Curved Drill Holder for Uniform Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drill holders with a polygonal shape lead to uneven coating of drill tips due to varying distances and orientations, resulting in asymmetric coating and reduced flexibility in loading drills of different lengths.
Innovation Solution
The holder is designed as a sandwich of three curved walls, with the first and second walls perforated and aligned to ensure drills are inserted radially, and the third wall acting as a stop, allowing adaptation to the turntable contour and coating facility size, ensuring uniform coating distance and orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a polygonal holder is used with drills arranged on its surface, then the holder structure is simple and drills can be loaded, but the drills at corners have varying distances and orientations to the coating source resulting in asymmetric coating
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is designed with a curved surface that adapts to the circular contour of the turntable, replacing the polygonal shape. This curvature ensures that all drill tips maintain a constant distance and proper orientation to the coating source during rotation, eliminating the asymmetric coating problem while preserving structural simplicity
2Reliability
If a hollow holder is used to shield drills from the external environment, then the drills are protected during coating, but the loading flexibility is considerably reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is segmented into three separate walls instead of a complete hollow structure. This segmentation provides sufficient shielding for the drills during coating while leaving openings that allow flexible loading of drills of various lengths, resolving the contradiction between protection and adaptability
3Productivity
If drills are arranged in a polygonal holder, then all drills can be coated simultaneously, but the corner drills have reduced minimal distance to the coating source causing coating thickness variation
Solution Approach 1:
The curved surface of the holder, adapted to the turntable's circular contour, ensures that all drill tips positioned on the holder surface maintain a constant minimal distance to the coating source during rotation. This eliminates the thickness variation that occurs with polygonal holders where corner drills are closer to the source
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
This design ensures that all drill tips are coated uniformly with a consistent thickness and orientation, eliminating asymmetrical coating issues and enhancing flexibility in accommodating drills of varying lengths.
Implementation Method 1
the first and second walls perforated and aligned to ensure drills are inserted radially, and the third wall acting as a stop, allowing adaptation to the turntable contour
Implementation Method 2
to apply the layers, PVD processes such as for example arc evaporation, electron beam evaporation or sputtering, are used
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a holder for a number of drills, which can advantageously be used for coating drill tips. The holders according to the invention make it possible to arrange the drills in the coating unit in such a way that their tips rest on a cylindrical wall and these can be rotated past a coating source at the same minimum distance. The holder comprises a first curved wall with holes, a second curved wall with holes or slits and a third wall which serves as stop for drills inserted in the holes of the first and second wall.