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CNC puts machines in gear

Dec. 1, 2004
Klingelnberg GmbH, a German-based machine tool builder, produces CNC equipment for hypoid and spiral-bevel-gear work. For its C Series of gear-generating machines, the company wanted to incorporate an easy-touse programming interface and a controller offe

Klingelnberg C60 Universal spiralbevel gear-generating machines sport Sinumerik 840D CNCs.

Dana removes over 17 lb of 8822 steel from a 100-lb, 18-in.-diameter gear in under 12 min on a C60 with Siemens controls.

Klingelnberg GmbH, a German-based machine tool builder, produces CNC equipment for hypoid and spiral-bevel-gear work. For its C Series of gear-generating machines, the company wanted to incorporate an easy-touse programming interface and a controller offering both optimum drive accuracy and maximum diagnostics, all at a competitive price. The solution was a Siemens Sinumerik 840D CNC for onboard control of linear and rotationalaxis movement.

One of the company's C Series machines, the C60, is at the Commercial Vehicle Systems Division of Dana Corp., Glasgow, Ky. Dana manufactures axles and brake components for the heavy and medium truck and off-highway markets. It processes parts out of various grades of steel using operations such as turning, milling, broaching, heat treating, assembly, lapping, and tooth generation.

According to Lance Dement, manufacturing engineer at Dana, the C60s with Siemens controls run multiple spindles in multiple axes, all in precise synchronization. Plus, the shop operates various accessories that the CNC handles, including probing systems, deburring options, and specialized tool manipulation.

"The control's Windows-based functionality provides an operatorfriendly environment, and its condensed hardware with common interchangeable drives makes maintenance fast and easy," says Demet.

Typically, gear setups on the C60 involve workholding, tooling, and program changes. The Siemens CNC offers Dana's operators easy choices for selecting, storing, and manipulating program files and other machine settings, reports Dement.

However, one production gear used in Class-8 truck axles and previously run on another machine with a different CNC did present a challenge at Dana. For this, the company called in Klingelnberg Oerlikon Technology Center (KOTC) of Saline, Mich., the U.S. service and support operation for Klingelnberg GmbH.

The 8822-steel part was around 18 in. in diameter and weighed about 100 lb prior to a tooth-cutting process that removed over 17 lb of stock. Working with Siemens engineers, KOTC devised a program with the Siemens Simatic Step 7 software, which lets Dana's operators and engineers properly monitor, adjust, and change cycles as needed for correct offsets and overall process improvements so that the machine cuts the part in 12 min.

Dana is working to store gear programs on a network to facilitate "by-wire" exchange of information, such as machine correction from an inspection machine to and from the C60s and other production machines in the plant, to further reduce cycle time and improve first-time quality along with overall production.

Siemens Machine Tool Business
Elk Grove Village, Ill.
siemenscnc.com