Drill bit straightening system

Abstract

A system configured to automatically straighten a drill bit to within acceptable specifications is described herein. A drill bit straightening system described herein may include a drill bit holding assembly configured to hold a drill bit, one or more sensors configured to measure an edge eccentricity rate of a shaft associated with the drill bit, a control unit configured to automatically control a straightening operation of the drill bit straightening system, and a bit pressing arm configured to straighten the bit by applying a force calculated based on one or more predictive models. The control unit may be configured to calculate a force to be applied to the drill bit using one or more predictive models.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 433,959, filed on December 20, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to metal device manufacturing and, more particularly, to systems and accompanying methods for straightening medical drill bits and other elongated shafts to within acceptable standards. Background Art

[0004] Medical drill bits are critical components in most surgical procedures, including those in dental and plastic surgery. Medical drill bits are durable, uniformly distributed drill bits typically made of stainless steel. They must be able to deliver sufficient force to penetrate dense parts of the human body, such as teeth or bone, until reaching the intended surgical site. The structural integrity of the drill bit is crucial to the overall success of any surgical procedure.

[0005] Drill bits often become bent during manufacturing and / or shipping. For example, a drill bit may become "bent" or "warped" at one or more points along its length. If they bend or warp beyond acceptable surgical standards, they become unsuitable for use. Conventional methods for straightening bent drill bits rely on the operator's judgment to determine the angle and force required to bend the drill bit back within acceptable standards. Because such methods rely on operator effort, they can be both time-consuming and expensive. Finding and hiring such a sufficiently skilled operator can also be both time-consuming and expensive.

[0006] Similar problems are encountered in other applications where it is necessary to straighten an elongated shaft to within a certain acceptable standard.Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods for effectively and accurately straightening an elongated shaft (eg, a medical drill) to within acceptable standards. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system configured to automatically straighten a drill bit to within acceptable specifications. In various embodiments, the drill bit straightening system may include at least a mounting frame, a drill bit holding assembly configured to hold the drill bit, one or more sensors, a drill bit pressing arm mounted on the mounting frame, a control unit, and / or one or more other components. In various embodiments, the drill bit holding assembly may be configured to hold the drill bit near one end of the drill bit, thereby forming a cantilever connection between the drill bit holding assembly and the drill bit. In some embodiments, the drill bit holding assembly may include a large top wheel that opens and allows the drill bit to be positioned in a valley formed by two lower wheels. In some embodiments, the large top wheel of the drill bit holding assembly is configured to close and clamp onto the drill bit, thereby forming a cantilever connection between the drill bit holding assembly and the drill bit. In some embodiments, the drill bit holding assembly may be configured to secure and support the drill bit at multiple locations along the drill bit. In various embodiments, one or more sensors may be included in an edge eccentricity measurement module and measure the edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors are configured to measure warpage in the drill bit horizontally without contacting the drill bit. In various embodiments, the one or more sensors are configured to measure a distance between an outer surface of the drill bit and a central axis of the drill bit.

[0008] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a control unit of a drill bit straightening system described herein can be configured to automatically control the straightening operation of the drill bit straightening system. In various embodiments, the control unit can be configured to calculate the force to be applied to the drill bit to straighten the drill bit to within acceptable standards, for example, using one or more predictive models. In some embodiments, to calculate the force to be applied to the drill bit, the control unit can be configured to calculate the bending moment along the length of the drill bit based on the distance between the outer surface of the drill bit and the central axis of the drill bit measured by one or more sensors. As described herein, the control unit can be configured to calculate one or more forces to be applied to the drill bit using a historical predictive model and / or a drill bit-by-drill bit predictive model. In addition to the information obtained from the one or more sensors, the control unit (or predictive model) can use additional information to calculate the force to be applied to the drill bit, such as the overall ridge shape, the force and displacement curve determined during the bending operation, batch or lot specific information, and / or other information.

[0009] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the drill bit pressing arm of the drill bit straightening system described herein can be configured to straighten the drill bit by applying a force calculated by a control unit (e.g., using one or more prediction models). In some embodiments, the drill bit pressing arm can be configured to apply a shear force at the end of the drill bit opposite the end of the drill bit fixed by the drill bit holding assembly. In some embodiments, the drill bit pressing arm can be configured to apply a force along the drill bit at a distance from the drill bit holding assembly. For example, in some embodiments, the distance from the drill bit holding assembly can be predetermined, and the control unit can be configured to calculate the force applied to the drill bit based on the predetermined distance along the drill bit from the drill bit holding assembly at which the force is to be applied. In other embodiments, the control unit can be configured to calculate the distance along the drill bit from the drill bit holding assembly at which the force is to be applied. In some embodiments, the drill bit pressing arm can be configured to apply a force to the drill bit with a uniformly distributed load along the length of the drill bit. In some embodiments, after applying force to the drill bit via the drill bit pressing arm, the control unit can be configured to determine whether the drill bit is within acceptable specifications and, if the drill bit is not within acceptable specifications after applying the force, calculate a second force to apply to the drill bit. The drill bit straightening system can continue these operations until the drill bit is within acceptable specifications.

[0010] These and other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention disclosed herein will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. However, it should be clearly understood that the drawings are for illustration and description purposes only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:

[0012] Figure 1 depicts a perspective view of an example drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0013] Figure 2 depicts a perspective view of an example drill bit according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0014] Figure 3A depicts a perspective view of an example drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0015] Figure 3B-3H depicts various views of an example drill bit pressing arm of a drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0016] Figure 4 depicts a block diagram of an example drill bit straightening system configured to utilize a predictive algorithm according to one or more aspects described herein;

[0017] Figure 5 An example of a process for straightening a drill bit using an adaptive predictive algorithm according to one or more aspects described herein is shown; and

[0018] Figure 6 Depicted are graphs including predictions and results for an example drill bit straightening system configured using a predictive algorithm according to one or more aspects described herein.

[0019] These figures are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only typical or exemplary embodiments. These figures are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding and should not be considered as limitations on the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present disclosure. For clarity and ease of illustration, these figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In the following description of various examples of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the present invention and in which various example structures, systems and steps in which various aspects of the present invention may be practiced are shown by way of illustration. It should be understood that other specific arrangements of components, structures, example devices, systems and steps may be utilized, and that structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, although the terms "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", "side" and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the present invention, these terms are used herein for convenience, for example, based on the example orientations shown in the figures. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of a structure to fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 1 A perspective view of a drill straightening system 100 according to one or more aspects described herein is depicted. The drill straightening system 100 is described herein as a system for straightening medical drill bits. However, the drill straightening system 100 (or one or more components or features of the drill straightening system 100) may also be used to straighten other elongated shafts for other applications within and outside the medical industry. Figure 1As depicted, the drill bit straightening system 100 may include a control unit 200, a drill bit holding assembly 300, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400, a drill bit pressing arm 500 and / or one or more other components mounted on or otherwise located near the mounting frame 105.

[0022] In various embodiments, the control unit 200 may include one or more processors configured to provide information processing capabilities within the drill bit straightening system 100. The one or more processors may include one or more of a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit designed to process information, a central processing unit, a microcontroller, an analog circuit designed to process information, and / or other mechanisms for electronically processing information. In various embodiments, the one or more processors of the control unit 200 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in an electronic storage device of the control unit 200. As used herein, for convenience, the drill bit straightening system 100 will be described as performing various operations, but in reality, computer-readable instructions may program the one or more processors of the control unit 200 to perform the various operations described herein.

[0023] In various embodiments, one or more processors of the control unit 200 can be configured to receive input from one or more components of the drill bit straightening system 100 and provide various outputs based on the received input. For example, the control unit 200 can be configured to cause the drill bit retaining assembly 300 to provide input or instructions to cause one or more actions associated with the drill bit described herein, relay information to one or more other remote entities 250 (e.g., a local data server or a cloud database), and / or other outputs.

[0024] In various embodiments, the drill bit retaining assembly 300, the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400, the drill bit pressing arm 500, and / or other components of the drill bit straightening system 100 can be communicatively connected to the control unit 200. In various embodiments, the drill bit retaining assembly 300 (and the drill bit straightening system 100) can be configured to communicate with a remote entity 250. For example, the remote entity 250 can be connected via a wired and / or wireless network and configured to communicate with the control unit 200 and / or one or more other components of the drill bit straightening system 100.

[0025] Figure 2 A perspective view of a drill bit 70 according to one or more aspects described herein is depicted. Figure 2As shown, drill bit 70 may have a curved portion ("curved portion" 73) extending a distance the length of drill bit 70 around the first end of the drill bit. Similarly, the same drill bit 70 may have a straight portion 75 of drill bit 70. Extension line 71 indicates the tolerance limit (TRO). Straight portion 75 of drill bit 70 has a center axis C, and curved portion 73 of drill bit 70 has a curved center axis CB that is not equal to the center axis C of straight portion 75 of drill bit 70. The difference between center axis C and curved center axis CB may be referred to as an "indicated displacement" or a "radial difference."

[0026] There are many possible reasons why drill bit 70 may become bent. Medical drill bits are typically made of material that is evenly distributed throughout the drill bit. Typically, the drill bit is made of stainless steel, for example, using a Swiss lathe and machined in a single pass. This generally results in fast cycle times and good diameter accuracy. However, in some cases, residual stresses in the drill bit can cause it to bend or warp into a banana shape after the machining operation is complete. Due to the single-pass machining process, it may not be possible to remove the warped portion. In such cases, the drill bit must be loaded into a tool or system capable of bending and yielding drill bit 70 to the desired final shape.

[0027] It is impossible to know the residual stress state of the drill bit at any point. Furthermore, the residual stress distribution within the drill bit can and / or does change over time (i.e., typically over a period of several years). The only observations that can be made are the initial state of the drill bit before machining and the final state of the drill bit after machining. Both of these states represent the sum of all the individual residual stress states within the drill bit. Furthermore, the residual stress state within the drill bit can affect the stress / strain response. Since these states cannot be known individually, it is impossible to develop a useful prediction algorithm based solely on the initial conditions.

[0028] One benefit of the present invention is that it straightens the curved portion 73 of the drill bit 70 so that the curved center axis CB can be made the same as the center axis C of the straight portion 75. Each drill bit can be unique, so the bending angle and bending force can vary from drill bit to drill bit. Therefore, the drill bit straightening system 100 can adapt to these variations to provide the desired results.

[0029] like Figure 3A As depicted in FIG, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to measure warpage horizontally without physically contacting the drill bit 70. Figure 1As depicted in FIG, a drill bit 70 can be mounted to a drill bit retaining assembly 300 located in a drill bit retaining plane (i.e., the xz plane) and rotated along the drill bit's rotational axis (i.e., the y-axis). In some embodiments, the drill bit retaining assembly 300 can include a securing mechanism, such as via one or more spindle rollers 300a, 300b, 300c, such as "St. Marie spin rollers." In various embodiments, the drill bit retaining assembly 300 can include a large top wheel that opens and allows the drill bit to be positioned in the valley formed by two lower wheels. The top wheel then closes and securely clamps the drill bit in place, effectively forming a cantilever beam connection. In various embodiments, the drill bit straightening system 100 can utilize the clamping method described above (e.g., a drill bit retaining assembly 300 having a large top wheel and two lower wheels) and / or one or more other types of clamping methods. For example, a three-jaw chuck and / or one or more other types of clamping mechanisms now known or developed in the future can be used with the systems and methods described herein. In some embodiments, axis alignment can be achieved by appropriately positioning the spindle rollers 300a, 300b, 300c so that the center axis C of the straight portion 75 of the drill bit 70 is aligned along the predetermined center axis (i.e., the y-axis) of the drill bit straightening system 100. In some embodiments, the drill bit can be extended a sufficient distance from the clamping position, depending on the product length and the specific configuration of the system. The cantilever beam connection (or configuration) can concentrate stress so that the bend is located at or near the clamping position, regardless of where the pressing arm "pusher" is located. However, by loading the part at different locations, placing the clamping wheel where the part is desired to bend, multiple bend positions can be achieved.

[0030] In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 of the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to measure the distance between the outer surface of the drill bit and the central axis C, such as Figure 2 In various embodiments, the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may include a sensor or sensors configured to measure deformation or bending in the drill bit. For example, the one or more sensors of the edge eccentricity module 400 may be configured to measure the edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit. In some embodiments, the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may include a laser micrometer. A warped drill bit will not have all points of the circumference at the same distance (same radius value) from the center axis C of the drill bit 70. Instead, a particular portion of the circumference of the drill bit will be at a larger distance H (the "highest point") from the center axis C, while an opposing section of the circumference of the drill bit will be at a smaller distance H' (the "lowest point") from the center axis C. The radial difference can then be calculated using the measurements obtained by the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 (including the distance H for the entire circumference of the drill bit 70).

[0031] In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 can be configured to be mounted to the base frame 115, which is approximately perpendicular to the drill bit holding plane (i.e., the xz plane) and approximately perpendicular to the compression axis (i.e., the z-axis) along which the drill bit compression arm 500 travels. In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 can be positioned adjacent to or otherwise in close proximity to the drill bit 70 while also being allowed to move between positions and vary the distance from the drill bit 70.

[0032] In various embodiments, the drill bit pressing arm 500 can include a linear actuator with closed-loop positioning functionality. In some embodiments, the drill bit pressing arm 500 disclosed herein can include a drill bit pressing arm force sensor 502. For example, the drill bit pressing arm force sensor 502 can be an inline load cell. In various embodiments, the drill bit pressing arm 500 can be positioned linearly along the drill bit to apply pressure at different locations.

[0033] In some embodiments, the drill bit 70 may not be "straightenable" because the initial swing is too high. To address this situation, the drill bit 70 can be straightened by the drill bit straightening system 100 using the multiple clamping zones described herein. In one example embodiment, the drill bit straightening system 100 can utilize multiple clamping zones by securing and supporting the drill bit at multiple locations along the drill bit. Ultimately, to allow the drill bit 70 to have an initial condition with higher swing, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to straighten the drill bit 70 by performing the operations described herein at multiple bending locations.

[0034] Some previous operations / methods involve taking simulated measurements through a manual process. For example, the operation may select a curved plane based on the angle at which the edge measurement is the largest. In this case, the previous operation / method swaps locations until a "high spot" is found and presses the drill bit at the "high spot." However, this type of operation may be susceptible to and / or sensitive to measurement noise and surface texture. In some cases, pushing on the "high spot" at the measurement location may cause increased eccentricity and further warping, rather than straightening the center drill axis. This is important, in particular, because the total indicated runout (edge eccentricity)—that is, the maximum runout (edge eccentricity) along the length of the shaft, not just the maximum runout (edge eccentricity) at a single measurement location—is a desired tolerance.

[0035] Figure 3B-3H Depicted are various views of an example drill bit pressing arm 500 of the drill bit straightening system 100 according to one or more aspects described herein. In various embodiments, as Figure 3BAs depicted in FIG, the drill bit pressing arm 500 of the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to be based on the eccentricity measurement module 400 of the outer surface of the drill bit measured by one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 relative to the central axis (i.e., the central axis C, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 ) are used to calculate parameters such as (i) a shear force (SF) to be applied to the drill bit 70 (along the compression axis, i.e., the z-axis, at a distance L) and / or (ii) a bending moment M along the length of the drill bit 70. The shear force at any location along the drill bit can then be used to calculate the shear stress on the drill bit cross section at that location.

[0036] like Figure 3C As depicted in FIG, in some embodiments, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to apply a shear force (SF) at the end of a "bent" or "warped" drill bit 70 located at a distance L. In other embodiments and as Figure 3D As depicted in FIG, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to apply a shear force (SF) to a "bent" or "warped" drill bit at a distance Lc from, at, or near a clamping location. In another embodiment and as Figure 3E As depicted in FIG, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to apply a shear force (SF) at a distance Lw of a "bent" or "warped" drill bit (e.g., at the "bend" 73 of the drill bit). In other embodiments and as Figure 3F As depicted in FIG, drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to apply a shear force SF at an angle θ at a distance Lw of a “bent” or “warped” drill bit (eg, at the “bend” 73).

[0037] In some embodiments and as Figure 3G As depicted in FIG, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to apply a uniformly distributed load / force W along the length L1 of the "bent" or "warped" drill bit 70. In other embodiments and as shown in FIG. Figure 3H As depicted in FIG, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to provide evenly distributed support / force S along a length L2 below the “bent” or “warped” drill bit when a shear force SF is applied at the end of the “bent” or “warped” drill bit.

[0038] Another aspect of the present disclosure is the ability of the drill bit straightening system 100, and the corresponding methods described herein, to measure warpage and apply calculated forces to the drill bit with a high degree of repeatability and accuracy (e.g., due to the potential presence of non-uniform residual stresses within the drill bit 70). In various embodiments, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to utilize one or more prediction algorithms / components 600 and one or more bending or pressing algorithms / components 700 applicable to the drill bit pressing arm ("pusher") force sensor 500 based on information from one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 and / or other sensors of the drill bit straightening system 100.

[0039] In various embodiments, the eccentricity data (i.e., the radial distance of the drill bit 70 from the center axis C) generated by one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 can be fed into a curve fitting component (algorithm). For example, in some embodiments, the curve fitting component can be configured to receive the eccentricity data and apply a curve fitting algorithm to the eccentricity data based on a sinusoidal curve, such as a sine function (curve), over a period of one complete rotation (i.e., starting at an angle of 0 degrees and continuing through a full (360-degree) rotation). Because the eccentricity of the measured data produces a sinusoidal function when measured at the edge, this curve fitting component has the effect of separating the portion of wobble that can be corrected by straightening (edge eccentricity) from the portion that cannot be corrected by straightening. As the straightening operation continues, the eccentricity component becomes zero while the surface roughness and diameter change do not. Specifically, this is more important because it signals when to stop the procedure. If the eccentricity component has reached zero, further compression / bending force may increase rather than decrease, indicating wobble (edge eccentricity).

[0040] Figure 4 An example of a drill bit straightening system 100 for measuring warpage and applying calculated forces to a drill bit using prediction and bending algorithms according to one or more aspects described herein is shown. In various embodiments, the drill bit straightening system 100 can include a control unit 200, one or more interfaces 202, an electronic storage device 230, and / or one or more other components. In various embodiments, the control unit 200 can include one or more physical processors 212 (also interchangeably referred to herein as processor(s) 212, processor 212, or processors 212 for convenience), computer-readable instructions 214, and / or one or more other components. In various embodiments, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to receive input from or otherwise interact with one or more users via one or more computing devices 240.

[0041] Prediction Algorithm

[0042] (i) Historical Prediction Models - Bayesian Priors (“Knowledgeless Predictors”)

[0043] In various embodiments, the knowledgeless predictor module 216 can be configured to generate raw eccentricity data representing zero eccentricity or complete straightening based on empirical data 590 (also referred to herein as "historical data"). In such embodiments, the knowledgeless predictor module 216 can be configured to obtain the empirical data 590 collected from previous straightening operations. In various embodiments, the empirical data 590 can include data collected from one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 and the drill press arm 500.

[0044] The knowledgeless predictor module 216 can then be configured to apply or perform a curve fitting operation to interpolate or extrapolate the force by which a particular drill bit is corrected to a percentage of its original eccentricity. For example, the knowledgeless predictor module 216 can use an exponential function to perform the curve fitting operation. Additionally, the knowledgeless predictor module 216 can use a variety of functions to perform the curve fitting operation, including, for example, linear functions, logarithmic functions, quadratic functions, cubic functions, square root functions, power functions, polynomial functions, rational functions, exponential functions, sinusoidal functions, and / or variations or combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the estimation algorithm can include a linear function component assigned a first weight w1, a logarithmic function component assigned a second weight w2, and an exponential function component assigned a third weight w3. In further embodiments, the weight associated with each component can vary as a function of the applied shear force and / or other parameters, but in alternative embodiments, one or more of these weights are constant as a function of the applied shear force. In various embodiments, the curve fitting operation may be performed using one or more of a variety of curve fitting techniques, including, for example, a linear least squares fitting method, a nonlinear least squares fitting method, a Nelder-Mead simplex method, a Levenberg-Marquardt method, and / or variations thereof.

[0045] In various embodiments, the knowledge-free predictor module 216 can be configured to collect a set of starting eccentricity and 100% corrected force data points 610. In some embodiments, a regression can be performed on this data to predict the expected value and expected distribution at any given starting eccentricity.

[0046] This provides a prediction of the final shear force to be applied, as well as a range of values expected, if the drill bit is not known to have exceeded its starting eccentricity. This method is also used to determine a distribution of values corresponding to a smaller percentage of complete correction, which is useful for predicting the force that will provide sufficient bending to model an individual drill bit. In such an embodiment, the curve fitting operation provides an updated prediction of the total force required to straighten the drill bit.

[0047] (ii) Individual drill bit prediction models ("bit-by-bit")

[0048] In various embodiments, the drill bit module 218 can be configured to use the same exponential model. The knowledge-free predictor module 216 is then used to generate three (3) data points to partially bend the drill bit. In some embodiments, the knowledge-free predictor module 216 and the drill bit prediction module 218 can use convolution to generate a new model that can be used to predict the force values that will produce a drill bit that meets specifications.

[0049] Bending Algorithm

[0050] In some embodiments, the drill bit straightening system 100 may select the next bending force independently of the previously described prediction model. In such cases, the model may be used differently. For example, in some embodiments, the drill bit prediction module 218 may generate a final force outside the acceptable range, and the no-knowledge predictor module 216 generates a prediction (i.e., 3 standard deviations above the mean). In such cases, the drill bit straightening system 100 may reject the no-knowledge prediction data. In other embodiments, the drill bit prediction module 218 may generate a very lightly weighted prediction compared to the no-knowledge prediction, e.g., within 5%-10%.

[0051] In various embodiments, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to avoid bending beyond zero eccentricity, as this can result in the undesirable consequence of increasing eccentricity in the opposite direction. Specifically, this is not easily corrected by "bending back," as the bending force required in one direction does not predict the bending force required in another direction (even the directly opposite direction). Therefore, a predictor can be used to determine a conservative approach that is less likely to overbend. As the confidence in the model increases, the degree of conservatism can be relaxed.

[0052] In general, combining predictions gathered from different information sources and weighting them according to their relative confidence is a Bayesian inference process. Thus, the predictions are continuously updated as additional information becomes known. Furthermore, additional information sources can be incorporated into the predictions, such as overall spine shape, force versus displacement curves determined during bending operations, or batch or lot-specific information, to name a few.

[0053] Figure 5An example of a process 500 for straightening a drill bit using an adaptive predictive algorithm according to one or more aspects described herein is shown. The operations of process 500 presented below are intended to be illustrative and, therefore, should not be considered limiting. In some embodiments, process 500 may be performed using one or more additional operations not described and / or without one or more of the operations discussed. In some embodiments, two or more operations of process 500 may be performed substantially simultaneously. The described operations may be performed using some or all of the system components described in detail above. In various embodiments, process 500 may be performed using some or all of the components of the drill bit straightening system 100 described herein. For example, the functions described with respect to process 500 may be performed by the control unit 200 of the drill bit straightening system 100.

[0054] At operation 502, process 500 may include measuring an initial edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with a drill bit. In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 of drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to measure a distance between an outer surface of the drill bit and a central axis C, such as Figure 2 In some embodiments, the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may include one or more laser micrometers. In some embodiments, the distance between the outer surface of the drill bit and the central axis C measured in response to the determined prediction model may be stored as historical data.

[0055] At operation 504, process 500 may include receiving empirical data collected from past straightening operations. In various embodiments, the empirical data may include data collected from one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 and the drill press arm 500. In various embodiments, one or more other measurement sensors may be mounted on or near the mounting frame at a distance from the drill head.

[0056] At operation 505, process 500 may include determining whether the initially measured edge eccentricity is within a straightenable range. In some embodiments, a warped drill bit may not be "straightenable" because the initial swing is too high (or out of range). In such embodiments, process 500 may remove the drill bit 70 from operation. In other embodiments, a warped drill bit may not be "straightenable" because the initial swing is unbalanced. In such embodiments, drill bit 70 may again be straightened by drill bit straightening system 100 utilizing the multiple clamping zones described herein. To allow drill bit 70 to contain an initial condition of unbalanced swing, drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to straighten drill bit 70 by performing the operations described herein at multiple bending locations.

[0057] In operation 506, process 500 may include calculating a portion of the total pressing force based on empirical data and applying the calculated portion of the total pressing force to the drill bit. In some embodiments, the warped drill bit may not be at equal distances at all points on the circumference, but rather may have an initial eccentricity of 1, 2, 4, 2, 1, and a final eccentricity of 0, 1, 2, 1, 0 along the length L from the center axis C of the drill bit 70. For example, in such an embodiment, process 500 may apply 4 / 10 of the total pressing force (∑original eccentricity / ∑final eccentricity) to the drill bit. Figure 3C As depicted, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to apply a shear force SF at a distance L at the end of the "bent" drill bit 70 with 4 / 10 (∑ original eccentricity / ∑ final eccentricity) of the total pressing force (i.e., 4 / 10×10 Newtons (N) = 4N).

[0058] At operation 508, process 500 may include measuring the edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit. In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 of drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to again measure the distance between the outer surface of the drill bit and the central axis C, such as Figure 2 Described in.

[0059] At operation 510, process 500 may include performing a curve fit using the measured data points. In various embodiments, the eccentricity data (i.e., the radial distance of the drill bit 70 from the center axis C) generated by one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may be fed into a curve fitting component (algorithm). For example, in some embodiments, the curve fitting component may be configured to receive the eccentricity data and apply a curve fitting algorithm to the eccentricity data based on a sinusoidal curve, such as a sine function (curve), over a period of one complete rotation (i.e., starting at an angle of 0 degrees and continuing through a full (360-degree) rotation). Because the eccentricity of the measured data produces a sine function when measured at the edge, this curve fitting component has the effect of separating the portion of the wobble that can be corrected by straightening (edge eccentricity) from the portion that cannot be corrected by straightening. As the straightening operation continues, the eccentricity component becomes zero, while the surface roughness and diameter change do not become zero. Specifically, this is more important because it signals when to stop the procedure. If the eccentricity component has reached zero, further pressing / bending force may increase rather than decrease the indicated wobble (edge eccentricity).

[0060] At operation 512, process 500 may include determining whether the measured data has sufficient data points for curve fitting. If it is determined that the measured data has sufficient data points for curve fitting, process 500 will proceed to operation 514. If it is determined that the measured data does not have sufficient data points for curve fitting, process 500 will return to operation 506 and apply a newly calculated portion of the total compression force to the drill bit based on the new measured data points.

[0061] At operation 514 , process 500 may include calculating a total compression force based on the additional data and may include applying the total compression force to the drill bit. Specifically, compared to operation 506 , process 500 is configured to apply a full 100% of the calculated compression force.

[0062] At operation 516, process 500 may include measuring the edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit. In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 of drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to again measure the distance between the outer surface of the drill bit and the central axis C, such as Figure 2 Described in.

[0063] At operation 516, process 500 may include determining whether the total pressing force applied to the drill bit pressing arm 500 results in movement of the drill bit within acceptable specifications. If it is determined that the measured edge eccentricity of the drill bit is within acceptable specifications, the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to end process 500. If it is determined that the measured edge eccentricity of the drill bit is not within acceptable specifications, process 500 will return to operation 510, where a new fitted curve will be generated based on the new measured data points.

[0064] Figure 6 A graph depicts predictions and results for an example drill bit straightening system configured using a prediction algorithm according to one or more aspects described herein. Data point "A" (on curve "Fit 0") represents initial prediction data based on pure experimentation without any predictions, as described in operation 502, as well as in FIG. Figure 5 . Data point "B" represents the local force deflection measurement result using the updated curve, as described in operation 508. Data point "C" represents the final measurement result of the result within the acceptable specification range "D", as described in operation 518. As shown by the direction of arrow "E", the drill bit straightening system 100 increases the straightness of the drill bit as the operation progresses.

[0065] It will be understood that the application of the present invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of the components described herein. The present invention is capable of other embodiments and can be practiced or implemented in various ways. Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more individual features mentioned or apparent in the text and / or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best known modes for practicing the present invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the present invention.

[0066] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by this specification.

[0067] References in this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "various embodiments," "certain embodiments," "other embodiments," "a series of embodiments," etc., mean that a particular feature, design, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Furthermore, whether or not there are explicit references to "an embodiment," etc., various features are described that may be combined in various ways and included in some embodiments, but omitted in various ways in other embodiments. Similarly, various features are described that may be preferences or requirements for some embodiments, but not for other embodiments.

[0068] The language used herein is primarily selected for readability and instructional purposes, rather than being selected to describe or limit the subject matter of the present invention. Other embodiments, uses, and benefits of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the description and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The description should be considered as merely exemplary, and therefore the scope of the present invention is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A drill bit straightening system comprising: Install the frame; a drill bit holding assembly configured to hold a drill bit; one or more sensors configured to measure edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit; a drill bit pressing arm mounted on the mounting frame and configured to straighten the drill bit by applying a force calculated based on one or more predictive models; as well as A control unit is configured to automatically control a straightening operation of the drill bit straightening system based on the one or more predictive models.

2. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the drill bit retaining assembly is configured to retain the drill bit near one end of the drill bit, thereby forming a cantilever connection between the drill bit retaining assembly and the drill bit.

3. The drill bit straightening system of claim 2, wherein the drill bit holding assembly includes a large top wheel that opens and allows the drill bit to be set into the valley formed by the two lower wheels.

4. The drill bit straightening system of claim 3, wherein the large top wheel of the drill bit holding assembly is configured to close and clamp onto the drill bit, thereby forming the cantilever connection between the drill bit holding assembly and the drill bit.

5. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the drill bit retention assembly is configured to secure and support the drill bit at a plurality of locations along the drill bit.

6. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a laser micrometer.

7. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure warpage in the drill bit horizontally without contacting the drill bit.

8. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure a distance between an outer surface of the drill bit and a central axis of the drill bit.

9. A drill bit straightening system according to claim 8, wherein in order to calculate the force to be applied to the drill bit, the control unit is configured to calculate the bending moment along the length of the drill bit based on the distance between the outer surface of the drill bit and the central axis of the drill bit measured by the one or more sensors.

10. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the force to be applied to the drill bit using a historical prediction model. 11 . The drill bit straightening system of claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the second force to be applied to the drill bit using a drill bit-by-drill bit prediction model.

12. The drill bit straightening system of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the second force to be applied to the drill bit using the drill bit-by-drill bit prediction model and additional information, the additional information comprising one or more of: an overall spine shape, a force versus displacement curve determined during a bending operation, and batch or lot specific information.

13. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the bit pressing arm is configured to apply a shear force at an end of the drill bit opposite an end of the drill bit secured by the drill bit retaining assembly.

14. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the bit pressing arm is configured to apply the force at a distance along the drill bit from the drill bit retaining assembly.

15. The drill bit straightening system of claim 14, wherein the distance is predetermined, and wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the force applied to the drill bit based on the predetermined distance along the drill bit from the drill bit holding assembly at which the force is to be applied.

16. The drill bit straightening system of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the distance along the drill bit from the drill bit holding assembly at which the force is to be applied.

17. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the drill bit pressing arm is configured to apply the force to the drill bit with an evenly distributed load along the length of the drill bit.

18. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the drill bit is within acceptable specifications after applying the force, and to calculate a second force to be applied to the drill bit if the drill bit is not within the acceptable specifications after applying the force.

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