Hobb-It! (Video)

If you’re involved in gear machining, check out this video , which includes a demonstration of how you can use a CNC lathe instead of a dedicated hobbing machine to complete gears all in one setup. There’s a lot of cool multitasking shown here as well, but the hobbing demonstration at the end might be the most interesting for our gear head friends.

Hobbing Option Eliminates the Need for Dedicated Machines

Until recently, dedicated hobbing machines were the only option for gear production. However it’s not always practical to purchase these machines if your production quantities don’t warrant it. Hobbing machines also have a limit on the size of gear they can produce, so you may need multiple hobbers to accommodate various requirements. Fortunately, CNC lathes have come into their own in recent years and are no longer just two-axis turning centers. Today these machines can be used for much more than turning. Okuma offers a hobbing option for lathes that allows the syncing of the spindle and M-tool to produce gears or splines.

The Advantages of Hobbing on a CNC Lathe

• A dedicated gear shaping machine is not required – a gear hobbing unit on your CNC lathe is much more economical
• Potential to machine the part to completion in one setup
• Machining of straight or helical splines is possible
• The hob function is simple to set up and program
• Dedicated “Emergency Return” function allows you to disengage the hob without damage to the cutter

Hobb-It!

With a simple option added to your machine, you can regain control over the quality of your parts and reduce work in process by finishing the part before removing it from the machine. With all these advantages, it’s hard to deny the appeal of hobbing on the lathe.

What do you think about the video? Comment below and share your thoughts. And feel free to contact us or your distributor if you’d like to learn more about creating hobbing efficiencies in your shop.

Brian Kateley is Applications Engineer, Okuma America Corporation.

[To learn more about hobbing, including its history, visit this Wikipedia page.]