CFRP Composite Cutting Tool Structure for High Stiffness at Lower Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large cutting tools often lack sufficient stiffness, leading to unwanted movement during operations and are too heavy for tool changers to handle effectively, necessitating a reduction in weight while maintaining or increasing stiffness.
Innovation Solution
A composite cutting tool with a tubular body made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and a modular design featuring a central hub, radially extending spokes, cartridge supports, and a rear machine connection member, which reduces weight and enhances stiffness through angled slots and support structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a large cutting tool is made with traditional solid material construction, then it has sufficient stiffness to prevent unwanted movement during cutting operations, but it becomes too heavy for tool changers to properly handle
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting tool employs a composite construction consisting of a tubular body made from composite material (such as carbon fiber reinforced polymer) combined with support structures made from conventional material (such as tool steel). This composite construction reduces the overall weight of the cutting tool while the support structures provide the necessary stiffness to prevent unwanted movement during cutting operations, thereby resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and stiffness maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting tool is divided into distinct segments: a tubular body portion and separate support structures (front support structure and rear support structure). The tubular body is made from lightweight composite material while the support structures are made from conventional stiff material. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function - the tubular body for weight reduction and the support structures for providing stiffness, thus resolving the weight-stiffness contradiction.
Data Source
AI summary
A cutting tool includes a tubular body made of a composite material, such as carbon reinforced fiber polymer (CFRP). A front support structure comprising a central hub and a plurality of spokes extending radially outward from the central hub is attached proximate the front end of the tubular body. A rear support structure comprising a central hub and a plurality of spokes extending radially outward from the central hub is attached proximate the rear end of the tubular body. Cartridge supports are attached directly to one of the front and rear support structures. A rear machine connection member is attached to the rear support structure for providing coolant to the front and rear support structures. The CFRP tubular body increases the stiffness to weight ratio of the cutting tool.