Ultrasonic lapping on spiral bevels and hypoid gears

A method of ultrasonic lapping of spiral bevels and hypoid gears is intro- duced,based on the theory of ultrasonics and acoustic cavitation.In contact area,the principle of RUM (rotary ultrasonic machining) is available.In non-contact area,acous- tic cavitation plays the main role in the process of material removal.Experiments show that the material removal rate of the ultrasonic lapping is three times higher than that of the conventional lapping with roughness Ra0.2μm,section height c 1.2μm.SEM photos of gear tooth after ultrasonic lapping display a better tooth surface quality.