Gear technology and automation systems

Magazine 2020

A visit to the HMC Gears plant in Indiana kicked off an extensive project which resulted in the creation of a unique solution for exceptional demands: With the LC 4000, Liebherr forges new paths in large-scale gear cutting production and unites diverse machining methods in one highly efficient machine for the American gear specialist.

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In August 2019, trainees Fabian Altenried and Julia Fetzer participated in the Liebherr Summer Program at Liebherr Gear Technology Inc. / Liebherr Automation Systems Co. (LGT / LAU) in Saline, near Detroit. There, they ran the PLC programming course for pupils of the robotics course from the local high school, which was offered for the first time, and got to know the work routine at the Liebherr site. Fabian reports on his experience here:

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Liebherr presents the new series of generating and profile grinding machines for hard machining of external and internal gears on workpieces with diameters of up to 500 millimeters. The LGG series follows the successful Liebherr LCS 300 to 500 series. With an impressive range of added features, they offer more flexibility and grinding performance with a significantly reduced footprint.

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Gear skiving is over 100 years old and has recently been experiencing a renaissance as a flexible and economical alternative to other gear cutting methods. However, this complex process frequently presents great challenges to users. In addition to Skiving3, a “complete package” consisting of machine, tool and technology, Liebherr now also offers skiving tools for suppliers and contract gear manufacturers – and the appropriate consultation, if desired.

Liebherr presents the latest member in the PHS Allround family, the PHS 800 Allround. It has a narrower design than the PHS 1500 Allround, which makes it ideal for automated loading of smaller machine tools while retaining the basic principle of modular design and universal applicability and expandability.

Liebherr presents the new series of generating and profile grinding machines for hard machining of external and internal gears on workpieces with diameters of up to 500 millimeters. The LGG series follows the successful Liebherr LCS 300 to 500 series. With an impressive range of added features, they offer more flexibility and grinding performance with a significantly reduced footprint.

What does the name LHOpenConnect stand for? How can an open data structure help the user? Which software services does Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH offer? Over the past few years, the company has gradually built up an application architecture that focuses not only on the machine, but on the entire process, which means it can support production in many different ways. Thanks to its modular structure, customers can select the tools which best complement their own specific production environment.

Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH presented four machine concepts at EMO 2019. These were characterized above all by their versatility. With technologies such as shaping, worm milling, grinding and skiving, the exhibited products offered a wide range of options for every requirement in gear technology. Here is a review of the trends at the leading trade fair for metal machining.

Anyone who manufactures small batch sizes of complex components wants to perform as many work steps as possible with a single machine. This not only saves time and equipment costs but also increases the quality, provided that the clamping fixture does not have to be changed. Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH offers a comprehensive solution for complete machining by integrating a tool changing system and a chamfering device while using the turning, drilling and gear cutting functions of the latest generation of Siemens controls.

If you need high-quality gear cutting tools at short notice, you can request them online from Liebherr. Many customers already use the practical and uncomplicated online catalog on the Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH website. Haider Arroum, Team Leader for Tool Sales in Ettlingen, explains how it works.

Karl-Heinz Klöble is responsible for putting large gear cutting machines into service in China. We spoke to him about his experiences there and what fascinates and motivates him in his unusual job – and why he’s too busy to retire yet.

When founding the Industrial Services for Gear Technology and Automation Systems department in 2018, Liebherr already began rolling out the topic of services again from a user perspective. By now, customers can choose the service that fits their individual requirements from a total of five different service packages.