There are two basic methods of manufacturing gear teeth: the generating process and the forming process. when a gear tooth is generated, the workpiece and the cutting or grinding tool are in continuous mesh and the tooth form is generated by the tool. In other words, the work and the tool are conjugated to each other. hobbing :machines, shaper cutters, shaving machines, and grinders use this principle.
When a gear tooth is formed, the tool is in the shape of the space that is being machined out. Some grinding machines use this principle with an indexing mechianism which allows the gear teeth to be formed tooth by tooth. Broaches are examples of form tools that machine all the gear teeth simultaneously.
