Klingelnberg P 40
Key Specifications
Max Workpiece ⌀
max workpiece module
cutting method
gear types
cutter head diameter
machine axes
Overview
The Klingelnberg P 40 is a CNC bevel gear cutting machine — specifically, a face-milling machine that cuts the raw bevel gear tooth form in soft material before heat treatment. Where Klingelnberg's G series grinds hardened bevel gears to final geometry, the P series cuts the initial tooth form from forged or cast gear blanks, producing the rough gear that will subsequently be carburized, hardened, and ground. The P 40 cuts bevel gears up to 400 mm (15.7 in) reference diameter using Klingelnberg's Cyclo-Palloid face-milling head system.
Klingelnberg's Cyclo-Palloid cutting system uses a circular cutter head with multiple cutting blades arranged to mill a helical tooth form with the characteristic Klingelnberg tooth geometry. The cutter head rotates continuously while the workpiece rotates slowly in a synchronized generating motion, producing the involute-like tooth form that defines Cyclo-Palloid bevel gear geometry. After cutting, the gears are deburred, washed, and sent to heat treatment before returning to Klingelnberg G series machines for final grinding.
The P 40 is the production bevel gear cutting machine for automotive axle gear manufacturers building Klingelnberg-process gear lines. A complete Klingelnberg process line for passenger car axle bevel gears consists of: P 40 (or P 26 for smaller sizes) for soft cutting → carburizing and hardening → G 27 for finish grinding → gear measurement. Klingelnberg provides turnkey process engineering for complete bevel gear manufacturing lines.
At $600,000-$900,000 new, the P 40 is an investment in a complete bevel gear process, typically acquired alongside the corresponding G series grinding machine as part of a production line investment decision.
Full Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Max Workpiece Diameter | 400 mm (15.7 in) |
| Max Workpiece Module | 8 mm |
| Cutting Method | Cyclo-Palloid face-milling (continuous generating) |
| Gear Types | Spiral bevel, hypoid (Cyclo-Palloid geometry) |
| Cutter Head Diameter | Up to 305 mm (12 in) |
| Machine Axes | 6 CNC axes |
| CNC Control | Klingelnberg CNC with KIMoS integration |
| Machine Weight | ~10,000 kg (22,046 lb) |
Specifications sourced from klingelnberg.com — verified 2026-03-28
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- Cyclo-Palloid continuous face-milling produces consistent gear geometry matched to Klingelnberg G series grinding — process consistency throughout the line
- 400mm diameter capacity covers all passenger car and light commercial vehicle axle bevel gear sizes
- KIMoS integration links cutting machine data to grinding machine for process-wide quality control
- Klingelnberg turnkey process engineering provides complete bevel gear line qualification support
- Proven production machine in automotive axle facilities globally — extensive reference installations at Dana, GKN, ZF
Limitations
- $600K-$900K for the cutting machine, plus G series grinding machine investment — complete line requires $1.5M-$2M+ total capital
- Cyclo-Palloid geometry is proprietary to Klingelnberg — supplier lockin if OEM specifies Gleason geometry instead
- Process expertise required — bevel gear cutting process setup requires Klingelnberg application engineering support
- Cutter head maintenance and blade replacement are specialized skills requiring Klingelnberg training
Best For
Frequently Asked Questions
01
Face-milling uses a circular cutter head where each blade cuts a complete tooth slot in a single pass (or a series of indexed passes). Klingelnberg's Cyclo-Palloid is a continuous face-milling process. Face-hobbing uses a cutter head where blades are arranged in groups that simultaneously cut multiple tooth slots as both the cutter and workpiece rotate in a synchronized motion (continuous indexing). Gleason's process uses face-hobbing. The resulting tooth geometry differs slightly between the two processes, which is why the choice of cutter process determines the required grinding machine system.
02
A passenger car rear axle ring gear (approximately 200-250mm diameter, 40-45 teeth, module 4-5) typically cuts in 3-6 minutes on the P 40 in continuous generating mode. The pinion (fewer teeth, smaller diameter) cuts faster. At these cycle times, a single P 40 can produce 80-160 ring gears per shift, which matches the production throughput of automotive axle gear lines at Tier-1 supplier volumes.
03
Yes. Like all precision bevel gear machines, the P 40 requires a vibration-isolated concrete foundation and a temperature-controlled environment (typically maintained at 20°C ±1°C) to achieve consistent gear geometry. Klingelnberg provides foundation design specifications and installation engineering support. The 10,000 kg machine weight and the sensitivity of the cutting process to floor vibration make proper foundation design essential for achieving specified gear quality.
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