Not just a supplier of machines for the high-quality gear production, KOEPFER, a subsidiary of EMAG, is also a competent partner for anything to do with the gear. For decades now they have invested heavily in industry developments. A product of close collaboration within the EMAG Group, the VLC 200 H is the latest result of these efforts. The VLC 200 H vertical hobber is the first KOEPFER machine based on the new modular standards of EMAG, bearing the name of the new standard machine platform that represents a new generation of machine tools for use in a range of greatly varying applications. This “modular approach“ is of great advantage when it comes to establishing a highly efficient production system for the transmission industry, as it allows for the individual processes used in the soft machining of a gear, from turning of the raw part to hobbing and deburring, to be combined with perfection and without any great outlay for automation. “The machines are easy to interlink, as they are perfectly coordinated and work at the same transfer height,” explained Jörg Lohmann of KOEPFER.
A closer look at the VLC 200 H hobbing machine reveals a technology that offers the user great economic advantages, even in its stand-alone version. The machine features high-performance drives offering top main spindle and hobbing speeds. Gears of a maximum diameter of 200 mm and module 4 can be dry-milled at greatly shortened cycle times. Removal of the hot chips generated by the process is of no concern on vertical machines, as they fall unhindered into the chip conveyor below. The typical EMAG pick-up design principle also minimizes idle times. The main spindle removes the raw-part from the conveyor belt, transfers it to the tailstock—where it is firmly supported during machining by a tailstock flange—and removes it from the machining area after completion of the hobbing cycle. This integrated automation concept with short travels not only makes for efficient speeds, but also guarantees a high degree of machine availability.
The VLC 200 H also guarantees exceptional and consistent component quality. This it owes, in part, to the vibration-resistant polymer concrete MINERALIT® machine base. An optional measuring probe can be integrated into the machining area and used for either positioning tasks or the measuring of finish-machined components. “It even allows us to carry out adjustments in the machining process. In fact, the whole machine provides added value with its integrated production process quality control,” Lohmann stated.
Designed on the basis of a modular platform, production planners have a choice where this automated high-efficiency package is to be integrated into a manufacturing system. They can choose directional component flow, recirculating automation or the “chaku-chaku” principle. A processing concept, meticulously planned by EMAG experts, ensures the lowest cycle times: after turning of the raw parts on an EMAG VL 2 the gear cutting process is carried out on the VLC 200 H, with the final deburring and single-sided chamfering process following on the VLC 100 D. All these machines are designed on the “modular standard” basis from EMAG. The gearing is generated in a single cut and followed only by chamfering, in comparison to alternative production solutions that rely on a second cut after chamfering. Cycle times for the machining of gears will drop dramatically with modular EMAG solutions and KOEPFER technology.
For more information, visit www.emag.com.
