Whether it’s drive systems or planetary gearboxes in aircraft engines, control gearboxes for landing flaps, gear teeth for the entire powertrain of helicopters, or drive and control mechanisms for the Mars rover: With solutions from KAPP NILES, the essential and safety-critical components for aeroplanes, helicopters and spacecraft can be ground and measured with high precision.

Quality of the highest standard

The stringent, safety-oriented manufacturing specifications in the aerospace industry cover both the final quality of the machined gears and the comprehensive documentation of the entire process. Machines in the VX series are specifically designed to meet these exacting precision requirements: Top-quality guide systems with scraped guides ensure high-precision results and consistent quality for decades. The integrated measurement system (AMS) measures the component before and after the grinding process and assesses its quality. The results are documented in detail, ensuring that part quality can be traced back years later.

VX machines can be fitted with one or two interchangeable grinding spindles and can utilise up to six grinding tools simultaneously. This makes it possible, for example, to machine multiple gear teeth in a single set-up. In addition, auxiliary grinding heads for grinding arms can be mounted on the same interfaces to machine internal gear teeth. Both dressable and non-dressable CBN roughing and finishing tools from KAPP NILES can be used. With the optional zero-point clamping system, set-up times for the grinding spindles and additional grinding heads can be reduced to around 85 per cent of the original duration.

VX machines are in use worldwide and have been delivering the highest workpiece quality for decades, even for batch sizes as small as one. Roughly one in two grinding machines that KAPP NILES has sold to companies in the aerospace industry over the past 40 years has been a VX or one of its predecessor models. In addition, machines from the KNG master, ZE and KX series are used in the aerospace sector. For example, by customers who machine workpieces with a head circle diameter of more than 630 millimetres or who also use their machine for gear grinding.

Tools for demanding applications

CBN pro, the new tools from KAPP NILES, are particularly suitable for applications in the aerospace industry. Compared to the surface finishes of Ra < 0.4 μm previously achievable with standard CBN tools, these grinding wheels can achieve surface finishes of Ra < 0.2 μm on the workpiece. In addition, an optimised profile shape with ffa < 1.0 μm can be achieved on the tool. The improved reproducibility of surface finish and profile shape reduces the set-up effort when used on the machine and ensures greater process reliability for the customer.

Customers also benefit from KAPP NILES solutions when measuring gear teeth for the aerospace industry. The KNM 2X, 4X, 6X and 9X gear measuring machines cover various measuring ranges. Thanks to the flexible counter-holder, even very long components such as main and auxiliary unit shafts can be measured with high precision. A special quick-clamping system enables users to securely mount not only standard parts but also special geometries – with short set-up and non-productive times.

Source | KAPP NILES