Not All Hobs are Created Equal
Many hobs must be designed before production, and gear manufacturers who seek the most from their cutting tools choose suppliers that not only design but also engineer their hobs. An engineered hob considers the entire hobbing application and can optimize a rough or finishing hobbing process. Consequently, the hob increases productivity, provides longer tool life, and reduces cost-per-piece.
Expert hob manufacturers request at least a part print before hob design. Even better, the hob supplier will collect information about the entire hobbing application. With this detailed information, the hob manufacturer can engineer specifications that positively impact the gear hobbing application. Without a drawing and other important application information, or if the manufacturer merely provides “generic” hobs, decisions on hob design are made for an average case. Thus, if an optimized hobbing application is the goal, an average hob design will likely fall short in competitive performance.
Read more about this strategy at As the Gear Turns: http://asthegearturns.com/2017/02/28/engineered-hobs/
Engineered Hobs
Koepfer America offers engineered hobs in premium high-speed steels or carbide, for both fine- and coarse-pitch hobs.
