Liebherr LKe 1200

$1,200,000 - $2,000,000 Updated 2026-03-17

Key Specifications

Max Workpiece ⌀

1,200 mm (47.2 in)

process

CNC gear skiving (generating)

gear types

Internal and external cylindrical gears, spur and helical

max module

Approx. 8–10 mm (process dependent)

workpiece spindle

Direct-drive, vertical orientation

skiving angle

CNC-controlled skiving head

Overview

The Liebherr LKe 1200 is a large-capacity CNC gear skiving machine for internal and external cylindrical gears up to 1,200 mm (47.2 in) in diameter. Gear skiving is a high-speed generating process that combines the motion principles of hobbing and profile grinding into a single high-productivity operation, particularly suited for internal gears that are difficult to cut efficiently with other processes. The LKe 1200 brings skiving capability to large-diameter industrial gears in a machine platform designed for the workpiece sizes encountered in wind turbines, large industrial gearboxes, and heavy drive systems.

Gear skiving on the LKe 1200 uses a rotating skiving tool — similar in principle to a hob but ground with relief angles for free-cutting action — that crosses the workpiece spindle axis at a defined skiving angle. The combination of workpiece rotation, tool rotation, and axial feed generates the involute gear form through a continuous generating motion at cutting speeds substantially higher than gear shaping. For internal gears in particular, skiving is 4–8 times faster than gear shaping and does not require the reciprocating motion and tool approach/retraction that limits shaping speeds.

At 1,200 mm workpiece diameter, the LKe 1200 handles internal ring gears, large sun gears, and external cylindrical gears for wind turbine planetary stages, large industrial planetary gearboxes, and heavy-duty vehicle transmission components where inside diameter constraints eliminate hobbing as a practical option. The vertical workpiece spindle allows crane loading of large ring gear and housing workpieces without specialized tipping fixtures, consistent with Liebherr's approach across its large gear machine line.

Liebherr equips the LKe 1200 with a CNC skiving head that provides accurate control of the skiving angle and tool position, which are critical parameters for achieving correct involute form and tooth thickness in the skiving process. The Sinumerik 840D sl control runs Liebherr's LHGearSkive software, which handles the complex synchronized motion calculations required for gear skiving and provides operators with gear-specific input parameters rather than requiring manual synchronization calculations.

New LKe 1200 machines are typically priced in the $1,200,000–$2,000,000 range depending on configuration and tooling. The LKe 1200 competes with large-capacity gear shapers for internal gear applications, offering substantially higher productivity for production quantities where the cycle time advantage of skiving over shaping justifies the investment in skiving tooling and the LKe platform.

Full Specifications

Parameter	Value
Max Workpiece Diameter	1,200 mm (47.2 in)
Process	CNC gear skiving (generating)
Gear Types	Internal and external cylindrical gears, spur and helical
Max Module	Approx. 8–10 mm (process dependent)
Workpiece Spindle	Direct-drive, vertical orientation
Skiving Angle	CNC-controlled skiving head
CNC Control	Siemens Sinumerik 840D sl with LHGearSkive
Max Workpiece Weight	Approx. 5,000 kg
Machine Dimensions	Available on request
Machine Weight	Approx. 20,000 kg

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

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

Gear skiving is 4–8x faster than gear shaping for internal gears, making the LKe 1200 transformative for production throughput on ring gears and internal splines
1,200 mm workpiece diameter capacity covers large wind turbine planetary ring gears and industrial planetary gearbox internals in a single setup
Processes both internal and external gears with the same machine platform, reducing capital investment versus separate hobbing and shaping machines
LHGearSkive software on Sinumerik 840D sl manages complex skiving synchronization automatically, reducing setup complexity for operators
Vertical spindle with crane loading capability simplifies handling of large, heavy ring gear and housing workpieces

Limitations

Skiving tooling (solid carbide or PM-HSS skiving cutters) is more expensive than hobbing hobs and requires more frequent replacement, particularly on hardened materials
Gear skiving is highly sensitive to machine rigidity and thermal stability; any compliance in the tooling system degrades tooth form accuracy
Maximum module capability is lower than hobbing at the same machine size, limiting the LKe 1200 to medium-module applications and excluding the coarsest-pitch large gears

Best For

Wind turbine planetary gearbox manufacturers requiring fast, accurate internal ring gear production at 500–1,200 mm diameter Large industrial planetary gearbox builders producing internal gears in volume where shaping cycle times are a production bottleneck Construction and mining equipment manufacturers producing large internal gear rings for final drives and slewing rings Shops transitioning from gear shaping to skiving for internal gear production to achieve productivity gains without sacrificing quality

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What is the difference between gear skiving and gear shaping?

Gear shaping uses a reciprocating rack or pinion-form cutter that removes material on the cutting stroke and retracts on the return stroke — an inherently intermittent process. Gear skiving uses a rotating cutter crossing the workpiece axis at a skiving angle, generating the gear form through continuous rotary motion at much higher cutting speeds. Skiving eliminates the return stroke and allows 4–8x faster cycle times for internal gears.

02 Can the LKe 1200 cut hardened gears?

Gear skiving is primarily a soft-cutting process for pre-hardened gear blanks. Cutting hardened gears (60+ HRC) with carbide skiving tools is technically possible in some applications but is not the primary use case. For post-hardening finishing of large internal gears, internal gear grinding or honing are the appropriate processes.

03 What workpiece materials are suitable for gear skiving on the LKe 1200?

Gear skiving works well on case-hardening steels (16MnCr5, 18CrNiMo7-6), through-hardening steels, stainless steels, and some aluminum alloys in the soft or pre-hardened condition. Material hardness above approximately 40 HRC significantly limits cutting speeds and tool life.

04 How does the LKe 1200 achieve accurate involute form during skiving?

The Sinumerik 840D sl control with LHGearSkive software precisely synchronizes the rotation of the workpiece spindle and the skiving tool spindle at the correct ratio while controlling axial feed and skiving head angle. This synchronized multi-axis motion generates the correct involute profile on each tooth flank with the accuracy required for industrial gear quality.

05 What gear quality is achievable on the LKe 1200?

The LKe 1200 is designed to achieve DIN 6–7 quality in the soft-cut condition on well-prepared workpieces using quality skiving tools. For tighter tolerances, subsequent gear grinding is required after heat treatment. The primary advantage of skiving is cycle time rather than ultimate achievable quality relative to grinding.