Chicago-based gear shop sees an airy future in the wind industry. Recently purchased machines let engineers design, cut, inspect, and analyze gears.

The CMM performs high-speed scanning, even on the shop floor.

Gear Technology, a gear manufacturer and services provider, recently purchased a Fellows CNC Gear Shaper hoping to “break into green energy.” Director of Operations Tom Cruse says the machine will cut gears with diameters of up to 20 in., as well as create full gearbox designs and assemblies.

The CNC system has computer-controlled stroke drive.

The company also purchased a Zeiss Prismo Navigator Coordinate Measuring Machine. The machine has Gear Pro Software for accurate contact, optical measuring, and analysis. The CMM adjusts to each task and quickly determines size, form, and position in a single run. The system can handle a large range of gear configurations including: spiral bevel gears, Gleason bevel straights, internal and external spur gears, worm gears, helical gears, and internal and external splines with diameters up to 25.5 in. The navigator also has a Zeiss Vast Gold Probe Head, Calypso Measuring Software, and scanning capabilities, all integrated with a rotary table.

Gear Technology gear-tech.com