Experimental analysis on the influence of the tool micro geometry on the wear behavior in gear hobbing

Abstract Gear hobbing is a well-established manufacturing process for cylindrical spur gears. The cutting edge of a hobbing tool is, among others, characterized by the cutting edge radius and the form-factor K. The magnitude of these parameters is ideally chosen based on the machining conditions given by the workpiece and cutting material, the cutting parameters as well as the gear and tool geometry. However, the influence of the cutting edge geometry on tool life and wear behavior is hardly known, which complicates an optimized tool design. Furthermore, the preparation process regarding the coating thickness distribution on the wear behavior is equally relevant. Therefore, the objective was to identify the influence of the cutting edge radius, the form-factor K and the preparation process on the wear behavior of gear hobbing tools made of powder metallurgical high speed steel (PM-HSS). Fly-cutting trials were performed as an analogy process for gear hobbing in order to study the wear behavior and identify the respective tool lives. The trials indicated that the form-factor K influences the wear behavior, while a variation of the cutting edge radius did not have a significant effect. A homogenous coating thickness could extend the tool life significantly.