Composite material low-damage trimming processing power head, processing system and method
By simultaneously milling both sides of the composite material and controlling the direction of the cutting force, the problems of delamination and burrs in the edge cutting process of composite materials are solved, and efficient and low-cost edge cutting processing is achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LONGCHENG LABORATORY OF INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
AI Technical Summary
Composite materials are prone to burrs and delamination defects during edge milling, leading to reduced processing quality and economic losses. Existing non-standard herringbone milling cutters are difficult to process and costly, making them unsuitable for mass production.
The first and second cutting edge structures are used to mill both sides of the composite material simultaneously. The milling cutters rotate in opposite directions and are synchronized through a transmission mechanism. The cutting force is controlled to be directed inward. Ordinary milling cutters are used and synchronous stability is ensured through gear transmission. The controller adjusts the tilt of the milling cutter axis to cover the entire cutting area.
It avoids internal delamination and burrs in composite materials, improves processing efficiency and quality, reduces costs, and enables one-time completion of edge trimming.
Smart Images
Figure CN122164936A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of machining technology, specifically to a power head, machining system, and method for low-damage edge cutting of composite materials. Background Technology
[0002] In recent years, composite materials such as carbon fiber composites, aramid fiber composites, and glass fiber composites have been increasingly used in aerospace and other defense industries due to their lightweight, high specific strength, and corrosion resistance.
[0003] However, composite materials are usually heterogeneous materials, and their physical properties make them prone to defects such as burrs and delamination during edge milling. These machining defects seriously affect the machining quality of the workpiece and may even lead to the scrapping of the workpiece, resulting in huge economic losses. The defects are mainly caused by the action of axial cutting force. The cutting action generates vertical stress, which affects the interlaminar stress of the composite material. When the interlaminar bonding strength is exceeded, the fiber layer detaches from the matrix and deforms. When the tool is removed and the carbon fiber recovers its deformation, the delamination is permanent because the resin matrix no longer has the bonding ability.
[0004] To improve the processing quality of composite materials, some researchers have proposed using herringbone end mills. Herringbone end mills can direct the cutting force at the tool's cutting point toward the interior of the material, thus reducing or even eliminating delamination and exit burrs in composite materials. However, such end mills are non-standard parts, difficult to process and costly, making them unsuitable for mass production. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a low-damage cutting head, processing system, and method for composite materials to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.
[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a low-damage edge-cutting power head for composite materials, the edge-cutting power head including a first edge-cutting structure, a second edge-cutting structure, and a housing structure. The first edge-cutting structure includes a first connecting shaft and a first milling cutter connected to the lower end of the first connecting shaft. The upper end of the first connecting shaft is connected to the spindle of a CNC machining center, and a housing is mounted on the spindle of the CNC machining center. The second edge-cutting structure includes a second connecting shaft and a second milling cutter connected to the lower end of the second connecting shaft. The first and second edge-cutting structures are used to simultaneously mill both sides of the composite material to be processed. The housing structure forms a receiving cavity inside, and a transmission mechanism is installed inside the receiving cavity. The first connecting shaft drives the second connecting shaft to rotate in the opposite direction through the transmission mechanism. The axes of the first and second milling cutters are perpendicular to the plane where the cutting area is located. By controlling the rotation direction and feed direction of the milling cutters, it can be ensured that the cutting forces F1 and F2 at the upper and lower ends of the composite material are directed towards the inside of the material, thereby avoiding the occurrence of delamination or burrs inside the composite material.
[0007] The present invention further illustrates that the axes of the first milling cutter and the second milling cutter are arranged in parallel and are of the same type.
[0008] The present invention further illustrates that the first connecting shaft axially penetrates one side of the outer shell structure and is rotatably connected inside the outer shell structure through a bearing, while the second connecting shaft is axially fixed to the other side of the outer shell structure through a bearing.
[0009] The present invention further explains that the transmission structure includes a first gear and a second gear. The first gear is fixedly sleeved on the outer surface of the first connecting shaft and rotates synchronously under the drive of the first connecting shaft. The second gear meshes with the first gear and is fixedly sleeved on the outer surface of the second connecting shaft. The use of gear transmission can ensure the synchronous stability of the rotation of the first milling cutter and the second milling cutter, and further improve the quality of edge cutting.
[0010] The present invention further explains that the outer shell structure includes a first shell and a second shell arranged symmetrically, and the transmission mechanism, a portion of the first connecting shaft and a portion of the second connecting shaft are disposed in the accommodating cavity. The outer shell structure is detachable.
[0011] The present invention further explains that the cutting edge processing power head also includes a limiting member, one end of which is fixedly connected to the housing, and the other end is fixed inside the housing structure. The housing is installed on the spindle of the CNC machining center.
[0012] A low-damage edge trimming system for composite materials includes an edge trimming power head, a CNC machining center, and a controller. The edge trimming power head is used to simultaneously process both ends of the side of the composite material to be processed. The CNC machining center is used to drive the edge trimming power head, and the spindle of the CNC machining center is rotated inside the housing. The controller is communicatively connected to the CNC machining center and stores the processing program, parameter data of the composite material to be processed, and tool parameter information.
[0013] The present invention further explains that the three-dimensional axial parameters are determined by the controller, and the height direction of the composite material to be processed is defined as the Z-axis, the feed direction of the milling cutter is defined as the X-axis, and the axis direction of the milling cutter is defined as the Y-axis; The height of the composite material to be processed is H, the projection height of the end face of the first milling cutter on the composite material to be processed is H1, and the projection height of the end face of the second milling cutter on the composite material to be processed is H2.
[0014] The present invention further explains that the controller controls the spindle of the CNC machining center to drive the edge-cutting power head to adjust its posture, so that the axis connecting the first and second milling cutters is inclined with the X-axis, with an included angle of α. The projections of the lowest point A' of the end face of the first milling cutter and the highest point A of the second milling cutter are both within the processing area of the composite material to be processed, and H1+H2>H. This causes the cutting areas of the first and second milling cutters to overlap in the Z-axis direction and completely cover their processing area. Therefore, the edge-cutting power head can complete the edge-cutting of the composite material with one feed along the X-axis direction, without secondary processing, thereby improving processing efficiency and ensuring the stability of edge-cutting quality.
[0015] This invention further illustrates a low-damage edge trimming method for composite materials, the steps of which are as follows: S1: Fix the trimming power head onto the spindle and housing of the CNC machining center; S2: Fix the composite material to be processed onto the machining platform of the CNC machining center; S3: The controller controls the spindle of the CNC machining center to drive the cutting head to adjust its posture, so that the angle between the axis connecting the first and second milling cutters and the X-axis is α, and the projections of the lowest point A' of the end face of the first milling cutter and the highest point A of the second milling cutter are both within the processing area of the composite material to be processed, and H1+H2>H; S4: The controller acquires the spatial coordinates of the composite material to be processed and the first and second milling cutters. The controller controls the spindle to drive the cutting head to move to the initial processing position and completes the cutting according to the set parameters and route.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are: This invention employs a first cutting edge structure and a second cutting edge structure to simultaneously mill the upper and lower side edges of the composite material to be processed. The two cutting edges rotate in opposite directions. By controlling the rotation direction and feed direction of the milling cutters, it can be ensured that the cutting forces F1 and F2 at the upper and lower ends of the composite material are directed towards the inside of the material, thereby avoiding the occurrence of delamination or burrs inside the composite material. At the same time, the two milling cutters process together, and the cutting edge processing can be completed in one transverse feed, which is low in cost and high in processing efficiency. This invention employs a transmission mechanism to transmit the rotation of the first connecting shaft to the second connecting shaft, enabling the first and second milling cutters to rotate synchronously. Furthermore, the gear transmission characteristics ensure that the first and second milling cutters rotate in opposite directions. Therefore, using two ordinary milling cutters of the same model can direct the cutting force on both the upper and lower sides toward the interior of the composite material being processed, avoiding defects such as delamination. The gear transmission ensures the synchronous stability of the rotation of the first and second milling cutters, further improving the quality of edge trimming.
[0017] In the machining system of this invention, the axis connecting the first and second milling cutters is inclined to the X-axis. The projections of the lowest point A' of the end face of the first milling cutter and the highest point A of the second milling cutter are both within the processing area of the composite material to be processed, and H1+H2>H. This allows the cutting areas of the first and second milling cutters to overlap in the Z-axis direction and completely cover their processing area. Therefore, the cutting head can complete the cutting of the composite material with one feed along the X-axis direction without secondary processing, thus improving processing efficiency and ensuring the stability of the cutting quality. Attached Figure Description
[0018] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the composite material edge-cutting mechanism of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the composite material edge-cutting mechanism of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the edge-cutting method for the composite material of the present invention; In the figure: 1. Housing; 2. First connecting shaft; 3. First gear; 4. Second connecting shaft; 5. Second gear; 6. Second milling cutter; 7. Outer shell structure; 7-1. First housing; 7-2. Second housing; 8. First milling cutter; 9. Composite material to be processed; 10. Limiting component. Detailed Implementation
[0019] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.
[0021] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.
[0022] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.
[0023] Please see Figures 1-2 The present invention provides a low-damage cutting power head for composite material cutting, comprising a first cutting structure, a second cutting structure, a transmission structure and a housing structure 7; The first cutting structure includes a first connecting shaft 2, the upper end of which is connected to the spindle of a CNC machining center and rotates under the drive of the spindle. The lower end of the first connecting shaft 2 is connected to a first milling cutter 8 via a tool holder. The first cutting structure is used to mill one end of the side of the composite material 9 to be processed. The second cutting structure includes a second connecting shaft 4, the lower end of which is connected to a second milling cutter 6 via a tool holder; the second cutting structure is used to mill the other end of the side of the composite material 9 to be processed. The transmission mechanism is located inside the outer shell structure 7, and one end of the transmission mechanism is connected to the first connecting shaft 2, and the other end of the transmission mechanism is connected to the second connecting shaft 4. Therefore, the first connecting shaft 2 drives the second connecting shaft 4 to rotate in the opposite direction through the transmission mechanism. The first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6 are of the same type, and the axes of the first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6 are arranged in parallel. The axes of the first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6 are perpendicular to the plane where the cutting area is located. In addition, the first connecting shaft 2 axially passes through the left side of the outer shell structure 7 and is rotatably connected inside the outer shell structure 7 through a bearing, while the second connecting shaft 4 is axially fixed to the right side of the outer shell structure 7 through a bearing. The first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6 have opposite rotation directions, and the bottom edges of the first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6 are used simultaneously to mill both ends of the side of the composite material 9 to be machined. By controlling the rotation direction and feed direction of the milling cutters, the cutting forces F1 and F2 at both ends of the composite material are ensured to be directed towards the inside of the material, thereby avoiding delamination or burrs inside the composite material. At the same time, the two milling cutters work together, and the edge cutting can be completed in one transverse feed, which is low in cost and high in processing efficiency.
[0024] Furthermore, the transmission structure includes a first gear 3 and a second gear 5. The first gear 3 is fixedly sleeved on the outer surface of the first connecting shaft 2 and rotates synchronously under the drive of the first connecting shaft 2. The second gear 5 meshes with the first gear 3 and is fixedly sleeved on the outer surface of the second connecting shaft 4. The transmission mechanism of the present invention transmits the rotation of the first connecting shaft 2 to the second connecting shaft 4, so that the first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6 rotate synchronously in opposite directions. Therefore, the present invention can use two ordinary milling cutters of the same type to direct the cutting force on both sides toward the interior of the composite material 9 to be processed, avoiding defects such as delamination. At the same time, the use of gear transmission can ensure the synchronous stability of the rotation of the first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6, further improving the edge cutting quality.
[0025] Furthermore, a composite material low-damage edge cutting power head also includes a limiting member 10. One end of the limiting member 10 is fixed to the housing 1 of the spindle of the CNC machining center, and the other end is fixed inside the outer shell structure 7. The limiting member 10 limits the outer shell structure 7, thereby ensuring that the outer shell structure 7 does not rotate with the spindle and ensuring machining stability.
[0026] The outer shell structure 7 includes a first shell 7-1 and a second shell 7-2 arranged symmetrically. The first shell 7-1 and the second shell 7-2 are connected by a connector to form an internal accommodating cavity. The transmission mechanism, part of the first connecting shaft 2 and part of the second connecting shaft 4 are arranged in the accommodating cavity. The outer shell structure 7 is detachable, which facilitates subsequent maintenance and repair of its internal transmission mechanism.
[0027] A low-damage edge trimming system for composite materials includes the aforementioned edge trimming power head, as well as a CNC machining center and a controller; the system is configured to perform edge trimming operations on the composite material 9 to be processed. The spindle of the CNC machining center is rotatably mounted inside the housing 1, wherein the first connecting shaft 2 is fixedly connected to the spindle of the CNC machining center; The controller is connected to the CNC machining center and stores the machining program, parameter data of the composite material 9 to be machined, and tool parameter information.
[0028] This invention uses a machining system to trim the edges of the composite material 9 to be processed. However, if the line connecting the axes of the two milling cutters is set parallel to the feed direction of the milling cutters, the machining area of the two milling cutters cannot cover the entire height of the composite material to be processed. To solve the above problem, see [reference needed]. Figure 3 The controller determines the three-dimensional axial parameters, defines the height direction of the composite material 9 to be processed as the Z-axis, the milling cutter feed direction as the X-axis, the milling cutter axis direction as the Y-axis, and the height of the composite material 9 to be processed as H; the projection height of the end face of the first milling cutter 8 on the composite material 9 to be processed is H1, and the projection height of the end face of the second milling cutter 6 on the composite material 9 to be processed is H2, that is, the milling cutter is used to perform the upper and lower edge cutting of the side of the composite material.
[0029] The controller of this invention controls the spindle of the CNC machining center to adjust the orientation of the machining mechanism, so that the axis connecting the first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6 in the machining system is inclined with the X-axis, with an included angle of α. The projections of the lowest point A' of the end face of the first milling cutter 8 and the highest point A of the second milling cutter 6 are both within the machining area of the composite material 9 to be processed, and H1+H2>H. As a result, the cutting areas of the first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6 overlap in the Z-axis direction and completely cover their machining area. Therefore, the edge cutting power head can complete the edge cutting of the composite material with one feed along the X-axis direction without secondary processing, thereby improving processing efficiency and ensuring the stability of edge cutting quality.
[0030] This invention also provides a low-damage edge trimming method for composite materials, applied to the aforementioned composite material edge trimming system, specifically including the following steps: S1: Fix the trimming power head onto the spindle and its housing 1 of the CNC machining center; S2: Fix the composite material 9 to be processed onto the processing platform of the CNC machining center; A clamping mechanism can be used to fix the composite material 9 to be processed; S3: The controller controls the spindle of the CNC machining center to drive the cutting head to adjust its posture, so that the angle between the axis connecting the first milling cutter 8 and the second milling cutter 6 and the X-axis is α, and the projections of the lowest point A' of the end face of the first milling cutter 8 and the highest point A of the second milling cutter 6 are both within the processing area of the composite material 9 to be processed, and H1+H2>H. S4: The controller acquires the spatial coordinates of the composite material 9 to be processed, the first milling cutter 8, and the second milling cutter 6. The controller controls the spindle to drive the cutting head to move to the initial processing position and completes the cutting process according to the set parameters and route.
[0031] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0032] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A low-damage cutting power head for composite material edge processing, characterized in that: The cutting head includes: The first cutting edge structure includes a first connecting shaft (2) and a first milling cutter (8) connected to the lower end of the first connecting shaft (2). The upper end of the first connecting shaft (2) is connected to the spindle of the CNC machining center. A housing (1) is installed on the spindle of the CNC machining center. The second cutting edge structure includes a second connecting shaft (4) and a second milling cutter (6) connected to the lower end of the second connecting shaft (4). The first and second cutting edge structures are used to simultaneously mill both sides of the composite material (9) to be processed; and The outer shell structure (7) has an internal cavity, and a transmission mechanism is installed inside the cavity. The first connecting shaft (2) drives the second connecting shaft (4) to rotate in the opposite direction through the transmission mechanism. The axes of the first milling cutter (8) and the second milling cutter (6) are perpendicular to the plane where the cutting area is located.
2. The composite material low-damage edge cutting power head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first milling cutter (8) and the second milling cutter (6) are arranged with parallel axes and are of the same type.
3. The composite material low-damage edge cutting power head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connecting shaft (2) axially passes through one side of the outer shell structure (7) and is rotatably connected inside the outer shell structure (7) by a bearing, while the second connecting shaft (4) is axially fixed to the other side of the outer shell structure (7) by a bearing.
4. The composite material low-damage edge cutting power head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission structure includes a first gear (3) and a second gear (5). The first gear (3) is fixedly sleeved on the outer surface of the first connecting shaft (2) and rotates synchronously under the drive of the first connecting shaft (2). The second gear (5) meshes with the first gear (3) and is fixedly sleeved on the outer surface of the second connecting shaft (4).
5. The composite material low-damage edge cutting power head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shell structure (7) includes a first shell (7-1) and a second shell (7-2) arranged symmetrically. The transmission mechanism, part of the first connecting shaft (2) and part of the second connecting shaft (4) are arranged in the accommodating cavity. The outer shell structure (7) is detachable.
6. A low-damage cutting power head for composite materials according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: It also includes a limiting member (10), one end of which is fixedly connected to the housing (1) and the other end is fixed inside the outer shell structure (7). The housing (1) is installed on the spindle of the CNC machining center.
7. A low-damage edge trimming system for composite materials, comprising at least one power head for low-damage edge trimming of composite materials as described in any one of claims 1-6, for simultaneously trimming both ends of the side edge of the composite material (9) to be processed, characterized in that: Also includes: A CNC machining center is used to drive the cutting head, and the spindle of the CNC machining center is rotatably disposed inside the housing (1); as well as The controller is connected to the CNC machining center and stores the machining program, parameter data of the composite material (9) to be processed, and tool parameter information.
8. The composite material low-damage edge trimming system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The controller determines the three-dimensional axial parameters, and defines the height direction of the composite material (9) to be processed as the Z-axis, the milling cutter feed direction as the X-axis, and the milling cutter axis direction as the Y-axis. The height of the composite material (9) to be processed is H, the projection height of the end face of the first milling cutter (8) on the composite material (9) to be processed is H1, and the projection height of the end face of the second milling cutter (6) on the composite material (9) to be processed is H2.
9. The composite material low-damage edge trimming system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The controller controls the spindle of the CNC machining center to drive the cutting head to adjust its posture, so that the axis connecting the first milling cutter (8) and the second milling cutter (6) is inclined to the X-axis with an angle of α. The projections of the lowest point A' of the end face of the first milling cutter (8) and the highest point A of the second milling cutter (6) are both within the processing area of the composite material (9) to be processed, and H1+H2>H.
10. A method for low-damage edge trimming of composite materials, implemented based on the low-damage edge trimming system for composite materials as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The steps are as follows: S1: Fix the cutting head to the spindle and housing (1) of the CNC machining center; S2: Fix the composite material (9) to be processed on the processing platform of the CNC machining center; S3: The controller controls the spindle of the CNC machining center to drive the cutting head to adjust its posture, so that the angle between the axis connecting the first milling cutter (8) and the second milling cutter (6) and the X-axis is α, and the projections of the lowest point A' of the end face of the first milling cutter (8) and the highest point A of the second milling cutter (6) are both within the processing area of the composite material (9) to be processed, and H1+H2>H; S4: The controller obtains the spatial coordinates of the composite material to be processed (9) and the first milling cutter (8) and the second milling cutter (6). The controller controls the spindle to drive the cutting head to move to the initial processing position and completes the cutting according to the set parameters and route.