To achieve reductions in NVH and enhance the performance of drivetrains in EVs, manufacturers are having to work to tighter tolerances.
This has meant that traditional machining and turning processes are tending to take a back seat to grinding in order to meet a more stringent set of requirements.
So what are the advantages when compared to more traditional methods?
To meet the needs for higher quality standards gear designs are incorporating finer tooth surfaces and more precise tooth profiles. This provides grinding with many advantages over hobbing or machine processes.
The grinding wheel comprises hundreds or thousands of cutting points, the chips being significantly smaller than in hobbing. Therefore, it’s a lot easier to achieve finer surfaces. Grinding wheels come in a number of abrasive grain sizes and can be matched to the target surface roughness you are aiming for.
In relation to gear noise, tests have shown that grinding generates lower noise levels, closer to the nominal target, when compared to shaving processes.
The abrasives used in grinding can be 1.5 – 4 times harder than tool steel or carbide – which allows them to last longer and wear less when grinding surfaces that are heat treated to protect against the aggressive wear of ev transmissions.
The scales in favour of grinding are tipped further given the latest grinding technologies that are available with new ceramic grains that further improve precision.
Link to the full article by Andrew Biro & david Goetz that takes you through the detail, click here.