GEAR SOLUTIONS MAGAZINE

 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN GENERATING GEAR GRINDING

Your Resource for Machines, Services, and Tooling for the Gear Industry

ISSUE FOCUS

Forging/Casting | Gear Grinding

 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN
GENERATING
GEAR GRINDING
COMPANY
PROFILE

LAWLER GEAR CORP.

MAY 2018

MAY 2018
gearsolutions.com
 Achieving Increased Profits and Response Times
with Modular Vacuum, Atmosphere Furnaces

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is what the ATLAS and TITAN ® delivered. Now
after having performed some pre-training, I would
say what stands out the most for both are the
ease of use and control of the equipment.”
– Continuous Improvement Manager

Customer Story

www.IpsenUSA.com Discover this customer’s winning outcome:

go.IpsenUSA.com/Customer-Stories

IpsenUSA.com
Whatever your needs, we’ve got you covered!
We’re all g-EARS

www.toolink-eng.com

303-776-6212
 WE WANT YOU
We’re Now

HIRING
Problem solvers, team players, gearheads, tinkerers, animal
lovers, and mechanical geniuses to fill these positions:

Quality Assurance Gearing Supervisor: Manufacturing

Manager Gear Grinding, Process Engineer
Hobbing, Shaping

Supervisor: CNC Machining

Secondary For more information, and to Supervisor:
Operations apply on-line, visit: Milling, OD/ID
www.forestcitygear.com/careers Grinding, Turning

Set-Up Machinist: Set-Up Machinist: Machinist:

Gear Shaping Gear Hobbing CNC Lathe

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2     gearsolutions.com
FEATURES

30
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
IN GENERATING GEAR GRINDING
Seeking an overview of a process so critical to the gear manufacturing industry,
Gear Solutions reached out to a longtime expert on gear grinding technology.
By DWIGHT SMITH

LUBRICATION AND WEAR IN FORGING

34 Although lubricant is continuously exposed to changing pressures and velocities,
and differing degrees of wear, a dynamic equilibrium – and, therefore, realistic data
– may be attained through careful control.
By K.D. CLARKE and C.J. VAN TYNE

MEETING MANUFACTURING TOLERANCES

WITH FE-BASED DESIGN
This article discusses an FE-based method for the design of robust tooth flank
48
modifications for cylindrical and planetary gear stages.
By PROF. DR.-ING. C. BRECHER

ON THE CUTTING EDGE

60 COMPANY PROFILE  Lawler Gear is about to celebrate 40 years of
supplying its customers with a variety of gears, CNC gear hobbing, gearbox
rebuilding, and many other services.
By KENNETH CARTER

May 2018     3
 Manufacturers of:

and Universal Gear Company

1605 Industrial Drive
Auburn, CA 95603
Phone: (530) 885-1939
Fax: (530) 885-8157

4     gearsolutions.com
 MAY 2018  |  VOLUME 16, NUMBER 5
DEPARTMENTS
INDUSTRY
8 NEWS
Reports, data, and developments to keep
you aware of what’s happening with your
colleagues in the gear-manufacturing
industry around the country and world.
EMAG annual Technology Days set for June Big Kaiser Precision Tooling celebrates
6-7 in Detroit. 70th anniversary.

19
In this section, the premier supporter of gear manufacturing in the United American
States and beyond shares news of the organization’s activities, upcoming
educational and training opportunities, technical meetings and seminars, Gear Manufacturers
standards development, and the actions of AGMA councils and committees. Association

MATERIALS TOOTH HOT

24 MATTER 26 TIPS 28 SEAT
JOHN SILVESTRO & E. BUDDY DAMM BRIAN DENGEL D. SCOTT MACKENZIE

FORGING THE NEXT GENERATION INCREASING SURFACE CONTACT WATER IN OIL-BASED QUENCHANTS
IN GEAR QUALITY WITH GROUND GEARS CAN BE PROBLEMATIC
High-quality forgings and advanced steel Grinding removes surface imperfections, Water in quench oil can cause fires and
technologies are critical for enhanced increasing the surface contact area explosions, along with the resulting
performance. Improvements in steel while improving the accuracy of the tooth equipment destruction and downtime. Here’s
cleanness and manufacturing are profile, resulting in a higher quality gear. what you should know to avoid such a
producing better products. scenario.

PRODUCT Q&A
64 SHOWCASE 76
New products, trends, services and
developments in the gear industry.

RESOURCES
73 SUPPLIER LISTINGS

74 MARKETPLACE ERIK SPURLING

ADVERTISER INDEX
Director of sales,
75 Forest City Gear
COVER PHOTO: RAVE GEARS

Gear Solutions (ISSN 1933 - 7507) is published monthly by Media Solutions, Inc., 266D Yeager Parkway, Pelham, AL 35124. Phone (205) 380-1573 Fax
(205) 380-1580 International subscription rates: $72.00 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Pelham AL and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the
USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gear Solutions magazine, P.O. Box 1210, Pelham, AL 35124. Publications mail agreement No. 41395015
return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 503 RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B4R6. Copyright ©2006 by Media Solutions, Inc.
All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any
information storage-and-retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. The views expressed by those not on the staff on Gear Solutions
magazine, or who are not specifically employed by Media Solutions, Inc., are purely their own. All “Industry News” material has either been submitted by the
subject company or pulled directly from their corporate website, which is assumed to be cleared for release. Comments and submissions are welcome, and can
be submitted to editor@gearsolutions.com.

May 2018     5
 FROM THE
EDITOR David C. Cooper
PUBLISHER

Chad Morrison
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Gear grinding and forging/casting EDITORIAL

take this issue’s spotlight Kenneth Carter
EDITOR

S queezing metal into a mold to forge a gear and pouring hot metal into a mold to cast
one are often two sides of a very important coin when it comes to creating gears.
That’s why Gear Solutions takes an issue to focus on these important processes of gear
Russ Willcutt
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

manufacturing. Jennifer Jacobson

This month’s issue tackles that, as well as gear grinding — another vital part of making ASSOCIATE EDITOR
sure gears reach their final destination with the detailed specifications required of them.
In our Focus section, I am happy to share with you an extremely detailed paper from
SALES
ASM International on lubrication and wear in forging. In it, experts from the Colorado
School of Mines, K.D. Clarke and C.J. Van Tyne, discuss how even though lubricant is Chad Morrison
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
continuously exposed to changing pressures and velocities, as well as differing degrees
of wear, a dynamic equilibrium can be attained through careful control. Dave Gomez
In the gear grinding department, Dwight Smith with the Machine Tool Division of REGIONAL SALES MANAGER
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc., shares his insights on how generating gear
grinding has met with continuous improvement.
CIRCULATION
Our features don’t end there. I’ve also included an informative article that discusses
an FE-based method for the design of robust tooth flank modifications for cylindrical Teresa Cooper
and planetary gear stages. MANAGER

In our Q&A, Forest City Gear’s Erik Spurling talks about FCG’s quest to make sure cus- Jamie Willett
tomers know the company can handle the high-volume jobs as well as the low-volume ones. ASSISTANT
For our company profile, we revisit an old friend in Lawler Gear. We talked with Cole Morrison
President Ray Lawler when Gear Solutions was just getting started. Now, 15 years later, we ASSISTANT
wanted to catch up with Lawler and find out what he’s done with Lawler Gear to keep it
on the cutting edge of the gear business.
And an issue of Gear Solutions wouldn’t be complete without the expert advice from ART
our knowledgeable columnists. From Hot Seat to Materials Matter to Tooth Tips, each of Rick Frennea
our contributors always offers some interesting information often conveyed in a unique CREATIVE DIRECTOR
fashion.
Michele Hall
Yes, May is finally here. Schools are about to be out, and the weather — if you live in GRAPHIC DESIGNER
my neck of the woods — is about to become unbearably hot.
So grab our latest issue and take it to the pool. It may not keep you cool, but the gear
information inside certainly is. CONTRIBUTING
As always, thanks for reading! WRITERS
K.D. CLARKE
C.J. VAN TYNE DANIEL PIEL
DWIGHT SMITH D. SCOTT MACKENZIE
C. BRECHER JOHN SILVESTRO
C. LÖPENHAUS E. BUDDY DAMM
JULIAN THELING BRIAN DENGEL
MARIUS SCHROERS JILL JOHNSON

KENNETH CARTER, editor Vertical Logo

Gear Solutions magazine

editor@gearsolutions.com
(800) 366-2185 x204

Coop w
PUBLISHED BY MEDIA SOLUTIONS, INC.
P. O. Box 1987 • Pelham, AL 35124
(800) 366-2185 • (205) 380-1580 fax
David C. Cooper Chad Morrison
PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT

Teresa Cooper
6     gearsolutions.com OPERATIONS
FELLOWS 50-8/50-12 GEAR SHAPERS
HYDROSTROKE SHAPERS • REMANUFACTURED IN 2017

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343 JOHN DOWNEY DRIVE • NEW BRITAIN, CT 06051-2907 • PHONE 860-223-7778 • FAX 860-223-7776 • JEFF@NEWENGLANDGEAR.COM
Xxxxxxxx  201X     7
 INDUSTRY
NEWS
The VT 4 Vertical Lathe features short cycle times, high precision, and safe processing for shaft machining in
the power transmission area. (Courtesy: EMAG)
EMAG annual Technology
Days set for June 6-7
in Detroit
EMAG L.L.C., a long-time leader in vertical
turning centers and other machining tech-
nologies, plans to hold its annual Technology
Days at the North American headquarters in
Farmington Hills, Michigan (Detroit), June
6–7. On June 6, the event will run from noon
until 9 p.m. On June 7, from 8 a.m. until
2:30 p.m. The event will include a variety
of machine tools under power for live dem-
onstrations, plus a series of technical and
market presentations by industry experts
from the company. Topics will cover all the
machining and joining technologies EMAG
currently brings to the market, including
SEND US YOUR NEWS Companies wishing to submit materials for inclusion in Industry News should contact the editor,
Kenneth Carter, at editor@gearsolutions.com. Releases accompanied by color images will be given first consideration.
8     gearsolutions.com
NEW TRENDS, SERVICES & DEVELOPMENTS
vertical milling, ECM, laser, and induction
hardening. The keynote presentations will
be a discussion of innovative propulsion sys-
tems on June 6 and E-mobility trends and the
impact on the traditional manufacturing
landscape in the automotive supply chain on
June 7. The event will be led by CEO of EMAG
L.L.C. for North America Peter Loetzner.
Other featured speakers will be Michael
Robinet from HIS Markit and Brett Smith
from the Center for Automotive Research.
All interested parties are welcome to
attend this event at no cost. To register,
please visit: techdays.emag.com. This micro-
site contains the full agenda of presentations,
as well as the complete list of the equipment
being demonstrated.
Day one presentations on June 6 will
cover material science and technology,
while day two on June 7 will emphasize
machining and assembly.
During the event, a variety of production
machine tools will be on display for live dem-
onstrations or full inspection, including:
VT 4 Vertical Lathe: Short cycle times,
high precision, and safe processing for shaft
machining in the power transmission area.
Short chip-to-chip times in four-axis machin-
ing, workpiece grippers on two turrets, and
the EMAG vertical alignment technology
that eliminates chip clusters in the machin-
ing area highlight this VMC.
VL 4 Vertical Turning Machine: Increased
flexibility and diverse manufacturing capa-
bilities for soft and hard machining of compo-
nents up to 200mm diameters are offered by
this advanced machine design. Interlinking
of multiple machines for full production
automation is also made possible with the
flexible conveyor and workpiece chucking
arrangements.
VL 3 DUO Multi-Spindle Machine: This
CNC machine is an efficient twin-spindle
machine solution for chucked parts up to
150mm in diameter and expands the EMAG
offering in its VL Series. Each work area has
its own spindle for independent operation and
each tool turret has 12 positions, which can be
loaded with live or static tools. Features EMAG
TrackMotion for full automation, including
part flipping between OP 10 and OP 20.
VSC 400 Combined Turning and Grinding

Center: Vertical turning and grinding in one
machine, in a single setup. Other modules
can be attached for full turning, drilling,
milling, grinding, and even honing or hard-
ening. Typical workpieces include gearwheels,
chain wheels, sliding sleeves, CVT parts, con-
rods, rocker arms, bearing and piston rings.
The small footprint machine design virtually
eliminates the need for gantry loaders.
Also being shown in live demo mode is
the EMAG MIND-M 250, a compact modular
induction hardening machine.
EMAG engineers will be available to dis-
cuss the machines, the technologies and the
Industry 4.0 services offered by the company.
MORE INFO www.techdays.emag.com
 THEEMAGVL MACHINES
New director of sales to gies that make the sales process faster and
more efficient.” MAX. PERFORMANCE
manage national network Since 1955, Roscoe, Illinois, based, fam- GUARANTEED
at Forest City Gear
ily-owned Forest City Gear has been one of
the gear industry’s leading sources for the
HIGH FULL
development, manufacture, and inspection STRENGTH AUTOMATION
COMPACT
Forest City Gear has hired Erik J. Spurling of the highest quality gears, for use in appli-
as director of sales to oversee the activities cations that range from medical devices to
of the company’s network of direct and motorcycles, airplanes to automation, even
independent sales representatives nation- including the Mars Curiosity Rover.
wide, and to lead sales strategies that meet
the growing demands of a wide and diverse MORE INFO www.forestcitygear.com
customer base throughout the world’s gear-
making industries.
Spurling brings a Big Kaiser Precision
Tooling celebrates
wealth of sales and
marketing experi-
ence and a deep
familiarity with all
70th anniversary VERTICAL
MACHINING:
facets of inside and The precision tooling company founded by SAFE AND
outside sales and Heinz Kaiser in Rümlang, Switzerland, cel- EFFICIENT
customer ser v ice ebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
Erik J. Spurling pr ocesses, a long In 1948, 25-year-old Heinz Kaiser decided
with a strong back- to give up his permanent job and start his
ground in manufacturing. This back- own business near Zurich. His vision was
ground, combined with his extensive sales to advance the development of high-quality
and marketing leadership skills, made him tools needed to keep pace with the increas-
an ideal candidate for the new position, ing productivity of machine tool technology
Workpiece Workpiece
said Forest City Gear President and CEO at that time. diameter, max. diameter, max.
4 in. 8 in.
Wendy Young. Heinz Kaiser had clear goals in mind: Length, max. Length, max.
6 in. 8 in.
“Manufacturing the world’s best gears modern tools, manufactured in his own
has always been the company’s focus. Erik workshop, meeting high requirements. That
will help to elevate our sales efforts to that meant designing tools which were strong,
same level,” said Young. “Our sales force, well-balanced, and capable of boring precise
and the customers they serve, will benefit holes with high accuracy and surface qual-
greatly from new strategies and methodolo- ity. Over time, this commitment to ongoing
Workpiece Workpiece
diameter, max. diameter, max.
12 in. 16 in.
Length, max. Length, max.
10 in. 12 in.

HIGHLIGHTS
+ Smallfootprint=Reducedfloorspacecost
+ Simple workpiece conveyor & interlinking = Flexibility
andlowerautomationcosts
+ Integratedautomationfornoadditionalcost
+ Shorttraversedistances=Minimalidletime,
increasedperformance

+ Standardizedpartsstrategy=Lowmaintenancecosts
+ Machiningofchuckedparts=Standardizedmachine
platform
+ Operatorfriendly=Quickset-upandchange-over
+ Highenergyefficiency=Reducedenergycost

EMAG L.L.C.
38800 Grand River Avenue
Farmington Hills, MI 48335 · USA
Phone: +1 248 477-7440 · Fax: +1 248 477-7784
Big Kaiser Precision Tooling came into being in 1948. (Courtesy: Big Kaiser) E-Mail: info@usa.emag.com
www.emag.com
May 2018     9
INDUSTRY
NEWS
With the Haas VF2 milling center, Solar Atmosphere is now able to support the machining of flat tensile
specimens. (Courtesy: Solar Atmosphere)
research and development was enriched by
decades of experience in the design, manu-
facture and application of efficient cutting
solutions. The result was a complete range
of CKB (KAB) tool and clamping systems for
boring, milling, drilling, and external turn-
ing which are still widely used in industries
around the world today.
Now a member of the BIG Daishowa Group
of companies, Big Kaiser Precision Tooling
continues to have an integral role in the com-
pany’s worldwide R & D and manufacturing
strategy. The next generation of products
developed in Switzerland delivers connectiv-
ity essential to today’s smart manufacturing
environments. For example, the EWE Digital
Boring Heads enable repeatable and highly
precise cutting parameters (0.0001” and
finer) and connect to a smartphone or tablet
app to configure, monitor and track histori-
cal adjustments for multiple tools.
It has been 70 years since Heinz Kaiser
started his success story with strong will,
10     gearsolutions.com
much faith, and a little bit of luck. Many
things have changed in the world of manu-
facturing and technology, but not the qual-
ity standards of Big Kaiser Precision Tooling.
MORE INFO www.us.bigkaiser.com
Solar Atmospheres adds
milling center to support
tensile testing
Solar Atmospheres of Western PA recently
installed a second machining center to sup-
port its newest service for customers — ten-
sile testing.
By adding a brand new fully programma-
ble 8,100 rpm Haas VF2 milling center, Solar
is now able to support the machining of flat
tensile specimens. This machining abil-
ity fully complements the function of the
10,000 PSI hydraulic jaw that is an integral
component of the Tinius Olsen 300SL tensile
machine. These massive hydraulic jaws can
grip either threaded round or flat specimens.
Feedback from a recent customer satis-
faction survey revealed how important this
new mechanical testing service is to Solar’s
customer base. A user from Service Steel
Aerospace said, “The ‘in-house’ tensile test-
ing has improved our delivery performance
and we couldn‘t be happier.”
If mechanical testing is necessary, Solar
Atmospheres of Western PA can support
that need within hours after thermal pro-
cessing is complete. Solar is Nadcap and
Boeing approved for all room temperature
tensile testing.
MORE INFO www.solaratm.com
Mazak showcases
automation, machining
solutions at MMTS 2018
At the 2018 Montreal Manufacturing
Tec h nolog y Show ( M M T S ) , Ma za k
Corporation will show its automation and
machine tool solutions in action, including
a simulation of advanced robot machin-
ing techniques and live demonstrations on
the VC-500A/5X Vertical Machining Center
equipped with the optional 15,000-rpm
spindle and 60-tool magazine. Mazak will
be co-located with distributor A.W. Miller
Technical Sales Inc. in booth #136 for the
event, which takes place at Montreal’s Place
Bonaventure on May 14–16.
At Montreal Manufacturing Technology Show,
Mazak Corporation will offer demonstrations on the
VC-500A/5X Vertical Machining Center equipped
with the optional 15,000-rpm spindle and 60-tool
magazine. (Courtesy: Mazak)
 The Kentucky-built VC-500A/5X comes
standard equipped with a robust, high- per-
formance 12,000-rpm spindle that delivers
exceptional metal removal capabilities in all
common materials, including steel, alumi-
num, and cast iron. Optional spindle speeds
of 15,000 and 20,000 rpm and tool magazine
capacities of up to 60 tools are available to
address a variety of part-production require-
ments, while its trunnion-style rotary/tilt
table allows for highly accurate and cost-
effective full 5-axis machining.
Mazak’s Mazatrol SmoothX CNC on the
VC-500A/5X makes it easy to generate pro-
grams for highly complex parts production.
It has several advanced functions that allow
it to ensure the shortest possible machining
cycle times, especially in fine increment
programs for simultaneous 5-axis opera-
tions and free-form die and mold machin-
ing. These functions include high gain feed
forward control, fast rotary axis speeds,
variable acceleration control and intelligent
pocket milling.
The company also plans to demonstrate
its articulated robot solutions on a simulated
Mazak lathe. Mazak Automation Systems
offers a full range of pre-engineered and
custom automation solutions, including
everything from gantry loaders and bar
feeders to Palletech and the Mazatec Smart
Manufacturing System (SMS).
Primarily a customized type of product,
articulated robots can handle part transfers
and peripheral operations in addition to
simplifying the challenges associated with
heavy or awkwardly shaped parts. Whether
a manufacturer needs a simple two-joint
robot or a complex seven-joint robot, Mazak
strives to offer a range of options to ensure
customers can obtain increased throughput
and better part quality no matter their pro-
duction needs.
MORE INFO www.mazakusa.com
Sandvik Coromant
sponsors CCAM’s
Machining Research Day
Sandvik Coromant was a sponsor at the
Commonwealth Center for Advanced
Manufacturing (CCAM) Machining Research
Day, which was held recently at their facil-
ity in Prince George County, Virginia. With
a focus on current machining technologies
and challenges, the day included an impres-
sive speaker line-up and panel of industry
experts from manufacturing, academia, and
government.  great opportunity to gather industry lead-
The first of four machining focus days
for 2018, CCAM’s Machining Research Day
attracted manufacturers from aerospace
and other industries for an opportunity to
hear from industry experts about machin-
ing technologies and challenges. After the
morning speaker series, the afternoon ses-
sion included a panel discussion that includ-
ed Sandvik Coromant’s William Durow,
manager, Global Engineering Project Office.
ALD Thermal Treatment, Inc.
Global Service Centers
 Limbach-Oberfrohna
Germany

Port Huron, Michigan
USA
 Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila
Mexico
www.aldtt.net
ALD is a subsidiary of AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V.
CCAM’s Machining Research Day was a
ers and academia together in one room so
that we can hear and understand each oth-
er’s challenges,” said Durow. “New technolo-
gies are often developed in the academic
world but they struggle with finding an
avenue for that new concept. Connecting
academia with manufacturing allows us
to identify opportunities to bring that
technology into the manufacturing world.
Connecting people is important and this
High Tech is our Business
ALD is a leader in vacuum
process technology and Heat
treatment services.
LEADERS IN THE
CONTROL OF DISTORTION
+ Low Pressure Carburizing
+ High pressure gas quenching
+ Gas Nitriding
+ Ferritic Nitro-Carburizing
+ Plasma Carburizing
+ Normalizing
+ Hardening
+ Annealing
+ Brazing
+ Cryogenic Treatments
+ Engineering services and
process development
+ Prototype and trials
Enrique Lopez – Sales and Marketing
Email: sales@aldtt.net
Phone +1 (810) 357-0685
ALD Thermal Treatment, Inc.
2656 24th Street
Port Huron, MI 48060, USA
May 2018     11
 INDUSTRY
NEWS

forum was a perfect place to do that.”

The afternoon panel was moderated by
Dr. Sydney G. Roberts, director of Strategic
Partnerships at CCAM and was comprised
of industry experts from GF Machining
Solutions, Kyocera, and Sandvik Coromant
as well as academics from UNC Charlotte,
Advanced Manufacturing Research Center
(AMRC), and the Air Force Research Library.
Topics included education and the future
workforce, how to determine the biggest CCAM’s Machining Research Day included industry experts speaking about machining technologies and
opportunities for process optimization in challenges and a panel discussion. (Courtesy: Sandvik Coromant)

machining, handling new materials with

low machinability, the role that process

Sourcing Made Simple modeling will continue to play, and how

hybrid machining fits into the future.
The next focus day for CCAM was
Automation Research Day, scheduled for
April 25. The agenda was to address the
Intelligent Factory and challenges imple-
menting Industry 4.0/Industrial Internet of

Trusted Gear Blank Things concepts.

CCAM’s mission is to solve advanced
manufacturing problems for its members.

Supplier Since 1950 Trusted Gear Blank

Dr. Jaime Camelio, CCAM’s chief technol-
ogy officer, said CCAM “delivers value and

Supplier Since 19
ROI through process optimization, advanced
sensing and modeling, and simulation for
enhanced manufacturing.”
Consistent Quality MORE INFO www.sandvik.coromant.com
Consistent Quality
Broad Capability & Capacity Broad Capability & Capacity
Solar Atmospheres
Exceptional People
Exceptional People adds state-of-the-art
Trusted Gear Blank On-time Delivery
On-time Delivery Supplier Since 1950 10-bar furnace
Solar Atmospheres, Inc., in Souderton,
Consistent Quality ISO 9001 and TS 16949 registered. Presses up to
Pennsylvania, recently installed a state-of-
Broad Capability & Capacity
8800T andSolar
volumes up to 750K/year. Supported b
SO 9001 and TS 16949 registered. Presses
ExceptionalupPeople to the-art Manufacturing, Inc. 74” diam-
On-time Delivery in-house heat treat and an ISO 17025 metallurgic
eter by 72” deep horizontal internal quench
800T and volumes up to 750K/year. Supported by vacuum furnace at its Clearview Road
facility. The investment totals more than
n-house heat treat and an ISO 17025
8800T metallurgical
9001 and TS 16949
ISO 9001
and
4000T and
16949 registered.
volumes
volumesup
uptoto750K/year.
lab.
Pressesupuptoto
registered. Presses
750K/year.Supported
Supportedbyby $1.8 million, including additional utilities
in-house
in-househeat
heattreat
treatand
andananISO
ISO17025
17025metallurgical
metallurgicallab.
lab. and installation.
The furnace is designed to quench with
argon at 10-bar while using a 600-horse-
power motor running at 460 volts from a
variable speed drive and rear head moveable
gas baffle doors.
walkerforge.com walkerforge.com
| 414.223.2000 | 414.223.2000 The goal of the massive quench system
is to be able to quench larger batches of
power generation castings by increasing
the cooling rate and eliminating the supple-
mental use of helium and operating in 100
percent argon, which has proved success-
ful in operation. The furnace incorporates
Solar Manufacturing’s latest SolarVac® 5000
12     gearsolutions.com

Two Leadar Roll, Inc., 2,200-pound rolls, 4,400 pounds total, heated to 2,150°F, quenched in 10-bar N2 and
then tempered at 1,000°F. The core material is 4140 with outer case CPM9V, and the as-quenched hardness is
greater than Rockwell C 60. (Courtesy: Solar Atmospheres)
control system, which allows for complete
process automation.
“This furnace is a real game changer,” said
Mike Moyer, Solar’s director of sales.
MORE INFO www.solaratm.com
Siemens SCADA/IPC
Days 2018: New products,
communications tools
Earlier this year in San Antonio, Texas, approx-
imately 130 people gathered for four days of
product presentations, emerging technology
discussions, and a market trend outlook at
the Siemens Factory Automation SCADA/IPC
Days 2018. Members of the Siemens manage-
ment, sales, and support teams joined their
Solution Partners and a diverse assortment
of end-user companies from various market
segments to review new product offerings
in the IPC segment of the Siemens portfolio,
plus a number of new platforms in the SCADA
segment. The event was hosted by the prod-
uct marketing teams for Factory Automation,
based in Norcross, Georgia.
A series of presentations were made on
day two to the entire group by Siemens
management and technical thought lead-
ers, covering the digital factory strategy
and the company’s forward-thinking move
to digitalization, the current theme for the
Siemens marketing message across its entire
60 YEARS
ON THE
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Then
and…
NOW
60 Year s o n t h e
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Southern Gear & Machine is celebrating
60 years of leading the way in custom
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Southern Gear
precision gear manufacturing. Our
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the group was that digitalization will hall-
of gear manufacturing, providing the
mark the factory of the future and SCADA highest quality gears to the world’s most
will be the “digital doorway for data” in that demanding industries.
rapid evolutionary process, as it affects all
industries, both discrete and process.
There were also presentations on cloud
computing and edge computing, the con-
Southern Gear & Machine is celebrating
stituent elements of the digitalization trend,
comprising both hardware and software ele- 60 years of leading the way in custom
ments. This discussion led directly into the precision gear manufacturing. Our
program’s introduction of various new thin ongoing investment in technology and
client IPC product offerings and the latest personnel keeps us on the cutting edge
version of SIMATIC WinCC SCADA systems. of gear manufacturing, providing the
In addition to the technical presentations
highest quality gears to the world’s most
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workshops, tagged the Wisdom Series by the sales@southerngear.net
event coordinators.
The final day offered direct consultation Cutting Edge Technology in Experienced Hands
from Siemens product specialists gathered at
SoGearMarch2017GearSolutions.indd 1 2/20/1713
May 2018      8:52:41 AM
INDUSTRY
NEWS

the event, including the Solutions Partners,

who represent the system integrator commu-
nity at Siemens, as they bring the products,
application engineering, installation and ser-
vice, plus related data gathering and process
control products to the process industries.
In addition, those interested in becoming a
WinCC Specialist were offered the opportu-
nity to take their certification test.
Guest instructors were present during
the workshop sessions to discuss such topics
as Automation for Networks, Using WinCC
to Build a Toolbox, Batch Tracking Made
Easier with WinCC Archives, Mindsphere
and Cybersecurity, and the Industrial PC
of tomorrow. Rapidly developing MindApps
for performance optimization on all types
of industrial manufacturing and process
machines were also discussed in detail, as
Siemens seeks to assist its customer base
and machine builders alike to gather, pro-
cess, analyze and apply relevant data. Such
data allow better process control and KPI
development, plus have positive uses for
machine liability, insurance, warranty and
even energy saving calculations.
Allessandra Da Silva leading the industrial PCs workshop at the Siemens Factory Automation SCADA/IPC Days
MORE INFO usa.siemens.com 2018. (Courtesy: Siemens)

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14     gearsolutions.com
2018 looking good for
international parts2clean
show in Stuttgart
Wherever industrial parts are manufac-
tured or processed, parts cleaning technol-
ogy is critical for the successful outcome of
downstream manufacturing processes, and
for the quality of the finished product. High
standards of cleanliness are required, involv-
ing the removal of particulate residues and
surface films — and the standards are get-
ting more demanding all the time.
In order to remain competitive, compa-
nies around the world are under pressure to
clean their parts to the required standards
at the lowest possible cost. They can only
do this, however, by reviewing and opti-
mizing their processes on a regular basis.
Parts2clean, which takes place October At parts2clean, visitors have the opportunity to get informed about topics of particular interest to them
23–25 at the Stuttgart Exhibition Center, is regarding every single step of the industrial parts and surface cleaning process. (Courtesy: Deutsche Messe)
a prime international source of the neces-
sary parts cleaning know-how as well as an percent of the show’s attendees play a role actual purchasing intent,” said Olaf Daebler,
ideal buyers’ platform. in their companies’ procurement decisions. global director of parts2clean at Deutsche
The market relevance of parts2clean is Moreover, “81 percent of the professionals Messe. “Nearly half were planning invest-
underscored by the fact that as many as 87 who attended parts2clean in 2017 came with ments in excess of 100,000 euros.” In 2017,

Registered User

May 2018     15
INDUSTRY
NEWS

the International Trade Fair for Industrial
Parts and Surface Cleaning was attended
by some 4,900 trade professionals from 41
countries.
For participating exhibitors in 2017, all
this added up to many targeted inquiries
and promising new leads, as well as orders
placed on the spot. It therefore comes as no
surprise that by mid-February of 2018, more
than 80 companies had already made firm
stand bookings for the next show, with vir-
tually all the market and technology lead-
ers in each display category on board. These
solution providers cover plant and instal-
lations, processes, process media and their
conditioning for the degreasing, cleaning
and pre-treatment of parts and components,
handling and process automation, washer
baskets and pallets, cleanroom technology,
quality assurance, test methods and analyti-
cal procedures for cleanliness inspection,
corrosion protection, preservation and pack-
aging, as well as contract cleaning.
Parts2clean is known to users around
the world as a valuable source of orientation
and know-how. The show’s reputation owes
much to the bilingual Industry Forum offer-
ing simultaneously translated lectures and
presentations (in English and German) on
every conceivable aspect of industrial parts
and surface cleaning.
Guided tours will be offered on all three
days of the show, in both English and German.
The tours will give visitors the opportunity
to get informed about topics of particular
interest to them regarding every single step
of the industrial parts and surface cleaning
process. Participating exhibitors can present
their products and innovations to a highly

Why ETC?
receptive audience, right at their stands, giv-
ing them a prime opportunity to generate
interest and leads.

MORE INFO www.messe.de

Tenova is founding
NEW and RECONDITIONED member of European
CUTTER BODIES for Sale.
Steel Technology Platform
Tenova, together with 12 other leading
industrial and research stakeholders from
the wider steel value chain across Europe,
will cooperate to implement solutions for
and in the EU steel industry under a newly
independent entity, the European Steel
Technology Platform (ESTEP) AISBL.
The legal establishment of ESTEP as an
international nonprofit organization under
Belgian law was announced by Klaus Peters,
secretary general of the new organization,
on March 26, 2018. Its mission is to engage
stakeholders in collaborative actions and
projects on technology and innovation, tack-
ling EU-wide steel innovation challenges in

Customer Service, Speed, Quality, & Value

order to create a sustainable European steel
industry. These challenges include digitiza-
tion, fostering a low-carbon future for indus-

ETC
Choose the stick that works,
cause work doesn’t stop!
2710 West Caro Rd.
Caro, MI 48723
Phone: (989) 673-8733
1307 E. Maple Rd., Suite “G”
Troy, MI 48083
Phone: (248) 619-1616
engineeredtools.com
16     gearsolutions.com
Engineered Tools Corporation
Complete line of Bevel Gear Tooling
Cutter Body Reconditioning to O.E.M. Specifications
Cutter Body Maintenance Program
Precise Wire EDM Forms for Stick Blades
try, the circular economy, and resource and
energy efficiency.
The 13 founding members are EUROFER,
ArcelorMittal Maizières Research, Dillinger,
Outokumpu, Tenova, Rina Consulting – CSM,
Swerea, Tata Steel Nederland Technology,
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, voestalpine
Stahl, VDEh – BFI, Jernkontoret, and
Salzgitter.
ESTEP already has a track record of suc-
cess over a number of years, during which
it has operated under the umbrella of the
European Steel Association (EUROFER).
“We decided to be a founding member
of ESTEP because we believe that Tenova,
as provider of innovative and sustainable
solutions, can bring a valid contribution to
the attainment of the new organization’s
strategic mission. Collaboration among
multiple stakeholders creates synergies to
further step up the efforts toward a sustain-
able EU steel industry,” said Andrea Lovato,
Tenova CEO.
Tenova’s strong commitment to sup-
port ESTEP in enhancing innovation and
sustainability across the industry was
confirmed by the appointment of Roberto
Pancaldi, Tenova Metals CEO, to the Board
of Directors, together with Axel Eggert,
EUROFER; Carl De Maré, ArcelorMittal; and
Eva Sundin, Swerea).
of 12 scholarships are available to students
each year for the five-year period. Eleven
awards per year are available to first through
fourth year students, awarded based on aca-
demic achievement. The 12th award is the
Sandvik Coromant Leadership award, which
is granted to the top student who demon-
strates initiative, creativity, leadership with
their fellow students, and enthusiasm in
conjunction with academic achievement.
The NAIT Sandvik Coromant Centre for
Machinist Technology is a state-of-the-art
facility used for all machinist programs
for hands-on training, machine time, and
coursework. The Centre includes four CNC
machinist labs, a metrology lab, and a cen-
tralized tool crib, as well as smart classrooms,
computer labs, and office for instructors and
support staff.
Randy Bossie said, “The instructors at
NAIT are highly qualified and do a great
job preparing students for careers in manu-
facturing. NAIT’s modern facilities show stu-
dents the high-tech and contemporary side

FORGING
“It’s an honor to be granted a seat in the
Board. I really appreciate the activities that
ESTEP has been carrying on throughout
the years and I am confident that Tenova’s
commitment and positive attitude at coop-
erating will be an asset to the organization,”

AHEAD
Pancaldi said.

MORE INFO www.tenova.com

Sandvik Coromant and

NAIT celebrate continued
partnership
Sandvik Coromant and the Northern
Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
recently extended their contract until
2022. The partnership renewal ceremony
was on April 19, 2018, at the NAIT Sandvik
OF THE PACK
Coromant Centre for Machinist Technology
in Edmonton.
Sandvik Coromant and NAIT celebrat-
ed their decade-long partnership with a
contract extension that will be in effect
until December 31, 2022. Thomas Henry,
Americas Partner Marketing Manager, and
Canada Country Manager Randy Bossie were
present from Sandvik Coromant.
Dr. Glenn Feltham, president and CEO Fast.
of NAIT, said, “I want to thank Sandvik
Coromant for their incredible support of our
No Fine Print.
Machinist program — they are both a friend No Premium.
and partner of NAIT. Through their gift, they
are ensuring our students are learning on
At McInnes Rolled Rings, we provide quality
the very latest equipment, and they have the products, shipped fast. And we partner that with
support needed to pursue their education by exceptional customer service to forge the perfect
establishing scholarships.” partnership with our customers.
The three-part gift to the polytechnic
from Sandvik Coromant includes a gift in
kind for equipment, funds to support capital
and operating needs for the NAIT Machinist
1.877.695.0301  www.McInnesRolledRings.com
Program, and a scholarship program. A total
May 2018     17
INDUSTRY
NEWS

of machining that they may not associate

with manufacturing. We see first-hand the
the students receive from NAIT. They are
prepared to start working on day one when Hexagon Manufacturing
benefit of the training the students receive
at NAIT — one of our technical sales engi-
entering the workforce, and we are pleased
that our support provides an immediate
Intelligence spotlights
neers out of Edmonton, Mike Oostenbrink, impact to the program. Programs like NAIT’s HxGN SMART Quality
is a graduate of NAIT’s Machinist Apprentice Machinist Apprenticeship go a long way to
program with a Red Seal Journeyman refute the future skills gap that we are all Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
Certification. Mike’s education makes him anticipating and Sandvik Coromant is proud announced plans to showcase HxGN
an invaluable employee and a vital technical to be a part of that.” SMART Quality at the Smart Manufacturing
resource for our customers.” Experience at the Boston Convention Center
Tom Henry said, “We see the intrinsic MORE INFO www.sandvik.coromant.com in late April/early May. The foundation of
value of the education and solid foundation www.nait.ca Hexagon’s digital thread for smarter manu-
facturing, HxGN SMART Quality is an enter-
prise IT platform used by manufacturers to
collect all quality-related data. This central-
ized hub handles quality data throughout the
product lifecycle and provides deep insight
into resource utilization resulting in process
optimization and productivity improvements.
Hexagon also planned to feature the new
AICON PrimeScan scanner and a portable
7-axis ROMER Absolute Arm. Two advanced
solutions were to be shown in Hexagon’s
booth, including an automated part load-
ing cell comprised of a TIGO SF CMM with
robotics, and a robotic measurement cell fea-
turing the automated Leica Absolute Tracker
AT960 and Leica T-Scan 5 system.  
Hexagon thought leader Scott Mahrle was
scheduled to present a Knowledge Bar Tech
Session. Mahrle is the HxGN SMART Quality
lead and business development manager at
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence North
America. His presentation was entitled “How
Quality Fits into Smart Manufacturing,” cov-
ering how connectivity to quality systems
and related resources translates to quicker
reactions and minimized downtime for
manufacturers. Also on tap was how better
statistics may not translate to more data, as
Choose from one of our portable the result could be less measuring and more
or laboratory systems, or utilize throughput.
our ISO 170 5 laboratories for HxGN SMART Quality uses data from
accurate and efficient contract various measurement systems across mul-
measurement services. tiple facilities to provide a company-wide
view of operations. Built-in statistical analy-
For more information contact us at sis tools provide operators and managers
info@protoxrd.com or 1-313-965-2900 with actionable intelligence for improved
decision-making and proactive response to
workflow issues. The software’s extensive
resource management and workflow opti-
mization toolset integrates quality manage-
ment activities seamlessly into day-to-day
operations. HxGN SMART Quality is compat-
ible with the complete software range from
Q-DAS, the Hexagon-owned statistical pro-
cess control specialist, and Hexagon’s PULSE
environmental monitoring system. 
LXRD LXRD LXRD iXRD mXRD
STANDARD WIDEBODY MODULAR MAPPING STANDARD ULTRA PORTABLE
MORE INFO www.hexagonmi.com
18     gearsolutions.com
LXRD LXRD LXRD iXRD mXRD
STANDARD WIDEBODY MODULAR MAPPING STANDARD ULTRA PORTABLE
 American Jill Johnson
Jenny Blackford
Vice President
AGMA Membership
of
Gear Manufacturers Communications
Director
AGMA
Association

Let AGMA be your solution center

T
he first quarter of 2018 is done, and the programs at AGMA can help with that.
are off to a roaring start. We here at the AGMA home office Market intelligence can come from many different providers. But
have heard that members are very busy, which is great! how many have gear industry specific information? AGMA will hold
That may also mean that time-starved executives may not the Marketing and Forecasting webinar on May 17, and it will be
be aware of how their association can help. Yes, AGMA is best known free for members. The forecast is presented by IHS Markit, a world-
for the incredible work on the gear manufacturing standards. But, we renowned economic and business intelligence provider. Gear manu-
offer so much more value to members through many of the programs facturers can also participate in several economic surveys centering
and resources we have. on benchmarking their numbers to the industry – also for free. Do
First, a quick review of AGMA’s first quarter: you want to know how your business is doing compared to the indus-
AGMA held its first international education course in Mumbai, try? Who wouldn’t? AGMA can help with that.
India. Almost 30 students attended the Steels for Gears course and It’s an old adage, but true: People like doing business with people
the reaction was very positive. they know and, even better, people they like. AGMA holds the indus-
AGMA was recently accredited by IACET, meaning student try events, such as the Annual Meeting and the Strategic Resource
attendees are now earning CEUs for these courses. It’s a big asset for Network, where you will meet these people. Are you looking for new
AGMA learners. suppliers? Or maybe a technical question you’d rather ask a peer?
Technical committee meetings continue to happen each week Maybe you’re launching a new brand or rebranding your current
with experts from around the world working on gear standards. business and want to make sure people know. Guess what? AGMA
The AGMA Foundation is embarking on a new strategic plan — can help with that.
it’s the result of a recent survey asking for input (462 responded) on In addition to all this, AGMA is the place to go to read the latest
the needs and wants for gear industry businesses. We heard you! industry news through the weekly and bi-monthly newsletters. Or,
In 2016, a new five-year strategic plan was approved by the Board you can read and share through the Gears Matter blog or join and
of Directors. In 2018, we are focused on carrying out all elements of connect with other industry experts on the online communities
this plan with the aim, as always, of providing members with more AGMA hosts.
value and more benefits than ever. AGMA members are dealing with As you can see, there are many reasons to join AGMA, and if you
many challenges for which they may turn to others for assistance. are already a member, there are many reasons to get involved that
However, in many cases, AGMA can be that solution provider. can help you and your business develop and grow. Don’t miss out on
For instance, the newly formed Emerging Technology Committee the many resources that AGMA offers to its members, and let 2018
is dedicated to providing information on the latest innovations in be the year that you get the most out of your association.
the gear industry and manufacturing. More
than that — they are looking ahead to what
technologies may affect and even disrupt
the industry in the future — it’s called the
Tech Deck on the AGMA website. Don’t have
time to search for all the latest industry
news across numerous platforms? AGMA
can help with that.
Nearly every member I visit says one of
the biggest challenges is people — both find-
ing new employees and keeping and train-
ing current employees. AGMA has a robust
list of 16 educational courses being offered
and is working on adding more with input
from members on what is most needed.
AGMA also holds operator-level training AGMA held its first international
twice a year at Daley College in Chicago — it education course in Mumbai,
almost always sells out. Members need both India. (Courtesy: AGMA)
engineering and operator training. AGMA
May 2018     19
AGMA welcomes four new Board members
SCOTT MILLER
GEAR TECH STEWARD, CATERPILLAR, INC.
Miller has more than 20 years of experience
in gearing and drivetrain engineering at
Caterpillar. He has held a variety of technical
and leadership positions in drivetrain design
and development. Miller is responsible for
gear technology strategy, and his extensive
experience is leveraged across numerous
research, new product development, product
improvement, and sourcing projects.
Prior to his current role, Miller was gear engineering manager
and developed the “make-buy” strategy that is now delivering excel-
lent operational results through restructuring of internal manufac-
turing and outsourcing selected gears.
Miller also recently served the AGMA Foundation as a trustee and
chairman, helping to expand the scholarship program and provide
$125,000 in scholarships to graduate, undergraduate, and technical
degree candidates.
Before joining Caterpillar, he taught undergraduate and gradu-
ate courses in mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic
Institute in Massachusetts. He graduated with a Ph.D. and a M.S. in
Mechanical Engineering from Rice University in Houston, Texas, after
completing a B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
SHAWN O’BRIEN
VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING,
MCINNES ROLLED RINGS
Shawn O’Brien has been employed with
McInnes Rolled Rings for 24 years.  After
beginning in inside sales, O’Brien relo-
cated to manage a large Midwestern ter-
ritory.  Several years in the field later, he
returned to the plant as general sales man-
ager and eventually became a partner and
vice president of Sales & Marketing.
O’Brien is an active member of the Forging Industry Association,
serving two terms as chairman of the Marketing Committee.
O’Brien joined AGMA in 2012 and has regularly attended SRN,
Marketing & Forecasting, and AGMA/ABMA Annual meetings. He
served on the SRN planning committee and recently became chair-
man for the newly formed Industry Voice committee.
O’Brien is a 1990 Graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania,
with a B.S. in Business Marketing. He has been married for 24 years
and has a 20-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son.
O’Brien has completed three Iron Man Triathlons and 33 mara-
thons, including 12-consecutive Boston Marathons.
American
Gear Manufacturers
Association
20     gearsolutions.com
GARY L. NEIDIG
PRESIDENT / CEO, ITAMCO
Gary L. Neidig is the president/CEO of Indiana
Technology and Manufacturing Companies,
also known as ITAMCO. ITAMCO is a multi-
faceted, advanced manufacturing company
with its core business in metal machining of
precision gears and machined components.
Neidig graduated from Bob Jones
University with a B.S. in Business Management
and a minor in Computer Science. He is an active coder and has written
engineering as well as business system applications.
He has served in roles of customer service, engineering, and
executive management during his 38 years in manufacturing while
overseeing technology development for advanced manufacturing.
During his career, Neidig has helped develop ITAMCO from a small,
24,000-square-foot facility to a totally integrated manufacturer with
more than 500,000 square feet.
Neidig has served on numerous charitable board/committees
that include The Boys and Girls Club of Marshall County, Marshall
County Entrepreneurship Board, and DMDII (Digital Manufacturing
and Design Innovation Institute) Executive Board.
Neidig’s passion for learning has been a driving force in his broad
scope of expertise. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), computer pro-
gramming, database design, and administration and music writing
and performance are just a few of Neidig’s interests. 
BENT HERVARD
CEO, CFT
Bent Hervard was born February 19, 1954, in
Copenhagen, Denmark. His family owned a
gear manufacturing company, CFT, where
he and his parents and sister resided. During
his childhood, Hervard’s early career in
gears started by bringing the daily gear pro-
duction to the post office on his large bicycle.
After the passing of his father, Hervard
took over the business and eventually beaome CEO. In 1990, he bought
two additional gear manufacturing companies and moved everything
out of Copenhagen to their new premises in the middle of a forest
where they still work today. CFT specializes in all types of high-quality
gears, some up to 700 mm and all with fast turn-around and delivery.
Six years ago, Hervard contacted Fred Young with Forest City Gear,
which led to him becoming a member of AGMA. In 2019, Hervard can
celebrate his 50th anniversary at CFT and 40 years as CEO. Currently,
Hervard and CFT have begun a controlled generation shift process
with Hervard’s daughter, Sofie and son-in-law, Johan, who will be
taking over the family business.
Stay in the ‘know’ with AGMA
There is so much information at our fingertips these days. Between
social media, online publications, and the vast amounts of junk mail
that we all receive in our inboxes, it is hard to find the right news
at the right time. That is why it is more important than ever to tune
in to AGMA and let it do it for you. Articles from top news sources
are selected for you every week and compiled into the Industry
Newsletter. The Emerging Technology Department posts four stories
on the latest technology every Wednesday in the weekly Tech Deck.
You don’t need five online newspapers; you need AGMA.

DID YOU KNOW?

AGMA members have access to the latest in the gear and manufactur-
ing industry through many forms of communication. The following
resources are available to all members:
Member Newsletter Emerging Technology Committee meets and tours DMG Mori. (Courtesy: AGMA)
Industry Newsletter
Tech Deck
Gears Matter Blog
Emails sending you upcoming events and courses Upcoming courses
DID YOU KNOW? Gear Failure Analysis
Members have the opportunity to join any one of AGMA’s committees June 19-21, 2018 | St. Louis, Missouri
and learn even more about the gear industry and how AGMA and its
Explore gear failure analysis in this hands-on seminar where
members are working to stay on top of all the changes happening in
students not only see slides of failed gears but can hold and
manufacturing. Not to mention, when you join a committee, you are
examine those same field samples close up. Experience the
meeting your industry peers and working on real issues surround-
use of a microscope and take your own contact pattern from
ing our membership. AGMA has about 250 volunteers sharing their
field samples.  
expert knowledge on our committees and joining efforts with others
around the industry. You will have a chance to network and make a
difference at the same time.
To see all the committees that you can be a part of, please visit: Gear Manufacturing and Inspection
www.agma.org/membership/leadership-committees/ July 10-12, 2018 | Ontario, Canada
www.agma.org/standards/technical-committees/
Learn key factors in the inspection process that lead to better
If you have any questions about joining a committee and want to
design of gears. Develop a broad understanding of the methods
get involved to stay in the know with AGMA, please contact member-
used to manufacture and inspect gears. Discover how the resul-
ship@agma.org.
tant information can be applied and interpreted in the design
process. 

This course is accompanied by a tour of a gear manufacturer.

The tour for 2018 will be at Ontario Drive and Gear.

Basic Training for Gear Manufacturing

September 11-14, 2018 | Chicago, Illinois

Learn the fundamentals of gear manufacturing in this hands-on

course. Gain an understanding of gearing and nomenclature,
principles of inspection, gear manufacturing methods, hobbing
and shaping.  Using manual machines, develop a deeper breadth
of perspective and understanding of the process and physics of
making a gear as well as the ability to apply this knowledge in
working with CNC equipment commonly in use.
Working Group 6 committee members meeting in Netherlands. (Courtesy: AGMA)

AGMA has over 1,000 Twitter followers! Join the conversation @agma

1001 N. Fairfax Street | Suite 500 | Alexandria, VA 22314 | (703) 684-0211 | www.agma.org
May 2018     21
 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Whether you’re looking for technical education, networking opportunities, or a way for your voice to be heard
in the standards process, AGMA has something to offer you. If you would like more information on any of the
following events, visit www.agma.org or send an email to events@agma.org.

May 15 — Powder Metallurgy Committee — WebEx

May 15 — Spline Committee — WebEx
May 17 — Wind Turbine Gear Committee — WebEx
MAY

May 22 — Wormgearing Committee Meeting — WebEx

May 23 — Gear Accuracy Committee Meeting — WebEx
May 29 — Helical Gear Rating Committee — WebEx

June 4-5 — Aerospace Gearing Committee — Indianapolis, Indiana

June 5-7 — Epicyclic Gear Systems: Application, Design & Analysis — Rosemont, Illinois
June 6-7 — Plastics Committee Meeting — Indianapolis, Indiana
June 8 — Emerging Technology Committee Meeting — WebEx
June 12-14 — Gear Failure Analysis — St. Louis, Missouri
JUNE

June 12 — Lubrication Committee Meeting — WebEx

June 13 — Fine-Pitch Gearing Committee Meeting — WebEx
June 14 — Metallurgy and Materials Committee Meeting — WebEx
June 20 — Helical Gear Rating Committee — WebEx
June 26 — Nomenclature Committee — WebEx
June 28 — Gear Accuracy Committee Meeting — WebEx

AGMA LEADERSHIP

Jim Bregi: Chairman Nitin Chaphalkar: DMG Mori USA

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Doppler Gear Company

Michael Engesser: Reishauer Corporation
John Cross: Treasurer
ASI Technologies Inc. Bent Hervard: CFT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John E. Grazia: Chairman, BMEC Michael McKernin: Circle Gear and Machine Company
GearTec Inc.
Todd Praneis: Chairman, TDEC Scott Miller: Caterpillar, Inc.
Cotta Transmission Company, LLC Gary Neidig: ITAMCO
Dean Burrows: Chairman Emeritus
Gear Motions Inc. Shawn O’Brien: McInnes Rolled Rings
Cory Ooyen: Global Gear & Machining, LLC
Matt Croson: President
Carl D. Rapp: The Timken Company
Amir Aboutaleb: Vice President, Technical Division
STAFF

Jenny Blackford: Vice President, Marketing Tania Sabados: Rapid Gear

Jill Johnson: Director, Member Services Greg Schulte: Bonfiglioli USA
Casandra D. Blassingame: Director, Education Hastings Wyman: Klingelnberg America, Inc.
General requests: webmaster@agma.org | Membership questions: membership@agma.org | Gear Expo information: gearexpo@agma.org
Technical/Standards information: tech@agma.org | AGMA Foundation: foundation@agma.org
22     gearsolutions.com
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May 2018     23
 MATERIALS JOHN SILVESTRO
MATTER
VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND MARKETING  
  C ANTON DROP FORGE
Forging the next generation in gear quality
In the world of gear design, high-quality
forgings and advanced steel technologies
are critical for enhanced performance.
Improvements in steel cleanness and
manufacturing are producing better products,
and developments in forging technology are
resulting in higher quality.
F orging and casting are commonly used processes in gear manu-
facturing. While both provide product close to near net shape,
forging offers several benefits casting can’t provide.
Due to solidification porosity and inclusion content, castings
contain a greater number of defects that are more detrimental to
overall strength when compared to forgings. While the American
Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA)’s metallurgical standards
allow for cast material at the lower end of the quality range, average
and higher-level quality expectations require material that has been
hot worked through rolling and/or forging.
In addition, forging allows for meeting challenging ultrasonic
testing (UT) requirements, which isn’t possible with casting alone.
Ultrasonic inspection identifies voids from solidifications and
inclusions. Because castings are extremely porous, they do not hold
24     gearsolutions.com
 
up to strict UT requirements.
Finally, a well-designed forging process optimizes material flow
to enhance the performance of gears. Ideally, grain flow follows the
general contour of the forging. A good forging design will ultimately
eliminate end grain in critical areas of the forging while providing
the greatest strength throughout.
ADVANCED SIMULATION
Much like TimkenSteel simulates complicated steelmaking process-
es, forgers like Canton Drop Forge use special software to model forg-
ing passes, ensuring proper fill and optimizing forging flow lines.
Throughout this modeling process, designers have visibility to when
the parts aren’t filling correctly, so they can identify and address
necessary changes in the design early in the process, which reduces
cost and improves first-time quality.
Simulation is also an effective tool for companies like Canton
Drop Forge to use in involving customers more directly, allowing
them to see programmable parts first-hand.
HIGH-QUALITY STEEL
As gear performance expectations grow, increased hot working
reduction is required. The forger’s expertise and well-designed forg-
ing passes, combined with cost-effective hot-rolled bar, help produce
low-cost gears that meet reduction requirements and optimize the
shape and performance of the end product.
Forging expertise combined with cost-effective
hot-rolled bar produce low-cost gears that
meet reduction requirements while optimizing
gear shape and performance. (Courtesy:
TimkenSteel)
E. BUDDY DAMM
STEEL SOLUTIONS SCIENTIST   
  TIMKENSTEEL CORP.

Further, improvements in steel grade design, manufacturing pro-

cesses for existing grades and forging practices mean new opportuni-
ties are available to meet increasing customer demands with better
products. When demands on gearing systems are extreme, working
with the right forging and steel suppliers can quickly get customers
to the most effective solution for gear performance.
As the overall quality of steel continues to advance and forging
practices evolve, the combination of clean steel, proper grade selec-
tion, proper heat treatment and advanced forging processes allow for
the creation of the next generation in gear quality — with materials
designed to perform better and do more. If you’re a customer looking A finished forged gear is removed from a die at Canton Drop Forge in Canton,
for a new gear solution, talk to your steel mill and forging experts to Ohio. A well-designed forging process enhances grain flow in critical areas of the
help find the one that’s right for your needs.  forging while providing the greatest strength throughout. (Courtesy: TimkenSteel)

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

John Silvestro is a vice president of sales and marketing at Canton Drop Forge. He can be reached at jsilvestro@cantondropforge.com. Learn
more at www.cantondropforge.com. E. Buddy Damm is a steel solutions scientist at TimkenSteel Corp. He can be reached at e.buddy.damm@
timkensteel.com. Learn more at www.timkensteel.com.

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May 2018     25
 TOOTH BRIAN DENGEL
TIPS GENER AL MANAGER   KHK-USA
Increasing surface contact with ground gears
Grinding removes surface imperfections,
increasing the surface contact area while
improving the accuracy of the tooth profile,
resulting in a higher quality gear.
O lder drivers probably owned a car during a time when most auto-
mobiles in the United States had a manual transmission. For those
people, learning to drive “stick” meant learning how to use a clutch
and change gear ratios while keeping the car in gear. When they did
not execute the motion smoothly, they resorted to the all too com-
mon phrase, “If you can’t find them, grind them.” This is not at all
what we mean when we refer to ground gears in modern industrial
applications.
When gears are produced by hobbing or shaping, their tooth
flanks will have some marks as a result of the tooling. These marks
can cause pitting if the gears are used at high speeds or are used
under high loads. Additionally, in order to carry high loads or to
operate at high speeds, gears are typically hardened. The hardening
process amplifies the tooling marks and reduces the surface contact
area. Because of this reduction in surface contact area, the gears
cannot hold the loads they were designed for and premature failure
will occur.
To prevent this, almost all hardened gears are ground finished.
The grinding process removes these surface imperfections, thereby
increasing the surface contact area. It also improves the accuracy of
the tooth profile which decreases the noise of the gear mesh and also,
in correcting the pitch imperfections, results in a higher quality gear.
The two most common methods for gear grinding are form grind-
ing and generating grinding. Form grinding is performed by shaping
the profile of the grinding wheel to that of the finished product.
The resulting product takes the exact shape of the grinding wheel.
An example of form grinding.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brian Dengel is general manager of KHK-USA, which is based in Mineola, New York. Go online to www.khkgears.us
26     gearsolutions.com
Generating grinding uses a flat grinding wheel, which mimics the
action of the cutting tool to remove material in the same manner
as the roughing tool.
It is common to harden and grind spur gears and helical gears
specifically when they are going to be used under high load or
operating at high speeds such as inside a reduction drive gearbox.
Spiral bevel gears are also frequently hardened and ground for
the same reasons. The two types of gearing that are never ground
finished are worm wheels made from bronze alloys and straight
tooth bevel gears.
Worm wheels are not ground finished because they are not hard-
ened. It is not possible to grind a soft surface. Where the benefits
of a ground tooth surface are required for a worm gear pair, it is
the worm which is hardened, and ground finished. As the worm
pair mechanisms action is that of a friction drive, the ground worm
surface will polish the worm wheel to create the effects of a ground
surface on the tooth flanks.
Although designers occasionally indicate a requirement for
a ground straight tooth bevel gear set, this is neither a practical
design requirement nor is it a manufacturing possibility. If the
requirements dictate a straight tooth ground bevel set, a hardened
and ground Zerol gear set would be a better alternative. The reasons
being that this type of gear can be produced on the same machin-
ery as spiral bevel gearing and can be ground finished using the
same machinery as well. In regard to straight bevel gear grinding
machines, the Gleason company has only produced two straight bevel
grinding machines in its entire 150-year history. One of these grind-
ing machines was built for the U.S. military for use during the Second
World War, and the second machine was built to supply spare parts
for the first machine.
Ground gears are an excellent design choice when quiet, strong
gears are needed in your application. Please keep from designing
ground straight tooth bevel gears, as this really grinds my gears. 
Generating grinding is shown here.
 CHUCKS - ARBORS - MANDRELS - COLLETS - FIXTURES

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May 2018     27
 HOT D. SCOTT MACKENZIE, PH.D., FASM

SEAT
SENIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST–METALLURGY   
HOUGHTON INTERNATIONAL INC.

Water in oil-based quenchants can be problematic

Water in quench oil can cause fires and
explosions, along with the resulting equipment
destruction and downtime. Here’s what you
should know to avoid such a scenario.

T he continuing retirement of “old hands” in the heat treatment

industry has a growing generation of operators, supervisors, and
engineers not knowing the severe danger that the presence of water
can have on quenching. A recent spate of fires at heat treating facili-
ties due to water in the quench oil has convinced me that it is time
for a primer on the dangers of water in quench oil.
Water in quench oil is to be avoided at all costs. Part distortion
and cracking can occur with low levels of water in quench oil. High
levels of water in quench oil can cause fires and explosions, along
with the resulting equipment destruction and downtime. It is not
unheard of that, after a major fire from water, a heat-treating shop Figure 1: Effect of water on the cooling curve of a moderate speed quench oil.
never opens again.
Water in quench oil can be roughly divided into two different
forms based on the concentration of water: water less than satura-
tion and water greater than saturation, where free water exists in
the quench tank. The effect of water differs based on the quantity
of water present. As a rule of thumb, the saturation point of most
conventional quench oils is on the order of 1,000 ppm (0.1 percent).
When the water content of the oil is less than the saturation
point, the oil exists as small droplets mixed with the oil. It can
also exist as a light emulsification. When the water content is less
than the saturation point, it can have some significant effects on
the microstructure and distortion of heat-treated parts. The cool-
ing curve of oils containing minute quantities of water show very
distinct characteristics:
Increased stability of the vapor phase.
Increase length of the vapor phase.
Increase rate of nucleate boiling.
Decreased transition temperature between nucleate boiling
and convection. Figure 2: Aftermath of a water-induced quench oil fire.
In extreme cases, the transition between nucleate boiling and
convection can be completely suppressed. steam and the subsequent expansion. This is especially true of inte-
These changes in the cooling curve behavior of cold quench oil gral quench atmosphere furnaces.
can be observed in Figure 1. It can be observed that the vapor phase In this scenario, oil is saturated with water. During agitation, the
becomes significantly more stable, and the maximum cooling rates water is mixed with the oil as small individual drops of water. As a
increase. Also the temperature at maximum temperature decreases part is quenched from elevated temperatures into the quench oil,
as the water content is increased. At extreme water concentrations, the water turns to steam. The expansion of water into steam is an
the convection phase disappears. All of these things increase the expansion of approximately 1,600 times. In other words, if a quench
potential for distortion and quench cracking. If there are regions of tank of 1,000 gallons contains 0.1 percent or 1,000 ppm of water, the
localized stable vapor phase, then soft spots could also occur. gallon of water will convert to steam and expand to 1,600 gallons of
The presence of low levels of water (less than 500 ppm) can result steam. This pushes the oil out of the quench tank, and the oil rises to
in soft spots, and non-martensitic transformation products in low a point that it enters the hot zone, and the oil is expelled forcefully.
hardenability steels. It can also result in cracking and increased dis- The inner and outer door are often blown off, and the flaming oil is
tortion. At water levels exceeding 1,000 ppm (0.1 percent), a severe spread throughout the plant. Serious damage to equipment results,
risk of fire and explosion exists due to the conversion of water to and potential injury to plant personnel (Figure 2).
28     gearsolutions.com
 There are internal and external sources of water. Internal sources
are equipment dependent. Typical water sources in heat treating are
generally related to cooling of equipment. This includes water-cooled
doors, water cooled fans and bearings, water to oil heat exchangers
and pneumatic lines, and fire resistant hydraulic fluids.
Water cooled heat exchangers are probably the largest culprit of
water intrusion in quench oils. While water-cooled heat exchang-
ers are used extensively in Europe, in the United States the use of
water cooled heat exchangers is not common. Brazil, China, and
India predominately use water to oil heat exchangers due the strong
European influence. Water is used in many installations because
water/oil heat exchangers are more efficient. Air to Oil heat exchang-
ers are used much more often to cool quench oil in the United States
and Canada (Figure 3).
In a typical heat exchanger, water is on one side of a heat exchang-
er plate, while hot oil is on the other side. Usually, the hot oil side is
maintained at a higher pressure than the water side. The claim is
that oil would only move to the water side, and water would not enter
the oil. This is true assuming that the oil is pumped continually.
However, the oil is only pumped during times that the oil tempera-
ture exceeds set point and requires cooling.
The water used in cooling quench oil can come from many sourc-
es. Closed loop chiller systems are used, as well as city water. Chloride
can build up in closed loop systems from treatment for bacteria and
biocides. Carbonate build-up can occur from city water. City water
also has chloride present. Chlorides tend to attack the heat exchanger
material. It is not a matter of if the heat exchanger will fail due to
corrosion, but when.
Other sources of water are water cooled bearings, doors, and fans.
While the use of water cooled accessories has decreased due to bet-
ter materials and design, these devices still exist. Water comes from
leaking doors, fans or bearings, often occurring during a shut down.
Water is left running to minimize corrosion. Leaking occurs and
ends up in the quench tank. Pneumatic lines often have water in the
compressed air lines. If leaking, water can enter the vestibule and the
quench tank. Hydraulic systems using fire resistant hydraulic fluids
can often leak. These fluids are often water/glycol mixtures and can
end up in the quench tank.
External sources of water can come from many sources. Leaking
roofs obviously are a source of water — putting a tarp under the leak
is not a long-term fix or even a temporary one. Residual water from
poorly reclaimed oils from a parts washer is a common external
source. Water is not properly driven off before the water is allowed to
reenter the furnace. If oil is sent out to be reclaimed, it is imperative
that the oil be checked for water when the tanker returns with the
quench oil. There have been several instances where the shipping
tanker had residual water in the tanker prior to filling the tanker
with the reclaimed quench oil.
Measuring water present is not a simple task. The “Crackle Test” is
a method that is often touted to show water in quench oil. However,
this test is not accurate and is generally limited to detecting water
that is greater than 1,000 ppm. In this test, a small quantity of oil is
dropped on a heated (150°C) hot plate. If bubbling or audible crack-
ling of the oil occurs, then water is present. A study of the Crackle Test
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
D. Scott MacKenzie, Ph.D., FASM, is senior research scientist-metallurgy at Houghton International Inc. For more information, go to
www.houghtonintl.com. He is also president of the International Federation of Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering.
Figure 3: Typical air to oil heat exchanger used for cooling quench oil (Courtesy:
Dry Coolers, Oxford, Michigan).
by TestOil, a commercial laboratory, showed there was a considerable
amount of variation in the water detection limit of the crackle test.
The range was 100 ppm to 1,800 ppm where samples were known to
have water by the Karl-Fischer test but did not crackle. The variability
of the crackle test is too large for something as critical as water in
a quench oil.
The traditional quantitative method of accurately measuring
water is by the Karl-Fischer test (ASTM D6304). This method is very
accurate for used oils and can readily determine water contents
below 50 ppm. This test is based on the Bunsen reaction between
iodine and sulfur dioxide:
SO2 + I2 + 2H2O  H2SO4 + 2HI
Water can be determined if excess sulfur dioxide is present, and
the resultant acid is neutralized by a suitable base. In the Coulometric
method, an electric current is used to generate the reagent. The cur-
rent releases the proper amount of reagent by electrolysis. A variety
of different solvents are used to dissolve the oil.
However, the equipment is expensive and requires a laboratory
environment. If this equipment is not available, your local industrial
laboratory or oil supplier should be contacted should oil be suspected.
Water should be tested on a routine basis as part of your maintenance
testing protocols.
CONCLUSIONS
In this installment, we discussed the dangers of water in quench
oil. At low levels of water, the risk of cracked parts or soft spots is
likely. At elevated levels of water (greater than approximately 800
to 1,000 ppm water), a severe risk of froth-over type of fires and
explosions can occur in your quench tank — with the potential loss
of equipment, injury to people, and lost business. Please work with
your oil suppliers and your maintenance staff to develop the proce-
dures and protocols to avoid contaminating your quench oil with
water. I don’t want to read about another water-related quench oil
fire in the news. 
May 2018     29
ISSUE FORGING/CASTING & GEAR GRINDING
FOCUS

CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT IN
GENERATING
GEAR GRINDING

30     gearsolutions.com
Seeking an overview of a process so critical to the gear
manufacturing industry, Gear Solutions reached out
to a longtime expert on gear grinding technology.
By DWIGHT SMITH

W
ith many years of development, generating
gear grinding is at a highly evolved point. It
is no longer a question of any mainline gear
grinder being able to produce a high-quality
gear. Grinding times from various manufacturers are
all within a tight range. In this race, all the top com-
petitors are neck-and-neck. Has stasis been reached?
This article illustrates that progress never stops in gear
grinding.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machine Tool Co., Ltd.,
of Japan, has been manufacturing generating gear
grinding machines since 1966 when they began pro-
duction of the model “NZA” under license for the
domestic market in Japan. That arrangement ran its Figure 1: The new Mitsubishi ZE16C.
course, and MHI developed their ZE series of generat-
ing grinders, which launched globally in 2005. Since
then, nearly 500 gear grinding machines have been
produced and installed worldwide. In addition, MHI
developed the first and only generating grinder for
internal gears, the ZI20A, which debuted in 2009. As
a machine tool builder, MHI has produced thousands
of other machines: hobbers, shapers, gear skiving
machines, shavers, OD grinders, and large milling
machines.

SMALL IMPROVEMENTS YIELD

BIG RESULTS
As might be expected of a Japanese company, continu-
ous improvement, or “kaizen,” is part of the corpo-
rate culture. Already the clear leader in reliability, the
goal for the new machines is to triple MTBF (mean
time between failures) and reduce MTTR (mean time
to repair) by half. MHI works closely with the major
Japanese automakers and suppliers on these kaizen
activities to further reduce downtime and improve
maintainability of the hundreds of current gear grind-
ers already installed, and to build even more reliability
into future models as well.
FROM THE INSIDE OUT
During the development of the upcoming new gen-
erating grinders from MHI, the ZE16C (Figure 1) and
ZE26C, cables and connectors came under scrutiny
and were improved. The newest materials for cables
and connectors are used to resist oils and coolants.
These were extensively tested in actual machining
conditions to prove them out. A small change to be
sure, but this adds to reliability and improves MTBF
and reduces TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).
Figure 2: The ZE16C high speed work changer.
The location of sensors and wiring inside the work-
ing area of a grinder exposes them to oil or coolant
and swarf. Engineering was undertaken to minimize
this for the new models, and the working area has no
unnecessary wiring or sensors.
Access to key components was improved by mount-
ing the electrical control cabinet on the side of the
machine. The cabinet swings away from the machine
to provide easy access and maintainability along with
the reduced floor space needed.
Input from customers guided the development of a
special fixture that allows the removal of tool spindles
if necessary without the use of an overhead crane or
hoist. As a result, the time to repair is reduced.
IMPROVEMENTS TO PRODUCTIVITY
High volume gear manufacturing demands maximum
process stability from gear grinders. The single spindle
design of the ZE16C and 26C provides unmatched Cp
and CpK performance. Non-grinding time is reduced
May 2018     31

Figure 3: Bridge type counter column.
Figure 4: Ultra-rigid grinding spindle.
Figure 5: Grinding and polishing wheel.
32     gearsolutions.com
by using a high-speed part changing system with a small rotation
radius (Figure 2). On the ZE16C, part exchange times of 1.5 seconds
are now available.
Further improvement in speed is realized by the development of
an ultra-high-speed processor board for stock dividing and mesh-
ing the grinding wheel with the part. The part sensing cycle can be
accomplished at full grinding speeds, eliminating the acceleration
and deceleration of the work table.
The ZE16C, designed for high volume production of pinion and
transfer drive gears, is equipped with a bridge type counter column
(Figure 3). Locating the meshing sensor on the counter column per-
mits the simultaneous operation of tooth sensing/stock divide and
grinding column movement, further reducing non-grinding time.
The strength and stability of the counter column was exten-
sively modeled during the design phase. Instrumented testing has
confirmed the resulting superior machine stability and resulting
part accuracy.
IMPROVEMENTS FOR GEAR GRINDING ACCURACY
The machine bed design was developed with a central path for
coolant and swarf removal. This symmetrical arrangement greatly
reduces thermal effects, and the temperature compensation systems
onboard compensate for any residual effects for ultimate accuracy
over time.
The grinding spindle on the hundreds of machines installed and
operating provides excellent quality and meets all expectations of
customers. As grinding wheel technology improves, new require-
ments demand improvements. The upgraded, highly rigid C version
spindles are capable of 100 m/s grinding speeds and gear polishing
(Figure 4). These spindles use an outboard bearing support for ulti-
mate stability at high speeds and the challenging dynamic condi-
tions during high speed generating grinding.
As EV and hybrid vehicle production increases, the need for
quieter gears is greater. Improving the surface finish of gear teeth
is often required, so the new MHI C version gear grinders offer
polishing. Compound grinding wheels are used, having a portion
with standard vitrified material, and a portion of a more compliant
type of abrasive polishing material (Figure 5). The wheel is dressed
as a standard wheel and is shifted to the polishing section after the
conventional grinding cycle is complete. A significant improvement
of the surface condition is possible with a Rz value of 0.4µ (micron)
achievable (Figure 6).
FLOOR SPACE REDUCTION
A common request from gear manufacturers is to reduce the floor
space needed by gear grinders and especially the coolant systems. In
responding to this, MHI designed the new ZE16C to take up only 55
percent of the previous machine, realizing a 45 percent reduction
in the machine footprint. The width of the machine presented to
the production line is on par with hobbing machines. By reducing
the amount of coolant needed by the grinding process, and working
with coolant system suppliers, the space required has been greatly
reduced (Figure 7).
ECOLOGICAL FRIENDLINESS
Most global companies are working to reduce their pollution
footprint, and there are several reasons to reduce the use of oil in
gear manufacturing where it is possible. MHI pioneered the world’s
first dry hobbing in 1997 and has continued to pursue responsible
innovations for environmental sustainability.
Together with a large automaker, a grinding wheel maker, and
a coolant company, MHI co-developed both water soluble grind-
Figure 6: Ground gear on the left vs. polished gear.

Figure 7: An example of the reduced floor space required.

ing technology and a coolant system for gear grinding (Figure 8).
Not only does this reduce the slight risk of fire from oil use, but it
reduces coolant cost by approximately 80 percent. An additional
benefit is a threefold increase in diamond dresser life. This is in
production and is highly successful. When oil is preferred by end
users, MHI works with all coolant system manufacturers based on
customer preference.

SMALL CHANGES = BIG IMPROVEMENT

The many small changes add up to a new state-of-the-art in gear
grinding. With the emphasis on reliability and consistent productiv-
ity, the ZE16C and 26C represent the newest developments in gear
grinding. By listening and working closely with customers using
kaizen philosophy, MHI continues a tradition of innovation to deliver
robust, productive and reliable gear manufacturing equipment.  Figure 8: Water soluble coolant system for gear grinding.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dwight Smith is vice president of the Machine Tool Division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. Learn more
at www.mitsubishigearcenter.com.

May 2018     33
 LUBRICATION
AND WEAR
IN FORGING

This article originally appeared in ASM Handbook, Volume 18: Friction, Lubrication, and Wear Technology, George E.
Totten, Editor, Copyright © 2017 ASM International. All rights reserved. www.asminternational.org. This paper was reprinted
with the permission of ASM International. The book may be purchased in its entirety at www.asminternational.org.

34     gearsolutions.com
Although lubricant is continuously exposed to changing
pressures and velocities and differing degrees of wear,
a dynamic equilibrium – and, therefore, realistic data
– may be attained through careful control.
Lubrication and Wear in Forging: Graphics

By K.D. CLARKE and C.J. VAN TYNE

B
oth hot and cold forging are batch-type process-
es in which steady-state conditions are never
fully achieved and the initial lubricant supply
must perform adequately for the duration of
the operation. The lubricant is continuously exposed
to changing pressures and velocities, and wear or
pickup products in the lubricant also continuously
vary, although a dynamic equilibrium may be attained
through careful control. The absence of steady-state
conditions creates challenges for the systematic analy-
sis of lubrication and wear in forging processes.
In many ways, various forging processes are
competitive with one another, and the competitive Figure 1: Decrease in internal diameter and corresponding
position of each is greatly influenced by the lubrica- Fig. 1: Decrease
coulombic in internal
friction coefficient diameter
versus andforcorresponding c
temperature
tion system employed. Thus, hot forging followed by temperatureunlubricated mild
for and stainless steelmild
unlubricated materials
andasstainless
measured by
steel mate
finish machining may be replaced by cold forging, Source: the ring test. Source: [2], adapted from [11].
Ref 2, adapted from Ref 11.
with all the associated advantages, provided that a
suitable lubricant can be found. Indeed, economy of offers the great advantage that frictional conditions
production has often been the major impetus for the can be judged from deformation alone, without the
development of new forging processes and associated need to know the flow strength of the metal. The ring
lubrication techniques. test methodology has been widely studied and imple-
In forging steels, die life is often controlled by abra- mented to evaluate friction conditions and lubricants
sive wear. Thus, die wear and die life are often thought in both hot and cold forging applications continuously
to be synonymous. However, there are other mecha- over the past 60 years, including (for example [3-10]),
nisms by which dies are rendered unusable, includ- and remains perhaps the most effective method for
ing plastic deformation and fatigue failures, induced evaluating relative friction conditions efficiently.
both thermally and mechanically. If the loads are high This test is the forging equivalent of forward slip
or the dies relatively soft, plastic deformation of the measurement in rolling and is commonly used for
dies may occur, making it impossible to impart the lubricant evaluation because simple measurement of
desired shape to the workpiece. Thermal fatigue, or the change in internal diameter is sufficient for rank-
thermal cycling, gives rise to superficial
cracks often ing of lubricant effectiveness. If the specimen geom-
known as heat checks. Analogous with thermally etry is kept constant and the reduction in height is
induced cracking is mechanical fatigue, or cracking, Fig. 2: The
exactly Stribeck curve,
reproduced, a reduced showing
decreasehow the coefficient
in inside diam- o
that results from the cyclic application of the forging parameter including lubricant viscosity (Z)
eter indicates a reduced resistance to shear and thus a interface spee
loads. Although it is not unusual for several of these boundary, mixed,
lower friction andWith
value. hydrodynamic
zero friction at lubrication conditio
the interface,
mechanisms to contribute to die failure, abrasive wear the ring expands as though it were part of a solid disk,
is common to almost all dies and is a significant factor the inside diameter increases, and velocities increase
when considering die life for a given process. radially over the entire surface. With increasing fric-
tion, it requires less energy for some of the material
METHODS TO MEASURE LUBRICANT to flow toward the center, and the inside diameter of
EFFECTIVENESS AND WEAR the hole grows less rapidly. With yet higher friction,
the internal diameter decreases and both internal and
MEASURING FRICTION FOR LUBRICANT external surfaces barrel. The variation of decrease in
EFFECTIVENESS internal diameter for unlubricated ring tests on mild
In forging, one of the most common ways to measure and stainless steel are presented in Figure 1 [2].
friction and thus determine the effectiveness of a The ring test is also versatile, as it can also easily
lubricant is the ring compression test. This technique be run in production type conditions and is not rel-
was initially applied to cold working [1] and was then egated to a laboratory set of experiments. Hence, the
further developed and adapted for hot working [2], and temperature, workpiece, forging dies, speed of defor-
May 2018     35
mation, and lubricant used in the production process of interest can
be used during the test and measurement of the inner diameter after
a given amount of deformation can provide relative effectiveness of
the lubrication conditions.
An average external friction coefficient can be quantified if a
theoretical analysis that links the final geometry to the frictional
balance, such as upper bound or finite element, is applied. The solu-
tions are generally based on the change of internal diameter and
can be used to analyze both hot and cold forging processes and may
be able to include the effect of chilling on the die. Some solutions
allow for barreling of the surfaces, but only finite element analyses
can accommodate folding over. Because there is no easy method of
calibration, it is difficult to choose the most valid theory, and derived
average m (coulombic friction coefficient) or m (constant friction
factor) values can easily vary by ± 50 percent simply based on the
choice of theory. Nevertheless, the method is well suited for ranking
lubricant effectiveness when comparing lubricants.
Other tests to evaluate friction in forging processes have been
proposed, such as the tip test [12, 13], the T-shaped compression test
[14], the boss rib test [15], the sliding compression test [16], the dou-
ble cup extrusion test [16, 17], the localized rod-drawing test [19], a
compression-torsion- wear test [20], assessment of tribological condi-
tions [21-26], the ball penetration test [27], advanced characterization
techniques [28], the upsetting sliding test [29], and the spike forging
test [30]. All of these tests either attempt to mimic an actual forging
process as closely as possible or assess surfaces to correlate to friction
conditions. Like the ring test, these tests combine a theoretical analy-
sis and geometrical measurements to obtain a quantitative value for
the friction coefficient or the constant friction factor.
MEASURING WEAR DURING FORGING
The amount of die material removed because of abrasive wear is
directly proportional to the interface pressure and the amount of
relative sliding, and inversely proportional to the hardness of the
metal surface. Typically, forging dies have a rather complex geometry,
so the interface pressure and amount of relative sliding can vary
from one area to another. Hence, characterization of abrasive wear
in a systematic manner generally makes use of tests with simple
geometries to simulate real-world conditions.
Most simple die wear studies have used upset compression of
cylindrical billets. In these tests, measurements of die wear were
obtained directly by measuring the surface roughness before and
after the tests. Upsetting of cylinders on flat dies is a convenient way
to forge a large number of specimens for the purpose of testing a die
steel. While this test may accurately reflect die wear characteristics
in some cases, such as open-die forging, the amount of wear differs
in closed-die forging in some important respects: heat transfer and
metal flow. Because the flat-bottomed specimen is placed on a flat
die prior to forging, a substantial amount of heat can be conducted
from the specimen to the die. Thus, at that interface, the specimen
is colder and the die is hotter than would be the case in an actual
forging die where the irregularly shaped die makes line and point
contact with the billet. In upsetting a cylinder, the metal flow is
all lateral, or in a direction perpendicular to the ram motion. In
real-world forging operations, metal flow will occur in both lateral
and longitudinal directions; in some cases, longitudinal flow can
be rapid, exceeding by far the velocity of the press ram. In these
cases, the sliding velocity at the interface can be an important fac-
tor contributing to die wear. Thus, only die wear studies conducted
with actual forging dies can give reliable results.
Most evaluations of die wear in impression dies have made use of
dies of simple geometry, for example, experiments that forge disks
36     gearsolutions.com
Fig. 2: The Stribeck curve, showing how the coefficient of friction var
Figure 2: The Stribeck curve, showing how the coefficient of friction varies with a
parameter
lubricity including
parameter includinglubricant viscosity
lubricant viscosity (Z) interface
(η) interface speed (V),speed
and die(V), and di
pressure (P) through boundary, mixed, and hydrodynamic lubrication conditions. Adapted
boundary, mixed, and hydrodynamic lubrication conditions.
Adapted from [32].
into cups via an extrusion-type process. To keep the component and
die temperatures in-line with real-world conditions, die heaters are
employed, and a surface analyzer is used to measure the wear of
the dies, where the average distance between the worn and unworn
profile is taken as the measure of wear. These tests can be used to
measure relative wear rates while varying forging conditions, such
as lubricant, temperature, die material, workpiece material, and
deformation rates, but it may not be possible to directly correlate
the magnitude of wear derived from a die wear experiment to a
component forging process.
COLD FORGING
Lubricants are chosen according to the severity of the operation,
defined by conditions such as interface pressures, process geometry,
and the extent of sliding and surface expansion. For example, back
extrusion of thin-wall deep cup shapes in a high-strength alloy would
create severe conditions, especially on the punch end face where
the lubricant thins, while forging into a shallow recess or upsetting
a cylindrical shape to small diameter-to-height ratio would be less
severe. In judging the suitability of lubricants, the magnitude of the
forces is often of less importance than the variation of forces and
the extent of die pickup.
MIXED-FILM LUBRICATION
In the presence of a liquid lubricant, plasto-hydrodynamic (PHD)
lubrication conditions [31] could develop at the beginning of defor-
mation, but evidence indicates that some boundary contact soon
occurs. Therefore, it is more relevant to consider mixed-film lubri-
cation conditions.
Effects of Deformation and Speed in Upsetting: Experimental
results show that, in cold upsetting between flat platens, friction
drops while average film thickness increases when lubricant viscos-
ity and speed increase. This is typical of lubrication in the mixed-film
regime, corresponding to the descending region of the schematic
Stribeck curve; see Figure 2 [32].
The initially entrapped lubricant is sealed at the edges, where a
zone of pure boundary contact develops [33]). Thus, lubrication is
mixed in the macroscopic sense, with PHD conditions in the center
and boundary conditions at the edges. As deformation proceeds, the
film thins as it follows the expansion of the end face, and roughening
of the workpiece results in a shift toward conventional (microscopic)
mixed-film lubrication in the original PHD zone.
If desired, an average friction coefficient m can be derived from
ring compression or, less reliably, back-calculated from mean pres-
sures in cylinder upsetting. However, the magnitude of m in itself con-
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May 2018     37
veys little about the operating mechanism; lanolin may give lower friction at low speeds
it is more useful to observe surface deforma- than viscous oil yet result in higher friction
tion and to assess the area of boundary-lubri- at high speeds where its shear strength is
cated surface. Most of the frictional stress is higher than that of an oil film.
generated on the boundary-lubricated sur- Effects of Process and Surface Geometry. As
faces, with hydrodynamic pockets contribut- in all PHD lubrication, geometry plays an
ing only negligible amounts. Experimental important role. The shape of the tool is dic-
observations indicate a wide range of m tated by the configuration of the finished
according to process conditions. At suffi- part, but, nevertheless, elastic deformation
ciently high impact velocities, such as those of even a flat tool can help in entrapping
attained in high-energy-rate forging equip- the lubricant and may be a major source
ment or in conventional hammers (impact of squeezed-film formation in low-speed
velocities in excess of 5 m/s), even water will compression [36]. A squeezed film is formed
generate PHD films [34]. At the lower speeds even between a spherical tool affecting a flat
more typical of mechanical presses, upset- Figure 3: Coefficient of friction for low and high workpiece. For the same base viscosity, naph-
ters, and hydraulic presses, oil-base lubri- Fig. speed3: Coefficient
compression of 18–8of friction
stainless steel for low andthenic
to 30% highoils,
speed
withcompression of 18–8 stainless st
their higher pressure-viscos-
cants are needed. High viscosity alone can height height reduction. Source: [35], adapted from [11].
reduction. Source: Ref 35, adapted ityfrom Ref 11.
coefficients, give better developed films
ensure film formation, but a high speed is than paraffinic oils, and the films are bet-
needed when viscosity is low. Whenever ηV
Fig. 3: Coefficient of friction for low and high speed compression of 18–8 stainless s
ter able to resist breakdown on subsequent
is high enough, the squeezed film reduces height reduction. Source: Ref 35, adapted fromNarrow
sliding. Ref 11. weight ranges of molecules
friction to typically µ = 0.05, Figure 3 [35], are more resistant to breakdown than oils of
irrespective of the die/workpiece material wider molecular weight distribution.
combination. Therefore, adequate viscosity Entrapment of a viscous lubricant by
is crucial in forming of nonreactive metals, mechanical means is particularly effec-
and in lubricating the freshly formed end tive. Pre-machined pockets are not practi-
faces in forging from a bar. cal for production purposes, but grooving
In many practical applications, the sur- of the end faces is acceptable when other
face roughening resulting from the presence measures prove inadequate. The latter is a
of a PHD film is objectionable, and viscos- valuable method for reducing friction when
ity is reduced so that most of the interface determining the flow strength. The volume
is in boundary contact. Therefore, friction of such grooves gradually diminishes during
cannot drop below µ = 0.05 and is typically the compression, and the displaced lubricant
on the order of µ = 0.1. Additives are then flows over the ridges to provide micro-level
important. In their absence, die pickup PHD lubrication. Grooves are most effective
occurs toward the edges of the workpiece Fig. 4: Reduction in friction obtained byifperiodic relubrication
they are wider and deeperand
thancyclic loading dur
the natu-
if adhesion between die and workpiece is compression. Source: Ref 38, adapted from
Figure 4: Reduction in friction obtained by periodic
Ref 11. that develops with the given
ral roughness
high, as in upsetting of aluminum and, to a Fig. 4: Reduction
relubrication in friction
and cyclic loading obtained bylubricant,
during compression. periodicand relubrication and cyclic
thus grooves should loading du
be small-
lesser extent, stainless steels and titanium. Source: [38], adapted from [11].
compression. Source: Ref 38, adapted from Ref 11. er for a lighter lubricant and a finer-grain
Friction could then gradually rise to values material. Pyramidal indentations created
as high as µ = 0.3. Less adhesive combinations produce lower coef- in the surface produced a similar effect [37]. Small, closely spaced
ficients of friction, on the order of µ = 0.1 to 0.15, as in upsetting of indentations are better in reducing friction and preventing pickup.
brass or copper. Nevertheless, additives are required for those metals In general, workpiece roughness is helpful, whether produced by
because die wear could otherwise become too severe. Contact in a prior working, pickling, shot blasting, or machining, as long as the
single stroke is too brief to activate extreme pressure (EP) lubricants, finish is nondirectional or, if it is directional, as long as the grooves
and it is likely that the necessary cumulative time and temperature are perpendicular to the major sliding direction.
combination can be ensured only on the die surface in the course of Die surface roughness is generally harmful in the mixed-film
several hundreds or thousands of contacts. Protection of the die dur- regime, but moderate roughness is helpful if the lubricant polymer-
ing the first few contacts is particularly important in forging from izes or wear products form, provided that no pickup occurs during
a bar with unprotected, freshly sheared end faces, until reactions the first few strokes in a production run. In most laboratory work, the
are initiated and friction polymers are formed. The effectiveness dies are cleaned after every test, and too few cycles are performed to
of boundary additives increases with increasing molecular chain attain steady-state conditions. For this reason, too, the condition µ =
length, and saturated fatty acids reduce friction more than their 0.05 likely occurs in production environments much more frequently
unsaturated counterparts. However, it is not always clear whether than published laboratory results would indicate.
this is purely a boundary effect or is also attributable to the higher During cylindrical compression, the growth of the entrapped
viscosities of the more effective agents. Fatty oils find use, too, for squeezed film seldom keeps up with the expansion of the end face
both their viscosities and their boundary properties. of the workpiece, and therefore the boundary-lubricated edge zone
At the low speeds typical of many laboratory experiments, bound- broadens, the average µ rises, and pickup may occur. Friction can
ary lubrication effects become more pronounced, and hydrodynamic be kept low and pickup minimized if the squeezed film is periodi-
effects are suppressed. Therefore, many of the m values reported in cally re-established. This can be achieved in several ways, Figure 4
the literature are higher than the most likely values attained under [38]. Compression can be interrupted, and the die and workpiece
production conditions. The effect of speed depends also on lubri- surfaces are relubricated. Such incremental compression is accept-
cant rheology. Thus, a highly viscous or semisolid lubricant such as able for laboratory flow-strength determination but is impracticable
38     gearsolutions.com
for production. Another way is that vibrations may be superimposed
on the tooling. The squeezed film is re-established if the tool lifts
away from the workpiece. This effect is particularly noticeable when
the workpiece is reactive with the lubricant and adheres to the die.
Vibrations at both low (10 to 50 Hz) and higher frequencies have been
found to be effective in reducing friction and barreling, although
equally good results can usually be obtained by choosing a better
lubrication system. Much of the force reduction reported by various
workers can be attributed to a replacement of the static compression
force by a vibrational force.
For plane strain compression, lubricant viscosity and additive
effects are the same as in upsetting of a cylinder. A lubricant film
forms around the neutral line and is hydrodynamically compressed.
The width of this zone increases with increasing speed and viscosity.
Compared to cylinder upsetting, lubricant additives are more effec-
tive because the freshly formed metal surfaces slide over the edges
of the tooling. Tool pickup becomes immediately apparent because
of scoring on the deformed surface.

SOLID FILM LUBRICATION

The high pressures and large surface expansions typical of extrusion-
type cold forging often lead to pickup and tool wear with liquid
lubricants, and therefore solid or bonded lubricants are used. For
maximum benefit, all surfaces of a precut billet or slug must be
coated. In forging from bar or wire, precoating of the bar or wire is
beneficial if severe cold extrusion is combined with moderate back
extrusion or upsetting for which a liquid lubricant is supplied at
the cold header. In judging the severity of the operation, it should
be remembered that die temperatures reach 100 to 200°C (210 to
390°F) under steady-state conditions if workpieces follow in rapid suc-
cession and heating due to plastic deformation is substantial. Many
Figure 5: Effects of lubrication conditions on (a) punch wear and (b) surface finish
kinds of solid and semisolid lubricants have been used, and various
Fig. 5: Effects
as a function ofoflubrication
of number conditions
mild steel extrusions performedon (a)a punch
using wear and (
steel punch.
lubricants are tailored to individual metals and to specific severity Source: Refof
42, mild
adaptedsteel
from [11].
of the operation. number extrusions performed using a steel punch.
The major advantage of metal films deposited on the billet is that 11.
up in recesses in the die, resulting in underfilled forgings and can
they follow the expansion of the end face in upsetting and flow with lead to undesirable roughening of the surface. For studies of surface
the workpiece. Separately interposed metal or polymer films are cut roughness, the lubricant film (including conversion coating) must be
through at the edges in upsetting and are only moderately effec- removed. However, the residual lubricant film itself gives valuable
tive even though their shear strength is low, because friction on the clues regarding the lubrication mechanism and the adequacy of pro-
unlubricated regions raises the average coefficient of friction. Metal tection against metallic contact. Predictions for surface roughness
as well as polymer films can be modeled as strain- rate-sensitive sub- during cold forging have been proposed [40].
stances. The main danger with polymer and layer-lattice films is In contrast, some deliberate and controlled roughening can be
localized breakdown, which allows metal-to-metal contact and die beneficial in improving the lubricant behavior and reducing fric-
pickup. Transport of the film and thus resistance to breakdown are tion. A lubricant carrier using surfaces with small pores has been
improved with appropriate workpiece surface roughness, and mod- developed with some success [41].
erate die surface roughness oriented perpendicular to the sliding
direction can also be beneficial in providing lubricant reservoirs. DIE WEAR
For this to occur, however, the film must be thick enough to provide The basic concepts behind die wear were presented previously. Cold
full separation. forging production runs are usually long (tens of thousands of parts),
Semisolids such as soaps, waxes, lanolin, tallow, and other fats and die lives of hundreds of thousands of parts are sought in cold
can be deposited in a thin film from a solvent, although they are not Fig. 6: Schematic
extrusion diagram
with steel dies, of the
and lives relative
three to fiveeffects of deformation
times longer with
necessarily much better able to resist wiping off than are some of the lubrication
tungsten carbideon friction and
dies. Thus, thedie
diepressure in hotbeforging
material must (Ref 11). D
hard enough
more viscous liquids. For heavier duty applications, these lubricants to resist abrasion and reactive enough to allow extreme pressure (EP)
must be transferred to the surface by a lubricant carrier or, for excep- lubricants to function but without causing excessive chemical wear.
tionally severe conditions, by a conversion coating. The most severe The ultimate tool selection is made on the basis of long runs, and
conditions may justify use of MoS2, deposited on top of the soap. simulation has helped in die selection.
A phosphate film itself is not a lubricant and ensures low friction Wear, judged from the change in punch diameter, is greatest with
only when impregnated with a semisolid. Lubricants without zinc chlorinated paraffin in a light kerosene base, much less severe with
phosphate precoatings have been evaluated and have been found to a more viscous commercial cold heading lubricant containing an
be comparable to or better than the precoated systems [39]. unspecified EP agent, and negligible with a phosphate/soap system,
The film thickness must be kept at the minimum value that Figure 5(a) and (b), [42]. Surface finish specified as peak-to-valley aver-
still ensures adequate lubrication, because excess lubricant builds age (Rt), reflects the roughening that normally accompanies die wear.
May 2018     39
 number of mild steel extrusions performed using a steel punch. Source: Ref 42, adap
11.
HOT FORGING surface temperatures can reach relatively
Hot forging is the most ancient of all met- high values. Cumulative contact time is,
alworking processes, yet it is also the one however, less on the hammer, and this keeps
for which lubrication studies have been dif- bulk temperatures lower.
ficult. The reason is, of course, that in drop An important lubricant function is cool-
(hammer) forging of steel, the new surfaces ing of the die. Aqueous lubricants are the
generated during deformation are exposed most effective and reduce the bulk tempera-
to air between successive blows, and thus tures of hammer dies — with their steeper
they reoxidize before making the next die temperature gradients — more than those
contact. Die filling is not necessarily aided of press dies. It is not unusual to find that
by lubrication. With hydraulic and, particu- heat-transfer rates increase with lubrication,
larly, mechanical presses and for the forging because the insulating properties of the
of light metals and difficult-to-forge materi- oxide are destroyed when it is impregnated
als, that lubrication becomes important. with a more conductive substance — espe-
Figure 6: Schematic diagram of the relative effects
Workpieces are heated to typical hot Fig. 6: Schematic
of deformation speed, flowdiagram of the relative
stress, and lubrication effects
cially withof deformation
a liquid speed,
carrier such flow stress, a
as water,
working temperatures, but dies are usually oil, or grease. Only when the carrier forms a
lubrication on friction and die pressure in hot forging (Ref 11). Die pressure increase
on friction and die pressure in hot forging [11]. Die
substantially colder. Therefore, a lubricant pressure increases with increasing flow stress of the heat-insulating film is heat transfer reduced.
not only should ensure die/workpiece separa- deforming material with increasing strain rate. HERF, Lower heat transfer rates do not neces-
tion and lower friction but preferably should high energy rate forming. sarily mean lower friction. Friction reaches
also act as a heat insulator. Excessive heating a minimum at an oxide film thickness of
of the dies leads to die damage and wear, and the lubricant or its car- about 50 µm, climbs to an intermediate maximum at 150 µm, and
rier should also perform a cooling function. High temperature at the declines further at 250 µm. Lower friction is associated with a higher
interface severely limits the choice of lubricant. FeO content in the scale.
Similar effects must apply also to oxides of other workpiece
SOLID FILM LUBRICATION materials, although the relative degrees of hardness and ductility
With occasional exceptions, such as in forging of aluminum or mag- (or, rather, brittleness) of various oxides are quite different. Oxides of
nesium, the lubricant is applied only to the die because it would be other metals may also be interposed as lubricants but are not capable
destroyed in the course of preheating the workpiece. The die itself is of following the surface extension of the workpiece.
usually preheated or reaches some steady-state temperature during Effect of Forging Speed. With higher forging speeds, several effects
forging, and therefore the carrier is chosen with wetting of the die take place simultaneously. The flow strength of the workpiece increas-
surface in mind. Oils and greases used to be preferred, but occu- es because of the higher strain rate, resulting in increased die pres-
pational health and ecological considerations favor aqueous lubri- sure, but if heat generated is retained sufficiently, it may also result
cants. Furthermore, capillary forces that aid alignment of platelets in counteracting decreases in flow stress and die pressure; see Figure
are less effective while the oil decomposes on heating. Overviews of 6 [11]. The contact time is reduced and cooling minimized, counter-
things to consider when selecting a lubricant for hot forging have balancing to some extent the increase in flow strength due to higher
been developed [43]. strain rates. The time of lubricant exposure to high temperature
Effect of Temperature. Lubricant breakdown and oxidation are func- is reduced. In the presence of a liquid carrier or carrier residue, a
tions of contact time, die and workpiece temperature, and surface squeezed-film effect develops. The combination of the above effects
deformation and sliding. For a given contact time, various lubricants generally reduces friction at higher speeds. This reduction is observed
break down at different temperatures. The higher the temperature even with unlubricated but oxidized steel workpieces. Competing with
is, the more rapid will be the breakdown. the squeezed-film effect is lubricant breakdown due to oxidation and
Effect of Heat Transfer. A potentially confusing factor is chilling of thermal decomposition. At given forging and die temperatures, lower
the workpiece on the die surface. This restricts deformation just as speed results in longer contact time and more damage to the continu-
much as friction does, and it affects measured interface stresses. The ity of the film. Depending on the nature of the viscous carrier, friction
relationships are not straightforward because oxides, which are heat may even become higher than with a dry film. Die temperature and
insulators, interact with the lubricant to determine the rate of heat the time elapsed between lubricant application and contact with the
transfer. These effects have been most extensively studied in forging of workpiece play decisive roles in the evaporation of the carrier. With
steel, although they are equally important in forging of other metals. increasing interface temperature, film damage increases, and thus
A thicker oxide is, in general, a better heat insulator, and the the increase in m is greater.
reduced heat flow reduces the temperature gradient in the surface Interactions of oxides with the lubricant also enter into the speed
layer of the die. Breakup of the oxide film greatly increases heat effect. A heavy oxide film interferes with a dry colloidal graphite
transfer, and therefore the rate of heat loss increases suddenly when lubricant. A thin (less than 25 µm) oxide film gives lower friction
pressure is applied and plastic flow begins, irrespective of whether with dry graphite at both hammer and press speeds. A thick oxide
the workpiece is of steel or aluminum. This effect is quite dramatic film can, however, negate the squeezed-film effect.
when a workpiece with a rough surface is loaded and deformation of Effects of Die Geometry and Temperature. Lower friction at high-
asperities creates oxide-free junctions. Heat transfer is then the same er forging speeds does not necessarily mean lower forging forces,
with or without a lubricant, as observed for graphite on steel and because the increase in flow strength often outweighs the effect of
MoS2 on aluminum, and approach values of completely uninsulated the lower pressure-multiplying factor that accompanies a lower fric-
surfaces. With increasing strain, more fresh surface is exposed, and tion. Thus, for a given lubricant, forging on high-energy-rate equip-
heat transfer rates increase further, if possible. ment results in higher forces than does forging on a press. A lubricant
Heat transfer is also a function of contact time and thus of forging film with good heat insulation brings the situation closer to adiabatic
speed. Temperature gradients are greater at higher speeds, and die conditions, and the greater temperature rise may counterbalance the
40     gearsolutions.com
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 increasing flow stress of the deforming material with increasing strain rate. HERF, h
rate forming.

strain-rate effect. Results are, therefore, high-
ly dependent on experimental conditions. An
optimum speed in terms of minimum forg-
ing load and best die filling can sometimes
be found.
In judging the effectiveness of a lubricant,
one must keep in mind that entirely differ-
ent criteria apply to various forging geom-
etries. In upsetting and ring compression,
the predominant variable is end-face expan-
sion, and this is promoted by lubrication.
In true closed-die (trapped-die) forging, the
major deformation mode is extrusion, into a
narrowing gap when draft angles are used.
Interactions among oxides, lubricant, and
forging speed can become difficult to sepa-
rate. In conventional impression-die forging
the extrusion effect is combined with upset-
ting (and lateral extrusion) of the flash. The Figure 7: Schematic
diagram of the effect of
short contact time in the hammer aids die
Fig. 7: Schematic
molybdenum
molybdenum content in steels on relative wear contentrise in when
filling and neutralizes the friction effect. light
volumesforging
for both reductions.
heavy and light
Source: [54], adapted from [55].
Die temperature is a most significant
factor, but the effects are complex. Higher
die temperatures result in less cooling and
thus facilitate material f low, especially The life of hot forging
in impression- and closed-die forging. If
increasing interface temperature results dies ranges from a few
in an earlier breakdown of the lubricant,
interface sliding decreases, and less out-
hundred to some tens
ward expansion is found in ring compres-
sion. Some lubricants fail to wet a hotter
of thousands of parts.
die, and friction increases. It is short enough to
Effect of Application Method. Even the best
have prompted serious
lubricant will fail if it is deposited discontin-
uously. At the same time, excessive coating
thickness can lead to lubricant accumulation,
investigations into
unfilled forgings, and poor surface quality.
Therefore, controlled deposition is essential.
causes of die wear.
Hand application by swabbing is still prac-
ticed but is not satisfactory, particularly with aqueous lubricants.
Automated mechanical methods of application have been developed.
A good application system must prevent settling out of solids in the
holding tank, ensure reliable and uniform atomization (breaking
up of the liquid droplets) by mechanical means or air pressure, and
deliver the fine droplets to the die in a controlled manner. Hand-held
spray heads suffice for production at lower rates, Fig.but8:mechanically
Schematic diagram
steel hot-forging
operated stationary or oscillating spray bars are essential for high pro- conditions.
duction rates. Spray heads with sufficiently large orifices can be kept
open if air is blown through them after each lubricant application.
THICK FILM LUBRICATION
At hot forging temperatures, glass or similar inorganic substances
can produce a thick film lubricant. The forging process imposes some
special requirements. In both isothermal and nonisothermal forging,
any accumulation of lubricant residues in the die cavity results in
underfilled forgings. Therefore, the lubricant must be applied to the
workpiece only, in the form of a thin coating. The glass should wet
the workpiece in order to follow surface deformation, but it should do
so without attacking (corroding) the die or the workpiece. It should
adhere to the workpiece sufficiently to be lifted out with the forg-
ing. If glass adheres to the die, it should allow ejection of the work-
piece without excessive force and without long, strong stringers. In
42     gearsolutions.com
nonisothermal forging, the heat-insulating
capacity of the lubricant should be high.
Because glass is not capable of preventing
pickup if the film is locally damaged, addi-
tional protection must be secured by add-
ing a compatible parting agent such as BN
to the glass and/or by applying a thin, dry
or grease-base graphite coating to a colder
die. Isothermal forging temperatures are too
high for graphite to survive, and BN serves as
a useful parting agent.
Lubricant Variables. There is no optimum
viscosity, although recommendations are 10
to 100 Pa·s at the workpiece temperature.
More relevant is the viscosity at the average
of the die and workpiece temperatures. In
nonisothermal forging, the workpiece sur-
face temperature tends to drop with a good
heat-insulant liquid film, but it can actually
steelstheonfilm
relative wear volumes for both h
breaks down and high fric-
Source:
forging Ref
reductions. 54, adapted from Ref 55 Ref 55.
tion generates heat. For isothermal forging, it
is more meaningful to relate glass viscosity
to the flow strength of the material. There
is no definite minimum film thickness, but
typical values are approximately 0.05 to 0.1
mm in forging. Excessively thick films lead
to surface roughening and glass buildup in
the die.
Some lubricants other than glass can
serve as viscous fluids showing diminishing
film thickness on increasing workpiece tem-
perature. Wetting of the workpiece surface
by the glass and protection during preheat-
ing are important, but the glass with the best
protective properties is not necessarily the
best lubricant on steel. The best protection
is ensured by preheating in a glass bath, the
glass then serving also as a lubricant. Glass
is a good heat insulator and reduces cooling
rates during transfer from the furnace.
Although the ring test has been used to evaluate the frictional
conditions in hot forging, other tests have been developed. The warm
hot upsetting sliding test [44] is one such test, and die wear during
warm forging can be quite different from that occurring during
hot forging [45]. Attempts to mitigate the environmental effects and
lubricantofdisposal
the effectissuesofhave
workpiece temperature
been undertaken on relative wear vo
[46]. International
focus on thisSource:
issue is Ref
also a57, adapted
concern fromresearchers
for many Ref 55. and many
forging facilities, with interest increasing recently [47–51].
DIE WEAR
The life of hot forging dies ranges from a few hundred to some tens
of thousands of parts. It is short enough to have prompted serious
investigations into causes of die wear, especially because die costs
account for some 15 percent of total production costs.
High die temperature is destructive because the die surface loses
strength in a thin layer, which makes it less resistant to abrasion and
plastic deformation. Therefore, wear under unlubricated conditions
is found to be inversely proportional to die temperature. Conversely,
rapid heating above the transition temperature of the die surface
on contact, followed by quenching by the cold backing, leads to the
formation of a brittle, hard (martensitic) layer, which is prone to
fatigue but more resistant to abrasive wear.
 light forging reductions. Source: Ref 54, adapted from Ref 55 Ref 55.
The main variable is die temperature.
Die life decreases with increasing weight of
the forging, because the higher heat content
of a larger piece results in higher die tem-
peratures. Interruptions of the smooth flow
of production are harmful, because they
increase temperature excursions. Contact
(dwell) and cycle times affect bulk die tem-
peratures and surface temperature gradients
in the die. Contact time increases with the
number of blows on a hammer, leading to
more severe wear if the hammer is too small
for the part. Wear is especially severe in the
finishing blows on strong alloys. Stickers are
most harmful and result in much- reduced
die lives, especially in press forging without
an ejector. Excessive temperature is harmful,
but so are excessive temperature excursions.
Thermal shock and thus thermal fatigue are
minimized by appropriate preheating of the
die, preferably with an evenly distributed
heat source (gas or electric) rather than with Figure 8: Schematic diagram of the effect of
a localized high-temperature source (such as Fig. 8: Schematic
workpiece temperature ondiagram
a hot workpiece). The optimum preheating steel
steel hot-forging
hot-forging
conditions. Source: [57], Source:
temperature is a function of both die and from [55].
lubricant composition. Die configuration,
together with lubrication, determine material flow. More complex
parts need higher pressure and more blows to fill in a hammer, are
more likely to stick, and throw more flash, resulting in increased
wear. A wider flash land wears less but at the expense of higher cav-
ity pressure. The surface topography of milled dies has been found
to influence the wear of hot forging dies [52].
FACTORS AFFECTING ABRASIVE WEAR
DIE MATERIAL
Of all the factors that influence abrasive wear, the one easiest to
understand and quantify is that of die material and hardness. In
general, increasing alloying content and die hardness both tend to
increase the resistance of forging die steels to abrasive wear. Low-alloy
die steels, such as 6F2, 6G, and 6H1, generally have poor resistance
to wear as compared to hot-work die steels, such as H13 and H26.
This difference is because the microstructures of the latter steels
are not only inherently more resistant to wear, but they also tend
to be more stable at higher temperatures. Low-alloy steels have far
inferior wear resistance as compared to hot-work die steels because
alloying led to higher hardness and the ability to retain strength at
high die temperatures.
The effect of various alloying elements on wear of steels has
been studied by various authors. The wear resistance increases with
increasing contents of carbon and carbide-forming elements, and
the presence of elements that are not carbide-forming in martensitic
die steels may even be detrimental [53]. Of the carbide-forming ele-
ments, greater wear resistance is developed in the order of chromi-
um, tungsten, molybdenum, and vanadium, with the effectiveness in
reducing wear being in the ratio of 2:5:10:40, respectively, when the
die temperature is between 250 and 550°C (480 and 1,020°F). Thus,
vanadium and its associated carbides are eight times as effective as
tungsten and its carbides in reducing wear. Good wear resistance
is obtained when the total alloy content is in excess of 3 percent.
Molybdenum has a strong effect on reducing wear, but quantities in
excess of 2 percent are not needed. An example showing wear as a
function of alloy content (Mo wt percent) is
given in Figure 7 [54].
The nickel-base alloy Nimonic 90 has
a wear resistance between that of an H12
and H19 steel at a die temperature of 255°C
(490°F). This observation is an important
one since the nickel-base alloys are gener-
ally many times the cost of the die steel
alloys and are harder to machine.
DIE HARDNESS
Die hardness is another factor whose influ-
ence on abrasive wear is easy to quantify.
There are two basic processes involved [56].
The first is the formation of plastically
deformed grooves that do not involve metal
removal, and the second consists of removal
of metal in the form of microscopic chips.
Because chip formation, as in metal cutting,
takes place through a shear process, increased
metal hardness could be expected to dimin-
ish the amount of metal removal via abrasive
relative wearof the for
volume effect wear.
of workpiece
This trend istemperature on relative
exactly as observed experi- wear
conditions.
adapted Ref 57, adapted from Ref 55.
mentally and in production environments.
The dependence of wear rate on hardness
is greatest for low-alloy die steels such as 6F2
[53]. There is a correlation between hardness and wear of die steels
with microstructures different from the typical die steel structure
of tempered martensite. It has been found that the isothermal heat
treatment of steels to produce lower bainite results in better wear
resistance. Supposedly, this effect is a result of the fact that isother-
mal transformation/hardening causes fewer stresses and microscopic
cracks (which promote abrasive failure) than does a thermal mar-
tensitic transformation.
WORKPIECE TEMPERATURE
During forging of steels, wear increased at first with billet temperature
up to 1,100°C (2,000°F) and then decreased with increasing tempera-
ture, as shown in Figure 8. The initial increase can probably be attrib-
uted to the increase in the amount of scale on the billets, which acts
as an abrasive during the die wear process. However, above 1,100°C,
the flow stress drops off rapidly enough to minimize the interface
pressure during forging and, therefore, decrease the effect of scale [58].
LUBRICATION AND DIE TEMPERATURE
The effects of lubrication and die temperature on die wear have been
interpreted in a variety of often-conflicting ways. This is because
lubricants and die temperature influence (a) lubricity, and hence
the amount of metal sliding during forging, (b) the interface pres-
sure during deformation, and (c) the heat transfer characteristics
between the dies and workpiece during conventional hot forging.
Heat transfer is important not only through its influence on heat
absorption into the dies, and thus thermal softening and decreased
wear resistance of the dies, but also through its effect on the perfor-
mance of the die and billet lubricants themselves.
Investigations into the effect of lubrication on die wear in simple
upsetting have shown that wear is greatly increased when the dies
are lubricated versus when they are not [59], as shown in Figure 9.
The same phenomenon was also found during upset successive lots of
1,000 samples each on a flat die in a mechanical press. In these tests,
the amount of wear was greater for the lot involving lubricated com-
pression tests [57]. From these findings, one might conclude that wear
May 2018     43
increases with lubrication because of increased sliding and that lubri-
cation is detrimental in forging. This point is clarified, however, by
calculating the amount of wear for equivalent amounts of metal flow
past a given point; lubrication reduces wear by a factor of three when
compared to forging without lubrication. Moreover, in closed-die forg-
ing, the amount of metal sliding is fixed by die and preform design
and not lubrication. Thus, the amount of sliding over the flash land,
where wear is usually greatest, depends on the amount of flash that
must be produced and not on the efficiency of the lubricant employed.
Because the amount of flash will be roughly the same with or without
lubrication, employing lubricants in closed-die forging should reduce
abrasive wear of the flash land and other parts of the die cavity.
The interaction of lubrication and die temperature effects was
demonstrated [60] in upset tests on a high energy rate forming (HERF)
machine. These tests were run with various bulk die temperatures,
dwell times, and cycle times. Dwell time in the HERF operation
includes a short forging phase, a somewhat longer “bouncing” phase, Figure 9: The effect of lubrication on die wear as a function of number of medium
Fig.
carbon9:steel
Thehoteffect of forgings
billet upset lubrication on die
on H13 steel dieswear as a function
with a hardness of 46–48 of number
and an extended “after-forging” phase during which the dies and
billet are in contact under low pressure. Results established that die
billet upset
HRC, showing theforgings on
effect of slidingH13 steel
on wear. Alsodies with
of interest a
here hardness ofdie46–48 HR
is the relative
wear on the
sliding ontopwear.
and bottom
Also dieof
in lubricated
interest conditions.
here is Source:
the [59], adapted
relative die wear on the
wear after upsetting of 1,000 billets decreased with increasing die from [55].
temperature. These results were correlated with decreased amounts lubricated conditions. Source: Ref 59, adapted from Ref 55.
of sliding at higher die temperatures due to an increase in the coef- occurs between the forging and the die. In reality, however, due to
ficient of friction. scale and oxidation at the die and material interface, the peak surface
Increasing dwell time increases die chilling.
Fig. 9: As
Thea effect
result,ofmetal
lubricationtemperatures
on die wear as during forging
a function reach 500
of number to 600°Ccarbon
of medium (930 to 1,110°F)
steel hot in
flow is hindered, and die wear is reduced. Increased cycle
billet upset time (time
forgings mechanical
on H13 steel dies withpresses
a hardnessandof650 to 700°C
46–48 HRC,(1,200 to 1,290°F)
showing the effect in of
hammers.
slidingofon
between forgings) tends to have the reverse effect wear. Also
increasing of interest here
dwell is the relative
The effects of slidingdieonwear
die on theare
wear topalso
andqualitatively
bottom die inwell known
time (that is, it increases die wear becauselubricated conditions. Source:
of lower coefficients of Ref
in 59, adapted
forging practice.from Ref effects
These 55. are taken into account in designing
friction and more sliding). However, these effects have been found preforms to ensure that more “squeezing” and less lateral flow and
to be slight in upset tests conducted in a HERF sliding action take place during finish forging.
machine [60].
A striking die wear concern is the generally IMPROVING RESISTANCE
higher wear experienced by the top die versus TO ABRASIVE WEAR
the lower die, which is most noticeable in their The most direct method to improve die wear is
lubricated upset tests, also shown in Figure 9. to employ a die steel that is more resistant to
This difference can be attributed to greater chill- wear, that is, one that is harder and that retains
ing on the bottom die because the hot workpiece its hardness at high die temperatures [61]. This
was placed on it prior to forging. This higher tem- could mean changing from a low-alloy die steel
perature could, therefore, have been expected to to a chromium hot-work die steel. The decision
lead to greater friction, less sliding, and thus less to make such a change should be based on the
abrasive wear than the top die experienced. suitability of the new die steel itself in the forg-
From a practical standpoint, increased pro- ing operation and the trade-off between expected
duction rates in a forge shop may be expected to increases in die life and increases in material (and
lead to lower die life. Increased die temperature machining) costs. More recently, computational
is often used to increase production rates. In forg- analyses have resulted in improved simulation
ing under production conditions, the die surface capabilities, which allow for improved die design
temperature observed between two consecu- to reduce conditions that are conducive to abrasive
tive forging blows seems to remain unchanged wear [62–73], although the details of local pres-
throughout a production run. During the actual sure, temperature, and friction conditions cou-
forging operation, the die surface temperatures pled with the precise material response to these
increase and reach a maximum peak value and Figure 10: ASM Handbook, Volume 18:
Fig. 10: ASM Handbook, conditionsVolume
is critical to Friction,
18: the ability Lubrication,
to accurately and We
Friction, Lubrication, and Wear Technology
decrease again when the dies are separated Fig. 10: ASM Handbook, Volume
is a comprehensive, comprehensive,
up-to-date up-to-dateand
simulate
Friction, Lubrication,
18:resource resource
any forging on surface
process.
Wear Technology is aengineering,
Although compu- lubricat
and the forging is removed. In case the forgingcomprehensive, up-to-date resource on surface tational analyses
engineering, aredesign
lubrication, advancing,
and experimental
materials
on surface engineering, lubrication, design
“sticks” in one of the dies, the peak surface tem- and materials selection strategies to evaluations of wear remain an active area of inves-
perature of that die may increase further and improve the reliability and operational life tigation (for example [74–77]), and precise mecha-
contribute to die wear. Therefore, in conducting of components. The 2017 edition has been nisms of wear and local stress, temperature, and
die wear studies, it is suggested that an ejector be significantly expanded and revised by a friction conditions are often unknown.
used to remove the part after forging, so that die new group of global experts and builds on Coating, hardfacing, and surface treatment of
temperatures do not increase because a forging articles devoted to specific friction- or forging dies often can be employed to improve
wear-critical components supported by
sticks in the die. In forging of steel at 1,200°C coverage on the fundamental physical
wear resistance as well. Some specific coating
(2,190°F) with dies at about 250°C (480°F), the principles of friction, lubrication, and wear. and hardfacing alloys and surface treatments
surface temperatures will reach approximate- Go online to www.asminternational.org/ such as nitriding and boriding are beneficial.
ly 750°C (1,380°F) if perfect and ideal contact hbvol18. These include the use of chromium and cobalt-
44     gearsolutions.com
base coatings, weld deposits of higher-alloy steels onto low-alloy
steels [78], weld deposits of nickel and cobalt hardfacing alloys on die
steels [79], ceramic coatings, physical and chemical vapor deposition
coatings [80, 81] and surface nitriding [82]. Studies have been done
to show the effect of lubricant and coating on the life of the die [83].
Another means of reducing wear in the forging of steel involves
reducing the scale on heated billets; scale acts as an abrasive during
the sliding that occurs between the dies and workpiece. Poor control
of scale can reduce die life as much as 200 percent. Methods of reduc-
ing scale are relatively obvious and include:
Using induction heating.
Using a reducing, or inert, furnace atmosphere.
Using a billet coating to prevent oxidation.
Minimizing time at temperature in the furnace.
One final means of decreasing the problem of wear is through
improved redesign of the blocker shape. This approach is an impor-
tant consideration because wear is strongly dependent on the amount
of sliding that occurs on a die surface. Thus, it is possible to reduce
sliding, thereby reducing wear, by redesigning the blocker shape.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Partial support for this work from the Advanced Steel Processing
and Products Research Center at Colorado School of Mines is grate-
fully acknowledged. Special thanks are extended to Professor John
Schey for his outstanding work Tribology in Metalworking: Friction,
Lubrication and Wear (ASM International, 1983) from which infor-
mation has been extracted and which forms a foundation for this
article. The authors also thank R. Shivpuri and S.L. Semiatin for
their article “Friction and Wear of Dies and Die Materials” in ASM
Handbook, Volume 18: Friction, Lubrication and Wear Technology,
(ASM International, 1992), which also provides foundational informa-
tion for this article. 
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K.D. Clarke and C.J. Van Tyne, are with the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. This article
originally appeared in ASM Handbook, Volume 18: Friction, Lubrication, and Wear Technology, George E. Totten, Editor, Copyright © 2017 ASM
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May 2018     47
 MEETING MANUFACTURING
TOLERANCES WITH
FE-BASED
DESIGN

Printed with permission of the copyright holder, the American Gear Manufacturers Association, 1001 N. Fairfax Street,
Suite 500, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Statements presented in this paper are those of the authors and may not
represent the position or opinion of the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA). This paper was presented
October 2017 at the AGMA Fall Technical Meeting in Columbus, Ohio. 17FTM11

48     gearsolutions.com
This article discusses an FE-based method
for the design of robust tooth flank modifications
for cylindrical and planetary gear stages.
By Prof. Dr.-Ing. C. BRECHER, Dr.-Ing. C. LÖPENHAUS, JULIAN THELING,
MARIUS SCHROERS, and Dipl.-Ing. DANIEL PIEL
T
ooth flank modifications are used to opti-
mize the excitation behavior and durability of
gears. In the first step, design is often done via
guidelines, and afterwards, a variety of tooth
flank modifications is checked via local calculation
approaches to determine the best micro geometry in
order to enhance operational behavior. Modifications
are subject to statistical deviations due to the manufac-
turing process. Their sizes are in the range of microm-
eters and therefore in the same dimension as the
tooth flank modification itself. However, deviations
are often not taken into account during the design
of modifications today, although they can lead to an
uncertain influence on the operational behavior.
The authors developed a method to evaluate the
quality and stability of flank modifications (such as:
tip reliefs, profile angle modifications,
profile crownings, lead angle modifica-
tions, helix crownings, end reliefs, and
root reliefs) regarding manufacturing
tolerances during the design process.
An FE-based tooth contact analysis is
used to simulate characteristics of the
excitation behavior and durability of a
gear pair. In addition to the standard
design process, the tolerance field of
the tooth flank modification is taken
into account. In order to choose an
optimized micro geometry, a weighting
function is used to compare the results
by quality (level of target value such as Figure 1: Quadrilemma of gear design [1].
transmission error or stress) and stabil-
ity (variability of target value) under consideration of
all relevant combinations of relevant modification
parameters on pinion and gear in their respective
tolerance fields.
By means of the developed method, the planetary
gear and cylindrical gear stages of a wind turbine
are optimized. Regarding the target values (Hertzian
pressure, transmission error, and root stresses) the
characteristics for quality and stability are calculat-
ed, and the best constellation of tooth flank modifi-
cations is chosen. Results suggest that the quality of
tooth flank modifications can differ between chosen
tolerance fields while some variants are more sus-
ceptible than others. The presented design process
provides a method to examine those influences and
enables the engineer to choose the most robust micro
geometry in terms of quality and stability already in
the design process.
1: INTRODUCTION
Modern transmissions have to fulfill more and more
customer and legal requirements. The design objec-
tives that have to be achieved are contradicting, and
the best solution is not immediately evident (Figure 1).
On the one hand, the costs of the manufacturing and
design process have to be reduced, and on the other
hand, the durability and excitation behavior have to be
improved. At the same time, the developed design has
to be manufacturable and provide a high efficiency.
The main source of excitation in transmissions is
the tooth contact. The durability and the excitation
behavior can be improved through tooth flank modi-
fications. Nevertheless, designed tooth flank modifi-
cations, which lead to a good noise behavior, do not
automatically lead to good durability or efficiency.
Like any manufacturing process, the grinding of
tooth flank modifications is subject to systematical
and statistical deviations [2]. These deviations are
caused by errors in the machine kinematics, devia-
tions of the grinding wheel or the workpiece. The tol-
erance field describes the allowed deviations from the
nominal values. Thus, a smaller tolerance field leads to
smaller deviations. Nevertheless, with a smaller toler-
ance field, the manufacturing costs increase through
longer cycle times and a higher amount of scrap
parts. Because of the interdependence between the
design goals, the optimization of one by one does not
lead to the achieved design objective. Therefore, it is
important to describe the interactions and influences
between the design objectives and regard them during
the design process to generate the best solution.
Today, if the excitation behavior or the durability
in one design is spread over a wide bandwidth, the
May 2018     49
tolerance field is often decreased. As men-
tioned before, a smaller tolerance field leads
to higher manufacturing costs. In addition,
the design can behave dramatically within
the tolerance field, which means that small
deviations from the nominal tooth flank
geometry can cause high excitations or flank
pressures, even when the nominal design
shows good results.
The objective of this exercise is to provide
a method that regards the stability of the
nominal design inside given manufacturing
tolerances. With the help of this method, it
will be possible to choose the nominal design
most robust in running behavior regarding
geometric undesired deviations. In addition,
it will be possible to take different load cases
and weightings of the functional target Figure 2: Design process of gearboxes [1].
parameters such as stresses or transmission
error into account dependent on the load
case. The design approach is presented by
means of a quasi-static tooth contact analy-
sis and the results confirmed via a dynamic
1D simulation afterwards.

2: BACKGROUND
The following chapter deals with the initial
motivation of the described method. First,
the standard design process of transmissions
is presented, starting with the customer`s
requirements over the conception and
dimensioning up to the optimization of the
tooth contact (Figure 2). Afterwards the FVA
project “FVA Gondel” and the gearset which
the method was applied will be shown.
The design process of gearboxes follows
the rules of the standard design process Figure 3: Gear data of the designed gear stages.
in mechanical engineering according to
PAHL and BEITZ. The steps that have to be taken include the design
specification, the definition of the concept, the development of a
preliminary layout, and the optimization of the preliminary to a
definitive layout [3].
The first step of the design process is to determine the require-
ments of the customer. The main aspect in the design of gearboxes
for wind turbines is to transmit the provided power from the input
to the output shaft and change the input torque and rotational speed
to the required values. Therefore, the overall gear ratio is defined and
a requirement list is written.
In the second step, a concept is developed. Main tasks are to estab-
lish the function structure to provide the given overall gear ratio and
identify essential problems like weight or design space requirements,
which cannot be fulfilled. After this step the number and type of the
gear stages are defined.
The total gear ratio is split up on the gear stages in the third
step. Regarding durability standards and experiences, the macro
geometrical values are calculated and optimized afterwards. After
this step, the numbers of teeth, profile angle and other macro geo-
metrical values like the center distance are fixed. With the given
geometry and provided torque and rotational speed the bearings
and shafts can be designed. The definition of the micro geometry
is the fourth and last step in the gear-design process. It is used to
optimize the durability and the excitation behavior regarding load
50     gearsolutions.com
dependent deformations and displacements. By means of the opti-
mization of durability and excitation behavior, the power density
and the running behavior can be improved. Often it is done via FEA
or an FE-based tooth contact analysis combined with a multi-body
simulation. Different tooth flank geometry variations are developed
by means of internal and external guidelines and simulated after-
wards to define the best design.
2.1: PROJECT ‘FVA GONDEL’
The presented method is applied to the design of the gearbox of a
2.7 MW wind turbine. The optimization of the tooth geometry was
part of the project “FVA Nacelle” (FVA 730), in which a nacelle is
tested on a
4 MW test rig to determine the influences between the
different components of a wind turbine [4]. The project is funded by
the BMWI (Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy) and
is coordinated by the CWD (Center for Wind Power Drives), where
the test rig is assembled. Other funded partners in the project are
the FVA (Research Association of Drive Engineering) and Siemens
AG-Winergy. Realistic wind scenarios as well as synthetic load cases
are tested and characteristics of the excitation and load situation
are measured at the gearbox and other components by means of
over 250 sensors. Regarding the measured data, the behavior of the
transmission is analyzed and interdependencies are determined.
Furthermore, the testing results are used to validate the design and

Figure 4: Tolerance field based design of tooth flank modifications.
Figure 5: Displacement behavior of the gear stages.
modeling software of the FVA Workbench Software Stirak for large
module gearsets and high torque transmissions. The rotor of the
wind turbine is simulated by a 4 MW direct drive. In order to provide
realistic test scenarios, wind forces are applied with a non-torque
load unit in all degrees of freedom. The tested nacelle uses a gear-
box generator setup to convert the kinetic rotor energy in electrical
energy. The gearbox consists of a planetary gear stage on the input
side and two cylindrical gear stages (Figure 3). The gearbox is a modi-
fied legacy gearbox of Siemens AG-Winergy.
With a nominal input revelation speed of 17.46 rpm and a nominal
torque at the input shaft of 1537 kNm, the gearbox has a nominal
power of 3,025 kW. The gearbox is part of a NECMICON 2.7 MW wind
turbine and has a total gear ratio of i = 62.755. The rotor of the wind
turbine is connected to the planet carrier, in which three planets
with zP = 35 teeth are mounted. The ring wheel is fixed to the housing
and has zR = -89 teeth. The planetary gear stage has a normal module
mn = 18 mm and all stages have a profile angle α n = 20°. The sun shaft
with zs = 19 teeth is output of the low speed stage, which is connected
to the intermediate speed stage over a curved-tooth coupling. Normal
module of the second stage is
mn = 14 mm. The wheel has z1 = 82 teeth
and the pinion has z2 = 22. The nominal output speed of the second
stage is approximately 305 rpm. The wheel of the high-speed stage is
mounted on the same shaft as the pinion of the intermediate speed
stage and has z3 = 80 teeth. The pinion with z4 = 27 teeth is mounted
on the output shaft of the gearbox, which is
connected to the generator. All gear stages
are designed as helical gears, due to better
overlap ratios.
3: DESIGN OF TOOTH FLANK
MODIFICATIONS
The procedure of how to correctly choose
the optimal micro geometry is illustrated
in Figure 4. The surrounding elements have
an influence on the tooth contact and have
to be regarded during the design process.
Therefore, the load dependent deformations
and displacements of the shaft and bearing
system are calculated in the first three steps
and then transformed on the tooth contact
to regard it during the variant calculation.
The load dependent displacement can be
regarded as a polynomial function in the
variant calculation to reduce the calculation
time and have the information about the
load dependency in one simulation model.
First, the load-dependent stiffness of the
surrounding elements is calculated [1]. The
bearing stiffness as well as the housing,
shafts and the planet carrier can be regarded
during this design step. Particular load cases
with their respective surrounding stiffness
are calculated using an FE-based tooth con-
tact analysis [2]. With the information of the
deviation behavior by means of the calculat-
ed stiffness and the load cases a polynomial is
defined. Therefore, at different loads, the lead
angle deviation is obtained from the first two
above-mentioned steps. A load-dependent
polynomial [3] is then derived from the devia-
tions. In the case of tooth trace deviations,
the polynomial usually can be reduced to a
linear function. This polynomial is necessary in order to consider the
load-dependent deflection of the shafts and the gears during the vari-
ant calculation, which is the main part of the optimization process
[4]. The design-relevant parameters are determined by the variant
calculation using parameters of the tooth flank modifications in a
predefined limit and its appropriate step size. The operational torque
is varied as it has an important impact on the optimization. By this,
all design-relevant parameters are obtained at the end.
The variant calculation delivers a large number of variants, which
needs to be analyzed. The aim is to determine the best tooth flank
geometry. The parameters are assessed by an automated process,
which takes into account the different parameters’ importance and
torque as well as the grading of specific results. Furthermore, moni-
toring of the system’s stability is performed. This means, that for
each nominal design, the limits of a predefined tolerance field are
considered, for instance as per DIN 3962 [5, 6]. By this, the sensitiv-
ity of a given design to possible manufacturing deviations can be
determined. The results are processed and the design with the best
total grade is chosen.
3.1: CALCULATION OF THE LOAD DEPENDENT
DISPLACEMENTS
In order to find the best tooth flank micro geometry, the load depen-
dent characteristic of the surrounding elements have to be regarded.
May 2018     51
Two different approaches are chosen for the
cylindrical and the planetary gear stage. The
load dependent bearing stiffness of the cylin-
drical gear stages are calculated by means of
the software Bearinx provided by the compa-
ny Schaeffler. The same approach is chosen
for the four bearings mounted in each planet
wheel. In addition, the four planet bearings
are coupled in a simple spring model and an
equivalent stiffness is calculated and used
in the FE-based tooth contact analysis after-
wards. Furthermore, the load dependent
displacement behavior of the planet carrier
is simulated by means of the FE modeling
software Abaqus for different load cases and
a stiffness value is derived.
In Figure 5 the resulting lead angle devia-
tions and bearing stiffness for the cylindri-
Figure 6: Tooth flank corrections of the planetary gear stage.
cal and planetary gear stages are shown.
In order to regard the load dependency of
the bearing stiffness, the calculated torque
bandwidth is clustered into six nominal
torque steps. Starting with 25 percent nomi-
nal torque and culminating in 150 percent
nominal torque with a step size of 25 per-
cent nominal torque. The FE-Stirnradkette,
an FE-based tooth contact analysis is used
to determine the resulting lead angle devia-
tion. Therefore, two FE-Models are gener-
ated. One consisting of the two cylindrical
gear stages modeled as a gear chain to regard
the interdependencies of the two gears on
the intermediate shaft, the other consisting
of the gear chain sun, planet, and ring gear.
Because of the symmetrical structure of the
planetary gear stage, only one planet is mod-
eled as a gear. The other two planet gears
are represented in the Stirak model by tan- Figure 7: Weighting of the design criteria.
gential and radial forces, which are applied
on the sun and ring gear. Hence, the impact of the two remaining results in a much higher tilting rigidity.
planets on the torsion of the sun gear and sun shaft is considered. The determined lead angle deviations are regarded in the further
The upper row of the figure depicts the calculation results of the analysis. Dependent on the input torque different lead angle devia-
cylindrical gear stages. The bearing stiffness shows a load dependent tions are applied on the tooth contact. Hence, the tilting of the tooth
behavior. The IMS and HSS bearings on the rotor side as well as the mesh plane is taken into account, and the characteristic values of
IMS bearing on the generator side are roller bearings. The remain- excitation and durability for the load cases can be calculated.
ing bearings are angular ball bearings. Thereby the similar stiffness
graphs for these positions can be explained. By means of the bearing 3.2: DESIGN SPACE AND TOLERANCE FIELD
stiffness and the shaft modeling within the FE-based tooth contact A big advantage of the FE-based tooth contact analysis is the fast
analysis, the resulting lead angle deviation is calculated for the six calculation of different variants, which have the same macro geom-
load cases. The resulting lead angle deviation can be approximated etry. Therefore, a large amount of micro geometrical variants can
in good accordance by a linear function and will be regarded as such be investigated during the design process. The investigated range of
in the following calculations. tooth flank corrections is defined by literature and experiences of
In the lower row, the calculation approach and results for the the designer.
planetary gear stage is presented. In order to regard the displacement At the cylindrical gear stages, the investigated tooth flank modi-
behavior within the tooth contact analysis, an equivalent stiffness fications in profile direction are profile angle corrections, profile
has to be calculated. This is reasoned in the modeling approach in crowning, and the value of the tip relief. In flank direction, the lead
which bearings can only be mounted in shafts and not in the gear angle correction, flank crowning, and the value of end reliefs are
body itself. With the bearing and carrier stiffness, an equivalent stiff- investigated. The length of the end and tip reliefs are calculated by
ness is calculated. In contrast to the helical gear stage, the resulting means of the approach of Niemann/Winter [7]. With the definition
lead angle deviation shows a constant value for torque levels higher of an upper and lower limit for each parameter and the step size, the
than 100 percent nominal torque. This behavior can be explained number of variants at the IMS amounts to 18 670 176 and at the HSS to
by a contact of the roller with the shoulders of the inner ring, which 33 191 424 variants. The calculation for both gear stages lasts 78 hours.
52     gearsolutions.com

Figure 8: Weighted results of the variant calculation.
Figure 9: Running behavior of the cylindrical gear stages.
Figure 6 depicts the variation parameters of the planetary gear
stage for the sun, planet, and ring gear. Within these parameters, the
tolerance field is included and the corresponding values are picked
afterwards. The optimization of the planet gear is restricted by the
condition, that the left and right flank are modified in the same
way. The number of calculated variants amounts to 1 111 968 at the
ring gear planet mesh and 37 065 600 variants at the sun gear planet
mesh. The calculation of both meshes lasts 56.7 hours.
The upper and lower limit of the tolerance field is defined by
the step size of the variant calculation. Therefore, the incremental
step size for each parameter is chosen regarding standard tolerance
field widths. This definition reduces the calculation time because
other nominal designs can be used as limits of the resulting toler-
ance fields. Only nominal designs at the side of the parameter field
cause additional calculations.
3.3: WEIGHTING OF THE PARAMETERS
In contrast to industrial gearboxes, which often operate at a constant
operating point and therefore, are often designed for one load case,
the gearbox of a wind turbine has to be designed for variable loads.
In order to take these influences into account a weight function is
developed. For this gearbox the assumption is made that the nominal
torque level is the most common load case. The other load cases are
weighted by means of normal distribution (Figure 7).
Within the design process, two design cri-
teria are identified. The design criteria are a
high durability and a low excitation caused
by the tooth mesh. As characteristic values,
the transmission error is chosen to represent
the excitation behavior and the maximum
tooth flank pressure is chosen to consider
the durability. The main influence of tooth
root stresses is the macro geometry of the
gear stage. Because the macro geometry of
all stages is already fixed, the tooth root
stresses are not part of the design criteria
of this project. Nevertheless, the presented
method is able to regard other design criteria
such as tooth root stresses or efficiency as
well. Within the load cases, different weight-
ings are chosen. In the low load sector, the
durability of the gearset is not put at risk and
the excitation behavior is rated more impor-
tant. With rising torque, the durability gets
more important and the excitation behav-
ior is weighted with a lower factor. Besides
the differentiation between load cases, the
gear stages are weighted different. The focus
of cylindrical gear stages with higher rota-
tional speeds is on the transmission error,
because with higher speeds, the excitation
and noise of the gear stage is more conspicu-
ous for human hearing [8].
After the definition of the weighting
factors, the results have to be quantified.
Therefore, a grading system is used with
marks from one to six. The mark one repre-
sents the best, the mark six the worst value.
To select the represented values for each
mark, different approaches have to be used
for the transmission error and the tooth
flank pressure. In order to cluster the tooth
flank pressure, the material characterization for pressure loads is
used. Calculated flank pressures with a value above 1,500 MPa are
graded six, a pressure of or below 500 MPa is graded one. In order
to cluster the transmission error, the material data cannot be used,
because the excitation behavior is strongly dependent on the trans-
mission concept and the macro geometry of the gears. Therefore, the
grading of the variants is done afterwards.
The highest occurring transmission error is graded six, the lowest
occurring one with the mark one. The other marks are spread linear
between these two values.
With the combination of marks and weighting factors, an overall
score for the quality of each variant is determined. Therefore, all
values are multiplied, and the worst/highest score is normed to one.
In order to regard the different results within one tolerance field, a
value for the stability of each design is calculated. For the stability,
the standard deviation to the nominal design of the overall score of
all geometries within the tolerance field of one variant is calculated.
The widest spread in one tolerance field is normed to one afterwards.
The calculation results for all variants of the planetary gear stage is
shown in Figure 8.
The left graph presents the results of the sun planet gear mesh
calculated by Stirak and weighted afterwards. It can be seen that the
results within the parameter field differ. An optimal variant that is
stable in its tolerance field and has a good quality at the same time,
May 2018     53
would be found in the lower left corner of
the diagram. The circles in the diagram rep-
resent values with the same degree of perfor-
mance. In this case, quality is as important
as stability. The right diagram presents the
results of the planet ring gear mesh. Both
diagrams show that micro geometry variants
with a good stability performance show not
automatically a good quality and vice versa.
For further investigations, the results
are reduced. Therefore, all variants within
a performance value lower than 0.7 at the
sun gear mesh and lower than 0.75 at the
ring gear mesh are determined. The num-
ber of results are reduced by the restriction
that the modifications on both flanks at the
planet gear have to be the same. After this
reduction, only five possible micro geometry Figure 10: Running behavior of the planetary gear stages.
designs are left at the planetary gear stage
and further investigated. The same approach
is applied to the two cylindrical gear stages.

3.4: FINAL DESIGN

Figure 9 depicts the load-dependent results
of the cylindrical gear stages with consider-
ation of the tolerance field deviations of the
tooth flank modifications and the deflections
caused by the shaft-bearing-system. The results
from the intermediate speed gear stage (IMS)
are represented in the left diagram and the
results from the high-speed gear stage (HSS)
are illustrated in the right. The upper two dia-
grams show the transmission error, whereas
the bottom two show the flank pressure. The
illustration compares the nominal design of
the tooth flank modifications to the best and Figure 11: Dynamic simulation model.
worst possible combinations, which could be
derived from the analysis of the tolerance field. The best and worst-case
lines show a range around the nominal torque, which is analyzed with
the dynamic simulation model in the next chapter.
For the transmission errors in the upper row, it can be seen that
local minima occur at 75 percent of the nominal at torque level 3. In
this torque range, the excitation behavior has been weighted more
heavily in the selection of the flank modifications compared to the
load carrying capacity aspects. The influence of the flank modifica-
tions on the flank pressure can be seen in both gear stages. Even at
150 percent nominal torque, the flank pressures do not reach critical
values for short-term operation. The scattering of the flank pressure
by the manufacturing tolerances is very low and does not lead to a
critical deterioration if an unfavorable combination from the manu-
facturing deviations results. Figure 10 shows the results of the chosen
micro geometry of the planetary gear stage meshes. On the left side
of the diagram, the results of the planet sun mesh are presented, and
on the right side, the results of the planet ring gear mesh are shown.
In the upper two diagrams, the transmission error is depicted; in the
bottom two, the flank pressure is plotted.
The calculation results of the planetary gear stage show a similar
behavior. The graphs of the planet sun and planet ring gear mesh
change their behavior at 75 percent nominal torque. In the planet
sun gear mesh, the transmission error in lower torque levels is stable
between 1.5 and 4 μm. The difference within the tolerance field stays
at similar values in higher torque levels, even though the transmis-
54     gearsolutions.com
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May 2018     55
 Tooth Contact Analysis Dynamic Simulation
sion error itself rises. In lower torque levels, the difference between train Defined
model, in Figure
Flank Excitation
11 on the right, is the discretization.
Topography In forces
this
the best and worst design case at the ring gear mesh shows high val- step, the drive train is divided into discrete inertias. Each inertia
ues. The difference at 25 percent nominal torque are 6 μm, which is is connected to its neighboring inertias by massless spring-damper
150 percent of the nominal transmission error. With higher torques, units. Subsequently, the numerical values of the parameters are
the transmission error within the tolerance field approaches to the determined. Simple components can be parameterized Force using ana- Dynamic
nominal value, until a local minimum is reached at 75 percent nomi- lytical equations. Furthermore, the inertia of the non-cylindrical Train
Coupling Drive
nal torque. In higher load cases, the transmission error shows a linear components Element Model
Tooth can be extracted
Contact Analysisfrom CAD models. However, some
behavior for the ring gear mesh and the variants in the tolerance field parameters are difficult to calculate, such as the contact stiffness
act very stable. Local minima at torque level three, occur because of frictional connections, form closures, and damping. An iterative
of the tooth flank corrections. The stability of the calculated pres- procedure based on experience values has been established to com-
sure values is very good within the tolerance field for both meshes. pare measurement and simulation results when setting parameters
The lower left graph depicts the calculated flank pressure values for these components.
for the sun planet gear mesh. In low torque levels, the flank pres- The first two steps of the approach generate models with a high
Excitation Map
sure is calculated to values between 750 and 900 N/mm2. Similar to number of degrees of freedom. Hence, the numerical solution of those
the transmission error the behavior changes at 75 percent nominal systems would be uneconomically long, and the numerical accuracy
torque. With higher torque levels, the flank pressure rises linear to would be decreased. To avoid both disadvantages, a modal reduction
1400 N/mm2 at 150 percent nominal torque. Results of the ring gear of degrees of freedom by Craig and Bampton is performed [10]. The
mesh are presented in the lower right graph. In low torque levels, frequencies within the acoustically relevant frequency range are state
Kinematic not
the calculated flank pressure stays between 300 and 500 N/mm2. At reduced and only high eigenfrequencies are neglected.variables Therefore,
torque level three the graph starts rising linear with a lower gradient this reduction method is suitable.
than the other gear stages. At 150 percent nominal torque a flank Figureelement
The interaction between the force coupling 11 – Dynamic Simulation Mo
and the drive
pressure of 750 N/mm2 is calculated at the ring gear mesh, which is train model is shown in the middle of Figure 11. For each time step,
50 percent of the critical 1,500 N/mm2 for short term-operation. The Thedrive
the firsttrain
two steps
model of the approach
transfers generate
the kinematic state models
variableswith
(anglea high num
lower values at the ring gear mesh result out of the concave-convex the numerical solution of those systems would be
of rotation and rotational speed) to the force coupling element. uneconomically lo
contact, which provides better contact conditions and therefore a would be decreased.
Depending To avoid
on the input data, both
the force disadvantages,
coupling a modal reductio
element determines
lower tooth flank pressure. andexcitation
the BAMPTON is performed
forces [10]. maps
with excitation The frequencies within
and returns them to the
the acoustic
reduced
drive trainand onlyThe
model. high eigenfrequencies
excitation are neglected.
forces are composed Therefore, th
of a variable
4: CALCULATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE DYNAMIC tooth stiffness term and a damping term. The tooth stiffness term is
EXCITATION BEHAVIOR The interaction
determined by thebetween the force
aforementioned coupling
excitation element
maps and the
from Stirak. In drive tra
In this chapter, the dynamic excitation behavior is analyzed by contrast, the damping term uses a velocity proportional approach. the kin
Figure 11. For each time step, the drive train model transfers
means of the results of a dynamic simulation model. First, the setup rotation
With the and rotational
excitation forcesspeed)
and thetogenerated
the forcesystem
coupling element.
matrices, the Depend
of the simulation model is described. Hence, the results are analyzed coupling element determines the excitation forces with
differential equations can be solved. This procedure will be repeated excitation ma
in order to determine the influence of the manufacturing deviations model.
for The step.
each time excitation forces are composed of a variable tooth stiffne
on the excitation behavior. tooth stiffness term is determined by the aforementioned excitation m
damping
4.2: term utilizes
ANALYSIS OF THE a velocity
RESULTS proportional approach. With the exc
OF THE DYNAMIC
4.1: SETUP OF THE DYNAMIC SIMULATION MODEL system matrices,
SIMULATION MODELthe differential equations can be solved. This proce
Due to varying requirements and working conditions during the step.
In this section, the dynamic excitation behavior of the cylindrical gear
operational use of gearboxes, the operating conditions (for example stages of the wind-turbine gearbox will be analyzed and evaluated on
torque and rotational speed) are not constant. For special operational 4.2basisAnalysis
the of the
of calculation Results
results from the ofpreviously
the Dynamic Simulation
introduced simula- Model
points, the overload can be critical for the load carrying capacity tion model.
In this For thethe
section, rotational
dynamicspeed run-up, thebehavior
excitation results of the difference
of the cylindrical gea
and the excitation behavior. Mostly, the critical operational points velocity
will be of the IMS are
analyzed and depicted in Figure
evaluated 12. The
on the difference
basis velocity isresults fro
of calculation
occur when the excitation frequencies coincide with eigenfrequen- the time derivative
simulation model. of the
Fortransmission
the rotational error and isrun-up,
speed suitable to analyze
the results of the
cies of the test setup. In this case, a quasi-static investigation is not the dynamic excitation behavior [7]. In the averaged order
depicted in Figure 12. The difference velocity is the time derivative ospectrum,
effective, and a dynamic analysis is necessary. Figure 11 illustrates the gear mesh
suitable orders of
to analyze thethe IMS are the
dynamic 82nd and
excitation their harmonics
behavior [7]. In the averag
the two main components and their interaction. The force coupling referred to the rotational speed n 1ndof the IMS input shaft (shaft 1). The
orders of the IMS are the 82 and their harmonics referred to the ro
element represents the gear mesh, and the drive train model includes gear
shaftmesh
(shaftorders of thegear
1). The HSS mesh
can be orders
calculated withHSS
of the Equation
can 1. beThe
calculated
the properties of the gearbox and the entire drive train. order spectrum
dominated byisthe
dominated
orders by ofthe
theorders
IMS.ofConsequentially,
the IMS. Consequentially,
the mutual infl
The force coupling element requires a subroutine of the tooth the mutual influence between the two gear stages is low.
is low.
contact analysis FE-Stirnradkette that is developed at WZL [9].
n3 ⋅ z3 z3 Equation 1
FE-Stirnradkette enables the calculation of excitation maps based Ord 2 ST= = = 298.2
on input data; see Figure 11 on the left. As data, the gearbox struc- n1 i1
ture, the macro and micro geometry of the gears, and tool data is
needed. Depending on the load-dependent transmission error and Where
the current angular position of the gear, actual excitation forces and Ord 2ST is tooth mesh order second stage
torques can be determined.
n3 is rotational speed of shaft 3
The approach to build up the drive train model is presented in
Figure 11 on the right. The objective of this step is to provide the n1 is rotational speed of shaft 1
system matrices for the simulation (inertia, stiffness, and damp- z3 is number of teeth gear 3
ing). In this paper, only the torsional degree of freedom is regarded, i1 is gear ratio stage 1
and the setup is limited to the cylindrical gear stages. Due to the 12
domination of rotational excitation of the gear mesh, this assump- In order
In order totoanalyze
analyzethe
the robustness
robustness ofof
the
theflank geometry
flank design
geometry design and
tion is suitable. The first step in the approach to design the drive and the influence of the manufacturing tolerances,
tolerances, three micro geometry variants for every gear three micro
set are con
56     gearsolutions.com up at nominal torque. Besides to the nominal design, the first four ge
combination of flank modifications of a higher (worst case) and a low
 i1 is gear ratio stage 1

In order to analyze the robustness of the flank geometry design and th

tolerances, three microgeometry
geometryvariants
variantsfor for every
every gearset
gear setare are cons
up at nominal torque. Besides
considered to for
thethe
nominal
rotationaldesign,speed therun-up
first four gea
combination of flank modifications of a higher
at nominal torque. Besides (worst
to the case)
nominaland a lowe
taken into account (compare Figure
design, the first9).
four Thegear excitation
mesh orders behavior
of the is ana
left. For the first and third
IMS gear mesh order,
a combination the modifications
of flank excitation level of of the
higher than the two other a higher (worst case) and a lower (best case)the exci
variants (both 59.3 dB). In contrast,
similar for all variants. transmission
The excitation course
error of the into
are taken first account
order is analyz
in the bottom right of Figure 12. For the whole run-up,
(compare Figure 9). The excitation behavior the difference v
worst-case variant has the highest excitation level again. The results
is analyzed in Figure 12 on the bottom left.
confirm the robust design which has been developed with the quasi-s
For the first and third gear mesh order, the
results of the nominal design and the best- and worst-case are in a sm
excitation level of the worst flank topogra-
phy (60.6 dB) is higher than the two other
 IMS gear set variants (both 59.380dB). In contrast, theAveraged exci- O

Difference velocity level

– αn = 20° tation level of the second order is similar
60 excitation course of the

Ldx [dB] [1e-6m/s]

– β for all variants. The
= -14.5°/14.5°
– mn = 14 mmfirst order is analyzed40 deeper by means of an
order cut in the bottom right of Figure 12.
Figure 12: Excitation behavior of the IMS stage. – z1 / z2 = 82 /22
For the whole run-up, 20 the difference veloc-
– i = 0.27ity level increases and the worst-case variant
0
 Legend has the highest excitation 0 level again.
82 The 164
Nominal design results of the dynamic simulation modelOrder rela
Best-Case confirm the robust Averaged
design whichOrderhas Spectrum
been
developed with the 75quasi-static approach in
Worst-Case

Difference velocity level

chapter 3. The results 70 of the nominal design

Ldx [dB] [1e-6m/s]

 Gearbox scheme and the best- and65 worst-case are in a small


scatter band. 60
The results of the 55 HSS are shown in Figure
13 for the same rotational
50
speed run-up of
the IMS. In this case, the averaged order
45
spectrum in the top line 82is referred
164 to the 328
246
rotational speed of the input Ordershaftrel.
of the
shaft HSS1 [-]
Shaft 1
(shaft 2 = IMS output shaft). The order of the
HSS gearFigure 12 – Excitation
mesh corresponds to the Behavior
80th order of the IMS
and their harmonics. According to Equation
The results of the HSS2,are theshown
order of in the
Figure IMS13 can forbethe same rotationa
calculated.
case, the averaged order spectrum
Besides the gearinmesh
the top lineofisthe
orders referred
IMS and to the rot
Figure 13: Excitation behavior of the HSS stage. the HSS (shaft 2 = IMS theoutput shaft).
HSS, there areThe
some order
more oforders,
the HSS which gear mes
their harmonics. According to (2),bythe
are caused theorder of the IMS
interactions can be
between thecalcula
of the IMS and the HSS, there are some more orders,
gear stages. Nevertheless, the averaged order spectrum is dominated which are caus
gear stages. Nevertheless, the
by the gear mesh orders of the HSS. averaged order spectrum is dominated
HSS.
n2 ⋅ z2
Ord1ST= = z=
2 22
n3 Equation 2

Where
Ord 1st is tooth mesh order first stage
n2 is rotational speed of shaft 2
n3 is rotational speed of shaft 3
z2 is number of teeth gear 2

Similar to the analysis of the IMS, a comparison of three different

flank modification has been performed for this gear stage (compare
Figure 9). For the first gear mesh order, the best-case modifications
13 modifi-
have the highest excitation level. In contrast, the best-case
cations have the lowest excitation level for the higher gear mesh
orders. The excitation level of the nominal and the worst-case design
is similar for the first four gear mesh orders. Following, the nominal
design based on the quasi-static approach in chapter 3 cannot lead to
a higher excitation level caused by a bad combination of manufactur-
ing deviations (worst-case). In fact, a lower excitation level is possible
due to the best-case flank modifications within the tolerance field.
May 2018     57
5: DISCUSSION AND FUTURE WORK
In order to fulfill customer and market requirements, the power den-
sity as well as the costs and the excitation behavior of gearboxes have
to be improved. Therefore, tooth flank modifications are used, which
compensate the load dependent deviation of the gear mesh area. If
the excitation behavior or the durability shows different behaviors
in one model series, often the tolerance field width is reduced. This
leads to higher costs during the manufacturing and the results are
not certainly improving the operation behavior.
By means of the presented method, the gear stages of a 2.7 MW gear-
box of a wind turbine are designed. Therefore, the standard design pro-
cess is used until the macro geometry of the gear stages and the shaft
system are defined. In order to regard manufacturing tolerances within
the design process, the design of tooth flank corrections is customized.
In the first step, the load depending deviations of the bearing shaft
system are calculated by means of the bearing software Bearinx and
the FE-based tooth contact analysis Stirak. The deviation is transferred
into the tooth mesh and a resulting lead angle deviation is calculated.
Afterwards, a variant calculation is done, and the results are
weighted. The weighting strategy regards the transmission error and
the tooth flank pressure as characteristics of the running behav-
ior. The different load cases, which appear in a wind turbine and
the different rotational speed, are taken into account by different
weighting parameters. Two characteristics are calculated by means
of the automatized weighting. The summed-up value for each nomi-
nal geometry regarding all weighting parameters and input values
58     gearsolutions.com
defines the quality of each design. The standard deviation from the
nominal design of the quality values within all variants of one toler-
ance field is defined as stability.
In further investigations, the transmission error as well as the
flank pressure are investigated for the chosen designs. All gear stages
show a similar behavior in the quasi-static analysis. Also, it can be
seen that the designs react robustly to manufacturing deviations,
especially in higher load cases. In addition, no chosen design shows
critical pressure values in any load case.
In order to transfer the presented method into the dynamic gear
mesh analysis, the chosen geometries of the two helical gear stages
are analyzed. By means of a pre-calculated stiffness map, the quasi-
static behavior of the tooth mesh is transferred into a 1D multi body
simulation. Results show that the presented effects of different posi-
tions in a tolerance field can relate to a different dynamic excitation
behavior. The best case and the worst case quasi-static design within
one tolerance field is also the best or the worst-case design in the
dynamic analysis. It can be seen that the dynamic stability of the
chosen variants correlates with the quasi static results.
In the future, the method can be expanded to investigate differ-
ent tolerance field width within one calculation to choose a cost
optimized manufacturing. In addition, the dynamic investigation
can be included into the design process. Therefore, dynamic quality
characteristics can be regarded. Also, a dynamic calculation of the
planetary gear stage is planned to proof the influence of the tolerance
field on the dynamic behavior of planetary gear stages.
6: CONCLUSION
All in all, the method presented here is able to determine a micro
geometry design, which leads to a good quasi static and dynamic
running behavior. In this example, the method is presented for a
wind-turbine gearbox, but it is suitable for the calculation of other
gearboxes. Despite the excitation behavior and the flank pressure,
tooth root stresses or slippage can be regarded, and the weighting
factors are adaptable to any load cases. It can also be seen, that there
are differences especially for the excitation behavior within one toler-
ance field. Therefore, the tolerance field itself is important to determine
NEW
stable micro geometries.  Release
03/2018
REFERENCES
[ 1 ] Klocke, F.; Brecher, C., 2017, Gear and Transmission Technology Design
– Manufacturing – Simulation (In German: Zahnrad- und Getriebetechnik.
Auslegung – Herstellung – Untersuchung – Simulation), edition 1, Carl KISSsoft Highlights
Hanser (publisher), Munich 

▪ Strength calculation of asymmetrical gears
[ 2 ] Weck, M.; Brecher, C., 2006, Machine Tools: Metrological Analysis ▪ Displacement for bevel and hypoid gears
and Evaluation, Dynamic Stability (In German: Werkzeugmaschinen.
▪ Interface to GEMSTM with data exchange
Messtechnische Untersuchung und Beurteilung, dynamische Stabilität),
edition 7, Springer (publisher), Berlin 
 ▪ Shaft editor with background drawing
▪ Calculation of conical compression springs
[ 3 ] Pahl, G.; Beitz, W.; Feldhusen, J.; Grote, K.-H. 2007, Design Theory:
▪ And many more ...
Basics of Successful Product Design, Methods and Applications (In
German: Konstruktionslehre. Grundlagen erfolgreicher Produktentwicklung; Gleason Sales Get your free trial version at
Methoden und Anwendung), edition 7, Springer (publisher), Berlin, 
 info@KISSsoft.com www.KISSsoft.com
[ 4 ] VDMA 2016, VDMA Nachrichten, For Robust Windturbines (In German: Für
zuverlässigere Windenergieanlagen), September 2016, Frankfurt 


[ 5 ] Norm DIN 3962, 1978, Tolerances for Cylindrical Gears, Tolerances of
Deviations for single Values (In German: Toleranzen für Strinradverzahnungen,
Toleranzen für Abweichungen einzelner Bestimmungsgrößen). 


[ 6 ] Norm DIN 3962, 1978, Tolerances for Cylindrical Gears, Tolerances of
Lead Angle Deviations (In German: Toleranzen für Strinradverzahnungen.
Toleranzen für Flankenlinienabweichungen) 
 GearTech_KISSsoft_Release2018_89x120_5mm.indd 1 13.03.2018 15:42:06

[ 7 ] Niemann, G.; Winter, H, 2003, Machine Elements, Transmissions in General,

Gear Transmissions, Cylindrical Gears (In German: Maschinenelemente. Band
2: Getriebe allgemein, Zahnradgetriebe – Grundlagen, Stirnradgetriebe), edi-
tion 2, Springer (publisher), Berlin 

GEARING AHEAD TO MEET INDUSTRY'S
DEMAND FOR PRECISION
[ 8 ] Carl, C.,2014, Analysis and Synthesis of Vibro Acoustic Noise Excitation of
Gears (In German: Gehörbezogene Analyse und Synthese der vibroakustisch- – SERVING –
en Geräuschanregung von Verzahnungen), Diss. RWTH Aachen University 

Aircraft • Aerospace • Actuation
[ 9 ] Gacka, A., 2013, Development of a Method in Order to Simulate the Dynamic
Instrumentation • Optic
Tooth Contacts of Cylindrical and Bevel Gears (In German: Entwicklung
einer Methode zur Abbildung der dynamischen Zahneingriffsverhältnisse
Robotics • Radar • Medical
von Stirn- und Kegelradsätzen), Diss. RWTH Aachen University 
 Marine • Defense • Experimental
Prototype • Production
[ 10 ] Craig, R.; Bampton, M., 1968, Coupling of Substructures for Dynamic
Hi-Performance Automotive
Analyses, In: AIAA Journal, 1968, Vol. 6 


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Metric Gears, Internal Gears, Idler Gears, Gear Rack & Pinion, Worms, Wormshafts,
Splines, Spline Shafts, Serrated Shafts.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. C. Brecher is head of the institute, and Dr.-Ing. C.
Löpenhaus, Julian Theling, Marius Schroers, and Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Piel
are affiliated with the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production
CNC Thread Grinding
Engineering (WZL), Chair of Machine Tools, at RWTH Aachen University
in Aachen, Germany. This article was produced in collaboration with STD Precision Gear & Instrument, Inc.
the Center for Wind Power Drives (CWD), also in Aachen. The authors 318 Manley St. • W. Bridgewater, MA 02379
gratefully acknowledge the support of the German Federal Ministry for (888) STD-GEAR or (508) 580-0035
Economic Affairs and Energy. Copyright© 2017 by the American Gear Fax (888) FAX-4STD or (508) 580-0071
Manufacturers Association, October 2017, ISBN: 978-1-55589-616-4.
The statements and opinions contained herein are those of the author
E-mail info@stdgear.com • Web site: www.stdgear.com
and should not be construed as an official action or opinion of AGMA.
May 2018     59
COMPANY LAWLER GEAR CORP.
PROFILE

ON THE
CUTTING EDGE

Lawler Gear Corp. has a climate controlled gear inspection

lab with a Zeiss Contura CMM with Gear Pro software and
ITW 24” analytical gear inspection equipment. Gears can
be checked to AGMA or DIN standards.

60     gearsolutions.com
Lawler Gear is about to celebrate 40 years
of supplying its customers with a variety
of gears, CNC gear hobbing, gearbox rebuilding,
and many other services.
By KENNETH CARTER, Gear Solutions editor
L
awler Gear Corp. has seen a lot of changes in the
gear manufacturing industry since it opened its
doors 40 years ago. Ironically, the gear company
has not seen a lot of changes in its staff.
“One of the unique things about us is our crew,”
said Ray Lawler, president of Lawler Gear Corp. “Our
average length of employment is 22 years. That’s a
really good thing.”
Gear Solutions shared Lawler Gear’s story 15 years
ago. But a lot can happen in that time span.
“We’ve added CNC hobbing machines,” Lawler
said. “We’ve got a CNC vertical lathe. That’s the main
thing that’s changed in the industry is the movement
toward CNC machines.”
For four decades, Lawler Gear has made gear types
that include spur, helical, bevel, splines, sprockets,
rack, and worm. Those gears can be made in standard
or metric.
Lawler’s CNC hobbing machine can hob a spur, heli-
cal, or worm gear up to 20 inches in diameter and up
to 2 DP.
ADDING CNC
The expense of those fast and accurate CNC machines
had kept many gear shops like Lawler from jumping in,
but even more so because the gear-cutting concept from
the very beginning was so perfect, according to Lawler.
“You take a CNC gear hobber and a manual one,
For four decades, Lawler Gear has made gear types that include spur, helical, bevel, splines, sprockets, rack, and worm. (Photos
courtesy: Lawler Gear)
and the stuff that’s made today is identical,” he said.
“It works the same way. Bigger, beefier machines may
have closer tolerance capabilities, but the concept is
the same. And I think that’s the reason a lot of places
like us were able to put off moving toward CNC for a
longer period of time.”
But Lawler acknowledged that CNC machines were
the future, and with that, came advantages to maxi-
mize Lawler Gear’s productivity.
Older manual machines could take from 30 to 60
minutes to set up, whereas CNC gear hobbers can be
set up and going in less than 10 minutes, according
to Lawler.
“When you’re doing a large number of parts, that
30- to 60-minute setup is not that big a deal,” he said.
“But if you’re making one or two pieces, then it is a big
deal. You also have the ability with the CNC hobbers
to hit your size on your first cut. The CNC retains the
data of that cutter. On the manual machine, it’s trial
and error. You might cut a gear three or four times to
get to size.”
That trial and error is negligible if the production
calls for hundreds of pieces, but if all that’s being made
is one piece, then the cutting time just quadrupled,
according to Lawler.
“We use the CNC hobbing machine mostly for low
quantity because the setups are so much faster,” he
said.
May 2018     61
Part of Lawler Gear’s success came from being able to think beyond the status quo.

LOW QUANTITY JOBS

And those low quantity jobs are what Lawler
Gear has mastered over the years.
“We also do a tremendous amount of
one-, two-, three-piece jobs,” Lawler said.
“And we’re really good at that. We have made
6,600 different gears for one of our long-time
customers. I can’t believe a company can
draw a gear 6,600 different ways, but they
have. Some of those we’ve done many, many
times over. Some we’ve done one time. But
their typical order quantity is one, two, three
pieces. Consequently, we’ve learned how to
be good at the low quantities.”
As a result of those low-quantity jobs,
Lawler Gear also is able to reverse engineer
projects.
“We can take samples, whether they be
new or worn out, and reverse engineer them,”
Lawler said. “We make a drawing of it and
make that gear, maybe for somebody that has
a machine where the manufacturer is no lon-
ger in business, or maybe they are, but they Company President Ray Lawler says Lawler Gear does a tremendous amount of one-, two-, and three-piece jobs.
quoted them a 16-week lead time, and they
need something sooner. And then we’ll have WIRE EDM erwise you’d have to wait and have some spe-
the drawing and retain that and if they need it “One other unique thing that we have and do cial tooling made. We can just program it, cut
again, we’ve got that part of it out of the way.” is we’ve got a wire EDM machine that allows it in the wire EDM. EDM is a very slow process,
In addition to those abilities, Lawler said us to do some oddball nonstandard internal you couldn’t do a huge amount of quantity,
his company also does some gearbox repair splines and special keyway sizes,” he said. “It because it would get pretty expensive. But for
and rebuild work. gives us flexibility to do some things that oth- a few, sometimes time is a major issue, and
62     gearsolutions.com
 “Quality is always our No. 1 focus that everything
we do is right. Nothing that’s not correct leaves the
door. Our main goal is to make good pieces and take
care of the customers’ needs and make sure they’re
getting what they need when they need it.”

Lawler Gear’s 31,000-square-foot facility.

they can’t wait for the lead time on the tool-
ing. So that gives us some flexibility as well.”
Along with the wire EDM, Lawler Gear
can broach keys and splines, keyseating,
vertical slotting, CNC turning and milling,
grinding, and gear inspection.
All that specialized and new equipment
only helps to serve Lawler Gear’s customers.
“I think we go out of our way to meet
their needs,” Lawler said. “Quality is always
our No. 1 focus that everything we do is
right. Nothing that’s not correct leaves the
door. Our main goal is to make good pieces
and take care of the customers’ needs and
make sure they’re getting what they need
when they need it.”
FAMILY AFFAIR
Needless to say, Lawler Gear has come a long
way since it was called Lawler Gear & Tool
when it opened up shop in 1978. It dropped
the “Tool” a few years later.
Lawler’s father, Cal, saw the need for
gear work and realized it would be a good
direction to go in. He started the company at
age 50 in a 3,000-square-foot shop. It’s since
grown to 31,000 square feet.
“He thought gears would be a good
niche to separate us from everybody else,”
Lawler said.
Part of Lawler Gear’s success came from
being able to think beyond the status quo.
“We tried to be on the cutting edge of
some things,” he said. “I wrote some com-
puter programs early on to help us quote
and calculate gear numbers. Everybody has
that stuff today. But in 1980, I don’t know if
anybody hardly did.”
In the future, Lawler said he hopes the
company will continue to grow as the use
of CNC equipment becomes more common.
“Our focus right now is to try to grow the
business, get some new customers, and get to
the point where we need to hire some new
younger guys,” he said.
The younger generation is an important
factor in the future of gears because fewer
people know how to run the older machines,
according to Lawler.
But at its core, Lawler Gear is still a fam-
ily affair, even though the company founder
passed away in 2014.
“My brother Wayne is the shop foreman,”
Lawler said. “We are 50-50 owners. And my
mom still helps with the book work at the
company she and Dad started.” 

MORE INFO www.lawlergear.com

May 2018     63
 PRODUCT NEW PRODUCTS, TRENDS, SERVICES & DEVELOPMENTS
SHOWCASE
ferent manufacturing needs in the indus-
try today.  CoroMill® 178  PM-HSS (powder
metallurgical high speed steel) and solid
carbide cutters are high-performance
tools with extremely high accuracy, avail-
able for module 0.5–5 (DP 50–5). CoroMill
179 and CoroMill 180 are indexable insert
cutters with railed insert seats for excellent
and repeatable accuracy in modules ranging
from 2.5–8 (DP 10–3).

MORE INFO www.sandvik.coromant.com

Klüber offers synthetic

high-performance gear
oil for high shear stability
Klϋber Lubrication, a worldwide manufactur-
Even though power skiving as a concept has been around for over a century, it is not until recently that the er of specialty lubricants, offers Klübersynth
development has taken a new turn. As a result of the rapid progress of more robust and rigid machines and GE 4 75 W 90, a fully synthetic high-perfor-
synchronized spindles, a wider use of power skiving is now quickly becoming a reality. (Courtesy: Sandvik
Coromant)
mance gear oil based on PAO chemistry,
which offers high shear stability and protec-
tion, even when exposed to impact load. It
Sandvik power skiving: internal and external gears and splines, is particularly suitable for rail vehicle gears
but is especially productive when it comes subject to high loads.
productive, flexible gear to internal machining. The method works Klübersynth GE 4 75 W 90 offers a very
and spline machining particularly well in mass production, where
short lead times are decisive. For small to
high scuffing load capacity of API GL-5, and
can be used for gears which have to meet
When comparing power skiving to tradi- medium batch production, the flexible API GL-4 or API GL-5 requirements. The good
tional machining methods, there are several InvoMilling™ technology is recommended.  wear protection of both gears and rolling
important advantages. Since power skiving Sandvik Coromant offers several com- bearings enables a long service life of the
makes it possible to machine the complete prehensive solutions tailored to fit the dif- lubricated components for reduced main-
component in one multi-task machine or
machining center in one single set-up, the
need of several specialized machines is effi-
ciently removed and quality restrictions due
to machine changes have disappeared. This
significantly reduces total production time
in comparison to processes with broach-
ing, shaping, and hobbing, and it facilitates
manageable and predictable component
machining.
An example of the potential gains is
a customer case, where a time-consuming
shaping process of main gears in low-alloy
steel was replaced with power skiving.
The machining time was reduced with 90
percent, while tool life increased consider-
ably. Along with that, the four dedicated
machines used before were replaced by two
multi-task machines. Klübersynth GE 4 75 W 90 can be used for gears which have to meet API GL-4 or API GL-5 requirements.
Power skiving can be applied to both (Courtesy: Klϋber)

64     gearsolutions.com

tenance costs. The high micro pitting resis-
tance of GFT ≥ 10 acc. to FVA 54/7 offers suf-
ficient protection to gears that are subject to
high loads and would normally be prone to
this type of damage.
The good shear stability of the synthetic
base oil prevents the decrease of the lubri-
cating film thickness even under high loads.
Due to the excellent ageing and oxidation
stability of the synthetic base oil, oil change
intervals are much longer than with min-
eral oils, thus reducing maintenance costs.
The excellent low-temperature capabil-
ity enables a reliable function of the gear
components. Klübersynth GE 4 75 W 90 is
used for the lubrication of spur, bevel, and
hypoid gears requiring maximum wear pro-
tection and service life, even when exposed
to impact loads. It is also suitable for drives
in rail vehicles, industrial robots, textile
machines, and forming presses.
or 20,000 tool changes to ensure process
reliability. The manual lubrication process
usually requires the machine to be shut
down, which interrupts workflow to the
point where operators will extend the time
between lubrications or neglect the process
altogether. Deviations from the optimum
lubrication protocols can result in machine
performance deterioration and/or failure.
At EMO 2017, the Lubritool received the
MM Award for innovation presented by the
trade journal MaschinenMarkt.
MORE INFO www.rohm-products.com
Schunk UVB-HS soft
chuck jaws allow larger
clamping surface
The intelligent jaw design of the Schunk
UVB-HS soft chuck jaws from Schunk, the
competence leader for gripping systems and
clamping technology, defines a new class of
efficiency in lathe chuck technology. With
a combination of overheight and angle cut-
ting, it achieves a whole bundle of efficiency
effects during finish machining of work-

MORE INFO www.klueber.com

Lubritool is available in
HSK-A63 and HSK-A100 interfaces
and includes a Lubriflux grease cartridge that
provides 100 cycle applications. (Courtesy: Röhm)

Röhm Lubritool
automatically lubricates
HSK clamping systems
Clamping and gripping technology specialist
Röhm Products of America has introduced
a fast, intelligent, and fully automatic lubri-
cation device for HSK spindle tool clamping
systems. The new device is called Lubritool,
and it minimizes costly and time-consum-
ing manual lubrication maintenance work
as well as prevents machine downtime.
Lubritool is available in HSK-A63 and HSK-
A100 interfaces and includes a Lubriflux
grease cartridge that provides 100 cycle
applications. The device is stored in the
machine’s tool magazine and upon com-
mand by the machine’s control is swapped
into the spindle to provide the ideal amount
of lubrication directly to the tool clamping
system. After the lubrication process, which
occurs in just a few seconds, Lubritool is
placed back into the tool magazine where
it remains until the next lubrication cycle.
HSK clamping sets should be serviced
after approximately 75 hours of operation
May 2018     65
PRODUCT
SHOWCASE
The UVB-HS achieves a whole
bundle of efficiency effects during
finish machining of workpieces. (Courtesy: Schunk)
pieces. The unusual jaw height allows for a
larger clamping surface on the workpiece,
which reduces deformations. Alternatively,
the distance between the workpiece to the
chuck face can be increased and thus acces-
sibility can be optimized. In comparison to
conventional monoblock jaws, Schunk UVB-
HS reduces the jaw weight by at least 20 per-
cent depending on the size. This increases
energy efficiency and shortens the process-
ing time, since the lathe chuck can be accel-
erated and braked faster. At the same time,
the reduced jaw centrifugal force allows
for higher holding forces on the workpiece,
which means increased process reliability.
But it doesn’t stop there: Angle cutting
minimizes the danger of collisions with
the turret and improves the fluid dynamics
during machining. At high speeds, Schunk
UVB-HS chuck jaws lower noise emissions
by up to 10 dB, which halves the level of
the perceived noise. Since significantly
lower cooling lubricant is swirled around
the machining area, it is easier to see the
machining process. This also lowers the
measure of aerosols in the air when the
machine is opened.
The highly efficient monoblock jaws
with angle cutting are part of the more
than 1,200 jaw types in the world’s larg-
est standard program of chuck jaws from
Schunk. They are available immediately for
wedge bar lathe chucks with straight serra-
tion in the sizes 200, 250/260 and 315 and
can be turned individually to the desired
diameter.
MORE INFO www.schunk.com
66     gearsolutions.com
Emuge touts long-lasting,
efficient plug gages,
spot drills
Emuge offers a complete line of precision
Go/No-Go plug gages along with in-house
certifications. With Emuge thread gages,
manufacturers can control production
processes safely and economically. Thread
gages allow quick recognition of size
and form deviations, ­weakened, or unfit
threads. The tools are made of premium
high strength gage steel for all existing
thread systems, all existing tolerance
ranges, DIN ISO and ANSI standards. Gage
certifications available on request.
NC spot drills are used to create a locat-
ing starter point for secondary drilling
operations and for tapped hole chamfering.
Solid carbide spot drills provide the most
wear resistance; they are the most rigid for
precise locating and the preferred tool for
most materials. Emuge has added a unique
90˚ or 120° double angle feature to the drills.
These tools have a 142°-point angle that
dramatically increases tool life in tougher
materials such as alloyed steel, stainless, and
tool steel. Confidently spot drill aluminum
to steel with the same tool.
Emuge offers two different style NC Spot
drill designs. The 142˚ NC Spot drill is a
traditional single-angle drill, while the 90˚
and 120˚ NC Spot/chamfer drills have a dou-
ble-angle design for optimum performance.
The 142˚ NC Spot drill is used to create an
accurate starting point for secondary drill-
ing operations for carbide drills with 135˚
or 140˚ point angles. 90˚ and 120˚ NC Spot/
Rekord D-Z-BF tap with CBTz geometry is a slow
spiral, chip breaker design for blind holes, especially
CNC machines with synchronous feed control.
Solid carbide 142˚ NC Spot drills are
designed to be used for spotting / center
drilling applications for carbide drills with a
135˚ or 140˚ drill point angle.
chamfer drills can be used as a spotting tool
for 118˚, 120˚, 130˚, or 135˚ high-speed steel
drills. They are also used as chamfering tools
for tap drill holes.
Emuge’s CBTz design features a second-
ary grind on the cutting face and an opti-
mized spiral flute geometry which allows
enhanced chip flow. This geometry pro-
duces short, broken, and controllable chips
that eliminate flute clogging and potential
premature failure. The Rekord DZBF series of
taps are designed to be used in both vertical
and horizontal machining applications and
excel in blind hole threading.
The Emuge Rekord D-Z BF tap is a “chip
breaker” design, which is especially well
suited for blind hole applications on auto-
matic lathes and multi-spindle machines.
Provided with internal coolant supply, this
tap type will help to solve chip problems on
CNC machines. “Bright Face” grinding in
combination with a special edge preparation
ensures that chips will break. Short chips
will be evacuated without “bird nesting.”
MORE INFO www.emuge.com
Voith introduces new
self-contained
CLSP servo drive
Voith Turbo, Inc., a specialist for drive solu-
tions, systems, and comprehensive services,
launches the new self-contained Closed Loop
4Q Pump (CLSP) servo drive, a hydraulic lin-
ear axis from the Voith product family of
self-contained drives. High-energy efficiency,
overload protection, and virtually wear-free
operation are all features of Voith self-con-
tained servo drives. 
The CLSP drive also features automatic,
load-dependent shifting of the hydraulic

The CLSP servo drive can be used for all direct
linear motions, particularly when dynamic response,
reproducibility, and reliability are required.
(Courtesy: Voith Turbo, Inc.)
torque and an optimized geometry.
The automotive industry has extremely
high requirements when it comes to safe-
guarding quality and has implemented
robust and rigorous processes for this reason.
The new tap has been created to meet those
exacting demands by ensuring superior
thread quality, improved process security,
and longer tool life, resulting in a combina-
tion of greater efficiency and reduced costs.
In comparison tests, the CoroTap 400 deliv-
ered a significantly more secure and stable
tap than its competitors while achieving cut-
ting speeds up to 50 percent faster.
Among the main features of the new tap
is an optimized lobe profile designed specifi-
cally for ISO P applications. By increasing the
number of lobes on the tap and giving it a
shorter thread length, Sandvik Coromant
has reduced torque at the machine tool
spindle which facilitates increased cutting
speeds and, in turn, improves productivity.
As a result, the CoroTap 400 offers the cus-
tomer key benefits such as greater process

transmission. This significantly reduces the

connected load of the drive. As a result, the

The
motor and inverter sizes are more compact.
The CLSP servo drive can be used for all
direct linear motions, particularly when
dynamic response, reproducibility, and
reliability are required. Plant operators
Power
of One2
can expect substantial increases in pro-
ductivity thanks to the speed of the drive.
The drive operates with a force of up to 500
kN and combines speed with extraordinary
robustness, demonstrated by its three-year
maintenance intervals or 20,000 hours of Your Objective:
operation. The CLSP is typically used in the One face in perfect alignment with another. For infinity.
automation of all types of linear motion,
handling, and machines with bending, cut-
ting, and forming processes.
The CLSP consists of three main compo-
nents: The servo motor, a 4Q internal gear
pump, and a directly coupled hydraulic cyl-
inder. No hydraulic power pack or oil tank
is required for operating the self-contained
drive. As a result, all components are inte-
grated directly into the servo drive. The
No problems. No distress. No delays.
drive is also suitable for force control and That’s the same objective you have for choosing your gear producer.
position control. In addition, the sensors Circle Gear’s objective is to engage with every customer’s objectives.
installed already provide the basis for com-
 One to 1000 gears
plete integration into automated manufac-
turing systems or production facilities.  Customer designed or reverse engineered
 Gearbox repair, rebuild or redesign
MORE INFO www.voith.com
 OEM or end-users
 ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Cut costs and boost
productivity with new 1501 S. 55th Court, Cicero, IL 60804
(800) 637-9335

thread forming tap (708) 652-1000 / Fax: (708) 652-1100

Cutting tool and tooling system special-
ist Sandvik Coromant has launched a new
thread forming tap optimized for ISO P
steel machining which is designed to boost
productivity, particularly in the automotive
industry. The CoroTap™ 400 offers chip-free
tapping as well as faster machining times
and stronger threads through reduced
sales@circlegear.com
www.circlegear.com
Spiral and Straight Bevel Gears (Cut, Ground or Lapped) • Spur Gears • Helical Gears •
Long Shafts • Herringbone Gears • Involute and Straight Sided Splines • Internal Gears •
Worm and Worm Gears • Racks • Sprockets • ISO Certified
Partnering with QualityReducer to provide
Gearbox repair, rebuilding and reverse-engineering.
May 2018     67
PRODUCT
SHOWCASE

security, fewer machine stoppages, reduced

cost per hole and improved tool life for bet-
ter process planning.
Made with a new grade of substrate and
coating, the new thread forming tap pro-
vides machine tool operators peace of mind
through its high-level reliability and adapt-
ability for use with lower torque spindle
machines. For senior managers in the auto-
motive industry, the tap satisfies their green
light machining demands while extremely
high levels of repeatability and predictabil-
ity afford them extra confidence in relation
to maintaining the highest possible produc-
tion standards.
Offering a more consistent and reliable
threading process, the CoroTap 400 has been
designed with a geometry that can reduce
the force required for machining a steel com-
ponent by up to 30 percent. At the same time,
the working life of the tap can be up to twice
as long as similar thread forming tools.
Designed to be used on steels up to
330 HB in conjunction with such drills as The new CoroTap 400 is designed to meet the exacting standards of the automotive industry. (Courtesy: Sandvik
Sandvik Coromant’s CoroDrill® 860, the Coromant)
new tap is ideal for machining automo-
tive components such as connecting rods,
wheel hubs, crank shafts, axles, gears, and
transmissions. Not restricted to the automo-
tive industry, however, the CoroTap 400 is
also perfectly suited to rail or general engi-
neering applications, where it can improve
productivity and cut costs when forming
threads in rail wheels, flanges, rivets, hous-
ings, boom cylinders, tubes, and a wide
range of other components.

MORE INFO www.sandvik.coromant.com

Self-Lock™ threading
tools feature proven
Emuge thread design
Emuge Corp., a leading manufacturer of
high-performance taps, drills, end mills,
and other rotary tools, has announced its
industry-leading thread making tool qual-
Emuge Self-Lock threading tools offer a high-quality alternative in thread locking for vital safety applications.
ity is available in a Self-Lock integrated lock-
(Courtesy: Emuge)
ing system. Emuge Self-Lock threading tools
offer a high-quality alternative in thread
locking for vital safety applications in aero- screw connection for high-stress situations, nates slippage,”said Mark Hatch, product
space, medical, communications, transporta- where there is a standard external thread director at Emuge Corp. “We are pleased to
tion industries, and more. in an Emuge Self-Lock internal thread, the offer such a safety critical threading solution
The Emuge thread locking feature is internal thread yields a Self-Locking screw which results in no stripping of threads and
integrated in the internal thread and has connection that can be used repeatedly. is cost-effective because no additional com-
a modified profile with a 30-degree ramp “The special profile of the Self-Lock thread ponents are necessary.”
surface in the direction of stress, which allows an even distribution of stress over the Compared with standard threads, the
provides the Self-Locking effect. In an ideal entire thread length and therefore elimi- Emuge Self-Lock internal thread shows
68     gearsolutions.com
constant, maximum holding power under ensure fast and stable loading/unloading. provides its Smooth MPP software in the
dynamic stress. Functions remain in good Designed to expand as production needs HCN-5000’s Mazatrol SmoothG CNC control.
operation even with repeated loosening and grow, manufacturers can reconfigure the Operators can easily monitor production sta-
re-tightening of the thread connection. This system’s standard 10-pallet stocker to house tus with scheduling functions, tool storage
locking effect is caused by the ramp-shaped 16 pallets for increased output. With the monitoring, and system use analysis accessi-
surface integrated into the thread profile. large, heavy part operations of the HCN- ble from the control’s capacitive multi-touch
Self-Lock technology results in increased 5000 in mind, Mazak made this latest MPP screen. Options for network access also allow
threading tool life for larger thread hole the biggest version in terms of part size yet. remote monitoring of production.
diameters and provides larger tolerances The system houses 500- mm-sq. pallets that The new automation option makes the
for thread hole diameters. Also, assembly accommodate workpieces up to 800 mm in HCN-5000 an even more highly flexible
is easy with no assembly errors possible — diameter and 1,000 mm high. machining solution. A wide variety of high-
such as forgetting the locking device. To For overall process optimization, Mazak speed or high-torque integral motor/spindle
gage Self-Lock threads, Emuge recommends
using its two-piece gage system which cor-
responds to the usual combination of a go/
no-go gage.
Emuge Self-Lock Threading Tools work
with standard external threads (screws)
with tolerance class “medium.” Internal
threads can be produced with Emuge taps,
cold forming taps or thread mills.

MORE INFO www.emuge.com

Polymat series of
CNC keyseating
From simple keyways to
machine
multiple, special profiles,
Leistritz Polymat
and Polyjet
Mazak’s HCN-5000 is now available with the machines have
company’s Multi-Pallet Pool System.
the features
Mazak’s MPP system to improve
adds compact automation quality, shorten
to the HCN-5000
cycletimes and
The HCN-5000, Mazak’s world-class hori-
zontal machining center, is now available minimize set-ups.
with the company’s Multi-Pallet Pool (MPP)
System, a basic automation solution in a
compact footprint. Thanks to the innova-
tive MPP system, shops that lack the floor
space necessary to accommodate a conven-
tional linear horizontal pallet stocker now
have the ability to automate for continuous
unmanned, lights-out operations.
The new automation system features an
innovative carousel-style design that maxi-
Leistritz Advanced Technologies Corp.
mizes use of space – it offers the convenience
of a larger Mazak Palletech system while tak- 165 Chestnut Street, Allendale, NJ 07401
ing up to 40 percent less room. Servo motors 201 934-8262
on each axis, as well as a two-level pallet www.leistritzcorp.com
arrangement that keeps each pallet the
same distance from the center of the stocker,
May 2018     69
PRODUCT
SHOWCASE
types ensures that shops can match spindle
performance to specific materials, including
everything from steels to nonferrous met-
als. Part production also benefits from the
machine’s highly rigid spindle, numerous
tool magazine options, quick rapid traverse
speed and vibration-free acceleration/decel-
eration, making for the perfect combination
of advanced technology and exceptional
value.
MORE INFO www.mazakusa.com
70     gearsolutions.com
Introducing Dedicated
CoroTurn® Prime SL Head
for Internal Turning
Follow ing last year’s launch of
PrimeTurning™ methodology and tools
for external turning operations, Sandvik
Coromant is introducing a dedicated
CoroTurn® Prime SL head that makes this
process available for internal turning opera-
tions. The new SL head will meet the needs
CoroTurn Prime SL 20 A-Type side view.
(Courtesy: Sandvik Coromant)
CoroTurn Prime B-Type SL Internal Turning.
(Courtesy: Sandvik Coromant)
of oil and gas, aerospace, and other manu-
facturers that machine diameters in excess
of 90 mm (3.5 inches) and overhangs up to
8–10×D. 
“The inside-out machining capability pro-
vided by the CoroTurn Prime SL head solu-
tion in combination with PrimeTurning™
techniques promotes excellent chip evacua-
tion and chip control,” said Hakan Ericksson,
product manager – general turning, Sandvik
Coromant. “In turn, manufacturers can
achieve an excellent surface finish matched
by high productivity, longer tool life, and
high machine utilization.”
In contrast to conventional internal
turning, PrimeTurning sees the tool enter
the material at the chuck end of the compo-
®
nent and remove metal as it travels back out
toward the bore exit (inside-out direction).
Modular
Drawer
This allows for the application of a small
System
entering angle, which offers significant pro-
ductivity gains. However, if required, anoth-
er version is also available with a reversed
tip seat that makes it possible to perform
PrimeTurning in the opposite direction
(outside-in).
 The two insert types for internal
Stresstech offers
Wind Energy Finance and spur gears with the Barkhausen noise.

Conference – East
PrimeTurning are: A-type for profiling, fin- All surfaces including root area can be
ishing and light roughing; and B-type for automated systems measured.

for gears
roughing to finishing operations. Technical specifications:

October 1 – 2 | New York,

Speed and feed rates can effectively be Automated part rotation.
doubled with PrimeTurning. This is because Stresstech’s GearScan 500 and RoboScan for Programmable measurement position-
the small entering angle and higher lead gears allows for fast detection of common ing (EasyGear software).

www.awea.org/financeeas
angle create thinner, wider chips that spread manufacturing problems such as grinding Possibility to measure flank and face
the load and heat away from the nose radius, re-temper burn, heat treatment, and stress- surfaces of the gears.
resulting in increased cutting data and/or related defects. Manual sensor changing — two sen-
tool life. Furthermore, as cutting is per- Features include: sors can be connected at the same time and
formed in the direction moving away from Easy to control the quality of helical
 changed with quick coupling without tools.
the shoulder, there is no danger of chip jam-
ming, a common and highly undesirable
effect of conventional internal turning.
With CoroTurn Prime SL heads, custom-
Wind Energy Finance
MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND
ers can create a wide range of tool combi-
nations from a small inventory of adapters Conference
TOP-RATED CONFERENCES –INWest
2018
October 5 | San Francisco,
and cutting heads. SL heads are available in
40 mm (1.575 inches) diameter and fit with
solid steel bars and carbide bars as well as

www.awea.org/financewes
with Silent Tools™ damped boring bars for
vibration-free internal machining.
In addition, Sandvik Coromant now Operations & Maintenance and Safety Conference
offers the new -H3 geometry to eliminate February 27 – 28 | San Diego, CA
any concerns about chip control, which can www.awea.org/oms
be challenging when machining low-carbon Siting & Environmental Compliance Conference

Offshore WINDPOWE
and high-strength steels. The -H3 geom- March 20 – 21 | Memphis, TN
etry is available for B-type inserts in grades www.awea.org/siting
GC4325, GC1115, and H13A.

October 16 – 17 | Washing
WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition
May 7 – 10 | Chicago, IL
MORE INFO www.sandvik.coromant.com www.windpowerexpo.org

www.offshorewindexpo.or
Regional Wind Energy Conference – Northeast
June 26 – 27 | Portland, ME
KISSsoft launches new www.windpower.org/northeast

version of software Wind Resource & Project Assessment Conference

September 11 – 12 | Austin, TX
www.windpower.org/wra

Wind Energy Fall Sym

On  April 23,  2018, the Industrial Fair in
Wind Energy Finance & Investment
Hanover opened its doors. At the same time, Conference – East
the  new version of KISSsoft 03/2018  was October 1 – 2 | New York, NY

November 13 – 15 | Colora
released with several innovations that www.awea.org/financeeast

ea.org
include:
Wind Energy Finance & Investment
Strength analysis for Asymmetrical


www.awea.org/symposium
Conference – West
Tooth Forms. October 5 | San Francisco, CA
Displacement calculation for Bevel and
 www.awea.org/financewest

Hypoid Gears. Offshore WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition

Interface to GEMS® with Data exchange.
 October 16 – 17 | Washington, DC
Shaft editor with Background drawing.
 www.offshorewindexpo.org
Calculation of Conical Compression
 Wind Energy Fall Symposium
Springs. November 13 – 15 | Colorado Springs, CO
www.awea.org
For more information about the software, www.awea.org/symposium
take part in the web demos on June 7 about
KISSsoft and on June 21 about KISSsys. They
will be held by a KISSsoft software specialist. 
If you are you already a customer with main-
tenance contract, you will receive the update
in May.

MORE INFO www.kisssoft.ag

May 2018     71
PRODUCT
SHOWCASE

Max part*: 

Diameter: 450 mm
Length: 600 mm
Weight: 50 kg.
With safety doors or light curtain.

An ergonomic movable arm for com-

puter monitor and keyboard.
Production line/part loader integra-

The Zoller venturion
tions as an option.
450 is ready to
*Actual dimensions may vary. handle networked
manufacturing
MORE INFO www.stresstech.com of the future.
(Courtesy: Zoller)

Zoller offers presetting,

measuring machine
for tools of all kinds
With what Zoller calls perfected design,
this premium presetting and measuring
machine impresses with maximum ergo-
nomics and strong optics. With the direct
connection with external systems and
central management of all tool data with
TMS Tool Management Solutions, venturion
has everything manufacturers need for the
networked manufacturing of the future.
Expect extreme longevity, thanks to the spindle clamping and spindle locking.
best brand-name components and careful Robust and equipped for the workshop.

processing. ZOLLER “pilot” image processing.

Key features include: Brilliant and powerful cutting-edge

 “cockpit” ergonomic control unit. magnification.
 “eQ” one-hand control handle. Ready for 4.0. 

Consistent use of brand name products.
ZOLLER “ace” high-precision spindle. MORE INFO http://global.zoller.info/usa/
Membrane keypad for power-activated venturion450

sales@nordex.com | eng@nordex.com | (203) 775-4877

ISO Certified / ITAR Registered / Trace Certified

Nordex.com
72     gearsolutions.com
Solutions ad 3.675 x 4.925.indd 1 9/13/17 10:27 AM
 CONTACT GEAR SOLUTIONS AT

MACHINERY
800-366-2185 TO LIST YOUR MACHINERY

Barber Colman 4-4, Index Plates, Very Light Use, Excellent  REF#102

FEATURED SUPPLIERS
GEAR GRINDERS
Gleason 538, 18” Shaper Blades, Makes Blades from Blanks, Light Use, Extras  REF#102
Star 2VHS, 6” x 6”, Coolant, Change Gears  REF#102 #27, #137, and #463 Gleason Hypoid Spiral Bevel gear grinder generating Cams
Gibbs Machinery Company – REF #102 (2 full sets)  REF#105
Phone: 586-755-5353 Fax: 586-755-0304 GEAR SHAPERS CNC Springfield Vertical Grinder, 62" Table, #62AR/2CS, 3.5A Rail Type, 70" Swing  REF#105
Reishauer NZA, 12”, Fassler Dresser, Many Extras, 1994  REF#102
Email: rj@gibbsmachinery.com
36” Shapers, 14” Throat Risers, 53” of Swing, Qty 3  REF#105 Reishauer RZP, 4-8”, Auto Loading, High Production, Use in Lab  REF#102
Website: www.gibbsmachinery.com
FELLOWS #10-4/10-2, Qty 150  REF#105 Reishauer RZ301AS CNC, 13” Measuring System (3)  REF#102
Havlik International Machinery, Inc. – REF #103 HYDROSTROKE #50-8, Qty 2  REF#105 Reishauer ZB, 27.5” PD Gears, Coolant  REF#102
Phone: 519-624-2100 • Fax: 519-624-6994 HYDROSTROKE #20-8, Qty 5  REF#105 Gleason 120 Curvic Coupling, 24” Max. Dia., Index Plates, Extras  REF#102
HYDROSTROKE #FS630-125, Qty 1  REF#105 Csepel FKP-326, Fassler Dresser, Like A Hogland NZA Reishauer, Super Cond.  REF#102
Email: havlik@bellnet.ca
HYDROSTROKE #FS400-90, Qty 2  REF#105 National Broach SGK-24, Max. OD 31”, ID 24”, Spur & Helical, From Aircraft  REF#102
Website: www.havlikinternational.com
FELLOWS #20-4, Qty 6  REF#105 Maag SH150, 60”, Change Gears, 2-Pitch, Max. Face 23-1/2”, Navy Surplus  REF#102
General Tool & Engineering Company - REF #107 FELLOWS #48-8Z, Qty 1  REF#105 ZSTZ 800 WMW Niles  REF#107
Phone: 501-945-7111 • Fax: 501-945-7111
Email: generaltoolandengineering@hotmail.com GEAR SHAPERS GEAR SHAVERS

Midwest Gear Corporation – REF #104
Phone: 330-425-4419 • Fax: 330-425-8600
Email: sales@mwgear.com
Website: www.mwgear.com
New England Gear – REF #105
Phone: 860-223-7778 • Fax: 860-223-7776
Email: jeff@newenglandgear.com
Website: www.newenglandgear.com
Phoenix Tool & Thread Grinding – REF #106
Phone: 216-433-7008 • Fax: 216-433-7067
Email: phoenixthread@yahoo.com
Website: www.phoenixthreadgrinding.com
GEAR ACCESSORIES, PARTS & TOOLING
FELLOWS Model #10-4/10-2, All Parts Available  REF#105
Tilt Tables for 10-2/10-4, Qty 2  REF#105
GEAR HOBBERS/CUTTERS CNC
Pfauter PE150, 15MB Fanuc, Chip Conveyor, Auto Load  REF#102
Pfauter PE150, Siemens 3M, Magnetic Chip Conveyor, Oil Chiller  REF#102
Pfauter PE150, Fanuc 15, with light hob slide 8”  REF#102
Pfauter PE80, 15MB Control, Auto Load, Light Curtain  REF#102
Liebherr LC82 15M Fanuc Control, Auto Load  REF#102
Liebherr LC502, 20”, Fanuc 16im, 2007  REF#102
Liebherr LC380, 440mm W/100mm Hob, 2008  REF#102
GEAR HOBBERS/CUTTERS
TOS OFA Series Conventional Gear Hobbers, 12” & 40” Dia  REF#103
TOS OHA Series Conventional Gear Shapers, 12” & 40” Dia  REF#103
PFAUTER P1251 Hobbers s/n 25-276 and 25-277  REF#105
PFAUTER (1) RS-00 s/n 17593  REF#105
BARBER COLEMAN (1) 16-36 multi cycle s/n 4404  REF#105
Lees Bradner 7VH, 8”PD, 10” Face, , Magnetic Chip Conveyor , Hob Shift  REF#102
Lees Bradner 7VH, 8”PD, 4PD, Magnetic Chip Conveyor, Hob Shift  REF#102
Barber C. 16-15, 4” Hob, Crowning, Differential, Double Cut, 3 DP, 1977  REF#102
G & E 36H, 36”, Hi-Column, Differential, From AEM Toolroom, Excellent  REF#102
G & E Model 48HS, 48”PD, 18” Face, 2.5 DP, Hi-Column, Heavy Duty, 8” Hob REF#102
Liebherr L301, 12” Crowning, Double Cut, Differential, Hob Shift  REF#102
Liebherr L401, 16”, Differential, 2-Cut Cycle, Chip Conveyor, 7.566” Hob Dia.  REF#102
Liebherr L402, 2-Cut, Infeed, Differential, Tangential Feed, 19.3 OD W/4” Hob  REF#102
Cleveland 1886, Hi-Helix, Hob Head, Auto Hob Shift, 4-Pitch, 1975  REF#102
GEAR HOB & CUTTER SHARPENERS (INCL CNC)
TOS OHA Series CNC Gear Shapers, 12” & 40” Diameter  REF#103
TOS OFA Series CNC Gear Hobbers, 12” & 40” Diameter  REF#103
Barber Colman 10-12, Water Guards, Dresser, Index Plates  REF#102
Star 2VHS, 6”x6”, Coolant, Change Gears, REF#102
Star 4 x 4 (G691), 0-7000 Spindle Speeds, Auto Cycle, Coolant  REF#102
FELLOWS #10-2, (10” Dia), 2” Face  REF#105
FELLOWS #10-4, (10” Dia), 4” Face  REF#105
FELLOWS (200) 10-4 / 10-2 Shapers  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 50-8 Hydrostroke Shaper s/n 36607 w/ 6 axis 16iMB Fanuc (2009)  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 20-8 Hydrostroke Shaper s/n 35932 w/ 6 axis 16iMB Fanuc (2009  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) #7 125A Face Gear Machine  REF#105
FELLOWS (2) #3 Face Gear Machine  REF#105
(1) 4ags with adjustable Helical Guide s/n 30634  REF#105
(1) #7 125A adjustable Helical Guide  REF#105
FELLOWS (3) Tilt Table 10-4 / 10-2 w/ 4 axis 21i Fanuc Controller (2009)  REF#105
FELLOWS (2) Swing-away center support for 10-2 / 10-4  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) FS630-170 Hydrostroke Shaper s/n 36732 w/ 6 axis 16iMB Fanuc
(2009)  REF#105
FELLOWS (2) FS400-170 Hydrostroke Shaper w/ 6 axis 16iMB Fanuc (2009)  REF#105
FELLOWS (4) FS400-125 Hydrostroke Shaper w/ 6 axis 16iMB Fanuc (2009)  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 20-4 Shaper s/n 35687 w/ 4 axis 21i Fanuc Controller (2009)  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 48-8Z Shaper w/ 14” throated riser (53” of swing)  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) Horizontal Z Shaper s/n 21261  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 4-B Steering Sector Gear Shaper w/ 18iMB 4 axis Fanuc controller
s/n 34326  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 36-10 Gear Shaper  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 10x6 Horizontal Z Shaper  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 36-6 Gear Shaper w/ 13” riser s/n 27364  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 10-4 Shaper w/ 3” riser w/ 4 axis 21i Fanuc Controller (2009)  REF#105
All Parts for 10-4/10-2 Fellows Gear Shapers  REF#105
GEAR DEBURRING/CHAMFERING/POINTING
Cross 55 Gear Rounder, 18” Chuck, Hydraulic Unit  REF#102
Cross 65, 10” Gear Pointer, Power Cylinder, Cutter, Change Gears  REF#102
Cross 85 10” Chamfer, (2) Cutter Heads, Bevel, Spur, Helical  REF#102
Samputensili SCT3 13.7”, SM2TA 10”, (5), 2003  REF#102
Samputensili SM2TA, 10”, Max. Face Width 4”, Hyd. Work Clamping, 1983-2003  REF#102
Mitsubishi MA30 CNC, 11”PD, Fanuc Control, Powermate, 1999 (2)  REF#102
GEAR HONERS
National Broach GHG 18”, Power Stock, Crowning, Variable Speed  REF#102
Toyo T465 CNC, 160M Fanuc 5-Axis, Power Stock, Uses Fassler Tooling,  REF#102
GEAR GENERATORS
Gleason 11 Spiral Bevel, 13”, Stock Divider, Hyd. Chucking, Roughers & Finishers  REF#102
Gleason 12”, Gears, Gauges Tool Blocks  REF#102
Gleason 16 Spiral Bevel, 18”, 2-1/2 DP, Modified Roll, Chip Conveyor  REF#102
Gleason 24 Rougher, Gears, Finishing Tool Holder  REF#102
Gleason 116 Rougher & Finisher (6)  REF#102
Gleason Phoenix 175HC CNC – 1994  REF#102
Gleason 22 Rougher & Finisher (8)  REF#102
Gleason 26 Spiral Bevel, 33-36”, Mod. Roll, Stock Divider, Coolant, Change Gears  REF#102
Gleason Phoenix 450HC, Spiral Bevel, 150MB Fanuc  REF#102
Gleason 610 Combination Rougher & Finisher, 1988  REF#102
Gleason 608 & 609 Rougher & Finisher  REF#102
Gleason 645 Spiral Bevel, Helical Motion, Chip Conveyor, Variable Rate of Roll  REF#102
Gleason Cutters, 3” to 25” in stock, 1000  REF#102
Red Ring GCU 12” Crowning, 1956 to 1988 (6)  REF#102
Rex Ring GCX 24”, Crowning, 12” Cutter Head, Taper Attachment, Long Table  REF#102
Mitsubishi FB30, 12.2 CNC Fanuc, 1997  REF#102
Michigan 870, Crowning, Power Stocks, Very Light Use, Excellent  REF#102
National Broach GCY 18”, Crowning, Max. 19=1/2”, Rebuilt or Under Power  REF#102
National Broach GFF, Crowning, Heidenhein Scales, Servo Drives, 1993  REF#102
Raso Sicmat 400 CNC, Fanuc 16iM, Chip Separator, 2001  REF#102
GEAR TESTERS/CHECKERS (INCL CNC)
FELLOWS (1) RL-600 Roll Tester s/n 35814  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 24H Lead Checker s/n 32289  REF#105
GLEASON (1) #14 Tester s/n 31907  REF#105
GLEASON (1) #6 Tester s/n 19316  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 20 M Roller Checker  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) 20 M w/ 30” Swing Roller Checker  REF#105
FELLOWS (1) #8 Micaodex s/n 36279  REF#105
Fellows 24M Involute, Response Electronic Recorder, Hot Pen  REF#102
Fellows 36” Space Tester, Hot Pen Guaranteed  REF#102
Fellows 8M Redliner, 13 5/8”, Recorder (2)  REF#102
Gleason 6, 7-1/2” Indicator Check, Pinion .00015, Gear .00001  REF#102
Gleason 17A Running or Rebuilt Guaranteed  REF#102
Gleason 511, 20” Reconditioned in 2010 Guaranteed  REF#102
Gleason 502, 10”, Hydraulic Chucking, Automatic Backlash, Eliminator  REF#102
Gleason 513 20” Gear, 10’ Pinion Electronic Meter Reading of Sound (3)  REF#102
Gleason 515, 24”  REF#102
Gleason 520, 30”, Hyd. Chucking, Auto Splash Doors/Backlash, Eliminator  REF#102
Gleason 523, 20” Reconditioned, 2010  REF#102
Gleason 528 Cutter Inspection, Proximity Type Gage, 3.5”-25”, Conventional  REF#102
Illinois 1731-3C, Hob & Worm Lead Tester, Electronic Recorder, Master Hob  REF#102
Illinois 3412B-3C, 12” Involute with 1606 Electronic Recorder, Master Gauge  REF#102
Illinois 3824-1-3B Spline & Spur Lead Tester, Max. Centers 52”,
1606 Recorder  REF#102
Illinois 3912-3C Lead Tester, 12”, 1607 Electronic Recorder, 1980  REF#102
Klingelnberg PFS600 W/Masters, Recorder, Extras, 23.6”, 0.59-23.6”  REF#102
M&M 3015, 15” Gear Analyzer, P2 Computer Software, 12”Mag. Chuck  REF#102
GEAR THREAD & WORM, MILLERS/GRINDERS
Ex-Cell-O 36 External Thread Grinder  REF#106
Jones & Lamson 12 x 45 Automatic Thread Grinder  REF#106
Lees Bradner HT 12 x 54 Thread Miller  REF#106
MISCELLANEOUS
WARNER & SWAYSEY #4A M-3580 Turret Lathe, 28 1/4 Swing, 80” Centers,
12” Spindle Hole 50/25 Motors, 480/3 Phase, Year 1965  REF#104
Springfield Vertical Grinder, 62" Table, #62AR/2CS, 3.5A Rail Type, 70" Swing  REF#105
TOS SU & SUS Series Conv Lathes  REF#103
TOS SUA Series CNC Flat-Bed Lathes  REF#103
Gleason: Change Gears, Cutter Heads, Cams, Index Plates, Workholding  REF#102
G & E: Change Gears, Arbors  REF#102
Barber Colman: Change Gears, Arbors, Parts for All Models  REF#102
Liebherr: Change Gears, Parts  REF#102
Reishauer: Wheel Mounts  REF#102

May 2018     73
  

MARKET KORO for Quality

 
 

PLACE
Hob Sharpening Service
 Quick Turnaround 2 Day Service  
 Spur Shaper Cutter Sharpening · Custom gear racks in AMERICAN and
 HSS & Carbide Hob with center hole   METRIC standards, STRAIGHT and
HELICAL, VARIOUS materials, FINE and
and straight flutes COARSE pitch (254 D.P. – 0.5 D.P.; 0.10
Contact Gear Solutions  Thin Film Coatings  
Module – 50 Module); hard-cut (up to
60 Rc) and soft-cut (up to 40 Rc); 32”
at 800-366-2185 to  Length up to 7 inches face width; Up to 82” lengths – longer
lengths through resetting

feature your business   · Custom gears in AMERICAN and

METRIC standards (3 D.P. – 72 D.P., 10”
 Diameter up Diameter)
in the Marketplace! to 5 Inches
 
· Precision Quality up to AGMA 12
· Prototype & Production quantities
 Precise rake · Breakdown Service Available
and spacing guaranteed · Reverse Engineering
· Unique Tooth Configurations
to AGMA standards   · Heat Treating
 RUSH SERVICE AVAILABLE · Complete CNC Machining

Koro Sharpening Service

9530 85th Ave North  
Maple Grove, MN 55369
763-425-5247
info@koroind.com  

 
Achieving Increased Profits VACUUM HEAT TREATING
  and Response Times & BRAZING SERVICES
As a leading global technology
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74     gearsolutions.com
072017_KappAd_NinthPage.indd 1 6/22/2017 3:39:30 PM
ADVERTISER UNITE-A-MATIC
TM

INDEX TRUE DIMENSION GEAR INSPECTION

CONTENTS PAGE NO.

ALD Thermal Treatment Inc.............................................................. 11

All Metals & Forge Group.................................................................. 63

American Gear Manufactuers Association (AGMA).............................. 55

American Precision Gear Co.............................................................. 75 CUSTOM FIXTURES

& GAUGES
AWEA (American Wind Energy Association)........................................ 71 AVAILABLE OD / ID INSPECTION
Circle Gear & Machine Co Inc........................................................... 67

Drewco............................................................................................ 27 DATA COLLECTION

EMAG............................................................................................... 9

Engineered Tools Corporation............................................................ 16

CUSTOM TOOLING
ER Makina....................................................................................... 15
MITUTOYO DISTRIBUTOR
Forest City Gear................................................................................. 2

Gleason........................................................................................... 37

Hobsource Inc................................................................................. 74

Index Technologies........................................................................... 72 1973 45th

AN NI VE RSARY
2018

Innovative Rack & Gear.................................................................... 74

Ipsen........................................................................................ IFC, 74 851 Ohio Pike - Cincinnati, Ohio 45245 - 513-752-6000 www.unite-a-matic.com

KAPP Technologies..................................................................... 23, 74

KISSsoft USA LLC........................................................................... 59

Koro Sharpening Service................................................................... 74

Lawler Gear Corporation.................................................................... 74

Leibherr........................................................................................... 41 WWW.AMGEAR.COM
Leistritz........................................................................................... 69

Lindberg/MPH.................................................................................. 65

McInnes Rolled Rings....................................................................... 17

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc............................................BC

AEROSPACE/DEFENSE
New England Gear.............................................................................. 7

NORDEX.......................................................................................... 72

Proto Manufacturing Ltd................................................................... 18

Reishauer........................................................................................ 14 CONTROLS
Russell Holbrook & Henderson Inc.................................................... 14

SMT................................................................................................ 47

Solar Atmospheres....................................................................74, IBC

Southern Gear & Machine................................................................. 13 MEDICAL DEVICES

STD Precision Gear & Instrument Inc................................................ 59

Stor-Loc.................................................................................... 70, 74
CUSTOM PRECISION GEARS
The Broach Masters Inc...................................................................... 4 ISO2015, AS9100, DDTC

Toolink Engineering Inc...................................................................... 1 SALES@AMGEAR.COM

United Tool Supply........................................................................... 75 FOSTER CITY, CA
800-554-3150
Walker Forge.................................................................................... 12

Wickert USA.................................................................................... 15

May 2018     75
 Q& A ERIK SPURLING
INTERVIEW WITH AN DIREC TOR OF SALES    FOREST CIT Y GEAR
INDUSTRY INSIDER
“From start to finish, quality is such a differentiator, that anything
that leaves this building is uncompromised when it comes to quality.”
What do you do with FCG?
I am director of sales for Forest City Gear. My primary responsibil-
ity is to add structure and greater efficiency to the Forest City Gear
sales organization and help develop strategies to reach new custom-
ers. I learned early on the company relies on its reputation, brand
recognition and long history of success to generate much of its sales,
whether “Cut Teeth Only” or “Make Complete.” Our sales objective
going forward will be more proactive: leveraging our capabilities
to take existing customer relationships to an even higher level and
seeking out new opportunities.
What are the core principles/philosophies that influence FCG’s
relationships with its customers?
I did a lot of investigating in why Forest City Gear is such a valued
supplier that customers are literally seeking us out. What I found
out is there’s truly an uncompromising commitment to quality, inno-
vation, and service at FCG. We do the work no one else can do, will
do, or wants to do. And we take on all comers. We love to take on
difficult challenges.
What are your most significant capabilities that give an advantage
in meeting customer needs?
Quality isn’t an option here. It’s kind of a blasé statement, but we
have full visibility throughout the supply chain. We have eyes and
hands using technology to touch the product from “cradle to grave”.
From start to finish, quality is such a differentiator, anything that
leaves this building is uncompromised when it comes to the highest
quality. If you think about just our quality lab; it’s absolutely state
of the art. There’s likely not a higher quality lab anywhere on par
with what we have here in Roscoe, IL specific to the range of work
we undertake. We have always put the responsibility for quality on
our operators, by the time the product arrives at our inspection lab it
has gone through multiple quality checks, it’s pretty much a flawless
system. Everybody has ownership in our products and especially the
quality of the finished products that leave our facilities.
While Forest City Gear is known for its high quality, custom gears
in relatively low volumes, it also has a high-volume capability. Tell
us about that.
We’ve always been the organization who would take on all comers.
So, what that did was create a reputation for doing the prototype
work — helping large organizations that maybe even have their own
gear-cutting capabilities work out all the bugs. We are the ones who
can figure out all the problems before they become production scale
problems. We’ve historically been the organization which does the
fives, the 10s, the onesies, twosies. We’ve always missed that first
production run even as a secondary backup supplier.
So, our ownership made a conscious business decision to say,
“Look, we’ve done all that upfront work, who’s in a better position
to do production runs than we are”? We’ve literally engineered the
76     gearsolutions.com
entire system, already.
So, another building was constructed, and it was equipped with
state-of-the-art machinery that does nothing but high volume. In
that building is a Reischauer RZ160 and a Felsomat FRC 600 robot.
Literally, the Reischauer operates faster than the robot can load it.
We’ve are now perfectly positioned to do these high-volume opera-
tions over there. We just completed a job which would have taken
our normal production facility 13,000 hours. Moving it over to the
high volume, high production facility, we were able to produce that
same exact product in 2,400 hours. What that allows us to do is pass
on all that savings to the customers.
While the perception is that we’re specialists in solving the
extraordinarily difficult, high-quality work that others might pass
on, the reality is that we also have exceptionally strong resources
for both initial, and continuous, higher volume production runs.
What are some of the forces at work in the industry that pose
challenges and opportunities?
It’s the customer requirements, customer expectations and the
compliance issues. It’s all the certifications which are now required.
Everything from risk mitigations, the procedural documentations,
the quality assessment and on-site audits. There’s just this myriad of
paperwork and accountability that’s been blended into the normal
course of business activity. In the old days, you just made the product.
Now, you have to have verification in every step of the process, not
only from what happens in our building, but we’re fully accountable
for our suppliers and outside services as well.
And obviously, the cost of maintaining and updating equipment.
The entry fee into this industry is very high, and equipment wears
out like anything else. Updating the equipment and keeping things
running at an optimal level is a significant challenge. But it’s one
challenge we’re very committed to. We spend a significant portion
of our annual revenue making sure we have current machinery run-
ning at optimum levels and acquiring brand new equipment.
How are the people and resources of FCG rising to the occasion?
We’re driven by technology here. We require our employees to be
more tech savvy, more knowledgeable. So, we have a knowledge
transfer amongst employees through training. We engage in numer-
ous cross-training activities. Then of course you can never overlook
the continuing education and the new equipment training which
is always rolling through here. We’re constantly evolving. And our
workforce has to evolve at the same rate as the technology. We have
a huge commitment to education, and I think, foundationally, we
know we have to stay not on the leading edge of technology but ahead
of the technology curve or else you fall behind. 
MORE INFO www.forestcitygear.com
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 The world's only threaded wheel

ZI20A
grinder for internal gears is a
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Designed for quieter automobiles -
EV, HEV and conventional planetary

Internal Gear
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Grinding Machine
significantly lower production costs.

You’ll want to shout about this

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46992 Liberty Drive • Wixom, MI 48393
mitsubishigearcenter.com