Abstract: Method of reducing the thickness of a bore of a cylindrical workpiece for use as a gear. The method involves the steps of: mounting a cylindrical workpiece having a horizontal central axis and an outer diameter in a grinding machine; and grinding the bore of the cylindrical workpiece to reduce its thickness using a grinding wheel that has a diameter that is from 40% to 80% of the outer diameter of the cylindrical bore and has a direction of rotation about an axis of rotation that is parallel to the horizontal central axis of the cylindrical workpiece. The axis of rotation of the grinding wheel may be located from 90 degrees to 180 degrees, in the direction of rotation of the grinding wheel, from a plane that extends vertically through the workpiece when it is mounted in the grinding machine. The gear may be one of a planetary, sun, parallel axis or helical gear.

Abstract: A tool for machining splines on a workpiece comprises a base, a first tooth extending radially from the base and a second tooth extending radially from the base. The second tooth is spaced circumferentially from the first tooth. The first tooth has a first height, the second tooth has a second height and the second height is less than the first height. The first tooth tapers from the base to the tip of the first tooth, the second tooth tapers from the base to the tip of the second tooth and the first tooth is identical to the second tooth to the second height.