Abstract
Multitasking machines are used to manufacture gears in small batches. This method is appropriate for prototype manufacturing in small-lot production differently from traditional gear gutting such as hobbing and shaping. In this paper, our effort to manufacture gears by using the multitasking machine, Mazak INTEGREX j-200 introduced to our college in 2014, is described. Gear profile data are constructed from FreeCAD (free-3DCAD software), and NC programs are prepared by Mastercam X7 (CAM program) with Multiaxis (optional 5 axis add-on). Proper selection of tool pass type in Mastercam allow us to save machining time and to improve surface quality. Two tool path types, “flowline” and “multi-surfaces”, are mainly applied to 3 machining steps, rough, semi-finish, and finish cut. It is shown that side cutting of gear is effective to reduce cusp height at finishing of the involute surfaces. Helical and straight bevel gears are also machined by same cutting manner, in which the surface model is derived by the gear profile swept along the rails. The results obtained in this study provide us the good operational capability of multitasking machine.
