Gear Machinist

Responsibilities: A well-established industrial gear manufacturing and repair operation is seeking an experienced Spiral and/or Straight Bevel Gear Cutter. This is a hands-on role for a skilled gear-cutting professional with experience in the setup, cutting, inspection, and development of bevel gear sets. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of bevel gear geometry and be comfortable independently setting up equipment, producing quality gear sets, evaluating tooth contact patterns, and making adjustments as needed. Experience operating Gleason bevel gear machinery is strongly preferred. This position supports primarily custom, repair-based, reverse-engineered, and low-volume gear manufacturing work. It is not a repetitive production-machining position. Many jobs involve working from existing samples, worn components, or customer-supplied gears, requiring sound judgment, troubleshooting ability, and a thorough understanding of the gear-cutting process. Set up and operate Gleason bevel gear-cutting machinery Produce spiral bevel and straight bevel gears Configure machines for varying gear sizes, ratios, tooth geometries, and applications Read and interpret gear prints, job summaries, setup information, and machine-setting data Calculate, determine, or apply required cutting and machine settings Select, install, and properly adjust cutters, tooling, and related equipment Establish appropriate tooth depth, tooth thickness, backlash, and cutting conditions Inspect gears during the machining process and after completion Utilize Gleason gear-testing equipment to verify gear quality and mesh Evaluate tooth contact and bearing patterns between mating gear sets Adjust machine settings and setups to improve gear contact patterns and performance Work with engineering and machining personnel on reverse-engineered gear sets Help determine whether worn, damaged, or customer-supplied gears can be reproduced Maintain complete setup and manufacturing records for future repeat work Troubleshoot cutting, setup, tooth-contact, and gear-mesh issues Maintain equipment, tooling, and organization within the gear department Equipment: The gear department includes a variety of Gleason cutting, testing, and sharpening equipment, such as: Gleason #7A Gear Cutters Gleason #12 Gear Cutters Gleason #14 Coniflex Gear Cutters Gleason #16 Gear Cutters Gleason #26 Gear Cutter Gleason #6, #13A, #14A, #17, and #27 Gear Testers Gleason cutter-sharpening equipment

Location: Broadview, ILSchedule/Shift Details: First Shift Overtime as needed.

Qualifications: Previous bevel gear-cutting experience is required Experience operating Gleason gear-cutting machines is strongly preferred Spiral bevel gear-cutting experience is highly desirable Straight bevel and/or Coniflex gear-cutting experience is highly desirable Strong understanding of bevel gear geometry, terminology, and gear-cutting principles Ability to independently set up and operate gear-cutting equipment Experience reading gear drawings, setup sheets, and machine-setting information Knowledge of tooth contact patterns, backlash, and proper gear mesh Experience using Gleason gear-testing equipment is a significant advantage Cutter-sharpening experience is a plus Experience with reverse engineering, industrial repair, or custom gear manufacturing is preferred Ability to use precision inspection equipment, including micrometers, indicators, height gauges, and related measuring tools

Ideal Candidate: This role is best suited for an experienced gear cutter rather than someone whose experience is limited to operating production machinery. The successful candidate will be able to take a gear job from beginning to end: review the requirements, determine the correct setup, prepare the equipment, cut the gear, inspect the finished part, evaluate gear tooth contact, and make adjustments necessary to produce a high-quality gear set. Experience working with older manual Gleason equipment is particularly valuable. Since the work often involves industrial repair, reverse engineering, and one-off or low-volume gear sets, the ideal person will be resourceful, detail-oriented, and comfortable solving unique manufacturing challenges.

Benefits: Medical Dental VisionPTO401k