From the Shop

The 4 Most Important Gear Manufacturing Processes

Gear manufacturing may sound like a single, straightforward process, but in reality, there are many different machines, techniques, and approaches that gear manufacturers use to produce gears. Why do we need so many different approaches?

Part of the reason is the number of gear types that are available. While spur gears are common and easily recognizable as the “classic” gear shape, internal gears and angled bevel gears require a wholly different manufacturing process.

So what are the main processes we use in gear manufacturing?

  1. Milling. First, there’s milling, which as you may have guessed, requires a milling machine. Milling machines can be used for a wide variety of gears, relying on a form cutting passing through a pre-existing “blank” to cut out the shape of a gear. Compared to newer practices, milling isn’t as precise, so it’s seeing less use in the modern era.
  2. Hobbing. Next, there’s hobbing. Gear hobbing is similar to milling, since it relies on a type of cutting from an existing blank, but the process is continuous, relying on a special tool called a hob. The big advantage here is a much higher productivity rate.
  3. Shaping. Gear shaping is used for gears that may not be possible or efficient if created using gear hobbing, such as internal gears, cluster gears, or rack and pinions. It relies on a rotating cutting tool.
  4. Bevel cutting. Bevel gears are a strange animal, since they require specialized equipment to create. There are actually many types of bevel gear cutting machines, one for each “type” of bevel gear (such as Hypoid gears).

These are just four of the main processes we use to create gears, almost all of which rely on removal to gradually cut the gear into shape. If you’re interested in learning more, or if you’re ready to get a quote for your next project, make sure to contact Federal Gear today!

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