Worm gears

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garyhlucas
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Worm gears

Post by garyhlucas »

I am a mentor for a FIRST Robotics team and have been making all of the teams robot parts on my homebuilt CNC mill for the past 3 seasons. I used gearotic this season to machine a 12-1/2” gear from HDPE and an aluminum pinion to rotate a turret on the shooter. It worked great!

I’d like to machine worm gears using only a ball mill cutter and the 4th axis. My machine is light duty but very precise and tight because it is built with very high precision THK linear bearings and ball screws. I haven’t figured out how to generate a worm gear in gearotic. Can someone point out how to do this?
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ArtF
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Re: Worm gears

Post by ArtF »

Hi:

Worm gears only recently became available. They can be made in the Ticker program, but only as 3d models Im afraid,
there is no 4th axis code generation for them. Unlike a bevel, a Worm should be machinable with good results for use,
but the 4th axis code for it isn't something I'm apt top do in any time frame. The model though, may be used in any
toolpath generator that will accept an stl. Not the best way to cut one though, as a hypergloboidal helix they should be
cut by running the length while rotating on each pass.

Art
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ArtF
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Re: Worm gears

Post by ArtF »

By the way, thanks for the comment on your 12" gear, I'm always pleased to hear of the large ones as they tell me my numbers are accurate,
mistakes in gearing are often only seen as they get larger. The record so far is a 4' gear photo sent to me a long time back. It looked huge
strapped on its pallet. :)

Art
garyhlucas
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Re: Worm gears

Post by garyhlucas »

ArtF wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 10:17 pm Hi:

Worm gears only recently became available. They can be made in the Ticker program, but only as 3d models Im afraid,
there is no 4th axis code generation for them. Unlike a bevel, a Worm should be machinable with good results for use,
but the 4th axis code for it isn't something I'm apt top do in any time frame. The model though, may be used in any
toolpath generator that will accept an stl. Not the best way to cut one though, as a hypergloboidal helix they should be
cut by running the length while rotating on each pass.

Art
Art,
If I can get a 3D model I think I can generate a 3D tool path for the space between two teeth in CamBam and then just index the 4th axis and cut again. I don't need high accuracy, low backlash, high speed, or long life. The reason for making our own gears is because worm gear sets are quite expensive and don't play well with the bearings and hex shafts we use in the robots. So a lot of time gets spent designing around gears we can get rather than the gears we'd like to have. I downloaded Ticker so I'll have to give this a try. Might make it into the robot we have right now if I can cut it.

Our robot turret is blowing everyone away because it tracks the target as the robot zips around picking up balls, and if it has a ball it shoots as soon as the robot stops with no operator input. It has been hitting the target 100% of the time too!
garyhlucas
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Re: Worm gears

Post by garyhlucas »

Got Ticker but couldn’t find a way to actually save a worm gear model. Also the parameters seem to only change using sliders and it is very difficult to set an exact value. Is there some other way to do it?
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ArtF
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Re: Worm gears

Post by ArtF »

Hi:

On any slider in Ticker, hold CTRL and click in the edit box, you can then enter any exact number you wish.
To save the gear once its on the screen, just select it with the mouse, and use the "export model" button on the
main top bar.

Art
garyhlucas
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Re: Worm gears

Post by garyhlucas »

Thanks Art, I’ll give that a try.
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