Method for dressing a multithread grinding worm

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for dressing a multithread grinding worm, in which a flight of the multithread grinding worm is machined by means of a dressing tool. During machining of the multithread grinding worm, one of several flights of the grinding worm is eliminated, so that the number of flights of the grinding worm is reduced, thereby increasing the service life of the dressing tool and reducing the number of dressing tools to be kept in stock.

Claims

1. A method for dressing a multithread grinding worm having a plurality of flights, comprising: machining a flight of the grinding worm with a dressing tool, wherein during machining at least one of the plurality of flights of the grinding worm is set back in terms of tooth width and/or tooth height with respect to the original flank, so that the number of flights of the grinding worm is reduced.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dressing tool has a tooth width which is greater than a width of a gap between opposing first and second flanks of the flight being machined.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the tooth width of the dressing tool is greater than 110% of the width of the gap between the opposing first and second flanks of the flight being machined.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the tooth width of the dressing tool is greater than 125% of the width of the gap between the opposing first and second flanks of the flight being machined.

5. The method according to claim 2, the tooth width of the dressing tool is greater than 150% of the width of the gap between the opposing first and second flanks of the flight being machined.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dressing tool is applied flush to a flank of the flight being machined and during machining partly or completely removes the corresponding other flank of the flight being machined.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the dressing tool subsequently is applied flush to a flank facing the removed flank in a flight adjacent to the removed flank.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein during machining of the flight, a tooth base of the flight is removed by the dressing tool.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein during machining of the flight, only a partial region of the grinding worm is machined.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dressing tool is a double dresser, the method further comprising machining two different flanks of the grinding worm at one time with the double dresser.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein during machining of the flight, the dressing tool is pivoted on a worm flank in a worm gap, so that the counter flank also is dressed in the worm gap.

12. A method, comprising: with a dressing tool, simultaneously machining a first flank of first flight of a multi-thread grinding worm and reducing the size of a tooth separating the first flight from an adjacent second flight, wherein a second flank of the first flight opposing the first flank is also a first flank of the tooth and wherein a first flank of the second flight is also a second flank of the tooth; subsequently, with the dressing tool, simultaneously machining a second flank of the second flight opposing the first flank of the second flight and further reducing the size of the tooth.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein by way of the machining of the first flank of the first flight and the second flank of the second flight, the tooth separating the first flight from the second flight is eliminated and a number of flights of the grinding worm is reduced by 1.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein an immersion depth of the dressing tool during the machining is greater than a height of the tooth separating the first flight from the second flight such that a depth of an enlarged flight formed by the elimination of the tooth is greater than a depth of the first and second flights before the machining.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein by way of the machining of the flank of the first flight and the opposing flank of the n.sup.th flight, the plurality of teeth separating the first flight from the n.sup.th flight is eliminated and a number of flights of the grinding worm is reduced by n1.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein an immersion depth of the dressing tool during the machining is greater than a height of the one or more of the plurality of teeth such that a depth of an enlarged flight formed by the elimination of the plurality of teeth is greater than a depth of the first through n.sup.th flights before the machining.

17. A method, comprising: with a dressing tool, simultaneously machining a flank of a first flight of a multi-thread grinding worm and reducing the size of a plurality of teeth, each tooth of the plurality of teeth separating two adjacent flights of the grinding worm, and the plurality of teeth separating the first flight from a n.sup.th flight of the grinding worm; subsequently, with the dressing tool, simultaneously machining a flank of the n.sup.th flight which opposes the flank of the first flight and further reducing the size of the plurality of teeth separating the first flight from the n.sup.th flight.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows the original condition of a multithread grinding worm and the condition of the multithread grinding worm after machining by the method according to the present disclosure.

(2) FIG. 2 shows dressing of a multithread grinding worm.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram during execution of the method according to the present disclosure.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram during execution of the method according to the present disclosure.

(5) FIG. 5A shows one example of a method known in the prior art for dressing a grinding worm.

(6) FIG. 5B shows another example of a method known in the prior art for dressing a grinding worm.

(7) FIG. 5C shows yet another example of a method known in the prior art for dressing a grinding worm.

(8) FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of a method for reducing the size of or eliminating a tooth separating first and second flights of a grinding worm via machining with a dressing tool.

(9) FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of a method for reducing the size of or eliminating a plurality of teeth separating first through n.sup.th flights of a grinding worm via machining with a dressing tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) The upper part of FIG. 1 shows a multithread grinding worm 1 which has a total of six flights 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The individual flights 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 are separated from each other by respective teeth arranged between the adjacent flights 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

(11) After applying the method according to the present disclosure as claimed in claim 1, the number of flights has been reduced from previously six to the value of three. This can clearly be seen in the grinding worm in the lower region of FIG. 1. The flights 2, 3 previously separated from each other now are combined to one common flight 23. The same applies for the previously separated flights 4 and 5, which now likewise form a common flight 45, and the previously separated flights 6 and 7, which now likewise form a common flight 67.

(12) While the upper part of FIG. 1 depicts a grinding worm with six flights, it will be appreciated that the method may be equally applied to any grinding worm having at least two flights.

(13) FIG. 2 shows the two-flank dressing of a multithread grinding worm for a dressing tool which is perfectly adjusted to the flight of the grinding worm. The width A of the dressing tool 10 corresponds with the distance between the tooth heads of the two corresponding flanks. In addition, the width B of the dressing tool 10 at its tooth head is adapted to (e.g., substantially equal to) the width of the tooth base of the flight. Typically, the dressing tool 10 has a diamond coating 11 on the regions which contact with the grinding worm during dressing (e.g., the portions of the surface of the dressing tool which contact the flanks and tooth base of a flight of the grinding worm during dressing are coated with the diamond coating).

(14) The machining of the grinding worm by the dressing tool may be performed by a grinding worm dressing apparatus 21 including a control system 20, which is schematically shown in FIG. 2. Control system 20 includes a control unit 22, sensors 24, and actuators 26. Control unit 22 includes a processor 34 and non-transitory memory 36, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored therein for carrying out the various control actions described herein, including control actions associated with the methods shown in FIGS. 6-7 and the dressing actions shown in FIGS. 2-4. The sensors 24 represent the various sensors and/or detection devices which may be used in the context of dressing a grinding worm. Sensors 24 further may include devices (e.g., display devices, joysticks, etc.) which receive input from an operator of the dressing apparatus and send signals to the control unit responsive to the operator input. The actuators 26 may include dressing tool 10, and the machining performed by dressing tool 10 may be controlled by control unit 22 based on instructions stored in non-transitory memory 36. Control unit 22 receives signals from the various sensors 24 and employs the various actuators 26 to adjust operation of the dressing apparatus (e.g., adjust operation of the dressing tool), based on the received signals and the instructions stored in the non-transitory memory 36. In one non-limiting example, an operator may input a desired number of flights to remove from the grinding worm, and/or an extent to which a tooth separating adjacent flights of the grinding worm should be reduced in size, and the dressing tool may be controlled by the control unit accordingly.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a dressing tool 10 and a grinding worm 1 during the application of the method according to the present disclosure for dressing a first flight of the grinding worm 1. As shown, one of the flanks of the dressing tool 10 rests flush against a flank 28 of the flight 2, and the tooth which separates the flight 2 from the flight 3 has already been removed in part (dashed representation close to reference numeral 29). For example, as shown, a portion of the tooth which separates the flight 2 from the flight 3, including flank 29 of the tooth, has been removed, while flank 38 of the tooth remains.

(16) In a second step the tooth flank 39 opposite the tooth flank 28 is dressed in the next flight (i.e., flight 3) and the tooth separating the flights 2, 3 is removed or set back (e.g., reduced in size, including the distance between what is now the tooth head and the tooth base being reduced). This is accomplished in that the dressing tool 10 is applied to the flank 39 of the flight 3, whereby the tooth previously connecting the two flights 2, 3 with its two flanks 29 and 38 is eliminated or set back. Here, it is advantageous that a dressing tool 10 not adjusted to the width of the tooth gap in the grinding worm 1 (e.g., the width of the gap between two flanks of a flight of the grinding worm) can be used. For example, the width of the dressing tool at its tooth head may be greater than the width of the tooth base of the flight. This increases the flexibility during selection of the available dressing tools 10, so that a dressing tool 10 adjusted to a particular tooth gap distance is not absolutely necessary. In general, the number of dressing tools to be kept in stock thus can be reduced.

(17) FIG. 4 shows a further case of the method according to the present disclosure for dressing a multithread grinding worm 1, in which in one working step both flanks 28, 39 can be dressed with the dressing tool 10. In FIG. 4, the tooth previously separating the two flights which has flanks 29, 38 again is shown in broken lines. In addition, it can be seen that the immersion depth of the dressing tool 10 is so large that the original tooth base 27 of the flight 2 and the original tooth base 37 of the flight 3 has been removed by the amount C. As a result, the depth of the common flight 23 formed by the removal of the tooth previously separating the two flights is greater than the depth of the original flights 2, 3. The removal of the tooth base can easily be possible, as during hob grinding frequently only the flanks of the grinding worm are required and the tooth base of the tooth gaps is not ground as well on the workpiece.

(18) FIGS. 5A to 5C show various dressing methods according to the prior art.

(19) FIG. 5A shows a dressing tool 10 which fits flush into the tooth gap of the flight of the grinding worm 1. Two-flank dressing of the flight is possible.

(20) FIG. 5B shows a double dresser with its two dressing tools 10a, 10b, wherein each dressing tool dresses one flank of the grinding worm 1. As shown, dressing tool 10a dresses a flank of one flight of the grinding worm while dressing tool 10b dresses a flank of a different flight of the grinding worm. The width of each of dressing tools 10a, 10b is smaller than the tooth gap width of the flights being dressed.

(21) FIG. 5C shows one-flank dressing by a dressing tool 10 whose width is smaller than the tooth gap width of the flight being dressed.

(22) FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of a method 600 for reducing the size of or eliminating a tooth separating first and second flights of a grinding worm (e.g., the grinding worm shown in FIGS. 1-4) via machining with a dressing tool (e.g., the dressing tool shown in FIGS. 1-4). In some examples, instructions for carrying out method 600 may be stored in non-transitory memory of a control system, such as non-transitory memory 36 of control system 20 shown in FIG. 2. Further, method 600 may be executed by a processor of the control system (e.g., processor 34 of control system 20 shown in FIG. 2).

(23) At 602, method 600 includes, with a dressing tool, simultaneously machining a first flank of a first flight of grinding worm and reducing the size (e.g. height and/or width) of a tooth separating the first flight from an adjacent second flight.

(24) After 602, method 600 proceeds to 604. At 604, the method includes, with the dressing tool, simultaneously machining a second flank of the second flight and further reducing the size of the tooth separating the first flight from the second flight, including optionally eliminating the tooth and thereby reducing a number of flights of the grinding worm by 1. The method further includes, at 604, optionally removing the base of the tooth separating the first flight from the second flight, such that a depth of at least a portion of the resulting enlarged flight is greater than an original depth of the adjacent first and second flights. After 604, the method returns.

(25) FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of a method 700 for reducing the size of or eliminating a plurality of teeth separating first through n.sup.th flights of a grinding worm (e.g., the grinding worm shown in FIGS. 1-4) via machining with a dressing tool (e.g., the dressing tool shown in FIGS. 1-4). In some examples, instructions for carrying out method 600 may be stored in non-transitory memory of a control system, such as non-transitory memory 36 of control system 20 shown in FIG. 2. Further, method 700 may be executed by a processor of the control system (e.g., processor 34 of control system 20 shown in FIG. 2).

(26) At 702, method 700 includes, with a dressing tool, simultaneously machining a flank of a first flight of a grinding worm and reducing the size (e.g. height and/or width) of a plurality of teeth separating the first flight from an n.sup.th flight of the grinding worm. In one non-limiting example, the sizes of a first tooth separating the first flight from a second flight and a second tooth separating the second flight from a third flight are reduced, and the n.sup.th flight is the third flight.

(27) At 704, method 700 includes, with the dressing tool, simultaneously machining a flank of the n.sup.th flight, which opposes the flank of the first flight, and further reducing the size of the plurality of teeth. This may optionally include eliminating the plurality of teeth and thereby reducing a number of flights of the grinding worm by n1. For example, in the case where n=3, three flights of the grinding worm are reduced to one enlarged flight via the elimination of the teeth separating the first, second, and third flights. Further, at 704, method 700 may include optionally removing the base of one or more of the plurality of teeth separating the such that a depth of at least a portion of the resulting enlarged flight is greater than an original depth of the flights. In such a case, the immersion depth of the dressing tool during machining may be greater than the original depth of the flights. After 704, method 700 returns.