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W“We can now serve even very demanding customers much better than before the 2008/2009 economic crisis,” explains Ferenc Szabό, President of Szabό Gear Manufacturing Ltd. in Kaposvár, Hungary. The 40-person, family-run company used the recent global economic crisis as a stimulus to increase its competitive edge by making a massive investment in the latest gear production technology. Every step, from materials procurement to manufacturing, heat treatment, machining and coating is now available from this single source. The company is more flexible too, producing all types of gears ranging in size from 15mm to 1600 mm, and meeting the most stringent requirements of Quality Level 2 to DIN 3961. “The economic crisis clearly showed us how important it is to avoid concentrating on just a few customers and to service as many customers and sectors as possible,” says Dipl.-Ing. MBA Krisztian Ferenc Szabό, Deputy President of the company. Investment therefore focused on flexibility, productivity, quality, efficiency and reliable delivery. The most important individual investments from a strategic point of view were in systems supplied by Gleason Pfauter, a company Szabό has had many years of positive experience with.

Szabó Gear Manufacturing:Never Stop Investing!

This Hungarian manufacturer of gears for everything from pumps to tractors to wind turbines responded to the economic collapse of 2008/2009 by investing in modern production equipment to significantly expand its product range, achieve the highest quality standards and improve response to one-off orders and small lots.

Ferenc Szabó: “In 2008 we decided that, despite the poor economic situation, we would invest massively in the latest machine technology.”

Krisztian Ferenc Szabó: “For us, Gleason is a strategic partner for continued growth in the markets of the future.”

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GLOBAL SOLUTIONS Investing in precision “Our new Gleason-Pfauter P 600/800 G Profile Grinding Machine meets the most stringent precision requirements, up to and including DIN Quality Level 2,” says K.F. Szabό. The machine is suitable for making most profiles and forms of spline shafts and gear wheels. It was carefully designed to guarantee maximum machining quality, with an oil temperature-control system to help maintain the temperature of the working area and the workpiece within narrow limits. This is the prerequisite for both top quality and stability. Another particular feature of the machine is the integrated measuring probe which can be used to check the machining result while the workpiece is still clamped. This also allows any fine corrections to be made in a single setup, doing away with the position deviations which are otherwise inevitable when re-clamping is required. The result is not only extraordinary precision in machining, but also a noticeable time-saving, because there is no need for re-clamping and an external measuring step. Another feature of the machine is its great flexibility in the production of small numbers of gears with special tooth flank geometries. This is made possible by a profiled single-wheel tool which in turn can be accurately dressed to suit the desired profile using a diamond-coated dressing tool. Instead of having to inventory a large number of expensive special tools, much less expensive universal wheels can instead be utilized to produce the desired profile. Faster,moreflexibleproductionoflargergears“The new Gleason-Pfauter P 1200/1600 Hobbing Machine also enables us to machine very large workpieces with a high degree of precision,” Ferenc Szabό is pleased to note. The

system is designed for workpieces up to 1600 mm, achieves DIN Quality Level 6 and delivers high stiffness, damping and a high level of productivity. A particular advantage from Szabό’s point of view is the exceptional machining length of up to 1300 mm. This allows even very long workpieces to be machined continuously in one setup. This is important in a number of applications, including external spline shafts for wind power plants which have splines at both ends. On Szabó’s previous machines, these could only be machined in two passes with an intermediate re-clamping step. Precision suffered as a result, especially in regard of the alignment of the two spline gears. The new machine now eliminates this bottleneck.

The grinding wheel of the P 600 G can be accurately dressed to the desired profile with the aid of a diamond dressing roll (top). The integrated measuring probe can be seen front left.

The new Gleason-Pfauter P 600/800 G Profile Grinding Machine meets the most stringent precision requirements, up to DIN Quality Level 2.

Gleason-Pfauter P 1200/1600 Hobbing Machine's generous large axial slide travel allows even very long workpieces to be machined continuously in a single setup.

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Another advantage of the machine is its great versatility in combination with a significant level of retooling flexibility. Workpiece, tool and programming can be changed much more quickly than on older designs of the machine. Together, these features allow Szabό to cut costs and react more quickly to special requirements. Qualityisassured“Stringent quality requirements can only be met if quality control is also of the highest possible standard,” says K. F. Szabό. For this investment, the company also decided on a Gleason product: the 650GMM Gear Measuring Machine. This system is designed for maximum precision – its measuring accuracy corresponds to VDI/VDE 2612/2613 Group 1 – and is located in a separate room maintained at a constant temperature. It can take workpieces with diameters up to 650 mm and a weight of 550 kg. Even initial alignment is program-controlled with the aid of the scanning head. The measuring machine, which is equipped with an exchange system for Renishaw 3D scanning heads and four-axis measurement, can measure spur gears, unknown cylindrical gears, straight bevel gears or serrations, among other things. Measuring processes and analyses are fully automatic and the results are archived, as well as being used to transfer correction functions for subsequent jobs to the control units of the production facilities. The fact that Gleason machines were consistently chosen for this investment program was the result of a partnership

which has grown over many years. Gleason does not simply provide its customers with machines – it applies its “Total Gear Solutions” motto to everything associated with a successful solution to customer requirements, including tools, consulting and expertise. “This is why Gleason is our strategic partner for continued growth in the markets of the future,” summarizes K. F. Szabό.

“The best guarantee of our performance is our highly-qualified and motivated staff,” says Dipl.-Ing. MBA Krisztian Ferenc Szabó, Deputy President of the company. Founded by his father in the mid-1970s, the company has gradually expanded to a workforce of 40, with the skills and equipment to manufacture all types of straight, helical or herringbone gears, internal gears, worm gears and bevel gears, spline shafts or racks. All the equipment required for hobbing, shaping, shaving, grinding and honing, and all additional machining, is on-site, including facilities for quality testing. In addition, continuous investment is made in training and further qualification, as evidenced by an ISO 9001/2000 quality management system.

Quality People, Turnkey Resources

The measuring machine has an automatic exchange system for Renishaw 3D scanning heads, thus automating the measurement of spur gears, straight bevel gears or serrations and tooling.

The 650 GMM Gear Measuring Machine achieves a measuring accuracy corresponding to VDI/VDE 2612/2613 Group 1.