DMG MORI is expanding opportunities for small and medium-sized CNC companies with a range of software and technology cycles designed to integrate gear machining into existing production operations. The company’s gearMILL software, together with gearBROACHING, gearSHAPING, gearHOBBING and gearSKIVING technology cycles, enables selected gear-cutting operations on suitably equipped machining centres, turn-mill centres and 5-axis machines.
The dialog-guided solutions simplify programming and execution of gear-cutting processes, enabling manufacturers to undertake cost-effective gear production without investing in dedicated gear-cutting machines. This can allow job shops and medium-sized contract manufacturers to take on gear-cutting orders that might otherwise be outsourced to specialist suppliers. By bringing these operations in-house, manufacturers can reduce coordination requirements, shorten lead times, control costs and improve delivery performance.
DMG MORI gearMILL is software rather than a conventional technology cycle and is designed for producing complex gear geometries, including customised profile and flank modifications. It supports adjustments to load patterns and customer-specific requirements, while an integrated CAM module enables efficient programming with standard tools. The solution can achieve gear quality of ≥5 according to DIN/ISO, making it suitable for prototypes, replacement parts and small production runs across a range of industries.
For recurring gear-cutting requirements, manufacturers can adopt process-specific technology cycles. DMG MORI’s gearSKIVING 2.0 is designed to deliver speeds of up to eight times conventional hobbing and supports internal and external gears up to module 11, with a quality grade of ≥7. On NTX and CTX TC turn-mill centres, the process can also be used for helical gears with tooth offset. gearHOBBING supports the production of spur and helical spur gears, while gearBROACHING enables position-oriented broaching of internal and external gear teeth up to module 4. gearSHAPING supports the production of internal and external gear teeth using gear shaping. All the technology cycles can be retrofitted as software solutions on both new and existing machines, allowing manufacturers to expand capabilities without major equipment investment.
DMG MORI is also integrating optical gear-tooth measurement directly into the machining process. Its laser scanner captures 70,000 scan points per second, with more than 80% of measurement points within ±2 µm. By combining machining and measurement in a single clamping operation, the conventional process can be reduced from ten steps to six, while total process time can be cut by more than 50%. Immediate feedback of correction values can further support process quality.
Turning, milling, gear cutting and measurement can also be combined on DMG MORI turn-mill centres, with CTX TC and NTX series machines supporting complete six-side machining without manual re-clamping. This creates conditions for standard automation solutions such as Robo2Go, helping manufacturers reduce handling, internal transport and production delays. DMG MORI’s modular approach enables businesses to begin with gearMILL for prototypes and small production runs before adding dedicated cycles, automation and digitisation solutions as gear machining volumes increase.
