Gearbox Housing / Valve Body

When machining aluminum gearbox housings, dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and process stability are the central concerns. Thin-walled structures, interrupted cuts, and varying material cross-sections require tools with high cutting-edge stability and controlled chip formation.

PCD-tipped drilling, reaming, and milling tools are used for series and high-volume production. They enable economical machining of bearing bores, sealing faces, flat faces, and complex contours while maintaining high reproducibility.

Thanks to their high wear resistance, PCD tools provide consistent cutting conditions over a long tool life. Monoblock and cartridge solutions ensure stable tool mounting and high profile accuracy, even with demanding geometries and interrupted cuts.

Product program

• Product types: PCD drills, PCD reamers, PCD cartridge milling cutters, PCD monoblock milling cutters (face, contour, and slot milling)
• Cutting material: PCD (polycrystalline diamond)
• Geometries: standard and customer-specific cutting-edge designs for aluminum alloys (highly positive geometries, polished rake faces)
• Cutting data (typical for aluminum): vc = 800 – 3,000 m/min, fz application-dependent
• Cooling: emulsion or MQL, matched to process and machine

Process and benefits

• Long tool life and stable cutting edges – fewer tool changes and consistent process conditions
• Consistent dimensional and surface quality – reproducible results at tight tolerances and on function-critical surfaces
• Low thermal and mechanical load – minimized risk of distortion, built-up edge, and component damage

Gearbox housing – aluminum alloy: typical machining sequence

1. PCD drill – boring + reaming
2. PCD cartridge milling cutter – face milling, roughing + finishing
3. PCD monoblock milling cutter – face milling, roughing + finishing
4. PCD monoblock milling cutter – contour milling, slot milling