Other Machining
Turning
Turning, which occurs early in the manufacturing process, involves rotating the bar stock or forging while a single point cutting tool is moved parallel to the axis of rotation and removes material. China Gear utilizes CNC turning equipment for high accuracy of a wide variety of part profiles.
Broaching
At China Gear, broaching is typically used to cut keyways into the gear’s internal diameter for the purpose of mounting the gear on a shaft. The broaching process involves a toothed tool, or broach bar, that is pulled across the surface of the part to remove material. The broach bar is similar in shape to a saw, with the exception that the height of the teeth increases over the length of the tool.
Inertia Welding
Inertia welding, also known as friction welding, involves the fusion of two components through the heat generated by mechanical friction. To perform this operation, a work piece rotating at high rpm is quickly driven into a mating stationary component. This process is beneficial in the production of parts with complex geometry.
ID Grinding
ID (Internal Diameter) Grinding is performed by placing the work piece securely in a holding fixture, which rotates the part in place. A grinding wheel, which is smaller than the internal diameter of the part, rotates in the opposite direction as grinding occurs and material is removed.
OD Grinding
OD (External Diameter) Grinding is performed by placing the work piece between the centers of a holding fixture. The work piece is then rotated and contacts the grinding wheel that is rotating in the opposite direction, thus removing material.
Lapping
When gears are heat treated, the teeth will typically develop a slight amount of heat treat distortion that will need to be adjusted. For some bevel gears, the teeth will receive final adjustment to the tooth contact pattern and surface finish by the lapping process. The lapping process involves running a bevel pinion with a mating gear using a slurry of abrasive material on the teeth.