Additive Part Plug Machining for Precise Internal Surface Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aligning tools with additively manufactured parts is challenging due to difficulties in aligning the tool with the location for forming internal threaded or sealing surfaces, leading to vibrations and misalignment issues during machining operations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming plug holes around a landing surface portion on the tool surface, allowing the tool to engage and cut away a plug from the body, forming a tooled void and reducing vibrations by stabilizing the tool with the plug before cutting into the part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a rotating tool is inserted into an opening to form threaded or sealing surfaces, then the tool can cut away material to form the desired features, but the tool makes intermittent contact with the part causing large vibrations and stress
Solution Approach 1:
A plug is introduced as an intermediary element between the tool and the part. The plug provides a continuous engagement surface for the tool, eliminating intermittent contact with the part itself. This mediator absorbs the cutting action while providing stable support to the tool, reducing vibrations and stress during the machining operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is pre-positioned in the opening before the tool engages. This preliminary placement creates a stable foundation that guides and supports the tool during the cutting operation, preventing misalignment and reducing vibrations before the actual material removal begins.
2Ease of operation
If the centerline of the tool and the centerline of the opening are not perfectly aligned, then the tool can still engage with the part, but the tool bends increasing force on the tool and misalignment of the cut surface
Solution Approach 1:
The plug serves as a mediator that compensates for misalignment between the tool centerline and opening centerline. By providing a larger engagement surface and continuous support, the plug allows the tool to self-align during engagement, reducing bending forces and ensuring proper cut surface alignment even when initial positioning is not perfect.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug changes the engagement parameters by providing a larger contact area and different geometric relationship between tool and part. This modification in engagement geometry allows for greater tolerance in alignment while maintaining cut surface precision, effectively decoupling the sensitivity of cut quality from the precision of initial tool positioning.
3Productivity
If the tool is directly engaged with the part opening, then material can be removed to form threaded surfaces, but it is difficult or impossible to align the tool with the location for forming the threaded surface
Solution Approach 1:
The plug acts as a mediator that facilitates both alignment and material removal. It provides a visible and tangible reference feature that aids in precise tool positioning and alignment, while simultaneously serving as the material to be removed to form the final threaded surface. This dual function resolves the conflict between achieving precise alignment and efficiently removing material.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is prepared and positioned in advance to provide alignment features that guide tool positioning. This preliminary setup enables precise tool alignment before the cutting operation begins, eliminating the difficulty of aligning the tool with the opening while maintaining high productivity during the subsequent material removal process.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes forming one or more plug holes into a tool surface of a body. The one or more plug holes are partially formed around a landing surface portion of a plug in the body. The method also includes engaging a tool with the landing surface portion of the plug in the body, and using the tool to cut away the plug from the body and at least part of the body to form a tooled void into the body.