Posted by Peter Bowman on December 24, 2008 at 08:41:04:
I own a small job shop in Wisconsin and am considering purchasing a gear shaper. One of my larger customers would like me to manufacture some parts that have an internal spline, approximately 1.6” diameter with a face length under 2”, 15 teeth, class 5 fit, 303 stainless steel. While all similar, there are several variations, which makes broaching cost prohibitive. They are all low quantity with short lead times, so I am considering setting up a small cell. I have a degree in engineering and 20 years experience in metal cutting, so I should be able to figure this out somehow. While familiar with the principals of gear teeth cutting, I need some help with machinery selection and cycle time estimations, as well as the answer to "Is this something I want to get into?" Is there someone out there who can help me?