Electroplated abrasive tools, methods, and molds

Abstract

The present invention provides for an assembly for positioning and holding abrasive particles to be electroplated with a metal. The assembly can include a substrate with a surface that is configured for receiving abrasive particles. The assembly can further include an intermediate layer configured to hold the particles and mask at least a portion of each abrasive particle. Additionally, a method for making an abrasive tool using such an assembly is provided, as well as abrasive tools made thereby. In one aspect of this invention, abrasive tools can have abrasive particle tips that are arranged in accordance with a predetermined vertical pattern and a predetermined horizontal pattern as well as a predetermined particle attitude.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to electroplated abrasive tools and methods for making electroplated abrasive tools. Accordingly, the present invention involves the fields of electrochemistry, materials science, and physics.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Abrasive tools have long been used in numerous applications, including the cutting, drilling, sawing, grinding, lapping, and polishing of materials. One common form of an abrasive tool is one that uses abrasive particles on a tool substrate to perform the cutting, grinding, polishing, etc.[0003]Superabrasive particles, such as diamond, polycrystalline diamond (PCD), cubic boron nitride (CBN), and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) have been widely used for many materials removal applications due to their extreme hardness, atomic density, and high thermal conductivity. For example, dressing disks, grinding disks, saw blades, wire saws, and drill bits have all included superabrasive partic...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]In one aspect, the present invention provides an assembly for positioning and holding abrasive particles to be electroplated with a metal. The assembly can include a substrate with a surface configured for receiving abrasive particles and an intermediate layer configured to hold the particles on the substrate and mask a portion of each abrasive particle. In one aspect, the substrate can include at least one indentation. Such indentations can be in the form of scratches or lines carved into the substrate, discrete dimples, or impressions formed by elevating selected portions of the substrate surface. The indentations can be capable of orienting and in some aspects, holding abrasive particles in a predetermined attitude and location. In one embodiment, the assembly can further comprise a plurality of abrasive particles engaged in the substrate and intermediate layer, in some embodiments, at predetermined attitudes and locations. The assembly can be placed in an aqueous electroplating environment. When placed in such environment, the assembly can retain the engaged and masked abrasive particles at the predetermined attitudes and locations.

Problems solved by technology

Despite their apparent advantages, a number of issues continue to hamper the performance and usable life of many known superabrasive tools.

For example, superabrasive particle placement and retention remain problematic.

One additional issue is the height to which a superabrasive particle extends above the tool substrate.

However, most of such methods are unable to produce a tool with the above-recited superabrasive particle placement characteristics.

Images