My first (and second) attempt at cutting splines.........

[rgray]

I have wondered how case hardening would change the shaft.......I am NOT setup for finish grinding.

I also wondered about that. Maybe induction case hardening????
Maybe start with 41xx series prehard?
Splines like that have a large surface area so they are probably more than fine for what he wants to do with them.

 

[DavidR8]

I’m curious about how the matching splines are made on the input shaft.
Some sort of V-shaped broach?


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[brino]

I’m curious about how the matching splines are made on the input shaft.
Some sort of V-shaped broach?

Maybe rotary broach?
-brino

 

[Lo-Fi]

If its a blind hole they'd most likely be made with a gear shaper. The tool itself is like a gear, but the teeth are cut with relief and has a few less teeth than the internal teeth you want to cut. It's used in a machine that rotates the work and cutter both geared such that tool and work spin at speeds as though they were meshing. The cutter is moved axially too and works like a rotary shaper tool. It's gradually in-fed radially until the full spline depth is formed.

I see it done often, I work for an aerospace gear manufacturer. Through hole splines are usually broached, with the broach pulled through the work

 

[brino]

If its a blind hole they'd most likely be made with a gear shaper..........
Through hole splines are usually broached, with the broach pulled through the work

Thanks @Lo-Fi, I have never seen it done in person.

In this case the motor holes are thru-holes.
The motors are actually built to be "stacked" on a long splined shaft, to parallel them.
The motor female spline is missing one gap in order to completely synchronize the stacked motor controllers.
-brino

 

[rgray]

The cutter is moved axially too and works like a rotary shaper tool

I've seen these cutters on ebay for next to nothing. Always thought I should get one and try it on my 100+ year old shaper.
I look at the pictures of those gear shapers though and get intimidated. They are huge and very rigid looking.
Plus it would take quite a bit of rigging to mount all that up on an old shaper.

 

[Lo-Fi]

I've seen these cutters on ebay for next to nothing. Always thought I should get one and try it on my 100+ year old shaper.
I look at the pictures of those gear shapers though and get intimidated. They are huge and very rigid looking.
Plus it would take quite a bit of rigging to mount all that up on an old shaper.

The tricky bit is rotating the cutter and the work simultaneously. If cutting involute teeth, it's the rotation of the work and cutter that are important for creating the involute profile, same as a hobb for external teeth. It's a fascinating subject.

 

[graham-xrf]

One cannot help but be impressed. It's all just very, very good!
I even smile at "smalling it down" (the abortive video edit attempt), because you put the phrase in quotes.

 

[benmychree]

My confusion regarding the cutter was due to the fact that it was not stated that you were cutting a SERRATED spline, I envisioned a straight sided (parallel) spline that has a flat root, or an INVOLUTE spline.