A gear shift in machining

The gear is a high-performance part, one that typically requires micron accuracy and high-quality surface finish. For decades, manufacturers have relied on bespoke, highly specialised machines for gear cutting. However, these machines have limitations, often accompanied by a lack of operator knowledge in gear design and manufacture. Gear cutting processes also require specialist tooling, adding to time and cost requirements. Innovation in gear design has long been limited by these constraints.

For Dontyne Gears, a combination of pioneering in-house-developed software and an Okuma GENOS M460V-5AX machining centre supplied by NCMT has transformed what’s possible. Through this partnership, Dontyne Gears has not only proven the viability of manufacturing complex gear geometries on a standard five-axis platform; it’s reset how gear production can be efficient, flexible and precise to the highest industry standards.

Proving the impossible

The objective for Dontyne Gears was clear: to create intelligent software that could generate the code and cutting strategy directly from the gear design software. The overall aim was to manufacture precision gears on a standard, multi-purpose machining centre using readily available tooling. However, turning that vision into reality would need a platform capable of extraordinary accuracy and adaptability.

That platform was the Okuma GENOS M460V-5AX, a compact, rigid and thermally stable five-axis vertical machining centre, the versatility of which has underpinned Dontyne’s journey from theory to proven process.

For Dr Michael Fish, Director of Dontyne Systems, the investment in the GENOS M460V-5AX marked a decisive shift in how the company could demonstrate and refine its technology. Sure enough, the project was not without its challenges, but through vigorous testing and reprogramming of the software by Dontyne, the machine was able to aid in the development of a software module that enables gear projects the company would not otherwise be able to pursue.

“The in-house presence of the Okuma machine allowed us to prove our software on real parts,” he states. “We can now take a gear pair design that’s been checked for correct contact and simulate its machining cycle with the selected tool and machine. Once confirmed, the software can generate the code in seconds, even for complex tooth forms. It will export a file to cut the gear and measure everything within our own cell.

“We had a Renishaw SPRINT high-speed contact scanning system fitted to the GENOS for measuring cylindrical gears. That capability has been transformative. It’s allowed us to show customers what’s achievable and, after much testing, we’re often able to produce ISO 4-5 results at the first attempt.”

Dontyne’s software can generate complex tooth geometries that improve performance and durability, including subtle surface micro-geometry measured in just a few microns. Working in conjunction with the machine’s integrated probing and measurement systems, the team can verify precision directly on the machine. This closed-loop process drastically reduces set-up time and eliminates the need for costly specialist tooling.

Intuitive platform

Kieran Brothwood, Applications Engineer at Dontyne Gears, has been instrumental in proving the process on the Okuma platform. Kieran represents a new generation of engineers comfortable in blending software, data and manufacturing.

“Dontyne sponsored my studies to gain a BEng in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering,” he reveals. “I’ve had previous experience of operating manual machining equipment, although this was a step up into CNC five-axis machining.”

“With some initial guidance, it became relatively easy. The control and set up were intuitive and, once I understood how the software drives the process, it became second nature. The results speak for themselves: the gears come off the machine ready to run.”

This integration between digital design and real-world manufacturing is key to Dontyne’s ethos of embracing Industry 4.0 principles. The company’s Gear Production Suite (GPS) allows the design of a virtual twin for a single gear or, preferably, a gear pair. The software then automatically generates G code of the exact tooth form and issues the same form by digital file to a range of inspection machines.

Setting a new standard

Dontyne’s software has demonstrated the ability to cut a wide range of gear types on a five-axis machining platform, including spiral bevels, hypoids, helicals, internal gears and non-regulation special-profile forms. Traditionally, each of these forms would require a different dedicated machine, often costing millions and capable of only a single tooth cutting process.

By facilitating the machining of these geometries on one flexible machine, with one unified software environment, Dontyne has challenged long-standing assumptions in the gear industry. What once took months can now be done in days. Furthermore, tooling for traditional production can be expensive, costing thousands and adding weeks to lead times for each design – and these will be useless in the event of design changes. In contrast, the GENOS system can use readily available, low-cost end mills.

“We’ve shown that with the right software and the right machine, you can produce these parts with incredible precision,” remarks Michael. “It’s not just a technical achievement; it’s a business one. Manufacturers now have a viable, flexible alternative to traditional production that will significantly reduce gear production cost and time.”

Industry recognition

Alongside a growing number of manufacturers standing up and taking note of these technological advancements in gear production, the British Gear Association (BGA) has played a crucial role in accelerating awareness by funding a study of Dontyne’s method.

“By challenging claims, validating results and supporting further adaptations, the BGA is helping us establish further credibility around this approach to gear manufacture by peer review of projects relating to five-axis CNC production,” points out Michael. “Their backing not only enabled technical progress; it’s also given industry recognition that our methods address long-standing limitations in conventional gear-making practice.”

By combining the company’s unique software with Okuma’s five-axis technology and NCMT’s support, Dontyne Gears is both advancing its own capabilities and opening new doors for the entire industry. It’s proof that the right partnership can turn vision into reality, and that with the Okuma GENOS M460V-5AX, even the most complex engineering challenges can be met head-on.