Is there no 4th axis g-code output for timing gears?

[Maptech Enterprises]

I am trying to make a gear for a htd 8mm belt and when I try and output g-code for the forth axis nothing is generated . Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks
Mark.

[ArtF]

Mark:

    Gears are made in the 4th axis by a process of Tangental Shaving. This only works for involute teeth, rounded teeth like a timing pulley
can only be done with 2d Gcode , making them on a 4th axis would be very very time consuming unless you have a tool of the shape of the tooth.
  You can put out the code to make such a tool, but its a bit experimen tal in that regard. ( right click on the selected htd pulley in the project tree
and select "ToolBit wizard".
   This will put out code to make a tool that "can" cut an HTD pulley, but the tool wont be strong enough to cut the pulley if the tooth is too small.
You may be able to get away with it on a 8mm pulley tooth. The pulleys Ive seen have worked out real nice, but their cut in 2d..not 4th axis.

Art

[Sonny]

Art,

So does this mean that I should be able to take a piece of drill rod, mount it up on a 4th axis, and use an HSS end mill, and use the toolbit wizard to create the gcode to turn it into the right end mill form cutter?  It seems like the documenta tion reference s a fly cutter using a lathe tool bit (which is what I would expect), but the program reference s round stock diameter.  What am I missing?

[ArtF]

Hi:

  Yes, the tool wizard is meant to make a tool from drillrod that will cut your teeth form properly. That way, if you sepcify a normal spur gear of the
rigth size, select "flycutter" for it, the code can be run with that tool to make a timing pulley in the 4th axis. It takes some playing to get the tool rigth though,
be carefull it isnt too thin or too thick, this hasnt been shown as being doen with a timing pulley as yet, but in theory should work fine.

Art

[ArtF]

Sonny,

Soon, a dxf will also be put out with the tooth forms as dxf's in case one wishes to make those profiles with a lathe
from the dxf.

Art