The present disclosure relates to a gear cutting machine for gear cutting a workpiece, in particular a toothed wheel, by form milling having at least one cutter head for mounting at least one end mill, wherein the cutter head or the end mill and/or the workpiece mount are adjustable and the end mill axis can be aligned approximately parallel to the machined tooth flank of the clamped workpiece, and wherein the cutter axis can be applied to the flank contour and the end mill has an outer contour corresponding to the flank contour.

Methods of fly-cutting a workpiece are disclosed, and in methods in which the position of a fly-cutting head or its associated cutting element is known as a function of time. Also disclosed are methods of forming features, such as grooves or groove segments, in a workpiece such as a cylindrical roll. The features may be provided according to one or more disclosed patterns. Articles made using tools machined in the manner described are also provided, such as polymeric film or sheeting that exhibit certain beneficial properties.

A gear machining apparatus causes a machining tool and a workpiece to rotate at a high speed in synchronization with each other to machine a highly accurate gear through cutting. The machining tool is manufactured such that each of pitches between tool blades of the machining tool is an integer multiple of a pitch between teeth of the gear, the integer multiple being equal to or larger than double. By using the machining tool for cutting performed by the gear machining apparatus, the number of the tool blades of the machining tool, which are brought into contact with the workpiece at the same time, is reduced. Thus, it is possible to suppress occurrence of self-excited vibrations during cutting by reducing the cutting resistance. Thus, it is possible to enhance the tooth trace accuracy of the gear.

The invention relates to a method for gear shaping a periodic structure, in particular a toothing on a workpiece, in which method the workpiece, continuously rotating about its axis of rotation, is brought into material-removing machining engagement with a toothed shaping tool which rotates about its axis of rotation in rolling contact with the workpiece rotation. After a working stroke, the shaping tool is lifted off from the workpiece in a lifting direction and, after a subsequent return stroke, the shaping tool in the lifted state is returned to the workpiece again for the next working stroke. In the return stroke, a deflection movement of the shaping tool away from the incoming flank of the workpiece and transversely to the lifting direction is superimposed on the rolling contact.