Highly Productive Cutting of Small Gears for Medical Equipment

The innovative, fully automated Affolter AF110 plus gear hobbing center from Rotec Tools Ltd. (Mahopac, NY) is designed to maximize the productivity of cutting small spur, helical, frontal, bevel, and crown gears used in medical equipment and other machinery. The AF110 plus is the most advanced machine offered by Affolter Technologies SA (Valbirse, Switzerland), providing eight axes and a cutter-spindle speed up to 12,000 rpm that is capable of making gears with a maximum DP17 and minimum of DP1270 with versatility, precision, power, rigidity and ease of use. Different automation systems for part loading and unloading are available, such as universal grippers, drum loader or robot loading, as well as options for deburring, dry cutting, centering microscope and oil mist aspiration. “The AF71 loader system with two grippers ensures 24-hour automatic production,” says Vincent Affolter, the managing director of Affolter Technologies. “While a gear is in the hobbing process, the other gripper reaches out for the next part to load.”

Another option available for the AF110 plus is the extremely fast Worm Screw Power Skiving (WSPS) process, a cutting-edge technology developed by Affolter engineers. Unlike worm hobbing, where the hob turns much faster than the workpiece, WSPS inverts the process: “The workpiece turns extremely fast, with two new spindles up to 12,000 rpm, while the cutter turns much slower. Only highly advanced machines can reach such speeds and at the same time provide the necessary stiffness,” explains Vincent. “WSPS allows shops to finish a high-precision worm in only six seconds – four times faster than the traditional worm hobbing. Manufacturers of a high volume of worms greatly benefit from this process and improve their productivity significantly.” WSPS technology focuses on small worms with a module up to 17 DP.

https://youtu.be/jD8TE1CCP80

Affolter Technologies is represented in North America by Rotec Tools, which offers sales, service, and parts support. “These gear hobbing machines offer users a production machine with high precision and efficiency,” notes Ivo Straessle, the president of Rotec Tools. “The simplicity of these machines is remarkable. The user-friendly controls, with step-by-step and easy-to-follow functions, simplify the gear making process. With a relatively small investment, shops can keep their know-how and technology in-house.”

Rotec Tools Ltd., Lemcar Industrial Park, 100 Bucks Hollow Rd #3, Mahopac, NY 10541, 845-621-9100, www.rotectools.com, www.affolter-applications.ch.