Bevel and Hypoid Gear Machines

Bevel and hypoid gears

A bevel gear transmits rotation between shafts that intersect at an angle; a hypoid gear works between shafts that do not intersect, with the pinion axis offset. The tooth profile here is set not by a hob but by the cutter head together with the machine settings, which is why such gears have machines of their own.

The catalog holds six KLINGELNBERG C-series machines: from the C 15 at Ø150 mm to the C 100 U at Ø1000 mm with module 3.5–15.5 mm and hypoid offset of ±100 mm. Spiral angle is 0°–60° on all of them and tooth count 6–180. Machine weight grows with size — from 11,200 to 38,000 kg — which is worth allowing for while the shop layout is still on paper.

Selection starts from the pair rather than the gear: the ratio, the shaft angle and the hypoid offset, if any, are needed first. The cutter head is then chosen for that geometry — in the catalog head diameters run from 18 to 457 mm depending on the machine.

After cutting, the pair is finished: either lapped with pinion and gear together, or ground on the G-series machines in the grinding section. The choice depends on the accuracy grade and the batch size. The full line-up is in the gear section.