Study On Cutting Process Simulation Of Bevel Gears And The Software Development

The design and manufacture of spiral bevel and hypoid gears are very difficult for their complicated geometrical structure of tooth form. Although the blank dimensions, cutter specifications and machine settings can be obtained for tooth contact pattern by using calculation instructions and tooth contact analysis that are based on the local conjugate theory of gearing. The whole rational such parameters can only be determined after practical manufacture of gear blank, cutter and trial cutting on hypoid generator. It is normally a long period. Some parameters, such as cutter diameter, tooth height proportion, cutter radius and TOPREM height, have little influence on the contact pattern. They will greatly affect on the tooth proportion from toe to heel of tooth blank and undercut. On the other hand, the 3D solid model of spiral and hypoid gears are needed for the die manufacture in the net-shape manufacture technology of such gears. Furthermore, the tooth form of tool can be modified and manufactured on NC machining center. So, the study on the cutting process simulation and the software development has some academic signification and value of practical application.Based on the reasons mentioned above a simulation method of cutting process of spiral bevel and hypoid gears is proposed in this paper. The meshing theory of gearing and computer graphics technology are applied to create 3D solid model. The software system, which accepts user input of parameters or directly imports parameters from other software, is developed in C++ by using of ObjectARX developing kit of AutoCAD. The software is designed as four modules, which are data input, cutting process simulation, mesh creating, and geometrical analysis. By using OOP programming technology the program modules are easily to be transplanted, maintained, upgraded and expanded. It can virtually realize the machine setting and cutting process simulation, the 3D solid modeling, visualize the toot form geometrical structure of gear manufactured. The rationality of geometrical structure of tooth form and the undercut are estimated. It can also compare roughing and finishing of pinion tooth surface and give the stockdistribution of finishing. Based on the 3D solid model, the changing trend of spiral angle and pressure angle of pitch cone, the thickness-changing trend of face and pitch cone can be analyzed. In addition, the method of cutting tooth on general NC machining center and the measurement of tooth flank geometry on 3D CMM are conducted.With the help of the software system developed in this paper the design and manufacture of spiral bevel and hypoid gears will be much easier than before. The study is a good groundwork of net-shape manufacture of spiral bevel and hypoid gears in the further research...