scope:

To improve load carrying capacity and noise behavior, case hardened gears usually are hard finished. One possible process for the hard finishing of gears is the continuous generating gear grinding, which has replaced other grinding processes in batch production of small to medium sized gears due to its high process efficiency. Despite the wide industrial application of this process only a few published scientific analyses exist. The science-based analysis of generating gear grinding needs a high amount of time and effort. This is due to the complex contact conditions between tool and gear flank, which change continuously during the grinding process. These complicate the application of the existing knowledge of other grinding processes onto the generating gear grinding. The complex contact conditions lead to high process dynamics which pose challenges in the design of machine tools, the control engineering and the process design. Furthermore, unfavorable contact conditions can lead to process related profile form deviation. So the knowledge of the cutting forces and their time dependent behavior is necessary to describe and optimize the process dynamics and results. The aim of this report is to determine the existing cutting forces for a sample gear in trials for the first time and to analyze their connection to the process parameters and the appearance of profile form deviations. Simultaneously for the sample gear the same process design will be analyzed using a manufacturing simulation. The results of the trials and the simulation will be compared. The report will present new possibilities in process analysis and will give the process user ideas for future process improvements.