Liebherr LGT 500 CNC Gear Hobbing Machine

$700,000 – $1,100,000 Updated 2026-03-17

Key Specifications

Spindle Power

32 kW (hob spindle)

Max Workpiece ⌀

500 mm (19.69 in)

Repeatability

±0.003 mm

max module

12 mm

max face width

400 mm (15.75 in)

hob diameter range

Up to 200 mm

Overview

The Liebherr LGT 500 is a large-capacity CNC gear hobbing machine from Liebherr's Machine Tools division in Kempten, Germany, capable of hobbing external spur and helical gears up to 500 mm diameter and module 12. It targets industrial gearbox manufacturers, heavy vehicle drivetrain suppliers, and energy sector gear producers who need to hob large gears with high precision and process reliability across extended production runs. As part of Liebherr's LGT series — the T denoting the tilting hob head — the LGT 500 supports diagonal hobbing strategies that extend hob life and enable helix angle flexibility without mechanical adjustments.

The LGT 500 features a heavily ribbed cast-iron machine bed and column structure engineered to minimize thermal drift and structural deformation during long production cycles. The workpiece table is directly driven by a torque motor, eliminating mechanical backlash in the rotary axis and enabling high-accuracy synchronization with the electronically geared hob spindle. This electronic gearbox architecture — Liebherr calls it the LFFS (Liebherr Full Flex Synchronization) system — allows any gear ratio to be set in the CNC program, supporting rapid changeover between different gear types without physical gear changes.

Liebherr equips the LGT 500 with its proprietary SysMon machine condition monitoring software, which tracks spindle loads, vibration signatures, and thermal compensation values in real time. Abnormal conditions trigger alarms before tool damage or part rejection occurs, supporting the high-reliability production demands of wind turbine gear manufacturers and large industrial gearbox OEMs. The machine supports both conventional and climb hobbing, wet and dry configurations, and multi-start hob strategies for reducing cycle time on lower-module gears.

New Liebherr LGT 500 machines typically quote in the $700,000 to $1,100,000 range depending on configuration, automation integration, and tooling setup. Direct competitors include the Pfauter P 500, Gleason Genesis 400/500H, and Mitsubishi GE20B. Liebherr's strong European installed base and active service network across North America, Asia, and Europe make it a reliable long-term platform choice for capital-intensive gear production operations.

Full Specifications

Parameter	Value
Max Workpiece Diameter	500 mm (19.69 in)
Max Module	12 mm
Max Face Width	400 mm (15.75 in)
Hob Diameter Range	Up to 200 mm
Spindle Motor Power	32 kW (hob spindle)
Workpiece Table Drive	Direct-drive torque motor (backlash-free)
Synchronization	Liebherr LFFS electronic gearbox
Tilting Hob Head	Yes — diagonal hobbing supported
Helix Angle Range	±60°
Hobbing Mode	Wet or dry; conventional or climb
Condition Monitoring	Liebherr SysMon real-time monitoring
Control System	Siemens SINUMERIK 840D sl
Repeatability	±0.003 mm
Machine Weight	~14,500 kg

Specifications sourced from liebherr.com — verified 2026-03-28

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

Direct-drive torque motor on the workpiece table eliminates mechanical backlash, delivering superior angular accuracy for large-module gears where tooth spacing errors are magnified
Tilting hob head with LFFS electronic gearbox enables diagonal hobbing and any helix angle without physical mechanical changes, dramatically reducing changeover time
Liebherr SysMon condition monitoring detects spindle load anomalies, vibration trends, and thermal drift in real time, preventing tool damage and unplanned downtime in long-run production
Siemens SINUMERIK 840D sl control provides a widely known platform that maintenance and programming personnel are likely already trained on, reducing transition costs

Limitations

The LGT 500 is a dedicated hobbing machine — gear grinding, shaping, or shaving operations require separate machines, increasing the capital footprint for shops that need full hard-finishing capability
At $700,000–$1,100,000, the investment threshold requires substantial gear production volume or high-value contract work to deliver acceptable payback periods
Direct-drive torque motors and full electronic synchronization systems require specialized service expertise; remote Liebherr service support may be slower than local alternatives in some regions

Best For

Wind turbine gear manufacturers hobbing ring and planet gears in the 300–500 mm range that demand high precision and process reliability over multi-shift production campaigns Heavy-duty truck and off-highway vehicle drivetrain suppliers producing large axle and transmission gears where throughput and hob life are critical cost drivers Industrial gearbox OEMs in the mining, marine, and power generation sectors who require large-module gear hobbing with flexible helix angle capability on a proven European platform

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What is diagonal hobbing and why does the LGT 500's tilting hob head enable it?

Diagonal hobbing simultaneously advances the hob axially along the workpiece while shifting it radially along the hob axis, distributing cutting loads across a wider section of the hob flutes. This extends hob life significantly compared to conventional axial-only hobbing, where the same hob teeth do all the cutting. The LGT 500's tilting hob head — which rotates the hob spindle axis relative to the machine axis — enables the correct geometric relationship for diagonal hobbing on helical gears without requiring physical machine modifications.

02 How does the Liebherr LFFS electronic gearbox work?

LFFS (Liebherr Full Flex Synchronization) replaces the mechanical change gear train with a fully electronic synchronization system. The hob spindle and workpiece table rotary axis are driven by separate servo motors, and the CNC controller maintains the mathematically exact speed ratio required to cut the target gear teeth count. Any number of teeth and any helix angle can be programmed numerically. Changeover between part numbers requires only a program call, reducing setup time from 30–60 minutes for mechanical change gears to under 5 minutes for program-based changeover.

03 Can the LGT 500 hob gears dry without coolant?

Yes. The LGT 500 supports dry hobbing with coated carbide hobs, a practice increasingly common for steel gears where coolant disposal costs and fire risk from mist generation are concerns. Dry hobbing requires carbide hobs with TiAlN or AlCrN coatings, optimized chip clearance, and effective chip evacuation. Liebherr's chip conveyor and enclosure systems are designed to handle the dry cutting chip volume produced at the LGT 500's cutting parameters for gears up to module 12.