Study on Ultrasonic Vibration Lapping of Gear

For the purpose of obtaining rapid finishing of gear teeth, the authors carried out the ultrasonic vibration gear lapping.The lapping was performed by running a lap gear of cast iron and steel supplied the ultrasonic vibration in meshing with a work gear. As the work gear, hobbed gear and surface quenched gear were used.After the ultrasonic vibration lapping, accuracy of gear (pitch error, profile error, lead error and runout), surface roughness of gear tooth and noise in running were measured, then these results were compared with these in the case of ordinary lapping.The results thus obtained are as follows.(1) The tooth surface finished by ultrasonic vibration lapping was very smooth in comparison with the case of non vibration lapping under the identical lapping conditions.(2) Although the profile error of gear slightly decreased by ultrasonic lapping, but the large difference was not recognized. Moreover, the pitch error and the runout could not be improved by lapping.(3) The noise in running remarkably decreased when meshed the gear finished by ultrasonic vibration lapping.