Precision Gear Cutting UK

Gear cutting is a core part of Ondrives' precision manufacturing capability. It supports a wide range of cylindrical gears and worm-drive components and can be integrated with CNC blank machining, heat-treatment planning and final inspection.

Where gear cutting fits

The gear teeth should not be considered independently from the rest of the component. Bore, shaft, shoulder and datum geometry influence how the blank is held and how tooth position is controlled through manufacture.

Gear types suited to cutting

Ondrives' published capability includes spur gears, helical gears, worms and wormwheels within the relevant machine and tooling ranges.

Spur gears

Straight teeth parallel to the shaft axis.

Helical gears

Angled teeth requiring helix angle and hand to be defined.

Worm-drive components

Worm and wormwheel geometry manufactured as part of the complete transmission requirement.

Drawing data that helps manufacture

Useful information includes module or DP, tooth count, pressure angle, helix angle and hand where applicable, profile shift, face width, material, hardness or heat treatment, quality grade and datum scheme.

Use the engineering tools

GearCALC can help review basic geometry before a drawing is released. Final production data should always be checked against the drawing, mating gear and applicable standard.

Need help with a specific gear? Send Ondrives the drawing, model or available gear data. For new designs, include the operating duty and mating-component information so the manufacturing route can be reviewed in context.

Gear cutting geometry and process control

Tooth cutting is governed by the gear system and by how the blank is located. Small differences in module/DP, pressure angle, helix convention, hand or datum relationship can make nominally similar gears incompatible.

Module, DP and pressure angle

Module is the metric tooth-size parameter; diametral pitch (DP) is the imperial tooth-size parameter. Keep the specified system exact rather than using an approximate conversion. Pressure angle must also be compatible with the mating gear.

Helix and hand

For helical gears identify helix angle, left- or right-hand tooth direction and whether drawing values are stated in the normal or transverse system. The mating arrangement determines the required hand relationship.

Blank and datum quality

Bore, faces, journals and locating diameters influence how accurately the teeth can be generated relative to the component. Concentricity, runout and workholding should be considered before cutting starts.

Hobbing is commonly suited to external cylindrical gearing; shaping can provide access to internal gears and features that restrict hob run-out. The actual process is selected from geometry, access, quality, material and quantity rather than the gear name alone.