High-precision manufacturing for gear involute artifact based on rolling generation

Gear involute artifact (GIA) is an object with an unbroken chain of traceable calibrations used to calibrate the instruments for measuring involute profile deviations. To machine GIA with sub-micron profile form deviations, an error analysis method for profile deviations in the involute envelope based on rolling generation was proposed. With this method, the effect on the involute profile deviations caused by the form and position errors of the core components of roller-guide involute rolling generation (roundness and eccentricity of the base circle, and straightness of the generating line) were analyzed and verified through simulations. Accordingly, methods for lapping, selecting the used segment of rollers and installing rollers were proposed. GIAs with a design base radius r_b= 56.3816 mm were machined and measured through a double roller-guide involute rolling generation mechanism. The profile form deviations of four flanks of machined GIAs ranged from 0.34 to 0.54 m within the evaluation range of 5 to 50 mm in roll path length (0.4 to 0.6 m as measured by Klingenberg P40). This research provides support for high-precision GIA manufacturing in small-batch production.