NUM Expands its Portfolio of Gear Production CNC Solutions

NUM CNC Solutions has added an extremely flexible software option for power skiving to its renowned NUMgear family of gear production technology based on the company’s high performance Flexium+ CNC platform. This option provides CNC machine tool companies with the necessary technology to address a key market opportunity in the nascent compact gearbox manufacturing industry. It is now possible to design an entirely new generation of gear production automation that combines hobbing and skiving on a single machine. NUMgear, which had originally been developed specifically for gear hobbing applications, is continually improved to meet the industrial requirements, and currently provides solutions for a wide range of gear manufacturing processes.

The new power skiving software builds on the speed and precision of NUM’s advanced multi-level electronic gearbox (MLEGB). This extremely high-performance unit is capable of unprecedented speed and accuracy – it can handle up to 25,000 rpm on the leading axis and uses look-ahead algorithms to predict both the speed and acceleration of axes, reducing synchronization time. The MLEGB characteristics are user-defined in the part program. Any axis can be designated as leading or following, linear or rotary, and the ratio between the leading and following axes can be controlled by a user-defined fixed parameter or a dynamic machine-cycle variable (curve table).

The fact that multiple MLEGBs can be cascaded, a following axis in a dynamic gearbox can be used as a leading axis in another MLEGB, and either the leading or following axis in an electric gear box can be real or virtual adds to the flexibility. A single multi-role CNC machine tool that allows gear manufacturers to hob large gears and power skive smaller gears on one shaft or whenever tool space is limited – such as in a compact gearbox – would almost certainly be well received by the industry. CNC control technology, along with the necessary precision servomotors and drives, is now a reality thanks to NUM. The company’s new power skiving software option is compatible with anyFlexium+ CNC system running Flexium software version 4.1.00.00 or higher.

Image Source: NUM AG