A gear machining apparatus includes: a hob cutter; at least one processor; and at least one memory having instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gear machining apparatus to perform operations including: performing first chamfering on a first axial end of a gear profile by relatively moving the hob cutter with respect to a workpiece in radial and axial directions of the workpiece; performing, subsequent to the first chamfering, gear profile machining by relatively moving the hob cutter with respect to the workpiece in the axial direction; and performing, subsequent to the gear profile machining, second chamfering on a second axial end of the gear profile by relatively moving the hob cutter with respect to the workpiece in the radial and axial directions.

A gear machining apparatus includes: a hob cutter; at least one processor; and at least one memory having instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gear machining apparatus to perform operations including: performing first chamfering on a first axial end of a gear profile by relatively moving the hob cutter with respect to a workpiece in radial and axial directions of the workpiece; performing, subsequent to the first chamfering, gear profile machining by relatively moving the hob cutter with respect to the workpiece in the axial direction; and performing, subsequent to the gear profile machining, second chamfering on a second axial end of the gear profile by relatively moving the hob cutter with respect to the workpiece in the radial and axial directions.

A machine tool includes a workpiece holder, a tool holder holding working tools that includes a hob cutter used in a rough machining and a skiving cutter used in a finish machining, a tool magazine, a tool replacing device replacing one of the working tools mounted on the tool holder with the other of working tools housed in the tool magazine, a rough machining controlling section performing the rough machining on the workpiece, a tool measuring device measuring a position of a blade in a rotation direction of the skiving cutter, an angle correcting section correcting a rotation angle of the skiving cutter based on a result measured by the tool measuring device, and placing a tooth space formed in the workpiece and an edge tip of the blade in a position corresponding to each other, and a finish machining controlling section by which workpiece is finish machined.

A machine tool includes a workpiece holder, a tool holder holding working tools that includes a hob cutter used in a rough machining and a skiving cutter used in a finish machining, a tool magazine, a tool replacing device replacing one of the working tools mounted on the tool holder with the other of working tools housed in the tool magazine, a rough machining controlling section performing the rough machining on the workpiece, a tool measuring device measuring a position of a blade in a rotation direction of the skiving cutter, an angle correcting section correcting a rotation angle of the skiving cutter based on a result measured by the tool measuring device, and placing a tooth space formed in the workpiece and an edge tip of the blade in a position corresponding to each other, and a finish machining controlling section by which workpiece is finish machined.

A combined gear cutting apparatus includes a workpiece drive portion, a first processing portion holding and moving a first tool to a processing position for a workpiece, a second processing portion holding and moving a second tool to a processing position for the workpiece, and a control portion which includes a storage portion storing workpiece information indicating a configuration of the workpiece before first processing is performed, first tool information, second tool information and relative position information. The control portion includes a tooth groove configuration calculation portion calculating tooth groove configuration information of the workpiece based on the first tool information, the workpiece information and the relative position information obtained when the first processing is completed. The second tool is configured to move to a start position of second processing for the workpiece based on the tooth groove configuration information, the second tool information and the relative position information.

A method wherein by reducing the amount of current, and therefore torque, to the linear servo motor (50) and/or rotary servo motor (52) of a loader mechanism (9), the loader mechanism is operable for determining proper workpiece positioning in a machine tool such as a gear manufacturing machine, particularly a machine (4) for manufacturing bevel and hypoid gears.

A combined gear cutting apparatus includes a workpiece drive portion, a first processing portion holding and moving a first tool to a processing position for a workpiece, a second processing portion holding and moving a second tool to a processing position for the workpiece, and a control portion which includes a storage portion storing workpiece information indicating a configuration of the workpiece before first processing is performed, first tool information, second tool information and relative position information. The control portion includes a tooth groove configuration calculation portion calculating tooth groove configuration information of the workpiece based on the first tool information, the workpiece information and the relative position information obtained when the first processing is completed. The second tool is configured to move to a start position of second processing for the workpiece based on the tooth groove configuration information, the second tool information and the relative position information.