Operating Efficiency of Worm Gears Under Ultrasonic Vibration Imposition in the Cutting Region

The paper studies the effect of the imposition of ultrasonic vibrations in the cutting zone during the process of small-module hobs milling in regard to the wear and performance of worm-gear cutters, depending on the design parameters of the wheel. Cutting gears with a worm-modular cutter is a universal method, these operations are the most prolonged in the technological process of manufacturing the gear; therefore, increasing the durability of the cutting tool is an important scientific and production challenge, the solution of which will increase the productivity of the gear-cutting process. Difficulties arising from the operation of worm-modular cutters provoke one into looking for new ways to improve their performance, because the cost of the gear manufacturing includes the cost of a gear-cutting tool, which is 50-60%. The paper is aimed to explain the nature of the wear process of the teeth of a worm-modular cutter, shows the causes of local wear, and proposes fundamentally new ways of machining. The objective of the paper is to determine the stability patterns of the worm-modular cutters in regard to their geometrical parameters by investigating their performance capacity with due regard to both the module and the number of teeth.