Cutting Insert Recess Line for Wear Visibility and Stable Grinding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cutting inserts with small crossing angles between side surfaces face challenges in wear visualization and stability, leading to potential chipping or boundary wear, and require strict grinding tolerance management, making manufacturing difficult.

Innovation Solution

A cutting insert design featuring a recess line between the flank and side surface, which defines the outline of the side surface, allowing for easier visualization of wear and stabilization of the restraint surface, enabling easier replacement and manufacturing without strict grinding tolerance management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If a small crossing angle is used between the flank of the cutting edge and the side surface, then the cutting insert structure is compact, but wear visualization becomes difficult and manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting insert structure compactnessVSAvoidgrinding amount tolerance
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies a visual marking principle by creating a recess line that forms a visible edge line between the side surface and flank. This edge line acts as a visual indicator (similar to color/change detection) that makes wear progression easily observable. When wear reaches the edge line, it becomes clearly visible, eliminating the need for strict tolerance management in grinding operations while maintaining the compact small crossing angle structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Device complexity

If a small crossing angle is used between side surfaces, then the cutting insert design is simplified, but wear detection becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting insert design complexityVSAvoidwear visualization
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The recess line creates a distinct visual boundary (edge line) that serves as a wear indicator. This visual change detection principle allows operators to easily observe when wear reaches the edge line, transforming an invisible wear process into a clearly detectable event without complicating the overall insert design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The recess line acts as an intermediary element between the side surface and flank. It provides a visible reference boundary that mediates the detection of wear progression, making the wear state observable without requiring complex detection systems or increasing design complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the restraint surface is ground with strict tolerance management, then the restrained state stability is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverestrained state stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The visible edge line created by the recess line serves as a reference that decouples the restraint surface grinding from strict tolerance requirements. The edge line provides visual feedback that allows for easier control of grinding depth, maintaining restraint surface stability while simplifying manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentEP4043132A1Cutting insert
Publication Date: 2022.08.17 TUNGALOY CORP
  • EP4043132A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4043132A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4043132A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To provide a cutting insert that is properly manufactured with ease of use. A cutting insert (2) has a first end face (10), a second end face (20) on the opposite side from the first end face, and a peripheral side surface (30) that is parallel to a central axis (O) connecting the center (O1) of the first end face and the center (O2) of the second end face and connects the first end face and the second end face. A first major cutting edge (11) is formed on the outer edge (R1) of the first end face. A first flank (41) facing the first major cutting edge is formed between the first major cutting edge and the peripheral side surface and has a negative clearance angle (α) with respect to the peripheral side surface. The peripheral side surface includes a first side surface (31) facing the first flank. Between the first flank and the first side surface, a recess line (101) is formed to extend along a virtual edge line (V101) where a virtual plane (V41) extending from the first flank and a virtual plane (V31) extending from the first side surface cross each other, and the recess line is formed with a notch on the virtual edge line.