Brazed Cutting Insert Structure to Suppress Gaps Between Pieces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cutting tools experience gaps between hard sintered material pieces due to surface tension of brazing materials during the brazing process, leading to inefficiencies in material usage and increased processing costs.
Innovation Solution
A cutting insert design featuring a substrate with a polygonal top surface and a projection with a through-hole, where the cutting-edge insert is divided into pieces with protrusions that annularly surround the projection, reducing the likelihood of gaps and optimizing material usage by displacing centers of gravity from vertices, thereby minimizing raw material requirements and processing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple hard sintered material pieces are joined to the core using brazing, then the cutting tool can be assembled with modular components, but surface tension of the brazing material causes gaps between the pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing protrusions on the hard sintered material pieces that prevent gap formation before the brazing process completes. The protrusions physically constrain the pieces against lateral displacement that would otherwise be caused by surface tension forces during brazing, thereby preventing the harmful effect before it can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetry by giving each hard sintered material piece an asymmetric shape with protrusions that interlock with adjacent pieces. This asymmetric geometry prevents lateral displacement and gap formation during brazing, while the asymmetric centers of gravity positioned away from vertices provide stable positioning during the assembly process.
2Loss of substance
If the cutting-edge insert is divided into multiple pieces, then material usage can be optimized and processing costs reduced, but gaps may form between the divided pieces during brazing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the cutting-edge insert into multiple hard sintered material pieces (first, second, third, and fourth pieces) that can be separately manufactured and then assembled. This segmentation allows for optimized material usage and reduced processing costs while maintaining cutting performance through the interlocking protrusion design that prevents gap formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nesting-like structure where protrusions on each hard sintered material piece fit into spaces between adjacent pieces, creating an interlocking arrangement. This nested configuration ensures tight fitting and prevents gap formation during brazing, while allowing the divided pieces to be manufactured separately for material optimization.
3Device complexity
If the centers of gravity of the divided pieces are positioned at the vertices, then the structure is symmetric and simple, but gap formation is more likely during brazing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately introduces asymmetry by positioning the centers of gravity of the hard sintered material pieces away from the vertices of the polygonal configuration. This asymmetric positioning, combined with the protrusion design, creates interlocking effects that suppress gap formation during brazing, while the overall structure remains manageable through the regular polygonal arrangement of the pieces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively suppresses gap formation between divided pieces, reduces raw material usage, and increases the utilization of cutting-edge portions, resulting in cost-effective manufacturing and improved productivity.
Implementation Method 1
The cutting-edge insert is brazed to the top surface and the side surface so as to annularly surround the projection.
Data Source
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AI summary
A cutting insert includes a substrate and a cutting-edge insert. The substrate has, in a thickness direction of the substrate, a bottom surface, and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface. The top surface has a polygonal shape composed of a plurality of sides in a plan view as seen along the thickness direction. The top surface is provided with a projection projecting to a side opposite to the bottom surface along the thickness direction. The projection has a through-hole passing through the substrate along the thickness direction. The projection has a side surface contiguous to the top surface. The side surface is composed of a curved line protruding to a side opposite to the through-hole in the plan view as seen along the thickness direction. The curved line includes a plurality of vertices at positions at which the curved line has a minimum distance from the plurality of sides, respectively. The cutting-edge insert is brazed to the top surface and the side surface so as to annularly surround the projection.