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A shaping machine cuts teeth on gears using a cutting bit with teeth of the same pitch and shape as those of the completed gear. The bit reciprocates vertically while the gear blank rotates to facilitate cutting around its entire circumference. This process is repeated until the gear is complete, with a constant stream of oil directed to the cutting point for lubrication. Most shaping machines are operated by CNC systems for precise control.
A shaping machine is a machine that cuts teeth on external or internal helical and spur gears with a cutting bit having teeth of the same pitch and shape as those of the completed gear. The bit reciprocates vertically relative to the gear blank, thus shearing off material with each downward stroke. Once the downstroke is completed, the drill clears the blank and rises for the next stroke. Once the top of the upstroke is reached, the bit snaps back into position and lowers to make another cut. During this process, the blank is rotated to facilitate cutting of the teeth around its entire circumference.
There are several engineering processes that go into making spur and helical gears, gear wheels and racks. The shaping machine is one of the most common of these machining processes and can cut both external and internal gears of all sizes. Unlike rotary processes such as hobbing, a milling machine uses a cutting bit that follows an alternate vertical path to cut gear teeth. The cutting tip has tooth-shaped cutting edges of the same pitch and shape as those on the completed gear and runs vertically on a reciprocating piston. The gear blank rotates on its axis in the machine but does not move into position during the cut.
During cutting operations, the shaper positions the raw gear and cutting bit on axes parallel to each other in the same manner as completed, meshing gears. The cutting cycle begins with the drill bit being stroked down against the circumferential face of the gear blank resulting in the removal of a nominal amount of material. At the bottom of the stroke, the bit is moved a short distance from the coarse gear and raised to the top of the stroke. There it returns to the cutting position and lowers itself again to make the next cut. During this process the gear blank rotates to advance the position of the cut.
This process is repeated continuously until the entire circumference of the gear has been cut. During the cut, the bit is also advanced towards the blank of the gear, progressively deepening the cuts until the gear is complete. While cutting, a constant stream of oil is directed to the cutting point which lubricates the bit and makes it easier to cut and remove metal chips or swarf. Very large gears are typically cut or roughed before final finishing on the shaping machine to speed production. Most shaping machines are operated by computer numerical control (CNC) systems which provide highly accurate and precise control of the cutting process.
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