An Exlar Roller Screw Actuator, that was used in the refurbishment of an old manually controlled gear shaper, has been performing well for over five years.
The USSR built gear shaper was purchased in 2012 by manufacturing and refurbishment company, Depe who produce gearboxes for a range of applications and industries including mining, steel, rail, quarrying and aeronautical.
A large number of gear cutting, shaping and grinding machines are in operation at DePe’s manufacturing facility in Stoke-on-Trent, however, the Russian Stanko gear shaper was brought in to produce large internal gears for the wind turbine industry.
Gear specialists DePe commissioned machine tool engineering company Euro CNC to carry out the refurbishment work required to get the outdated gear shaper up to speed with modern day control standards. 
The Bromyard based engineers at Euro CNC specialise in upgrading, rebuilding and retrofitting old machines. Working closely with Machine Tool Control specialists NUM, Euro CNC was able to equip the manual gear shaper with a full CNC system alongside new motors, drives and a high performance digital unit for all axes.
An Exlar roller screw actuator, supplied by Olsen Actuation, was used to enable Euro CNC to completely re-design the machine’s outmoded, complex and time-consuming axis arrangement by developing an entirely new form of stroking axis based on Exlar’s fully programmable linear, roller screw actuator.
The advanced technology by Exlar allowed the end position, length and speed of the stroke to be dynamically changed under software control in a way that had never been done before and was intended to increase the gear shaper’s accuracy, output capabilities and overall lifespan.
Managing Director and Experienced Engineer, Piers Olsen (Olsen Actuation) said:
“The Exlar precision ground roller screw supplied to Euro CNC is rated at 55kN and can deliver speeds up to 254mm/s, the accuracy is 3 micron metres which offers excellent repeatable performance for metal cutting.
The GSX60 was supplied with an oil recirculating system such that it never needs maintenance or re-greasing. The Mean Time between failure for GSX range is 23 years”
In addition to the innovative stroking axis, Euro CNC chose to include an NUM CNC system to control its five rotary and linear axis, all of which were networked to an industrial PC and large touch-sensitive screen.
In a 2012 article published by NUM, Depe’s Technical Director Nigel Parker said:
“We are using the gear shaper for a variety of internally cut gears including spur gears for wind turbine generator gearboxes – we are definitely seeing a reduction in setup and operating times. – The most significant benefit comes from the sheer-versatility of this all- digital approach, which enables us to switch freely from manufacturing one type of gear to another under software control”.
When asked how the machine is currently performing in 2017, Nigel reports some impressive results:
“The gear shaping machine supplied by Euro CNC and Olsen has been running well for the last five years. The Exlar Actuator driven cutting head runs continuously for 16 hours a day requiring no maintenance at all and has proved to be consistent and reliable.”
About us
Olsen Actuation are experts in the design and fitment of electro-mechanical systems and are the UK’s exclusive suppliers of Exlar Roller-Screw Actuators. Our in depth 
product knowledge and years of engineering experience mean that we are able to provide support at every level, from the design and planning of a project, right through to installation, testing and continued support.
At Olsen, we understand that every client’s requirement is different, which is why we offer a fully bespoke project management package that is tailored to each client’s individual needs. To find out more about us, our clients or any of the products and services that we have on offer, please contact us here
