Method of superfinishing a hollow wheel gear

摘要

A method of superfinishing a large hollow wheel gear 1 in a vibratory bowl 10 having a centre hub 12 comprises at least partially filling the vibratory bowl with an amount of finishing media 11, laying the gear horizontally into the bowl over the centre hub, supplying a quantity of an active chemistry into the bowl and agitating the vibratory bowl at a frequency such that the gear settles into and is fully supported by the media. By controlling the process parameters, the hollow wheel gear may be caused to rotate in the media and can be made to float at a desired level. The method is particularly suitable for hollow wheel gears for large wind turbines.