Gearmaker Adds CNC Measuring Capability

Dec. 9, 2010
The Adams Co. adopts PECo unit to produce the most efficient, economical and high-quality gears and shafts

The Adams Company, a gearmaking shop in Dubuque, Iowa, recently purchased and installed a new Process Equipment Co. (PECo) ND430 CNC gear measurement system that it is using for final set-up inspection and process control.

The Iowa operation custom manufactures bevel gears, helical gears, spur gears, worms and worm gears, and shafts (splined, plain, straight, tapered, threaded and keyed) to customers’ specifications. The PECo also allows Adams Co. to reverse engineer gears and shafts to identify the exact dimensions of parts supplied by their customers.

Adams Co. indicates the installation demonstrates its determination to produce high-quality gears and shafts efficiently and economically. “The accuracy and repeatability of the inspection process is great,” according to Mark Derby, operations manager. “Not only that, but it also provides documentation for our quality control guidelines and traceability if questions arise further down the line.”

The PECo system is used to ensure the quality and consistency of gears, splines, worms and gear cutting tools. Its measurement capabilities include tooth profile, helix slope and angle, pitch variation and pitchline runout, tooth thickness, size over/under pins and micro finish. Also, the system has analysis and tolerance-evaluation packages that are consistent with AGMA and ISO specifications.

The machine is housed in Adams Co.’s environmentally controlled and compliant inspection laboratory.

Parts may be traditionally aligned between centers using a standard motorized tailstock or mounted on a precision chuck device. Using either location method, a true part coordinate reference system may be established using the ND Series coordinate transformation algorithms and 3D mapping system to conduct measurements according to actual or functional part datum features.

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