The drive axle serves as a critical component for light vehicles, micro-cars, heavy trucks, large buses, and engineering machinery, directly supplying driving force. Spiral bevel gears are core elements influencing axle performance and overall vehicle dynamics. With rapid automotive industry growth, demand for high-efficiency, high-precision gear milling equipment has surged, alongside requirements for low-cost, eco-friendly manufacturing. Efficient spiral bevel gear milling significantly impacts economic benefits, market positioning, and national industrial capability.
Globally, automotive spiral gear manufacturing predominantly employs high-end CNC dry-cutting machines, offering superior efficiency, accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. However, domestic production largely relies on mechanical wet-cutting methods with inherent drawbacks like high costs, pollution, and inconsistent precision. Historically, China imported dry-cutting production lines from Klingelnberg or Gleason, expending substantial foreign exchange and creating technological dependencies. This changed in 2012 with the launch of YKA2260—China’s first fully CNC spiral bevel gear milling machine—marking a breakthrough in domestic dry-cutting technology and ending international monopolies.
Now in its third generation, YKA2260 dominates 80% of China’s dry-cutting market, fully replacing imported alternatives. Key international competitors include:
| Manufacturer | Equipment | Max. Diameter (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Klingelnberg (DE) | C27 | φ270 |
| Klingelnberg (DE) | C30 | φ300 |
| Klingelnberg (DE) | C50 | φ500 |
| Gleason (US) | 280HC | φ280 |
| Gleason (US) | 600HC | φ600 |
| ZDCY | YKA2235 | φ350 |
| ZDCY | YKA2260 | φ600 |
YKA2260 integrates patented innovations achieving 5-class accuracy (GB11365-89) with surface roughness ≤ Ra1.6μm. Its six-axis linkage architecture enables dry/wet cutting of epicycloid and circular arc teeth:
$$ \text{Axis Configuration: } \\ X\text{: Horizontal Linear} \quad Y\text{: Vertical Linear} \quad Z\text{: Longitudinal Linear} \\ A\text{: Workpiece Spindle} \quad B\text{: Turntable} \quad C\text{: Tool Spindle} $$
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Unit | Face Milling | Face Hobbing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutter Diameter | mm | Φ190–457 | R88–200 |
| Max. Gear Ratio | – | 10:1 | |
| Max. Module | mm | 14 | |
| Max. Pitch Diameter | mm | 600 | |
| X-Axis Travel | mm | ±800 | |
| Total Power | kW | 120 | |
Core Innovations
1. Structural Design
Optimized for dry gear milling’s high chip loads and speeds, YKA2260’s gantry structure ensures rigidity while minimizing thermal distortion. Direct-drive torque motors on spindles eliminate transmission errors, and closed-loop control via Siemens 840D SL and Heidenhain encoders ensures micron-level precision:
$$ \text{Positional Accuracy} = \frac{\text{Encoder Resolution}}{\text{Gear Reduction}} \pm \Delta_{\text{thermal}} $$
2. Thermal Management
Heat mitigation strategies include:
- Permanent-magnet spindle motors with water cooling
- Oil-air lubrication reducing bearing temps by 5–16°C
- Isolated chip removal preventing conduction
Real-time thermal compensation uses embedded sensors to adjust axis positions dynamically:
$$ \Delta L = \alpha \cdot L_0 \cdot \Delta T + \beta \cdot P_{\text{cut}} $$
Where \(\alpha\) = thermal expansion coefficient, \(L_0\) = initial length, \(\Delta T\) = temp change, \(\beta\) = cutting power coefficient.
3. Torque Motor Dynamics
High-rigidity cutting is achieved through:
- PTC/KTY sensors monitoring coil temperatures
- Current/speed/position loop optimization
- Rapid disturbance suppression during gear milling
Motor torque output follows:
$$ \tau = K_t \cdot I – K_d \cdot \omega $$
Where \(K_t\) = torque constant, \(I\) = current, \(K_d\) = damping coefficient, \(\omega\) = angular velocity.
4. Dry-Cutting Software
Proprietary HCS software enables epicycloidal tooth profiling, ease-off optimization, and TCA analysis. For a 10:37 gearset, computational outputs include:
| Parameter | Pinion | Gear |
|---|---|---|
| Cutter Tilt (°) | 24.8294 | – |
| Machine Root Angle (°) | -2.3480 | 68.6444 |
| Radial Distance (mm) | 244.7570 | 258.2669 |
Contact pattern optimization follows:
$$ \text{Ease-off} = \delta_{ij} = z_{ij}^{\text{act}} – z_{ij}^{\text{theory}} $$
Applications
YKA2260 has been deployed across automotive suppliers like Hande (Zhuzhou) and Guilin Fuda, achieving accuracy surpassing imported equivalents. Its dry gear milling eliminates coolant waste, reducing environmental impact by 30% while doubling productivity. Economic analyses confirm 40% lower operational costs versus wet-cutting systems.