Capabilities & Benefits of the Doosan MX2100

Machining technology is constantly evolving to meet the needs of increasingly complex industries. From aerospace components to construction equipment and oil and gas excavation, it is more important than ever to have machining service providers who avail themselves of the latest technology to ensure that their customers receive the highest quality solutions available.

At Avon Machining, we are committed to using cutting-edge equipment and techniques to ensure superior service quality, accuracy, and efficiency. In keeping with this philosophy, we are pleased to introduce a state-of-the-art Doosan MX2100 milling and turning center into our manufacturing fleet.

Our Doosan MX2100 Capabilities

The Doosan MX2100 is a high-performance opposing spindle 7-axis ATC milling and turning center featuring a B-axis that houses the milling spindle with +/- 120° of travel. Using the latest Marposs probe technology, the Doosan CNC machine is capable of continuous live measurement of the workpiece throughout the tooling process, ensuring exceptional precision within tight tolerances. Live tool holders with options for a 40 or 80 tool magazine offer full skiving capabilities, while the X1-axis glass scale with right- and left-synchronized spindles provides enhanced control over even the most detailed component designs.

The Doosan MX2100 turning center is extremely versatile, with a 10″ clamping capacity, 20″ diameter, and a bar-through-spindle maximum of 2.625″. The extreme accuracy and versatility of the Doosan milling machine allows for the production of a variety of precision components, including:

• Input Shafts
• Differential Housings
• Turbine, Rotor, and PTO Shafts
• Drive Hubs and Pinions

Benefits of Working with a Manufacturer Using Doosan Machinery

There are various advantages of Doosan brand machines. In the manufacturing industry, Doosan is synonymous with cutting-edge precision technology, and for good reason. Using the latest in smart technology and materials sciences, Doosan creates milling and cutting machines that outperform the competition in accuracy, speed, tool variety, rotational mobility, and live control.

When you choose a manufacturer who uses Doosan milling and cutting machines, you know that you are getting the best quality manufacturing in the industry. Manufacturers who invest in Doosan equipment are committed to staying current with the latest in machining technology, and with Doosan, they can create next-level components and products that exhibit outstanding detail and precision.

Superior Machined Products From Avon Machining

At Avon Machining, we are dedicated to ensuring that our customers receive high quality tooling services with the utmost speed and efficiency. The addition of the Doosan MX2100 to our fleet allows us to further enhance our manufacturing services and offer even more solutions to our customers in precision engineering, aerospace, automotive, and other industries where detail and accuracy are paramount.

For more than 50 years, we have been providing our customers with superior quality machined parts. We are committed to continuous and innovative improvement, to ensure that we can meet our customers’ every need. To learn more about Avon’s quality machining solutions, visit our products Page or request a quote for your next project.

Machining 101: What You Need to Know

As a popular term in manufacturing, machining refers to the conversion of workpieces into finished products. Machining includes multiple types of manufacturing processes and encompasses both manual and automated techniques.

What is Machining?

Machining is a material removal process that manufacturers use to shape a piece of stock material into a completed part, often adding features such as holes or pockets. The stock material may come in the form of tubes, bars, beams, or flat sheets. Manufacturers may also utilize the machining process on a pre-existing part in order to alter its size or shape.

Machining is highly versatile and compatible with virtually all materials. While machinists will most commonly work with metals, it is also possible to machine ceramic, wood, plastic, and more.

What Are the Main Types of Machining Processes?

There are three main types of machining processes: turning, milling, and drilling.

Turning

In this machining operation, the workpiece rotates on a lathe while a stationary cutting tool removes material along the rotational axis. This process can be either manual or automatic. It will make use of various tools for different applications, such as threading and round-corner forming. Machinists may also utilize finishing, roughing, or facing tools.

Milling

As one of the most common machining processes, milling keeps the workpiece stationary and removes material with multi-point rotary cutters. This process almost always utilizes computer numerical control (CNC) machines.

There are two main types of milling. The first, known as face milling, cuts flat surfaces. The second, peripheral milling, cuts features such as threads and gear teeth. Typically, milling is a secondary finishing process rather than a primary shaping one. Machinists will often utilize milling to add finishing touches, such as pockets, to a part that has already been machined.

Drilling

Drilling creates a round hole in a stationary workpiece, often utilizing CNC machinery. Depending on the desired result, machinists will use varying types of drill bits and techniques. Common examples include:

• Spotting Drills.Spotting drills are short drill bits ideal for creating shallow holes.
• Chucking Reamers. Chucking reamers are used to enlarge pre-existing holes with great precision.
• Peck Drilling.Peck drilling is a technique where the machinist will repeatedly retract the drill in order to clear chips and debris away from the workpiece.

What Makes CNC Machining Unique?

CNC machining and conventional machining differ in several key ways. Perhaps most significantly, conventional machining requires a technician to operate each machine, while CNC machining only requires a single technician to oversee multiple machines, drastically increasing efficiency.

When compared to conventional machining, CNC machining has three major benefits:

• Speed
• Accuracy
• Precision

Due to the fact that it is an automated process, CNC machining produces parts quickly and efficiently while significantly reducing the chance of error. Parts that have been machined in this way will generally be more uniform, regardless of complexity. Additionally, CNC machining can cut on multiple axes simultaneously, making for a more rapid process and enabling higher levels of customization.

CNC machining is ideal for large production runs that require high numbers of identical parts. While it may incur more upfront costs, the efficiency and accuracy of this machining process will typically lead to cost savings in larger projects; however, it is less suited to small production runs that do not require such high levels of rapid, uniform work.

Partner With Avon Machining

The machining process is a vital part of the manufacturing industry, allowing for the creation of a vast array of components. At Avon Machining, we are known for producing complex parts, such as gears, transmission parts, and axle shafts, for heavy equipment industries. We work closely with our customers to bring intricate projects to life while maintaining competitive pricing and the highest quality standards.

Dedicated to connecting with repeat customers and achieving 100% customer satisfaction, we continually invest in state-of-the-art CNC equipment and hire the industry’s best machinists. Browse our offerings or contact us today to work with us on your next machining project.

A Guide to Gear Hobbing

What Is Gear Hobbing?

Gear hobbing is a quick and versatile process that is fundamental for gear manufacturing. Gear hobbing machines utilize a rotating cutting tool, or hob, to generate a tooth profile on gears as they are fed through the machine. The precision and accuracy of gear hobbing makes it the ideal method for gear manufacturing.

How Gear Hobbing Works

A gear hobbing machine contains two skew spindles. One of these spindles houses the hob, while the other houses the gear blank. The angle at which these spindles are placed relative to each other depends largely on the type of gear being manufactured.

Once the spindles are placed at the proper angle, the machine is set up to begin rotating the shafts at a speed ratio that suits the gear type. As the shafts rotate, the hob gradually cuts the teeth into the gear with the proper depth. To facilitate faster production, manufacturers can stack multiple blanks on the spindle together, allowing the hob to cut teeth into multiple gears at once.

Just like there are multiple different angles, speeds, and techniques manufacturers can use to customize the process, there is also a wide variety of hobbing machines available for use. Most hobbing machines specialize in distinct applications. Hobbing machines are built to handle gears of a particular size and come in two different varieties: single-threaded and multi-threaded hobs. Multi-threaded machines allow for increased production, but they aren’t as precise as single-threaded machines.

Differences Between Gear Hobbing and Gear Milling

Gear hobbing and gear milling are both processes that can be used for gear manufacturing; however, they utilize different cutting techniques.

Gear Hobbing

Gear hobbing is the process of generating gear teeth with a helical cutting tool, or hob. The gear blank and hob rotate continuously until all gear teeth are cut into the blank. The speed of this process makes it ideal for large production runs.

Gear Milling

The gear milling process uses a cutter, known as a form cutter, that moves axially to produce a gear tooth at the proper length and depth. After one tooth is cut, the cutter is withdrawn to allow the gear blank to rotate to the next position. Once the blank is rotated, the form cutter cuts the next tooth, and this process continues until all teeth are cut into the blank. This process is slower, making it a low production process.

Contact Avon Machining for Gear Hobbing Services

Gear hobbing is a quick and accurate manufacturing method for producing gears. Avon Machining provides high quality, complex manufacturing solutions for a variety of industries with competitive prices, on-time delivery, and an emphasis on customer satisfaction. For more information, or to get started on your gear manufacturing solution, contact us today.

What is an Axle Shaft?

Axle shafts are heavy-duty, load-bearing components used in motorized vehicles. Also called CV axles or half-shafts, these components transfer rotational force from the vehicle’s transmission system to the wheels attached to the axles. Axle shafts must support heavy loads by design, including cargo, riders, and the vehicle’s own mass. While they are built to handle heavy weights, it is possible to overload the component and force it to warp or break from the strain. Similarly, physical impact from collisions, potholes, and rough roads may cause damage.

What Does an Axle Shaft Do?

Drive axles are crucial drivetrain components that connect a vehicle’s transmission to the vehicle’s wheels. Axle shafts are primarily responsible for transferring the transmission’s rotational force and power to make the vehicle move. When the force from the transmission causes the axle shaft to rotate, the wheels connected to it also turn. Every axle shaft has a differential between two half axles and two universal (UV) joints.

Ultimately, axle shafts allow vehicles to roll and facilitate controlled movement of their wheels. Without reliable drive shafts, the wheels of the vehicle wouldn’t move properly or at all.

Types of Axle Shafts

The type of axle shaft varies depending on the requirements of the vehicle type, and each axle shaft handles different types of stress. This factor depends on the length of the axle shaft relative to the position of the vehicle’s hubs and bearings, as well as how the vehicles are designed to attach to the axle shafts. These are three most common axle shaft types:

1. Semi-Floating Axle Shafts

This design has flange faces on both outer ends of the axle shaft. These faces attach directly onto the associated wheels.

2. Fully Floating Axle Shafts

Instead of having flange faces that directly connect the axle shaft to the wheels, this style of axle shaft has hubs between the two components. Each wheel connects to a hub, and that hub rotates on roller bearings attached to a spindle at both ends of the axle shaft. The roller bearings are tapered and face opposing directions, and the hubs and bearings handle the vehicle weight to take strain off the axle bearing. Without the need to support the weight of the vehicle and its cargo, the axle bearing “floats,” instead only having to withstand the transmission system’s torque.

3. Three-Quarter Floating Axle Shafts

These axle shafts feature elements from both semi-floating and fully floating axle shaft designs. Three-quarter floating axle shafts have bearings positioned between the axle casing and hub axle shaft. However, the bearings remain protected from shearing or bending forces.

How to Measure Axle Length

It’s important to accurately measure the axle length to find the right replacement parts or supporting hardware for your vehicle. Nonstandard axle shafts can be difficult to find, and almost every vehicle has unique requirements regarding the size, durability, and weight handling capabilities for its axle shafts.

Determining the axle shaft length for your vehicles allows you to compile a database of their lengths, which is especially useful for fleet managers. This makes it easier to find suppliers for rare axles, axles with custom-width housings, or even standard axles that need regular replacement due to frequent commercial or industrial use.

For a full accounting of your vehicle’s axle shaft measurements, you need to know both the dimensions and the spline count. Also, follow these four steps to measure the hub face:

1. Make the hubs of the vehicle’s trailer axle accessible by removing the tires and wheels.
2. Set one end of your tape measure on the outside edge of the first trailer hub.
3. Extend the tape measure until the other end is against the outside edge of the other trailer hub’s face. Measure outside edge to outside edge, not from the inside edges.
4. Record the length and label the measurement as the hub face measurement.

Drive Shaft vs. Axle Shaft

Drive shafts and axle shafts are both types of vehicle components that transfer power to make a vehicle move. However, a drive shaft is a hollow metal tube with universal end joints that handles the power transfer from the transmission to the rear differential gearbox. The axle shaft then transfers that power onward to the wheels.

Axle shafts are solid rods with teeth cut into both ends. Whereas drive shafts visibly run down the center of the vehicle, the axle shaft is concealed in the perpendicular housing that runs from the rear differential gearbox to each wheel.

Axle Shafts from Avon Machining

At Avon Machining, we specialize in creating high-quality shafts for standard and oversized vehicles. We can produce steel axles up to 80 inches long and with diameters up to 18 inches wide. We offer in-house inspection services from our lab using multiple different quality testing methods to assess the integrity and quality of our products. We have the equipment, knowledge, and expertise to produce high-quality axles you and your staff can rely on.

If you need standard, oversize, or custom axle shafts, Avon Machining is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our capabilities or to place your order.

What is Spline Milling?

What Is a Spline?

Typically made of stainless steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, or aluminum alloy, a spline is a shaft that features a series of equally spaced teeth that can be slotted into a mating piece for the purposes of transmitting torque or serving as a means of anti-rotation. They can be internal or external and comprise a variety of tooth shapes depending on function. Rotary devices such as gears can also be fitted onto the spline to serve a variety of functions. Splines are primarily found in rotating mechanisms such as drive shafts.

What Is Spline Milling?

Spline milling is one of the processes of machining grooves into a chunk of raw material to create the teeth of a spline. The following steps outline the process of spline milling:

• The chunk of raw material that will become the shaft of the spline is fitted into the indexing fixture of the milling equipment.
• Side milling cutters are mounted onto the arbor of the fitting equipment with a spacer and shims inserted between them, depending on the desired width of the spline.
• The arbor is mounted onto the spindle of the milling machine, and the cutters are centered over the raw material that will become the shaft of the spline.
• The splines are cut into the shaft by a process called straddle milling. The indexing fixture holds the shaft of the spline steady while a groove is cut by the rotating milling cutters along its length. Depending on the depth of the spline, multiple passes along the same groove may be needed. Multiple passes also help to guarantee uniformity throughout the spline.

How to Cut Splines on a Shaft?

Spline milling is one of several processes of spline cutting, which is the process of machining teeth into internal or external splines. Spline cutting can be used to create shafts, gears, and other mechanical components that mesh into one another and allow power to be transferred throughout a mechanical system.

There are four main spline cutting techniques:

• Broaching
• Hobbing
• Milling
• Shaping

Spline Cutting with Avon Machining

For more than 40 years, Avon Machining has been industry’s go-to source for all of its metal cutting needs, including spline cutting. Our state-of-the-art hobbing and cutting tools ensure everything we machine meets industry regulations such as NBN-DIN – BS-AGMA or NF.

Whether it’s external splines, internal splines, helix angles on splines, involute flanks, or straight flanks, we can cut it all. We provide the following cutting processes at our Michigan facility:

• Hobbing
• Rack rolling
• Shaper cutting

The splines we cut can be found in a variety of industries, including automotive, agriculture, aerospace, and construction, and in products such as appliances, custom hardware, pneumatics, hydraulics, and liquid control. We are also capable of machining OEM parts.

At Avon Machining, we’re dedicated to providing our clients with quality machining services that serve a variety of applications. Because our materials are sourced exclusively from reputable suppliers, we can guarantee the integrity of all of the parts that we machine. For more information on how we can service your machining needs, contact us today.