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CNC Processes

Gear Hobbing

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Gear Standards

USA: ANSI /AGMA

Japan: JIS

Germany: DIN

China: GB

UK: BS

France:FN

Int’l: ISO

Hobbing vs Wire EDM vs Sinker EDM

Hobbing Wire EDM Sinker EDM
Tolerance level ISO grade 6 to 12 ISO grade 7 to 12 ISO grade 8 to 12
Part size Min: 1.0x1.0x0.3mm
Max :500x500x800mm
 Min: 3.0x3.0x0.3mm
Max: 300x300x200mm 		Min: 3.0x3.0x0.3mm
Max: 200x200x150mm
Top use cases External gears External gears, shafts with gears, helical gears Internal gears and features which are not through hole, internal features requiring minimal fillets such as a hexagonal shaped cutouts in a part
Materials All available materials All available metal materials All available metal materials
Minimum fillet radius n/a 0.05mm standard
0.01mm premium precision 		0.05mm standard
0.01mm premium precision
Lead time As fast as 12 days As fast as 7 days As fast as 7 days
See Available Materials See Available Finishes
PART STUDY


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About Gear Hobbing

Hobbing serves as a machining method tailored for sculpting gear attributes across both metallic and non-metallic workpieces. By employing a cutting tool known as a hob, gear teeth (or splines) are incrementally carved into a cylindrical material through a series of cuts. This process facilitates the attainment of diverse gear configurations and sizes, encompassing spur gears, worm gears, and bevel gears. While suitable for prototyping small quantities, gear hobbing finds its forte in high-volume production.

Our manufacturing partners maintain a diverse inventory of hobbing tools, ensuring swift turnaround times. In instances where a bespoke gear profile is sought, not covered by our standard hobbing tool arsenal, clients can commission the construction of custom hobbing tools. For the fabrication of internal gear features, we provide Electrical Discharge Machining (both wire and sinker) as hobbing falls short in achieving such attributes.

CNC Machining Design Resources

Gear Hobbing FAQs

Technical FAQs

With the process of gear hobbing, what types of gears can unofactorys produce?

The gear hobbing technique is capable of fabricating external gears. While there exist various external gear types, spur and worm gears are among those that can be crafted using gear hobbing.

What materials are suitable for gear hobbing in unofactorys?

Materials of all kinds, including plastic, are compatible with the gear hobbing process for gear manufacturing.

When it comes to gear hobbing in unofactorys, what gear sizes are achievable?

Utilizing the gear hobbing process, unofactorys are capable of producing gears with a maximum size of 200 x 200mm (7.8 x 7.8in) and a thickness of up to 300mm (11.8in).

General FAQs

What is the difference between gear shaping and gear hobbing?

Gear hobbing stands out as a highly versatile cutting process frequently employed for the creation of gears and spurs. The process involves a cutter rotating in harmony with the workpiece being "hobbed."

Gear shaping utilizes a reciprocal action of the cutter to form the gear teeth in the blank. Some shapers may concentrate on cutting a single tooth at a time, whereas others adopt multiple passes with a rotating cutter to achieve the desired results.

It's noteworthy that only shapers possess the capability to carve internal gear teeth, whereas hobs excel in cutting external spur and worm gears.

What is indexing in gear cutting?

Indexing in gear cutting is a method where the periphery of a cylindrical workpiece is divided into an equal number of parts with the assistance of an index crank and plate.

There are 4 indexing methods for cutting a gear.

  1. Simple Indexing
  2. Compound Indexing
  3. Direct Indexing
  4. Differential Indexing

How are internal gears made?

When manufacturing an internal gear the usual gear hobbing used in spur gear production cannot be used because of its shape. It is generally made using gear shaping that is equipped with a pinion cutter.

Top Resources for Gear Hobbing

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CNC Machining vs. Manual Machining

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The 3 Essential Methods for Gear Machining

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Finding the Right Secondary Operations After CNC Machining, Part III: Hardware Installation

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