Liebherr LGP 2000

The Liebherr LGP 2000 is a gear grinding machine for workpieces up to 2,000 mm (78.7 in) in diameter with 1,200 mm (47.2 in) of axial travel. At that size the work is large wheels and ring gears, and the rest of the table follows from it: workpiece speed is 30 rpm and the grinding head swivels through 120°.

The grinding head is the PGH 450 FX, which Liebherr lists in two forms: Universal, with a single spindle, or High Performance, with twin spindles. Maximum grinding disc width is 160 mm (6.3 in). An internal grinding arm is optional, so internal gears are not covered by the base machine. A buyer with both external and internal gears in the plan should include the arm in the specification from the start.

Automation is where the table draws a line inside the machine's own capacity. The ringloader is listed for parts up to 800 mm (31.5 in) in diameter, well short of the 2,000 mm (78.7 in) the machine can grind, and pallet changers are the other listed form of automation. Decide how the largest parts will reach the table before choosing between them.

Control is Liebherr's LHGearTec, with an LHMobile handheld terminal that has a 10-inch multi-touch screen. On a machine of this size a handheld unit lets the operator stand at the workpiece during setup instead of at the main panel. Liebherr's page states no module limit, spindle power or machine weight for this model, so ask for those figures with the quotation.