Automated production line for differential housings

　　The automated production line for differential housings, designed and manufactured by Beijing Shennaming Technology Co., Ltd., employs articulated robots for loading and unloading. By integrating these robots with CNC lathes and simulating the manual tool‑change path, the system enables the curved cutting tools used to machine hemispherical surfaces to automatically perform both the cutting and retracting motions, thereby overcoming the traditional challenges associated with machining such complex geometries. This approach offers significant advantages: it reduces equipment and tooling procurement costs, boosts production efficiency, and achieves full‑line automation and unmanned operation of the differential housing manufacturing process.

　　As a core structural component of the vehicle’s drivetrain, the automotive differential consists of left and right side gears, two planet gears, and a gear carrier. Different vehicle models employ different differential designs, which vary in shape and configuration; these are generally categorized into integral and split types. From a manufacturing standpoint, integral‑type differential housings are more challenging to machine.

　　For the machining of the hemispherical surface on a passenger‑car differential housing, the conventional process typically employs a specialized umbrella‑type cutter. At the start of the operation, the cutter is retracted; once it enters the inner bore, the cutter is deployed to complete the machining. Upon finishing, the cutter is retracted again and withdrawn from the work station. This approach requires no equipment modifications, but the cost of the single‑use cutter is very high, resulting in substantial upfront investment.

　　Another approach involves modifying a lathe—equipping it with a rotary table—and using a single curved cutting tool to perform machining at the desired location. The rotary table and the CNC system are coordinated to enable tool entry and internal‑bore machining. However, this solution entails high equipment‑modification costs. These conventional processes pose significant challenges to establishing an automated production line for differential housings, while also driving up costs.

　　Moreover, we introduced innovations to this automated production line by deploying a two-axis universal CNC lathe, which reduced the cost per machine. By integrating a standard CNC lathe with a robot, we enabled tool‑changing and achieved machining of hemispherical surfaces. In addition, leveraging the lathe to boost efficiency and lower tooling costs allows us to accommodate a wider range of products simply by swapping out the workholding fixtures. These advancements have broken away from the conventional approach of relying solely on articulated robots for automated loading and unloading, making the production line significantly more intelligent.