Enhancing precision gear manufacturing

American Precision Gear (APG), a leader in fine-pitch, high-precision gears strengthened its manufacturing capabilities with the installation of the MZ 1000 D-Drive gear hobbing machine from Helios Gear Products. The investment improved throughput along with elevating quality and precision machining capabilities.

Commitment to quality & innovation

“We spend more time inspecting parts than we do operating machines,” explains Jarrod McClendon, vice president at APG. “Every component is checked multiple times before leaving our facility. Customers rely on us for quality, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

The MZ 1000 D-Drive allows APG to maintain standards while significantly improving cycle times, operational efficiency, and overall productivity. Previously, a single gear could take 4-to-5 minutes to process manually. Now, with advanced automation and streamlined workholding, the same job can be completed in seconds, often running lights-out through the night.

Automation & productivity gains

The MZ 1000 D-Drive has improved APG’s ability to handle complex parts with extreme tolerances. “Some of our parts are so demanding – AGMA 12 and above, with near-zero tolerance on test radius – that they were incredibly challenging to produce at scale,” McClendon explains. “The MZ 1000 D-Drive completely transformed that. It holds tolerances down to a micron with remarkable consistency, making even our toughest jobs not only possible, but now the easiest jobs in the building.”

Prior to this upgrade, APG relied on manual setups and extensive in-process inspections, leading to workflow bottlenecks. With the MZ 1000’s synchronized headstocks and universal rail system, APG has streamlined operations, reduced setup times, and improved tool life 200% to 300%. What used to take weeks now takes days, and what took days now takes hours according to an APG lead gear machinist.

Collaborative approach to success

“Our collaborative leadership and focus on quality in the machine shop sets the tone for the entire company,” McClendon says. “The machinists collaborate, cross-train, and focus on the little things ensuring quality and throughput. Our gear shop followed their lead, and our partnership with Helios has only strengthened that.”

Deburring, one of the most challenging aspects of fine-pitch gear manufacturing, also contributed to their dedication to quality. With the MZ 1000 reducing required deburring needs by 80% to 90%, the deburring team can process more parts with the same attention to detail.

A trusted partnership

Helios Gear Products has been an invaluable partner in APG’s journey. “They didn’t just sell us a machine, they proved it would work for our needs,” McClendon says. “Their transparency and support were second to none. When we faced challenges, they sent engineers, connected us with other users, and even facilitated remote troubleshooting directly with Monnier + Zahner in Switzerland. That kind of support is rare, and so valuable to us.”

Helios helped APG integrate the MZ 1000 D-Drive, optimizing their process for high-accuracy, high-volume production.

“This machine breathes life into our capacity,” McClendon says.

“It allows APG to produce small, precision AGMA 12-13 quality parts in volume with absolute ease; something very few shops can do,” adds Willie Taylor, regional sales manager at Helios Gear Products.

Looking ahead

With the MZ 1000 D-Drive fully operational, APG is poised for continued growth.

“We want to keep investing in technology that makes the difficult jobs easier for our team,” McClendon says. “The goal is increased throughput with less effort, so our people can focus on collaboration, problem-solving, and maintaining our industry-leading quality.”

American Precision Gear
https://www.amgear.com

Helios Gear Products
https://heliosgearproducts.com