Method for remanufacturing large-sized skew bevel gears using CNC machining center

A method for remanufacturing pinion member of large-sized skew bevel gears using a CNC machining center and respecting an existing gear member is proposed. For this study, first the tooth surface forms of skew bevel gears are modeled mathematically. Next, the real tooth surfaces of the existing gear member are measured using a coordinate measuring machine and the deviations between the real and theoretical tooth surface forms are formalized using polynomial expression. Moreover, the tooth contact pattern and transmission errors reflecting the deviations of the tooth surface forms of the gear member are analyzed, and the tooth surface form of the pinion member that has good performance mating with the existing gear member is designed. The pinion member was remanufactured by swarf cutting using a CNC machining center. The gear member is also remanufactured using this method in order to apply to the case where pinion member exists in reverse or both gear and pinion members do not exist. The tooth surface form deviations were detected, and the experimental tooth contact pattern of the pinion and gear members was compared with analytical one. The results showed good agreement. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.