Reishauer RZ 1000 Plus

The Reishauer RZ 1000 Plus is an enhanced large-capacity CNC continuous generating gear grinding machine from Reishauer AG, extending the foundational RZ 1000 platform with upgraded capabilities for demanding large gear production applications. The RZ 1000 Plus targets manufacturers who require the proven DIN 3-4 quality and throughput of Reishauer's generating grinding process at large gear diameters — up to approximately 1,000 mm pitch diameter — with enhanced features for automation integration, process monitoring, and Industry 4.0 connectivity.

Reishauer's continuous generating gear grinding (Wälzschleifen) process is the core technology shared across the entire RZ platform. A threaded worm grinding wheel meshes continuously with the rotating gear blank in a synchronized generating engagement, simultaneously contacting multiple gear teeth as both wheel and workpiece rotate in precise kinematic synchrony. This fundamental difference from profile gear grinding — where a single tooth space is ground at a time — gives generating grinding its characteristic advantage in throughput, surface consistency, and tooth-to-tooth accuracy. For large gears in the 400-1,000 mm diameter range, these advantages translate directly into reduced cycle times and lower per-part grinding cost compared to alternative processes.

The RZ 1000 Plus enhances the base RZ 1000 platform with improvements that address the specific demands of high-productivity large gear grinding. Enhanced thermal management systems reduce thermally-induced geometric drift during long production runs, maintaining dimensional stability across high-volume batches. Upgraded automation interfaces support tighter integration with robot loading systems, coordinate measurement machines, and MES/ERP systems — critical for modern gear production cells where traceability and closed-loop process control are standard requirements. The machine's structural mass and damping are optimized for the higher grinding forces encountered with large-module gears in the 2-16 mm range.

Control is Siemens SINUMERIK 840D sl with the latest version of Reishauer's GearPro software. GearPro accepts complete gear data — module, number of teeth, pressure angle, helix angle, addendum modification, quality grade — and generates all necessary CNC axis programs and dressing cycles automatically. Profile modification programming is fully integrated: lead crowning, profile crowning, tip relief, root relief, and combination modifications are specified as engineering parameters, not as CNC code. The Plus designation also brings enhanced data logging and SPC integration, supporting the process documentation requirements of automotive IATF 16949 and aerospace AS9100 quality systems.

The RZ 1000 Plus is positioned for the most demanding end of Reishauer's product range, serving manufacturers who grind large external spur and helical gears for commercial vehicle transmissions, industrial gearboxes, marine drives, wind turbine stages, and aerospace gearboxes where DIN 3-4 quality and high throughput are simultaneously required. Reishauer's application engineering team supports RZ 1000 Plus installations with deep process development assistance, covering wheel selection, dressing strategy, cutting parameter optimization, and quality measurement correlation — ensuring that the machine's full capability is realized in production.