Hobbing is a technique that uses precision machines to create ideal gear tooth configurations for machinery components. Custom bits are used to ensure the gear’s pitch and circle are correct, and computer software drives the machinery. Custom gear making is still practiced, but typically for simpler machines. Gear making has been around for thousands of years and will continue to advance with technology.
Hobbing is a technique used to create ideal gear tooth configurations for use in a wide variety of machinery components. Where this occurs in a mass production environment, it is accomplished through the use of precision machines which ensure that the cut of each tooth on each gear produced meets the specifications set by the manufacturer.
Generally, a gear hobber will make use of a set of custom bits that help create the specific types of cut and shape needed to create gears that possess exactly the right pitch and circle to work in various types of equipment. A custom drill bit is used for a particular size and type of gear, which helps ensure that the cuts that are made into the blank surface of the metal circle are relatively smooth and even.
Precision cutters drive the bits, with most of the more sophisticated machinery driven by computer software rather than a human’s eye and hand. The exacting nature of the cuts made into the gear face helps ensure that the ratio of pitch, depth and angle of the teeth is uniform and will work perfectly when installed in machines requiring this size and type of gear.
The creation of custom gears is still practiced in many cultures around the world. Essentially, creating your own gear will involve tools and bits that are used to shape the basic shape of the gear and then to slowly and meticulously form each of the gear’s teeth. Often, this also requires the artist to have access to the machine that will eventually house the gears, so the fit of the teeth can be tested time to time, ensuring an acceptable fit. Jobs of this type can involve materials such as hardwood. Typically, this manual process produces gears created for simpler types of non-motor machines.
Gear making is a craft that has been around for thousands of years and has benefited mankind in a number of ways. As technology continues to advance, new ways to make gears faster and more efficiently will likely advance the art, leading to even more precise gear setups.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
