Tool system having tool components for configuring honing tools, and production method

Abstract

A tool system with tool components for configuring honing tools with different effective diameter ranges comprises at least one tool body (100-3) defining a tool axis (112) and having an axial bore (114) arranged coaxially to the tool axis (112) for receiving an infeed element, as well as a plurality of transverse bores (130) aligned transversely to the tool axis and open to the axial bore, each for receiving a guide pin (160), wherein the transverse bores (130) form a plurality of bore groups distributed over the circumference of the tool body, each having at least two transverse bores (130) arranged at an axial distance from one another; a plurality of sets of support bar units with guide pins (160) of different lengths from set to set for insertion into transverse bores of a bore group;and at least one set of bolt guide elements (410) which are designed to be mounted on the tool body, wherein a set of bolt guide elements has, for each of the transverse bores provided for receiving a guide bolt, a bolt guide element (410) with a guide bore formed therein which, when the bolt guide element is mounted on the tool body, runs coaxially with the transverse bore (130);

Description

FIELD OF APPLICATION AND STATE OF THE ART

[0001] The invention relates to a tool system with tool components for configuring honing tools with different effective diameter ranges and to a method for producing a honing tool.

[0002] Honing is a machining process using geometrically indeterminate cutting edges. During a honing operation, a honing tool is moved up and down or back and forth within the bore to be machined to generate a reciprocating motion in the axial direction of the bore, and simultaneously rotated to generate a rotary motion superimposed on the reciprocating motion. The cutting pads attached to the honing tool are pressed against the inner surface to be machined via a feed system with a feed force. Honing typically creates a cross-ground pattern on the inner surface, typical of honing, with intersecting machining marks, also known as "honing marks."

[0003] Honing tools are available for a wide variety of different machining tasks. While honing tools that are delivered fully pre-assembled by the manufacturer and may only cover a relatively small effective diameter range are often used for machining bores with relatively small or medium diameters (e.g., in the diameter range from approximately 1 mm to approximately 100 mm), there are also concepts with modular tool systems, particularly for machining larger diameters, that allow users to configure their own honing tools optimized for the intended machining task using coordinated tool components of a tool system.

[0004] Such tool systems are offered by various manufacturers. An example can be found on the website of the manufacturer Delapena at https: / / delapena.co.uk / honing-tooling / explained. The honing tools that can be configured using the tool system cover a total diameter range from 108 mm to 1222 mm and use standard components from the manufacturer. A honing head, comprising an elongated, cuboid-shaped tool body, fits directly onto the drive shaft of the processing machine and features a universal joint and a rotational expansion system. A toothed expanding rod is housed in an axial bore of the tool body as an infeed element. The tool body has several cross bores aligned perpendicular to the tool axis, each of which accommodates a guide pin of a support bar unit. The cross bores are open to the axial bore, so that when the honing tool is assembled, the guide pins can be in force-transmitting contact with the infeed element arranged in the axial bore.The cross holes form several groups of holes distributed around the circumference of the tool body, each with two cross holes arranged at an axial distance from one another. The tool components also include several sets of support bar units. The support bar units, which are attached to the tool body, each have two axially parallel guide pins on the side facing the tool body, which also have teeth. The interlocking of the teeth and the resulting rotation of the toothed expansion rod move the installed support bar units outwards or inwards. The support bar units suitable for a tool body differ only in the length of the guide pins and allow a specific effective diameter range to be covered with one and the same tool body and support bar units from a matching set.For larger bore diameters, the assembly described above (tool body with built-in feed element and inserted support bar units) is given additional rigidity by installing a carrier holder.

[0005] Assembling such a modular honing tool from tool components of the tool system proves to be relatively time-consuming due to the relatively complex design. The honing tools also require a relatively long preparation time. Furthermore, honing tests often reveal a high level of noise and a tendency toward vibration, which, above a certain level, can also lead to deterioration in the quality of the honed surfaces. TASK AND SOLUTION

[0006] The invention is based on the object of providing a tool system with tool components for configuring honing tools, whereby honing tools covering a relatively wide range of effective diameters can be assembled using relatively few different tool components. The honing tools assembled with the tool components of the tool system should ensure trouble-free honing operation, even with large effective diameters, without vibrations that would be detrimental to the honing result, so that honing processes can be carried out reliably and honed surfaces of high quality can be produced. Furthermore, the production of the tool components should be cost-effective and resource-efficient, and assembly should be quick and reliable even for inexperienced users.

[0007] To achieve these objects, the invention provides a tool system having the features of claim 1. Furthermore, a method for producing a honing tool having the features of claim 14 is provided. Advantageous further developments are specified in the dependent claims. The wording of all claims is incorporated into the description by reference.

[0008] A tool system according to the claimed invention comprises tool components for configuring honing tools with different effective diameter ranges. The term "effective diameter" refers to the minimum diameter of an enveloping cylinder that encloses the abrasive cutting surfaces of the honing stones at a given radial feed position. The effective diameter can be varied by means of the feed system within design and technological limits. It is therefore an expandable or expandable honing tool.

[0009] The tool components include at least one tool body, which defines a tool axis. The tool body forms the basis of a honing tool to be constructed with it. The tool axis corresponds to the axis around which the honing tool is to rotate during a honing operation. Coupling structures can be provided at a machine-side end of the tool body, enabling the honing tool to be coupled to an adapter, a drive rod, or a tool spindle of a processing machine.

[0010] An axial bore arranged coaxially to the tool axis is formed in the tool body for accommodating an (internal) feed element of a feed system. Using the feed system, the current effective diameter of the honing tool can be changed during operation via the machine tool. This makes it an expandable or widenable honing tool, preferably with a continuously variable effective diameter.

[0011] Furthermore, the tool body is provided with a plurality of transverse bores aligned transversely to the tool axis, which are open to the axial bore and are each designed to receive a guide pin of a support bar unit to be inserted therein. The transverse bores form a plurality of bore groups distributed around the circumference of the tool body, each with at least two transverse bores arranged at an axial distance from one another. Preferably, an even number of bore groups evenly distributed around the circumference is provided; for example, four bore groups can be provided, each offset by 90° around the circumference. Other pitches are possible, e.g., with three, five, six, seven, or eight bore groups, which can be evenly or unevenly distributed around the circumference.

[0012] The tool system further comprises a plurality of support bar units that fit the tool body or can be used on the tool body. Each support bar unit has a support bar that has at least two guide pins insertable into the transverse bores of a bore group on an inner side facing the tool body, and is designed to support at least one honing bar on an opposite outer side.

[0013] In the support bar units that fit the tool body, the center distance of the guide pins corresponds to the center distance of associated transverse bores of a bore group. A tool body of the tool system includes two or more sets of support bar units. The components of the tool system thus comprise a first set of support bar units and at least one second set of support bar units. Each set of support bar units comprises a number of support bar units corresponding to the number of bore groups, which are preferably nominally identical to one another. Support bar units of the first set have first guide pins with a first length, and support bar units of the second set have second guide pins with a second length, wherein the second length is greater than the first length.

[0014] Support bar units of different sets therefore differ at least with regard to the length of the guide pins, so that by selecting a suitable set of support bar units it is possible to specify which effective diameter range a honing tool can cover.

[0015] When assembling the honing tool, the support bar units of a set are attached to the tool body, distributed around the circumference, by inserting the guide pins provided on the support bars into the designated transverse bore of the tool body. When the feed element is inserted into the axial bore, they are then in mechanical contact with the tool body, so that a working movement of the feed element causes the support bar units to advance.

[0016] If the support bar units from the set with the shortest guide pins are used, the lower limit diameter of the corresponding effective diameter range can be set with the support bar units fully retracted. However, if the support bar units from the set with the longest guide pins are used with the tool body unchanged, the upper limit of the effective diameter range that can be achieved with the same tool body can be reached.

[0017] A special feature of the tool system is that the tool system comprises at least one set of bolt guide elements assigned to the tool body, which are designed for mounting or fastening to the tool body, wherein a set of bolt guide elements has a bolt guide element for each of the transverse bores provided for receiving a guide bolt with a guide bore formed therein, which runs coaxially with the transverse bore when the bolt guide element is firmly mounted on the tool body.

[0018] Preferably, the number of bolt guide elements corresponds at least to the number of cross holes, so that one bolt guide element is available for each of the cross holes. However, it is possible that not all cross holes are used. For example, a support bar unit may have only two guide pins, even though a hole group has three usable cross holes. The number of guide pins is conveniently defined depending on the cutting bar length to ensure stability and process reliability.

[0019] The bolt guide elements are tool components of the tool system that can be manufactured and kept separately from the tool body and that can be attached to a tool body if required in order to achieve more stable guidance when using longer guide bolts.

[0020] Bolt guide elements can be configured so that the connection to the tool body is structurally detachable, or so that the bolt guide elements can be easily established and released again as needed, for example, by the end user, without damaging the tool body or the bolt guide element. A screw connection can be provided for this purpose. It is also possible to attach or fasten bolt guide elements to a tool body in such a way that they remain permanently on the tool body. In this case, a tool body can be extended using the bolt guide elements, so that a modified multi-part tool body unit is created on the basis of a tool body by attaching the bolt guide elements.

[0021] A bolt guide element attached to the tool body provides a mechanically stable and resilient bolt guide with its guide bore, which is located at a greater distance from the tool axis than the corresponding cross bore in the tool body.

[0022] Using the components of such a set of stud guide elements, it is possible to cover not only the effective diameter range resulting from the use of the "bare" tool body (without attached stud guide elements) using the same tool body, but also to use support bar units with even longer guide pins without instability occurring when the corresponding support bar unit is fully extended due to excessive free length of the extended guide pins. This allows the available effective diameter range of honing tools, which can be constructed with one and the same type of tool body, to be expanded to larger effective diameters without resulting in instabilities in the honing tool, which could lead to critical vibrations and other malfunctions.

[0023] This results in a honing process with significantly reduced vibration and noise compared to the state of the art across the entire available effective diameter range, including larger effective diameters. At the same time, the number of different tool bodies required to cover a given effective diameter range can be reduced. While traditionally a relatively fine gradation of differently sized tool bodies and, if necessary, additional components for reinforcement or stiffening were necessary to seamlessly cover a certain effective diameter range, the required number of tool bodies of different dimensions can be reduced thanks to the provision of the bolt guide elements, as at least two different guide functions in the area of ​​the cross bores can be realized with one and the same tool body.

[0024] It is possible for the guide holes in the bolt guide elements to have the same diameter as the corresponding cross holes. This allows the effective guide length for the guide bolts to be extended outward, allowing a guide bolt to be guided in both the cross hole and the adjacent guide hole.

[0025] According to a further development, however, it is provided that the diameter of the first guide pins (i.e. the first diameter) is adapted to the diameter of the transverse bores in the tool body in such a way that a sliding guide for the first guide pins can be created or is formed in the transverse bores of the tool body, and that the diameter of the second guide pins (second diameter) is smaller than the first diameter and adapted to a diameter of the guide bore of a bolt guide element in such a way that a sliding guide for the second guide pins can be created or is formed in the respective bolt guide elements. In this solution, the second guide pins, which are longer than the first guide pins, are only guided in the area of ​​the guide bores of the bolt guide elements, while they sit with play in the associated transverse bores but are not guided there.In this design, the longer second guide pins are only guided in the area of ​​the pin guide elements attached to the tool body and are therefore shifted outwards in relation to the tool axis. In this design, no constraining forces are exerted on the guided second guide pins, so that jamming of the second guide pins is systematically avoided, resulting in permanently smooth and reliable guidance of the longer second guide pins. By shifting the effective guide outwards, it can be achieved that the maximum overhang length of the longer guide pins remains relatively short during the infeed of the support bar units, so that the leverage under the influence of the machining forces is also limited and sufficient mobility of the second guide pins is always maintained for the infeed.The diameter differences between short and long guide pins can be small, ranging from approximately 500 µm to approximately 1000 µm, for example. The diameter differences may not be noticeable when viewed with the naked eye.

[0026] There are different ways of providing the bolt guide elements for mounting on the tool body. According to one development, (at least) one elongated guide holder is provided for each of the bore groups, which guide holder has a number of bolt guide elements that corresponds to the number of cross bores in a bore group and are connected to one another. In particular, it can be a one-piece component, i.e. made from a single piece of material. Such guide holders offer, among other things, the advantage that the center distances between the guide bores provided in the guide holder can be maintained with a high degree of positioning accuracy during production, so that when an elongated guide holder is attached to the tool body, each of the guide bores formed in the guide holder can be attached exactly coaxially with the associated cross bore on the tool body, within the framework of the small manufacturing tolerances.

[0027] According to a further development, a guide holder comprises mounting structures for establishing a detachable connection with the tool body. This makes it possible to use one and the same tool body or one and the same type of tool body for at least two different diameter ranges. For the smaller diameter range, which encompasses the lower limit of the total effective diameter range, the tool body is used without attached guide holders. If a larger effective diameter range is to be used, the guide holders are attached to the tool body and the support rail units with the longer guide pins (second support rail units) are used.

[0028] It is possible to assign only one set of guide holders to a tool body, so that only exactly two different effective diameter ranges can be used. However, it is also possible to assign at least two sets of guide holders to a tool body, each with guide bores of different lengths. In this case, it is also possible to realize at least three different effective diameter ranges with one and the same tool body in conjunction with at least three sets of support rails with different guide pin lengths.

[0029] In other embodiments, a set of bolt guide elements comprises a separate column-like extension piece for each of the transverse bores, which is also referred to in this application as a "guide column." The length of such a guide column, measured parallel to the guide bore contained therein, is preferably greater than the diameter of the guide bore contained therein.

[0030] It is possible to adapt the bolt guide elements of a set and the corresponding tool bodies to each other so that the bolt guide elements can be attached to or removed from the tool body as needed. Screw connections or similar devices can be provided for this purpose. It is also possible to use sets of bolt guide elements to prepare two or more base components or multi-part tool body units for different effective diameters at the manufacturer's site, starting from one and the same tool body type, by permanently attaching the corresponding bolt guide elements to a tool body, for example, by welding, soldering, gluing, or similar methods.

[0031] Such a permanent connection between the tool body and the bolt guide elements can also be provided if the bolt guide elements are grouped together to form guide holders.

[0032] The described possibilities for improving the guidance of feed movements in support rail units with guide pins of different lengths can be realized in conjunction with different feed concepts. For example, it is possible to use this technological approach to optimize tool systems of the type mentioned above (with feed systems with a rack and toothed guide pins).

[0033] In preferred embodiments, however, the transverse bores are designed as radial bores directed radially to the tool axis. This results, among other things, in a better distribution of forces in the honing tool when the support bar units are advanced during operation.

[0034] According to a further development, the feed element comprises several, i.e., two, three, or more axially offset conical sections with inclined surfaces, and the guide pins have complementary inclined surfaces at their free ends. This allows an axial movement of the feed element within the axial bore to be converted into a radial movement of the guide pins or support bar units via the contacting inclined surfaces. The inventors assume that this type of feed contributes to the honing tools being significantly less prone to vibration during operation than the conventional honing tools mentioned above.

[0035] Many processing machines are prepared for the use of the conventional honing tools mentioned above in such a way that the machine-side elements of the feed system are designed to rotate the feed element mounted in the tool body around the tool axis. In order to be able to use honing tools or tool bodies of the type described here (with an axially movable feed element) on such processing machines without conversion, preferred embodiments provide for the feed element to have an axial bore with an internal thread in a machine-side end section and for devices to secure the feed element against twisting within the axial guide opening. This makes the honing tool connectable to conventional systems or compatible with drive elements of existing systems, since the feed system can operate with rotary expansion.

[0036] The previously described configurations of tool systems of the type first described in this application offer, among other advantages, the possibility of expanding the total available effective diameter range without a comparable increase in the weight of the honing tool. In some embodiments, special measures are also provided on the tool body to support weight optimization without compromising functionality.

[0037] In some embodiments, the tool body is a one-piece component that has alternating tube sections in the axial direction with a wall thickness that is essentially constant in the circumferential direction and cross-bore sections that contain cross-bores located therebetween. In the cross-bore sections, each of the cross-bores is formed in an outwardly projecting column section such that a bore length of the cross-bores is greater than an average wall thickness in the tube sections, in particular by at least 20%, at least 30%, or at least 40% greater, possibly even approximately twice as large. This design approach results in a weight-optimized structure in which tool body sections that project correspondingly far outwards are provided on the tool body only where relatively long guide bores are required.

[0038] The column sections have in common that the cross bores of the tool body are arranged within them. The external shape of the column sections can vary. In some embodiments, the column sections are essentially sleeve-shaped, resulting in a cylindrical outer shape and the cross bore is partially guided within a sleeve protruding outward from the tool body. However, a column section can also have a rectangular outer contour. This makes it particularly easy to manufacture precision surfaces on the tool body that serve as contact surfaces for bolt guide elements (individual guide columns or integrated in the guide holder) to be attached to the tool body.

[0039] The tool system already offers a multitude of different possible applications based on the tool components described so far. According to a further development, the flexibility of use is further increased by the fact that the tool components comprise a plurality of interchangeable units that can be interchangeably mounted on a support bar of a support bar unit and each have a bar-shaped adapter plate that has receiving structures on one side for receiving at least one honing bar and connecting elements of a connecting device for detachably connecting the adapter plate or the interchangeable unit to a support bar on an opposite mounting side. If such interchangeable units are provided, it is particularly easy and convenient for an end user to equip the honing tools with cutting surfaces that are optimally adapted to the machining task.

[0040] Preferably, the tool system comprises sets of adapter plates with different thicknesses or heights. This makes it possible to cover at least two different effective diameter ranges with one and the same support bar unit.

[0041] In order to facilitate a precise assembly of the cutting pads on the components of the honing tool that support them, the support bars in some embodiments have at least two through holes that are arranged at a distance from one another and run through from the outside to the inside, and the exchange unit has connecting elements in the form of pins that can be inserted into the respective through opening without play, wherein the pins preferably have a threaded section for producing a screw connection between the exchange unit and the support bar unit.

[0042] The honing stone is the element that has the cutting coating. In honing tools, the cutting coating essentially consists of irregularly shaped cutting grains of different shapes and sizes, which are bonded within a bond system. By selecting the type of cutting coating, a honing tool can be precisely adapted to the desired machining task. Cutting grains can be, for example, diamond grains or grains made of cubic boron nitride (CBN). Cutting grains can also be made of corundum and / or other types of ceramic materials, such as SiC. The bond can be made of a ceramic material or synthetic resin, for example. Metallic bond systems, such as electroplated bonds or sintered bonds, are also possible, as are soldered bonds if necessary.

[0043] The honing stone may consist entirely of a cutting layer. For example, it may be a strip-shaped honing stone with a ceramic bond. In some designs, the honing stone is constructed in several parts and has a strip-shaped base plate that supports the cutting layer on one side. The base plate may be made of steel or another metallic material, for example. The cutting layer can be attached to the base plate by sintering, soldering, gluing, or by means of another adhesive layer. The base plate can provide additional mechanical stability to the honing stone or cutting layer.

[0044] The tool system offers a wide range of possible uses while requiring a relatively small number of different tool components. It is, in principle, possible to construct an entire tool system with a single type of tool body, since by simply using different sets of bolt guide elements in conjunction with appropriately adapted sets of support bar units, an end user can easily construct honing tools for several different effective diameter ranges, covering a relatively large total effective diameter range.

[0045] It is also possible for a tool system to have exactly two different tool bodies, the use of which, in conjunction with the tool components that can be attached to them, can make an even greater variety of different effective diameter ranges available. In a preferred variant, the tool system comprises exactly three differently dimensioned and designed types of tool bodies. These, in conjunction with the tool components that can be attached to them, can cover almost all conceivable machining tasks over a very large total effective diameter range. One embodiment of a modular tool system, for example, is designed for a total effective diameter range of approximately 110 mm to approximately 600 mm and requires exactly three differently designed tool bodies.

[0046] When using individual columnar stud guide elements to increase the available effective diameter range when using a specific tool body type, it may be desirable to additionally stabilize the overall assembly against deformations due to high process forces during honing. In conventional tool systems of the type mentioned above, cage-like sheet metal structures are provided for this purpose, which are intended to serve as a stiffening frame. According to a further development, the tool components comprise at least one set of annular stabilizing elements, the number of which corresponds to the number of transverse bores in a bore group and which comprise receiving bores distributed over the circumference for each receiving a columnar stud guide element.This ensures that the bolt guide elements attached to the tool body are not only stabilized by their fixed attachment to the tool body, but also by means of stabilizing rings at a greater distance from the tool axis near the free outer ends. The ring-shaped design of the stabilizing elements, which may also include material recesses to reduce weight, allows for additional mechanical stabilization of the honing tool against deformation tendencies caused by machining forces with minimal additional weight.

[0047] The tool system can further comprise components of a cooling lubricant supply system that can be optionally mounted on the tool body, in particular a connection and distribution ring that can be mounted on the tool body and in which a circumferential distribution channel is formed, as well as a plurality of nozzle tubes that communicate with the distribution channel and that can be mounted axially parallel to the tool axis and at a radial distance from the tool body, with nozzle openings for dispensing cooling lubricant.

[0048] The invention also relates to a method for producing a honing tool that can be produced or configured using tool components of the tool system. A tool body of appropriate dimensions of the type described here for the first time is selected, and an infeed element is inserted into the receiving bore. Furthermore, a set of support bar units is selected, each with a number of support bar units corresponding to the number of bore groups. Each support bar unit has a support bar that, on an inner side facing the tool body, has at least two guide pins that can be inserted into transverse bores of a bore group, and is designed to support at least one honing bar. At least one honing bar is attached to each of the support bar units.Either before or after this, the support bar units are mounted on the tool body, with the guide pins of the support bar units being inserted into the provided transverse bores. Tool components of the tool system according to the claimed invention are used to manufacture the honing tool. If necessary, these preferably also include suitable pin guide elements, which are present in the tool system, for example, in the form of guide holders or guide columns, and which enable an increase in the effective diameter range that can be reliably achieved with a specific tool body type. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Further advantages and aspects of the invention emerge from the claims and from the description of embodiments of the invention, which are explained below with reference to the figures. Fig. 1 to 3 show three tool bodies of an embodiment of a tool system in an oblique perspective; Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section through components of a honing tool which is produced using a tool body according to Fig. 1 is constructed; Fig. 5 shows an oblique perspective view of a variant in which components of a cooling lubricant supply system are mounted on the tool body; Figs. 6 to 9 show various views of support bar units which are used in conjunction with one of the tool bodies of the Fig. 1 to 3can be used, Fig. 10 and 11 show an oblique perspective view and a longitudinal section of an embodiment of a guide holder with integrated bolt guide elements for enlarging the usable effective diameter range; Fig. 12 shows a guide holder with an inserted support bar unit; Fig. 13 shows a longitudinal section of a region of the honing tool in which a guide holder is fastened to the tool body and a support bar unit is inserted into the combination of tool body and guide holder; Fig. 14 shows another tool holder with bolt guide elements fastened thereto; Figs. 15A to 15C show three examples for the design of a fixed, precisely positioned connection between a tool holder and a bolt guide element; Fig. 16 shows an oblique perspective view of a honing tool assembled using tool components of the tool system for honing bores with a relatively large diameter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0050] The following examples illustrate a modular tool system comprising a multitude of coordinated tool components that can be used to configure honing tools for different applications. This example shows a tool system that can be used to assemble honing tools that can cover a total effective diameter range of 110 mm to 600 mm. Other effective diameter ranges can, of course, also be covered using the same principles.

[0051] The modular honing tools shown in the examples are particularly suitable for machining deep, large-diameter bores, such as those found in pipeline pipes or cylinder liners for larger combustion engines. For reasons of clarity, the same reference numerals are generally used for functionally and / or structurally similar or identical components in all examples to avoid confusion.

[0052] The tool system comprises a total of exactly three differently designed tool bodies, which are Fig. 1 to 3 are shown in an oblique perspective, namely a first tool body 100-1 ( Fig. 1 and longitudinal section in Fig. 4 ), the second tool body 100-2 and the third tool body 100-3. As shown in Fig. 1 and the longitudinal section of Fig. 4As can be clearly seen, the tool body 100-1 defines a tool axis 112, which can also be referred to as the longitudinal center axis of the tool body and corresponds to the rotational axis of the honing tool during honing. Each of the tool bodies (general reference numeral 100) is manufactured in one piece from a relatively thick-walled steel tube using material-removing machining processes such as milling, turning, spark erosion, and, if necessary, finishing, etc., to form a stable base for the honing tool. However, a tool body can also be composed of several parts.

[0053] In the tool body, a cylindrical axial bore 114 is provided coaxially to the tool axis 112 over most of its length, extending from the machine-side end 116 to the free end 117 of the tool body. The axial bore serves as a receiving bore and guide bore for an internal tool feed element 120, which, in the example, comprises three axially spaced conical sections 122 with inclined surfaces for feeding support bar units, which will be explained later.

[0054] An axial bore with an internal thread 124 is formed in the machine-side end section of the feed element 120. A longitudinal groove extends along the outer side, into which a dowel pin engages to prevent rotation of the feed element 120. A set screw 128 with a wide head and a threaded portion with an external thread matching the internal thread 124 is screwed into the internal thread at the front end. Rotation of the set screw 128, for example, using an Allen key, causes an axial displacement of the feed element 120. This creates a rotary expansion that is compatible with many conventional drive and feed systems for larger honing tools.

[0055] The tool body 100-1 has twelve transverse bores (general reference numeral 130) aligned transversely to the tool axis 112, the bore axes 132 of which are each oriented radially to the tool axis 112, so that the transverse bores 130 are also referred to below as radial bores 130. The transverse bores or radial bores 130 extend from the outer side to the receiving bore 114 and form a total of four bore groups 135 evenly distributed over the circumference of the tool body, each with three radial bores 130 arranged parallel to the axis and equidistant from one another. A total of four bore groups, each circumferentially offset by 90°, are provided, each with three radial bores.

[0056] The tool body 100 is more or less tubular overall and has, in the axial direction, alternating tube sections 113 and transverse bore sections 115 containing transverse bores 130. In the region of the tube sections, the tool body has an average wall thickness corresponding to approximately 20% to 30% of the average outer diameter of the tool body in the wall sections. Within the transverse bore sections 115, an outwardly projecting column section 134 is formed for each of the transverse bores such that the bore length of a radial bore (transverse bore) 130, measured in the radial direction, is significantly greater than the average wall thickness, for example, approximately twice as large. The outwardly projecting column sections 134 have approximately the shape of cylindrical sleeves.The design with outwardly projecting column sections offers a weight-optimized design of the tool body, while at the same time the radial bores 130 offer relatively long guide lengths for the guide pins of support bar units, which will be explained later.

[0057] The tool system further includes a plurality of support bar units 150 that fit or can be used on the first tool body to configure a honing tool. Fig. 6 to 9A support bar unit 150 matching the first tool body is explained in more detail. It belongs to a first set of support bar units that fit into a first tool body 100-1. The support bar unit 150 comprises a steel support bar 155 with a flat rectangular cross-section and a length that is slightly greater than the length of the associated bore group 135. In the example, three cylindrical guide pins 160 are attached to the inner side of the support bar, which will later face the tool body. These are inserted with one end into corresponding fitting bores on the support bar 155 and secured there by soldering, welding, gluing, or the like. At their free ends, they have inclined surfaces 161 that correspond to the inclined surfaces of the conical sections 122 of the expansion element 120. The center distance of the axially parallel guide pins 160 corresponds to the center distances of the associated transverse bores 130.The bolts protrude from the support rail with an initial length L1. All guide bolts in a set of support rail units have the same length.

[0058] In addition to at least one set of such support rail units with relatively short guide pins, there is also at least a second set of support rail units whose guide pins have a greater free length and preferably also have a different guide cross-section or diameter.

[0059] In the example, a support bar unit 150 is a modular unit which, in addition to the support bar 155 with the guide pins 160 attached thereto, also has a flat adapter plate 170 which serves as a carrier for the honing stones 175 attached thereto and which has a flat rectangular groove on one side for receiving the honing stones (cf. Fig. 9). The outer rectangular groove serves to accommodate one or more honing stones, which can be glued into the groove, for example. Two axially parallel through-holes 157 are provided in the support bar, each of which is arranged in the area between two guide bolts. The adapter plate 170 has sleeve-shaped projections 172 on its underside facing the support bar, which fit precisely into the through-holes 157 of the support bar, so that the adapter plate can be attached to the support bar in the correct position. The connection between the adapter plate 170 and the support bar 155 is easily removable due to its design. For this purpose, an internal thread is provided in the area of ​​the projections 172 of the adapter plate 170, into which the external thread of a threaded section of a fastening screw 175 fits, so that, as shown in Fig. 7As shown, the adapter plate 170 can be securely and correctly positioned, yet detachably attached to the support bar using a screw connection. This allows for particularly quick and convenient replacement of honing stones, for example, after wear, while maintaining the correct position of the honing stones. The use of only two screws allows for quick replacement of the adapter plate.

[0060] Using the first tool body 100-1 and four identical support bar units of the type shown in Fig. 6In the manner shown with the short guide pins 160, a honing tool can be constructed that can be used for honing within a first effective diameter range. For this purpose, the three guide pins 160 of a support bar unit are each inserted radially into the three associated radial bores 130 of a bore group 135 and pushed inward until the inclined surfaces 161 of the guide pins rest on the inclined surfaces of the expansion cones 122 of the feed element 120. With the help of tension springs that engage hook sections of the support bar units, the support bar units are preloaded radially onto the expansion cones and can be fed radially outwards upon axial movement of the feed element towards the free end.

[0061] In order to ensure a play-free yet smooth radial guidance of the movement of the support bar units 150, the diameters DF1 of the cylindrical first guide pins 160 are adapted to the diameters DR1 of the transverse bores in the first tool body (also referred to as first diameters) in such a way that a radial sliding guide of the guide pins 160 is formed in the tool body.

[0062] Using the first tool body 100-1, honing tools can also be configured that are suitable for a larger effective diameter range than those that can be achieved using the support bars 150 with the shortest guide pins. For this purpose, at least one set of support bars can be assigned to the selected first tool body 100-1, which basically has the same structure as the support bar 150 of the Figs. 6 and 7, but the guide pins (second guide pin 160L) protrude from the support bar over a larger second length L2. For illustration, Fig. 7 On the left, a second guide pin 160L with length L2 is shown with dashed lines.

[0063] These guide pins could have the same guide cross-section or diameter DF1 as the first guide pins 160 and be guided directly in the transverse bores 130 of the first tool body 100-1. However, during radial outward feed, the problem may arise that the overhang length of the guide pins becomes relatively large, resulting in instability of the honing tool under the process forces at a large overhang, which may lead to vibrations or other disturbance phenomena.

[0064] To avoid such problems, the tool system comprises at least one set of bolt guide elements 210 adapted to the first tool body 100-1 so that they can be mounted or fastened thereto. Such a set of bolt guide elements has a guide bore 212 for each transverse bore or radial bore 130 of the tool body, which, when the bolt guide element is fastened to the tool body, runs coaxially with the corresponding transverse bore.

[0065] A possible design of the bolt guide elements is now shown based on the Fig. 10 to 13 explained in more detail. The Figs. 10 and 11show, in an oblique perspective and a longitudinal section, an embodiment of an elongated guide holder 200, which is a component made separately from the tool body, preferably in one piece, made of suitable steel. The guide holder 200 comprises three bolt guide elements 210, which are interconnected via a strip-shaped connecting piece 215. A through-hole 212 is formed in each of the bolt guide elements 210, to which a substantially cylindrical, enlarged section 214 adjoins on the side facing away from the connecting strip. Furthermore, at least one through-hole 211 is formed in each bolt guide element for receiving and passing through a fastening screw.The inner diameter of the extended portion 214 is adapted to the outer diameter of the sleeve-shaped projections 134 in the transverse bore portions such that the guide holder 200 can be placed onto these column-like projections, wherein the column-like projections then engage in the extended portions 214 and thus ensure reliable positioning of the guide holder on the tool body.

[0066] The guide bores 212 within the bolt guide elements 210 run exactly axially parallel to one another within the manufacturing tolerances, with center distances that exactly correspond to the center distances of the transverse bores 130 of a bore group. If the guide holder 200 is placed onto the sleeve-shaped sections of a bore group and secured with the fastening screws, the axes of the guide bores 212 automatically run coaxially with the radial bores 130 with high precision.

[0067] Fig. 13shows a partial section through the free end of an assembled honing tool 300. The guide holder 200 is attached to the tool body 100-1 by fastening screws. In the configuration shown, a support bar unit 150 with second guide pins 160L is used, which are longer than the first guide pins, which can be used without the guide holder. The second guide pin extends through the guide opening 212 of the guide holder 200 and the radial bore, and its beveled end rests on the expansion cone.

[0068] A special feature here is that the guide diameter DF2 of the second guide pin 160L is slightly (e.g. a few tenths of a millimeter) smaller than the guide diameter DR1 of the shorter first guide pin 160. At the same time, the guide diameter DR2 of the guide bores 212 in the stud guide elements 210 is slightly smaller than the diameter DR1 of the transverse bores. This ensures that the longer guide pins 160L are guided exclusively in the guide bores 212 of the guide holder 200, but not in the slightly larger transverse bores 130 in the tool body. This avoids constraining forces between the tool body and guide holder. The reliable sliding guidance in the guide bore 121 of the stud guide elements 210 is located at a greater radial distance from the tool axis 112 than the guidance of the shorter guide pins, which takes place in the tool body itself.

[0069] The first tool body 100-1 can thus be used in at least two different configurations. If it is used "naked," i.e., without the attachment of bolt guide elements or guide holders, support rail units with short guide pins can be securely guided in the transverse bores 130. If support rail units with longer guide pins 160L are to be mounted and securely guided, a set of guide rails 200 (one for each bore group) is screwed to the tool body. This creates a modified tool body, so to speak, which is then suitable for guiding support rail units with longer guide pins at a greater distance from the tool axis in such a way that, even with the support rails fully extended, the overhang beyond the guide bore 212 remains so short that stable operation is possible even under high process forces.

[0070] The second tool body 100-2 has a similar structure to the first tool body 100-1, but is designed to produce honing tools that function reliably over a medium effective diameter range. The second tool body is also manufactured in one piece from a tubular semi-finished product, has an axial through-bore coaxial with the tool axis, and has four groups of bores, each circumferentially offset by 90°, each with three axially offset radial bores. The center distances are identical to the center distances of the first tool body. In contrast to the first tool body, the axial bore 114 has a larger diameter, and the wall thickness of the tubular sections is greater, thus ensuring high stability. In the transverse bore sections 115, the transverse bores 130, i.e., the radial bores 130, oriented radially to the tool axis, are formed at a greater distance from the tool axis.The sleeve-shaped projections 134 are seated on cuboid-shaped bases, so that relatively long guide lengths can be provided in the transverse bores at a greater distance from the tool axis 112.

[0071] If the second tool body 100-2 is used without attachments, support rail units with guide pins of different lengths can be used, similar to the first tool body. However, those with the shortest guide pins are longer than the shortest guide pins usable on the first tool body. If the diameter range is to be expanded to larger diameters, a guide holder 200 can be placed on each of the sleeve-shaped projections 134 as described above to shift the location of the radial guidance further outward.

[0072] It is also possible to use the second tool body 100-2 to create a modified tool body by attaching bolt guide elements that works for support rail units with relatively long guide bolts. For example, a guide holder of the type shown in the Fig. 10 to 13 shown type, in which all bolt guide elements 210 for a hole group are integrated into a single component.

[0073] Based on Fig. 14Another possibility is described in which a separate bolt guide element 310 is provided on the third tool body 100-3 for each radial bore 130. The third tool body 100-3 can be modified using twelve such bolt guide elements 310 such that, using this modified tool body, honing tools can be constructed for an effective diameter range whose lower and upper limits are shifted to larger diameter values ​​compared to the use of a "bare" second tool body.

[0074] The bolt guide elements 310 of this example are each fastened to the sleeve-shaped projections 134 of the individual radial bores such that the guide bore 312 formed in a bolt guide element runs coaxially with the corresponding radial bore 130. Similar to the first example, the guide bores 312 have a smaller diameter than the corresponding radial bores. The support rail units adapted to them have corresponding guide bolts with a diameter that, together with the guide bores 312, forms a sliding guide.

[0075] The individual bolt guide elements 310 are also referred to here as "guide columns" because they provide guidance for the guide bolts of the support bars and have a column-like structure with an axial length that is smaller than the diameter. The guide columns are positioned in the bores provided on the tool body with a fit and thread and are firmly connected to the tool body. A permanent connection can be achieved, for example, by welding, in particular laser welding, or by other means.

[0076] The guide pillars are very simple individual parts that can be manufactured from a material with special properties and without heat treatment. For example, tool steel or pre-hardened tool steel can be used. Fig. 15Ashows an example of a threadless guide column, which is inserted into the bore in the tool body with a tapered pin and then permanently connected to it by welding, gluing or similar. For the variants in the Fig. 15B and 15C Corresponding threaded sections are formed on the tool body and on the guide column in order to be able to screw the guide columns onto the tool body. In the variant of Fig. 15B The guide column has a tapered centering pin 311, which fits into a cylindrical recess on the tool body to secure its position and is connected to a threaded section. The screw connection can then be secured against accidental loosening, for example, with adhesive.

[0077] Based on Fig. 16An embodiment of a fully assembled honing tool 400 is shown, which was constructed using the third tool body 100-3. In contrast to the first and second tool bodies, this does not have outwardly projecting cylindrical sleeves on the individual radial bores, but rather outwardly projecting cuboid sections 434 into which a radially aligned stepped bore is made, the inner region of which forms the radial bore, to which a section of larger diameter adjoins on the outside, which merges at a radial step inwards to the radial bore. Matching individual bolt guide elements 410 or guide columns 410 are provided, which have a fastening section at the invisible inner end, to which a flange-like section 412 and a longer sleeve-shaped section 415 adjoin on the outside.The guide columns formed in this way are penetrated by a guide bore, which forms a sliding guide with the guide pin of the associated support units.

[0078] To ensure a smooth, vibration-free honing process despite the large effective diameter of the honing tool 400, the tool system also features sets of stabilizing rings 430, which can be attached to the circumference of the guide columns 410 as shown, thus enabling a low-vibration and reduced-noise honing process. Each stabilizing ring has four radial bores offset by 90° around the circumference, into which the outwardly projecting sleeve-shaped sections 415 of the guide columns fit essentially without play. Elongated holes are formed in the circumferential direction between the radial bores to achieve a weight reduction on the rings.

[0079] When assembling the honing tool 400, the guide pillars 410 are first inserted from the inside into the radial bores of the retaining rings 430 until the flange-like projection abuts the ring from the inside. The retaining ring with the attached guide pillars can then be pushed over the tool body. A separate stabilizing ring is provided for each transverse bore section. Once the stabilizing ring is correctly positioned, the inner fastening sections of the guide pillars 410 can be inserted into the receiving bores on the tool body and the guide pillars can then be fastened there. The four support bar units can then be attached to the honing tool by inserting the respective guide pins into the associated guide bores of the guide pillars 410 and the coaxial radial bores of a bore group until the inclined inner ends of the guide pins are in contact with the conical surfaces of the feed element.

[0080] The tool system further comprises, at least in the variant described below, tool components of a cooling lubricant supply system 180, which can optionally be attached to a tool body. In the example of Fig. 5The components are attached to the first tool body 100-1. They comprise a connection and distribution ring 182, in which a circumferential distribution channel is formed, which can be supplied with pressurized cooling lubricant via a connection piece (not shown). Four nozzle tubes 185 extend from the distribution channel, axially parallel to the tool axis 112 and at a radial distance from the tool body, to an annular holding element 183, which can be screwed onto the free end of the tool body. The nozzle tubes 185 each have two circumferentially offset nozzle openings at the level of the transverse bore sections, through which cooling lubricant can be sprayed to the circumferentially adjacent support bar units with honing stones.For each of the differently dimensioned tool bodies, appropriate component sets are provided, which essentially only differ in the diameter of the ring-shaped components to be attached to the tool body.

[0081] In the example case, honing tools constructed using the first tool body 100-1 can cover effective diameters in the range from 110 mm to 200 mm, honing tools with effective diameters from 200 to 300 mm can be constructed using the second tool body 100-2, and the effective diameter range from 300 mm to 600 mm can be covered using the third tool body, provided that the appropriate guide columns are mounted on the tool body 100-3 for the larger diameters.

[0082] The production of the components of the tool system is relatively cost-effective overall. In the example case, only three different tool bodies are required for the entire diameter range. To manufacture the tool bodies, tubular semi-finished products are produced in a single clamping process entirely by turning, milling, and if necessary, other manufacturing processes. Afterwards, it is only necessary to grind the bore for the expansion element. By selecting a material with special properties, e.g. pre-hardened tool steel, thermal treatment of the tool body after forming is not necessary. Bridging the desired effective diameter ranges is achieved with the help of guide pillars and / or guide holders, i.e. with the help of the additionally attachable bolt guide elements. These can, as in the case of the guide holders, be detachably connected to the tool body, for example by means of a screw connection.Alternatively, permanent attachment, for example, by welding or similar means, is also possible, as in the example of the guide pillars. The guide holders and guide pillars can also be manufactured from suitable materials without subsequent heat treatment. Overall, the honing tools result in a relatively lightweight, framework-like modular structure with the tool body at the center and functional components projecting radially outward. As with a kit, a user can select the appropriate and mutually compatible tool components from the tool system for their specific purpose, thus configuring a suitable honing tool.

[0083] The tool system can include sets of adapter plates with different heights of the bar-shaped part, allowing honing stones to be mounted on the same support bar at different distances from the support bar. By using adapter plates of different thicknesses, it is possible to cover certain effective diameter ranges with identically dimensioned support bar units. When refitting, the honing bar(s) can be removed from the existing adapter plate and then reused.

Claims

1. Tool system with tool components for configuring honing tools of different effective diameter ranges, wherein the tool components comprise: at least one tool body (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) which defines a tool axis (112), wherein an axial bore (114) arranged coaxially to the tool axis (112) for receiving an infeed element (120) and a plurality of transverse bores (130) aligned transversely to the tool axis and open to the axial bore are formed in the tool body, each for receiving a guide pin (160), wherein the transverse bores (130) form a plurality of bore groups (135) distributed over the circumference of the tool body, each having at least two transverse bores (130) arranged at an axial distance from one another;a first set of support bar units (150) and at least one second set of support bar units, each support bar unit having a support bar (155) which, on an inner side facing the tool body, has at least two guide pins (160) insertable into transverse bores of a bore group and is designed to support at least one honing bar (175); each set of support bar units comprises a number of support bar units (150) corresponding to the number of bore groups (135), support bar units of the first set having first guide pins (160) with a first length (L1) and support bar units of the second set having second guide pins (160L) with a second length, the second length being greater than the first length;at least one set of bolt guide elements (210, 310, 410) which are designed for mounting on the tool body, wherein a set of bolt guide elements has, for each of the transverse bores provided for receiving a guide bolt, a bolt guide element (210) with a guide bore (212) formed therein which, when the bolt guide element is mounted on the tool body, runs coaxially with the transverse bore (130); 2. Tool system according to claim 1, characterized in thata diameter of the first guide pins (160) is adapted to a diameter of the transverse bores (130) in the tool body such that a sliding guide of the first guide pins (160) in the tool body (100-1, 100-2, 100-2) can be produced and that the diameter of the second guide pins (160L) is smaller than the diameter of the first guide pins and is adapted to a diameter of the guide bore (212) of a bolt guide element (210) such that a sliding guide of the second guide pins in the bolt guide element can be produced.

3. Tool system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a set of bolt guide elements for each of the bore groups (135) comprises an elongated guide holder (200) which has a number of bolt guide elements (210) corresponding to the number of transverse bores of a bore group (135) which are interconnected.

4. Tool system according to claim 3, characterized in thatthe guide holder (200) has mounting structures for producing a detachable connection, in particular a screw connection, with the tool body (100-1, 100-2, 100-3).

5. Tool system according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a set of bolt guide elements has a separate bolt guide element for each transverse bore provided for receiving a guide bolt, in particular for each of the transverse bores, preferably in the form of a guide column (310).

6. Tool system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in thatthe tool body (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) is a one-piece component which has, in the axial direction, alternating tube sections (113) with an average wall thickness and, located therebetween, transverse bore sections (115) containing transverse bores, wherein an outwardly projecting column section is formed in the transverse bore sections for each of the transverse bores such that a bore length of the transverse bores (130) is greater than the average wall thickness in the tube sections.

7. Tool system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transverse bores (130) are designed as radial bores (130) directed radially to the tool axis (112).

8. Tool system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feed element (120) has a plurality of axially offset conical sections (122) with inclined surfaces and the guide pins (160, 160L) have complementary inclined surfaces (161) at their free ends.

9. Tool system according to claim 8, characterized in that the feed element (120) has an axial bore with an internal thread (124) in a machine-side end section and means for securing the feed element against rotation within the axial guide opening are provided.

10. Tool system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tool components comprise a plurality of interchangeable units which can be interchangeably mounted on a support bar of a support bar unit and each have a bar-shaped adapter plate (170) which has on one side receiving structures for receiving at least one honing bar (175) and on an opposite mounting side connecting elements (172) of a connecting device for detachably connecting the adapter plate (170) to the support bar (150).

11. Tool system according to claim 10, characterized in thatthe support bar (150) has two through holes (157) arranged at a distance from one another and extending from the outside to the inside, and the exchange unit has connecting elements in the form of pins which can be inserted into the through hole without play, wherein the pins preferably have a threaded section for producing a screw connection between the exchange unit and the support bar unit.

12. Tool system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tool system comprises components of a cooling lubricant supply system (180) which can be optionally mounted on the tool body, in particular a connection and distribution ring (182) which can be mounted on the tool body and in which a circumferential distribution channel is formed, as well as a plurality of nozzle tubes (185) which communicate with the distribution channel and which can be mounted axially parallel to the tool axis and at a radial distance from the tool body and have nozzle openings (186) for dispensing cooling lubricant.

13. Tool system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tool system comprises at least two, in particular exactly three differently designed tool bodies (100-1, 100-2, 100-3).

14. A method for producing a honing tool, comprising: selecting a tool body (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) defining a tool axis (112), wherein an axial bore (114) arranged coaxially to the tool axis (112) for receiving an infeed element (120) and a plurality of transverse bores (130) aligned transversely to the tool axis and open to the axial bore are formed in the tool body, each for receiving a guide pin (160), wherein the transverse bores (130) form a plurality of bore groups (135) distributed over the circumference of the tool body, each having at least two transverse bores (130) arranged at an axial distance from one another; inserting an infeed element (120) into the receiving bore (114);Selecting a set of support bar units (150) with a number of support bar units (150) corresponding to the number of bore groups (135), wherein each support bar unit has a support bar (155) which, on an inner side facing the tool body, has at least two guide pins (160) insertable into transverse bores of a bore group and is designed to support at least one honing bar (175); Fastening at least one honing bar (175) to each of the support bar units; Mounting the support bar units on the tool body by inserting the guide pins of the support bar units into the transverse bores provided for them; ; characterized in that To produce the honing tool, tool components of a tool system according to one of the preceding claims are used.

Images