapering collision contour is understood to mean a tapering contour of the envelope EH of the skiving tool together with the cutting teeth. In
Since periodical structures are to be manufactured on the first cylindrical section 61 and the allowable overrun is only small due to the neighboring section 62, the skiving tool 100 is inclined towards the work piece 60. The tilt angle δ amounts to −10 degrees here.
Preferably, in all embodiments, the skiving tool 100 has a mantle shape or a base shape having a collision contour that tapers to the rear. To this end, the mantle shape or base shape may be composed, e.g., of a cylindrical portion and truncated-cone-shaped (conical) portion. Preferably, at least the skiving-wheel-type portions 101 of the skiving tool 100 has a tapering collision contour, as shown in the
However, the skiving tool 100 may have any other shape, as shown by way of indication, e.g., in
A machine 200, which is designed for skiving according to the invention, comprises a CNC control 201, which enables a coupling of the axes R1 and R2, respectively a coordination of the movements of the axes. The CNC control 201 may be a part of the machine 200, or it may be implemented externally and suitable for a communication-specific connection 202 with the machine 200. The corresponding machine 200 comprises a so-called “electronic gear train”, respectively “electronic or control-specific coupling of axes” in order to perform a relative movement of the skiving tool 100 with respect to the inner-toothed power skived work piece 70. The coupledly moving of the skiving tool 100 and the work piece 70 is performed such that during the machining phase, a relative movement between the skiving tool 100 and the work piece 70 results, which corresponds to a relative movement of a helical gear. The electronic gear train, respectively the electronic or control-specific coupling of axes enables a synchronization in terms of the rotational frequency of at least two axes of the machine 200. Herein, at least the rotation axis R1 of the tool spindle 170 is coupled with the rotation axis R2 of the work piece spindle 180. In addition, preferably in all embodiments, the rotation axis R2 of the work piece spindle is coupled with the axial feed 203 in the direction R1. The movement of the axial feed 203 is represented in
Preferably, a machine 200 comes to application, which is based on a vertical arrangement, as shown in
In addition, a machine 200 which is designed for the modified skiving according to the invention, cares for the correct complex geometrical and kinematical machine settings and axes movements of the axes mentioned above. Preferably, in all embodiments, the machine has six axles. Five of these axles were already described. As a sixth axle, an axle may be conceived, which enables a linear relative movement of the work piece 50, 60, 70 with respect to the skiving tool 100. This linear relative movement is indicated in
The modified skiving method can be applied dry or wet in all embodiments, wherein the dry skiving is preferred.
In all embodiments, the work piece 50, 60, 70 may be pre-toothed or untoothed. For an untoothed work piece, the skiving tool 100 works into the massive material.
In all embodiments, the work piece 50, 60, 70 may be post-machined, preferably through application of a planishing method.
The modified skiving described and claimed herein offers a high productivity and flexibility.
The application spectrum of the modified skiving is large and extends to the manufacturing of rotational-symmetric periodic structures.
The modified skiving described herein enables high rates of material removal. At the same time, it enables to achieve favorable surface structures on tooth flanks and other machined surfaces.
In the modified skiving, material is progressively removed from the work piece 50, 60, 70 until the teeth, respectively the tooth gaps or other periodic structures, are formed completely.
The modified skiving concerns a high performance method that has significant potentials in the machining time. In addition to the low cycle times, the tool costs are relatively low. All these aspects contribute to the particular cost effectiveness of the modified skiving.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20 2011 050 054 U | May 2011 | DE | national |
11167702 | May 2011 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2012/058149 | 5/3/2012 | WO | 00 | 11/6/2013 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2012/152659 | 11/15/2012 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2598327 | Wildhaber | May 1952 | A |
3264940 | Wildhaber | Aug 1966 | A |
3399599 | Looman | Sep 1968 | A |
3570367 | Looman | Mar 1971 | A |
4066001 | Nishijima | Jan 1978 | A |
8939687 | Heinemann | Jan 2015 | B2 |
20120148360 | Heinemann | Jun 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
243514 | Feb 1912 | DE |
10 46 445 | Dec 1958 | DE |
41 22 460 | Apr 1992 | DE |
10 2009 003601 | Sep 2010 | DE |
Entry |
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EPO machine translation of DE 4122460, printed Feb. 2016. |
English translation of the International Search Report for International Application No. PCT/EP2012/058149, dated Jun. 28, 2012. |
English translation of the Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority for International Application No. PCT/EP2012/058149, dated Nov. 6, 2013. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20140079498 A1 | Mar 2014 | US |