Abstract: A grinding worm for the continuous generation grinding of a work piece is provided with mutually overlapping rough grinding and finish grinding zones arranged along the worm's axis, the finished grinding zone being provided with a three-dimensionally modified flank geometry having a width related design.

Abstract: In a process for the profiling of a grinding worm (1) with at least two grinding width zones (4, 6) with differently modified thread profile for the grinding of spur and helical gears with three-dimensionally modified flank profile, the grinding width zones (4, 6) are arranged overlapping in order to gain optimum exploitation of the grinding worm width (3). In one variant, profiling of the grinding worm (1) is performed with an abrasive coated profiling gear (25) with a tooth flank geometry and facewidth differing from that of the workpiece to be ground. By suitable selection of the diagonal ratio and the allocation of the width zones (28, 29) of the profiling gear (25) to the grinding width zones (4, 6) of the grinding worm (1), it is possible to adapt the modifications of the grinding worm flanks to the requirements of the workpiece without having to alter the flank geometry of the profiling gear (25).