CNC Processes
Gear Hobbing
- Instant Pricing & DFM
- Parts as Fast as 12 days
- Tight Tolerances
Your IP is safe with us. Learn more.
With instant quotes and rapid production, you can reduce cycle times by as much as 50%.
Tap into a highly vetted and managed network of the best machine shops world-wide.
Choose between fast and cost-effective options to find the best price.
USA: ANSI /AGMA
Japan: JIS
Germany: DIN
China: GB
UK: BS
France:FN
Int’l: ISO
| Hobbing | Wire EDM | Sinker EDM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tolerance level | ISO grade 6 to 12 | ISO grade 7 to 12 | ISO grade 8 to 12 |
| Part size |
Min: 1.0x1.0x0.3mm Max :500x500x800mm |
Min: 3.0x3.0x0.3mm Max: 300x300x200mm |
Min: 3.0x3.0x0.3mm Max: 200x200x150mm |
| Top use cases | External gears | External gears, shafts with gears, helical gears | Internal gears and features which are not through hole, internal features requiring minimal fillets such as a hexagonal shaped cutouts in a part |
| Materials | All available materials | All available metal materials | All available metal materials |
| Minimum fillet radius | n/a |
0.05mm standard 0.01mm premium precision |
0.05mm standard 0.01mm premium precision |
| Lead time | As fast as 12 days | As fast as 7 days | As fast as 7 days |
Part Specifications
Tolerances as low as +/- 0.01mm
Secondary Processes
Heat Treating, Assembly
Lead Time
6 Weeks
Production Quantity
650 Gears
“We’ve had major challenges with quality and delays for gears… Being able to use Fictiv for gears is very exciting for us because we know that they’re going to hit their lead times and we’re going to be in constant communication to see where our parts are in the supply chain.”
Andrew Willig, Mechanical Engineer at HEBI Robotics
Hobbing is a machining process for cutting gear features on both metal and non-metal parts. The gear teeth (or splines) are progressively cut into a cylindrical piece of material by a series of cuts made by a cutting tool called a hob. Hobbing allows you to achieve various gear shapes and sizes such as spur gears, worm gears and bevel gears. Although gear hobbing can be used for prototyping small quantities, this process is best suited for higher volume production.
Our manufacturing partners have various hobbing tools in stock which allow for quick turnaround times. If a custom gear profile is desired that is not part of our standard hobbing tool library, customers can order custom hobbing tools to be built. If you want to create internal gear features, we offer Electrical Discharge Machining (wire and sinker), as internal gear features cannot be achieved with hobbing.
What kinds of gears can Fictiv make with gear hobbing?
Gear hobbing can be used to make external gears. There are multiple types of external gears, but gear hobbing can be used to make spur and worm gears.
What materials can Fictiv cut with gear hobbing?
Any material, including plastic, can be used to make gears with the gear hobbing process.
What size gears can Fictiv make using gear hobbing?
The maximum size for gear hobbing is 200 x 200mm (7.8 x 7.8in) with a 300mm (11.8in) thickness.
What is the difference between gear shaping and gear hobbing?
Gear hobbing is a widely used cutting process with great versatility, often used for creating gears and spurs. Hobs involve a cutter that rotates in sync with the workpiece that is being "hobbed."
Gear shaping is a cutting method that uses reciprocating action of the cutter to create the gear teeth in the blank . Shapers may cut one tooth at a time, whereas others make multiple passes to cut teeth with a rotating cutter.
Only shapers have the ability to cut internal gear teeth, whereas hobs can cut external spur and worm gears.
What is indexing in gear cutting?
Indexing in gear cutting is a method where the periphery of a cylindrical workpiece is divided into an equal number of parts with the assistance of an index crank and plate.
There are 4 indexing methods for cutting a gear.
How are internal gears made?
When manufacturing an internal gear the usual gear hobbing used in spur gear production cannot be used because of its shape. It is generally made using gear shaping that is equipped with a pinion cutter.
