Oerlikon Geartec Ag

Arno Rutschke

Christian Pahud

Volker Bartelt

Friedrich Dorpinghaus

A method and an apparatus are described for optoelectronically determining the contact patterns on tooth flanks of gears. The tooth flanks of at least one gear (24) of a pair of gears (22, 24) to be tested are marked by application of a marking compound. Contact patterns (28) are formed on the points of contact of the tooth flanks during operation. These contact patterns are picked-up and stored as a first digital image. The first digital image serves to determine a second digital image containing the outline of the tooth flank. A third digital image which contains the contact pattern (28) is determined from the first digital image. The second and the third digital images are superimposed on each other to determine a fourth digital image of the tooth flank, which contains the outline thereof and has its contact pattern inscribed therein, and which can be analyzed to determine the position and size of the contact pattern with reference to the outline. It is advantageous that the contact pattern can be determined and analyzed without a desired representation of the contact pattern or any reference image at all having to be available beforehand. It is a universal method in which the actual outline of the tooth flanks of the marked gear of the pair of gears to be tested is used for the analysis.

Method and apparatus for electro-optically determining the contact

A round bar cutting tool (10) and a cutter head (8) provided especially for the same are provided. The cutting tool has a shank with a generally round cross-section for being fixed by clamping means (28, 30) in a cutting tool receiving bore (12) of the cutter head (8). A substantially planar positioning surface (38) which serves as an engagement surface for the clamping means (28, 30) is located along the shank length in an extension of a cutting face (43) formed on the cutting end (40) of the round bar cutting tool (10), parallel to the longitudinal cutting tool axis. The cutting face (43) and the positioning surface (38) lie in the same plane parallel to the longitudinal cutting tool axis. The cutting face is not reground during sharpening and can therefore have a coating which increases the serviceable life of the cutting edge. The clamping means are wedging devices which press with their clamping surface against the positioning surface (38) of the round bar cutting tool (10) in the same direction as the cutting load during operation. The round bar cutting tool (10) and the cutter head (8) can be produced at low cost. The round bar cutting tool has a long service life, can be easily set up in the cutter head (8) and also maintains its set-up during operation under load.

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Zurich, Switzerland

Arno Rutschke