Liebherr gear technology and automation systems

Selecting the machining route

Gear manufacturing starts with the workpiece and the intended condition after each operation. LC hobbing, LS shaping, LK skiving and LGG/LCS grinding are different processes rather than interchangeable machine descriptions.

The specification connects workpiece geometry, tool access, workholding and subsequent inspection. When several stages form the route, the location of the part and its transfer between stages are defined together.

This establishes an equipment package for a particular production sequence instead of a list of machine names.

Workpiece location and tooling

Workholding connects the blank geometry with the machine’s working area. Configuration considers the surfaces to be processed, the locating features, tool access and the relationship with neighbouring operations. An arbor, holder and machine connection form a functional assembly.

Changing one item can change the installation of the tool or workpiece and is therefore assessed with the surrounding tooling. SECLA provides a segment-clamping arrangement for gear manufacturing. Its selected configuration and connecting items are specified separately from the base machine.

Hobbing and shaping equipment

LC and LS represent different gear-cutting methods. The LC programme contains several hobbing machine groups, while the modular LS programme supports a shaping configuration for the selected task.

Equipment comparison retains the machine group, tooling system, workpiece location and auxiliary assemblies. A replacement component is consequently identified by its function in the particular machine, not simply by its association with gear manufacture.

A production-cell project also considers the transitions between operations and the geometry inspection needed to assess the result of each stage.

Skiving as a process package

Skiving³ combines the machine, tool and process. Configuring an LK installation therefore means agreeing the complete machining system against the workpiece. Tool arrangement, clamping and the working space are considered together; an individual tool does not itself establish a complete operation.

The procurement specification covers workpiece geometry, fixtures and the inspection of the result. When replacing existing equipment, its links with loading and measurement are also compared so that the new machine occupies a defined position within the production route.

Hard-fine gear machining

LGG and LCS address hard-fine machining of gears and spline shafts. Generating grinding and profile grinding are separate process options within the programme. Equipment selection considers the profile, workholding, tooling and inspection arrangement.

The result is assessed against the agreed workpiece geometry rather than the completion of a machine cycle alone. Process accessories are identified for the particular machine configuration.

This allows quotations for the same operation to be compared and links the selected machine to the subsequent measurement stage.

Gear-edge operations

ChamferCut and FlexChamfer complement the main machining stages by processing gear edges. Their place in a production cell depends on the condition after the previous operation, access to the edge and the selected workholding arrangement.

The equipment package includes the tool and workpiece position together. Inspection also follows the intended function: edge processing and the inspection of the main gear geometry are different tasks.

A project specification defines where the operation sits in the route, how the part is transferred and which accessories belong to the package.

An LMC measurement system

LMC combines measuring mechanics, workpiece location, probes and software. For LMC 400 G, the manufacturer lists a maximum diameter of 400 mm and a maximum table load of 180 kg; these values belong to this model, not the complete range.

Air bearings, a precision rotary table and Renishaw scanning probes form part of the measuring design. LHInspect processes gear geometry data.

Accessories, software functions and the workpiece elements to be checked are specified separately, connecting the equipment package to the particular inspection task.

Loading and automation flow

Linear robots and pallet systems connect machines with incoming blanks and finished components. An automation project identifies transfer positions, part carriers, gripping and the sequence of operations.

LHRobotics.Vision adds optical data collection, object identification and planning of the movement to the stacking position. The vision package is therefore assessed together with part geometry and the gripping task.

Mechanical transfer, recognition and cycle control are separate elements of the specification. This defines the package and its production-equipment interfaces before installation in the manufacturing area.

A complete production-cell package

The cell specification combines machine tools, fixtures, loading equipment and metrology. Every item is linked to an operation and a method of transferring the workpiece. A base machine without the required tooling is not compared with a package configured for the agreed process.

Software functions, part carriers and automation interfaces are listed separately. SpareX organises equipment and component sourcing against this agreed technological configuration. The resulting scope establishes the boundaries between machining, loading and inspection when quotations are compared.

Layout and engineering connections

The installation layout considers loading access, servicing and the transfer of components. Working zones for the machine, tooling and automation are assessed alongside access for installation and later maintenance.

Engineering connections depend on the chosen configuration and the documentation for the particular machine. Measuring equipment also has its own installation conditions and links with the production area. Transport, unloading and installation are separate parts of project preparation.

This connects the equipment package to the existing building and material flow before purchasing and shipment begin.

Acceptance against the workpiece

The acceptance programme connects the model, package and included functions with an agreed workpiece or reference object. For a cutting machine the result of the operation matters; for metrology the agreed measuring function; and for automation the transfer and positioning of the part.

These checks do not replace one another. Accessories and software functions are identified in the purchasing specification. The acceptance results are compared against that scope to assess the actual functional package, including workholding and interfaces, rather than the series designation alone.