Posted by BillS on April 05, 2016 at 11:55:30:
In Reply to: fine pitch gear hobbing posted by Atul M on April 02, 2016 at 09:18:55:
Welcome to the realm of gear cutting!
First, I would suggest that you read through the FAQ pages on hobbing topics, for general hobbing topics from the perspective of the user/operator.
Second, you might find that Mikron hobbing machines can be a bit different if you had a background in setting up other types (e.g. Barber-Coleman, G&E, etc.) But, judging by the availability and suitability for small work, Mikrons seem to serve very well.
Since the accuracy of generating a specific helix angle is in the change gears selected for the differential, and hydraulic refers to method used to "feed" the cutter table, there should be no preference between mechanical or hydraulic feed in terms of accuracy. Of course, if you are able to easily change table feed (i.e. dial hydraulic feed control) this might be a strong advantage when selecting best feed for cutter wear, production, etc.
SS and hard brass material can make your choice of machine important. My take is that small diameter cutters will wear more quickly, and machine looseness is going to make finish a problem.
Two things can determine accuracy: Condition of machine and ability to select best differential change gears.
I hope others with real-world fine-pitch experience will offer advice on machine selection.
And, pretty soon you can offer up your experience to the rest of us.