Machining components using CNC gear cutting machines
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to carry out gear cutting operations, in accordance with approved procedures, using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines. You will take charge of the prepared machine and check that it is ready for the machining operations to be performed. This will involve checking that all the required components and consumables are present and that the machine has been approved for production. In operating the machine, you will be expected to follow the correct procedures for calling up the operating program, dealing with any error messages, and executing the program activities safely and correctly.
The components produced will have a number of different features, including internal and external spur gears, helical gears, involute splines, straight splines, serrations, racks and bevel gears. You will be required to continuously monitor the machining operations, making any necessary adjustments to machine parameters, in line with your permitted authority. Meeting production targets will be an important issue, and your production records must show consistent and satisfactory performance.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the gear cutting activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the equipment, tooling, program, materials or activities that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you produce.
Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a good understanding of your work, and will enable you to adopt an informed approach to applying CNC gear cutting procedures. You will have an understanding of the CNC gear cutting process, and its application, and will know about the machine, tooling, materials, machining activities and consumables, in adequate depth to provide a sound background to the machine operation and for carrying out the activities to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with the machine and its associated tools and equipment. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.
Setting up of the machine, its tooling and associated workholding devices, are the subjects of other standards.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- confirm that the equipment is set up and ready for operation
- follow the defined procedures for starting and running the operating system
- deal promptly and effectively with error messages or equipment faults that are within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- monitor the computer process and ensure that the production output is to the required specification
- produce machined components
- complete the required production documentation
- shut down the equipment to a safe condition on conclusion of the activities
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- how to work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- the safety mechanisms on the machine, and the procedures for checking that they are operating correctly
- how to start and stop the machine in both normal and emergency situations
- the hazards associated with working on CNC gear cutting machines and how to minimise them and reduce any risks
- the importance of wearing the appropriate protective clothing (PPE) and equipment, and of keeping the work area clean and tidy
- the application of a range of CNC gear cutting machines
- how to extract and use information from engineering drawings or data and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate standards) in relation to work undertaken
- how to interpret first and third angle drawings, imperial and metric systems of measurement, workpiece reference points and system of tolerancing
- how to interpret the visual display and understand the various messages displayed
- the function of error messages, and what to do when an error message is displayed
- how to find the correct restart point in the program when the machine has been stopped before completion of the program
- the operation of the various hand and automatic modes of machine control
- how to operate the machine, using single block run, full program run and feed/speed override controls
- why you would conduct a full dry run and single block run
- how to make adjustments to the program operating parameters to take account of tool wear
- how to set and secure the workpiece to the machine spindle/workholding device; the effects of clamping the workpiece; and how material removal can cause warping/distortion of the finished workpiece
- the various types of cutting tools used, and how they are located and secured to the machine tool posts, turrets, slides and tool magazine or carousel
- the safe and correct handling and storage of tooling
- how to check that the indexible tooling is in a serviceable condition, and the effects that worn tooling will have on the workpiece surface finish and tolerances
- the problems that can occur with gear cutting activities, and how these can be overcome
- the application of cutting fluids with regard to different materials being machined
- the quality control procedures used, inspection checks that need to be carried out, and the equipment that is used
- where to obtain component drawings, specifications and/or job instructions required for the components being machined
- the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
- Carry out all of the following during the machining activities:
- obtain and use the appropriate documentation
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations and procedures to realise a safe system of work
- check that the operating program is at the correct start point
- ensure that machine guards are in place and correctly adjusted
- ensure that materials/components are correctly positioned and held securely without distortion
- check and maintain cutting tools in a safe and usable condition
- ensure that the workpiece is clear of the tooling before starting the machine
- use safe working practices and start up procedures at all times
- adjust machine settings, as required, to maintain the required accuracy
- leave the work area and machine in a safe and appropriate condition on completion of the activities
- Operate one of the following CNC gear cutting machines:
- CNC gear cutting machine
- CNC gear hobbing machine
- CNC gear shaving machine
- Produce machined components which cover four of the following:
- external spur gears
- involute splines
- internal spur gears
- serrations
- external helical gears
- bevel gears
- internal helical gears
- racks
- straight splines
- worm gears
- Machine one of the following types of material:
- ferrous
- non-ferrous
- non-metallic
- Carry out the necessary checks during production, for accuracy of five of the following:
- gear blanks
- involute form
- lead and helix angle
- composite error rolling test
- gear tooth thickness
- surface texture
- backlash
- contact pattern
- Produce components within all of the relevant quality and accuracy standards, as applicable to the operations performed:
- components to be free from false tool cuts, burrs and sharp edges
- straight splines and serrations to relevant standards
- spur and helical gears to relevant standards
- involute splines to relevant standards
- tolerance to relevant standards
- surface texture 32µin or 0.8µm
- company / customer requirements