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22 MMS August 2017 mmsonline.com RAPID TRAVERSE Machining Technology in Brief G ear manufacturing is less exclusive than it used to be. That is according to a machine tool builder offering what are said to be the first horizontal machining centers in the world capable of power-skiving, a demanding tooth-shaping process in which the workpiece and tool rotate in constant contact and near-perfect synchronic- ity at a precisely defined angle of engagement. Combined with a horizontal configuration's well- documented potential for setup reduction, skiving capability reportedly enables machining gears mostly complete in a single setup. Manufacturers that stand to gain include not just established, high-production gear makers, but also any oper- ation interested in machining high-quality gears without lengthy lines of dedicated equipment. Originating from the same organization that spawned Toyota Motor Corp., JTEK T Toyoda Americas has deep roots in manufacturing machin- ery geared toward automotive components. On GS series power-skiving HMCs, this legacy is exemplified by a control unit that, until this point, has been restricted to machines dedicated to camshaft and crankshaft grinding. "We took one proven technology and married it to another proven technology," says William Terry, product manager, about the combination of a rigid HMC platform and the high-speed spindle synchronization capability of the GC70 CNC. Rather than a tombstone or other fixturing, GS series HMCs feature a workholding spindle that indexes 270 degrees to achieve the proper cross- angle between the skiving tool and workpiece. This indexing spindle also improves part access for other tooling in the machine's 40-position automatic toolchanger, including end mills, drills, grooving tools and even single-point tools for HMC Skiving Consolidates Gear Machining BY M AT T DA N FO R D As a constant-contact process, power-skiving is more efficient than gear shaping, in which a similar multi- toothed tool oscillates in and out of the cut. It's also more flexible than hobbing, a similar process that is limited to external gear teeth and a single cutter. In contrast, the GS series machines' 40-position ATC can accommodate multiple skiving cutters as well as drills, end mills and more. turning symmetrically round features by manipu- lating both spindles. By consolidating production lines that often consist of 10 pieces or more of dedicated machinery, this machine configuration can enable manufacturers to locate critical part