Figure 1 originally produced only 2 parts on this drive, but now it's up to 85. The first two parts required a material with a maximum diameter of 100mm (4in) and a minimum of 50mm (2in). However, the new part has seen a 4x increase in production speed after using a special smaller pin. This improvement has significantly boosted efficiency and allowed for more complex designs to be handled with ease.

Figure 2 This shafted part is fixed using Neidlein’s super live top RNW. The hydraulic drive center pin applies a force equivalent to 2500kg (5500 lb) at the bed tail tip, driving the support member at the end face. This setup ensures precise alignment and stability, which is crucial for high-precision machining operations.

Figure 3 (Left) Most Neidlein face drives are designed to handle three times the diameter of the drive pin ring. (Right) The left side of the driver is the D-4 type, while the other is the D-6 type. Tips can be exchanged, allowing for the production of up to 150 different parts by simply changing the center pin. This flexibility makes the system ideal for diverse manufacturing needs.

One of the key advantages of face drive technology is that it allows components to complete full rotation in a single operation. LMCWorkholding highlights that this technology is widely used in automotive transmission components, crankshafts, camshafts, pinions, electric motor shafts, and even axles up to 914mm (36in) in diameter. Its versatility and precision make it a valuable tool across multiple industries.

Recently, a gear manufacturer in Wisconsin faced TIR (Total Indicator Reading) issues and turned to LMCWorkholding’s Neidlein face drive equipment. By using these end-face drive devices, UnitedGear&Assembly was able to meet customer demands for lower cuts and reduce conversion time significantly. In many cases, the time saved was from 2 hours down to just 15 minutes, making the process much more efficient.

United Gear & Assembly specializes in manufacturing gears and related power transmission components, primarily for road and off-road equipment. Their product range includes spur gears, helical gears, bevel gears, spline gears, and internal gears. They serve well-known clients such as Eaton Hydraulics, Allison Transmissions, Caterpillar, John Deere, and MackTruck, and expect to produce 1.5 million gears annually.

The company also produces and processes various shafts and rotating parts, mainly using bar stock. These bars are machined using Neidlein’s face drive equipment and recently acquired Neidlein tips. The typical bar diameters range from 25 to 125 mm (1 to 5 in), with lengths between 200 to 950 mm (8 to 38 in).

According to Keith Mallek, an Application Engineer at UnitedGear & Assembly, the company introduced its first end-face drive device 10 years ago. Since then, they have received numerous orders and have since expanded their use of face drives to meet growing demand. Initially, face drives were used in only a few projects, but today they are applied across a wide range of products. Mr. Mallek explained that this expansion is due to the increasing need for face-driven components. “So far, we haven’t encountered any issues with our face drives,” he said. The company currently uses three Neidlein devices: FSB-1, FSB-01, and FSB-4. Recently, they purchased a fourth custom unit for producing special parts.

“We mainly use 8620 (reference designation 21NiCrMo2) and 4140 (reference designation 40CrMoA) steel,” Mr. Mallek noted. “We also use 4340 (reference designation 34CrNiMo6 or 40CrNiMoA) steel, which is a quenched and tempered material with a hardness of 32–38HRC. We use standard drive pins on the end drive to match these materials.”

Many of the company’s orders are ongoing, with quantities ranging from 100 to 1800 parts. The equipment operates in three shifts and runs six days a week. The frequency of daily conversions varies between two times per day to once every three days, depending on the workload.

For specific customer designs, two chisel pins are used on the LMC Workholding end face driver. This represents a new application for traditional processes, as the chisel pins have a ratio of more than 3:1 compared to the drive pin. Given that the component’s diameter is four times that of the drive shaft, the manufacturer designed a special end drive device. This unique device features a double chiseled pin with double teeth on each side. Each pin has six cutting edges, effectively functioning like six separate pins.

When asked about the performance of the end cutting equipment, Mr. Mallek responded, “It works very well, and the two part models we're producing can also use the equipment.” He added that 10% of the gears and all axis parts require machining with an end driver. The main material size used ranges from 32–63mm (1.25in to 2.50in). “Face driving is another tool we use to meet the growing demand,” Mr. Mallek said. “Now we have three devices that use face drive.” In addition to reducing conversion time, face drive also helps minimize cutting. Mr. Mallek noted that although the company had some challenges with TIR in previous production, those issues are now avoided thanks to the use of face drives, leading to increased production efficiency.

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