Abstract
This paper describes a basic study for the development of a high-speed NC gear grinding machine using screw-shaped CBN wheel.
Gear grinding machines using screw-shaped grinding wheel have already developed by Reishauer and others. However, their productivity is not high, because they use one thread type grinding wheel and the rotary speed of the workspindle is very low.
The maximum rotary speed of the grinding spindle developed by the authors is 12,000 rpm and that of workspindle is 3,000 rpm. They are enough speed for gear grinding. The desired accuracy for an angle sensor of grinding spindle is more than 20 ″pp in the case of the multithread type grinding wheel. The ordinary shaft encoder cannot respond at such a high-speed. Therefore the authors used a magnetic scale of high-accuracy and an induction type magnetic head. After experiments, it became clear that two-phase type PLL proposed by T. Emura is useful for detecting low level signals obtained from the magnetic head.
Since the maximum rotary speed of the workspindle is raised to 3,000 rpm, we cannot use any reduction gear. Thus a direct-drive method with an inertial damper was used. The workspindle is controlled by using the two-phase type PLL.
When we grind gears, the initial setting between rotary angles of grinding wheel and work is required. The authors tried to automatically set the initial rotary angles by using a CCD camera and a microcomputer.