Modular Koepfer VLC 200 H vertical hobber fits into EMAG’s integrated gear production concept

As a stand-alone, the Koepfer VLC 200 H hobbing machine benefits from high performance drives and gears up to of 200 mm diameter and module 4 can be dry-milled in short cycle times, says the company. As it is a vertical machine, hot chips generated by the process simply fall unhindered into the chip conveyor below. The VLC 200 H has vibration-resistant polymer concrete Mineralit machine base. An optional measuring probe can be integrated into the machining area and used either for positioning tasks or for the measuring of finish-machined components. It also allows adjustments to be made to the machining process. The EMAG pick-up design principle employed minimises idle times. The main spindle removes the raw part from the conveyor belt, takes it to the tailstock – where it is firmly supported during machining by a tailstock flange – and removes it from the machining area after completion of the hobbing cycle. In an integrated automation system, short travels translate into speed and a high degree of machine availability. EMAG modularity allows individual processes used in the soft machining of a gear – from turning of the raw part to hobbing and finally deburring – to be combined without heavy investment in automation. The machines are easy to interlink, as they are perfectly co-ordinated and also work at the same transfer height, explains Koepfer. The production automation and processing concept developed by EMAG experts, optimises cycle times. After turning of the raw parts (for instance, on an EMAG VL 2), the gear cutting process is carried out on the VLC 200 H, with the final processing – deburring and single-sided chamfering – being done on the VLC100 D. The gearing is generated in a single cut and followed only by chamfering, whereas alternative production solutions rely on a second cut after chamfering, points out EMAG.