Cutting Tool Holder Plunger Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tool holders for cutting tools concentrate load at specific points, leading to oscillation issues and inadequate suppression of vibrations, which affects the precision and quality of machined surfaces, especially in high-integrity components like gas turbine rotors and pressurized vessels.
Innovation Solution
A tool holder design featuring a plunger with a third channel that intersects with the stem channel, allowing for lateral compensation and hydraulic locking, which distributes load and suppresses oscillations across a wide range of frequencies, ensuring accurate and firm grip of the cutting tool.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If screws are used to lock the cutting tool stem in the channel, then the cutting tool is firmly held, but load is concentrated at one or two locations causing oscillations at certain frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into multiple contact points around the stem circumference. The conical surface of the plunger creates continuous radial contact along the stem, distributing the locking force across multiple locations rather than concentrating it at discrete screw engagement points, thereby suppressing oscillations.
Solution Approach 2:
A hydraulic plunger is used to apply radial locking force to the stem. The hydraulic system provides controlled, distributed pressure through the conical surface contact, replacing the discrete mechanical screw locking and enabling smoother, more uniform force distribution to eliminate oscillations.
2Strength
If a hydraulic actuator is used to tighten the boring arbour, then firm grip is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning and locking functions are merged into a single plunger component. The plunger simultaneously provides lateral positioning of the cutting tool and radial locking through its conical surface, eliminating the need for separate positioning and locking mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger serves multiple functions: it positions the cutting tool laterally, locks the tool radially through conical surface contact, and can be actuated hydraulically. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate components, simplifying the overall locking mechanism.
3Manufacturing precision
If the holder body is made sufficiently sturdy to achieve desired stiffness, then machining precision is improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder body incorporates a movable plunger in the second channel that allows lateral dislocation. This dynamic element enables the rigid body to accommodate cutting tool wear through lateral positioning adjustments, maintaining machining precision without requiring an overly complex or heavy structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger acts as an intermediary element between the holder body and the cutting tool stem. It provides the necessary lateral compensation for tool wear while maintaining firm radial locking, allowing the body to be manufactured with standard stiffness requirements rather than excessive complexity.
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 facilitates the production of high-quality surfaces by maintaining a firm grip and allowing for accurate lateral positioning of the cutting tool, reducing wear and oscillations, thereby enhancing the stiffness and precision of the tool holder.
Implementation Method 1
The holder may comprise a mechanism for pressurizing the pressure chamber in order to lock the stem against movement relative to the body
Implementation Method 2
The membrane forms a part of the third channel and is configured to act directly on the stem
Data Source
AI summary
A holder for a cutting tool includes a body having a first channel for receiving a stem portion of the cutting tool. The body has a second channel intersecting with the first channel. The holder further includes a plunger to be inserted in the second channel, the plunger having a third channel the cross section of which at least partly overlaps with the cross section of the first channel when the plunger is inserted into the body so as to enable the stem of the cutting tool to extend into the third channel when the stem is inserted in the first channel. The holder further includes a mechanism for locking the stem against movement relative to the body by means of the plunger. A cutting tool for use in such a holder and a cutting insert are also provided.