Q) Is this method of manufacture costlier than Hobbing?
A) No, The cost of the part program is close to the cost of purchasing the carbide hob cutter. Unlike the part program, the hob cutter has finite life. The CNC milling machine need not be large size, even if the gears are! Most machine shops already have CNC milling machines available.

Q) To what extent will the tooth profile generated by this method vary from results acheved by hobbing?
A) Theoritically, there is no limit to the accuracy with which we can machine the profile. However, the more the acuracy required, the more the number of passes & cycle time. Typically there is a limit on the number of gashes on the hob cutter, which leaves behind characteristic markings on the tooth profile. For reasonibility of production cost without compromise on quality, we try to achieve a result equivalent to those of a typical hob cutter. We provide 2 extra part programs at no extra charge. One will result in improved cycle time, while the other will result in improved profile accuracy. You can decide which of the 3 part programs gives you the result you are looking for.

Q) How much cycle time will the component take?
A) The cycle time depends on the Machine spindle RPM & cutter. For a machine spindle of 30000 RPM, the cycle time would be about be 12 min considering depth of cut about 1mm for a worm wheel of about 3.5 inch center distance.

Q) What sort of clamping will be required? Where is the work offset?
A) The component needs to be concentric & rigidly attached to the 4th axis, also using tailstock support. The work offset will be the center of 'component' in all 3 axis. We will consider the 'component' to be the portion of the material on which the tooth profile is to be formed excluding all bosses, hubs, shafts, etc. Accurate work offset settings will ensure accurate results.

Q) Do you carry out the design calculations for the gear set?
A) No. We only assist in the manufacture of the gear set on a VMC. We need you to tell us the specifications of the gear to be manufactured.

Q) Can the part program be run straight away without any modifications?
A) No. You need to provide the start and end portion of the part program. This will include all preparatory commands needed by your machine / controller like speed, feedrate, offset, tool starting position, spindle start, coolant on, tool call, etc. We will only provided the axis movements for generating the profile.

Q) My controller does not have DNC, or has slow serial communication!
A) We can reduce the size of the part program to fit in the available memory, compromising slightly on the tooth profile detail.

Q) My machine only has 4 axis. How do I make the worm shaft?
A) We can achieve the same either by special fixturing or special tooling without compromising cycle time or accuracy.

Q) There is a limit to the size of file that our email can receive.
A) We can send you the data on a pen drive or CD at extra charge.

Q) Can you provide us with this service for any other type of gear, other than worm reduction?
A) Please inform us of your requirements, and we may be interested to develop the same.

Q) If after we receive the part program, we find that we require some changes, will there be any extra charge?
A) If the changes required by you are minor, then we would be happy to offer you our support free of cost. Major changes will be at a charge. All support will be by email. We will not be able to visit your premises.

Q) What does your Guaranty cover.
A) We are only offering our services in good faith. We do not offer any Guaranty towards the end result. We are however providing you with an IGES file containing the simulated result after machining. Actual results may defer depending on machine rigidity & accuracy, CNC Controller features, setup errors, cutter runout, etc. If you face any problem, we will make every effort to assist you to resolve the same by email. We will not be able to visit your premises.
We do not take any responsibility of any accidents that may happen to your machine/s either directly or indirectly from usage of our part programs. We are however providing you with an AVI file containing the entire machining simulation based on the tool paths being provided to you which you can verify before running the program.

Q) Are our payments refundable for any reason whatsoever?
A) No. We will initially study your application to ensure that we have a clear understanding of your requirements. Once we are confident, we will give you a quote & request you to make payment. Till then, please do not make any payments. Once the payment is made, it will not be refunded. If subsequently, we feel that we are unable to successfully generate the part program, then we will refund the payment to you within 30 days.

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