Cutting Tool Precursor Welding With Particulate Edge Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing cutting tools, such as saw blades and bands, face limitations in material choice and process efficiency due to the requirement for cutting edge materials to be in wire form and the high loss of cutting edge material during tooth profile creation, as well as slower process speeds in powder-metallurgical production.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the application of particulate cutting material to a flat carrier, welding it to create an alloy zone, and then separating the carrier along the weld joint to form bimetallic strips with an edge profile that approximates the desired tooth shape, allowing for a wide variety of materials and increased process speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wire form cutting material is used and welded to flat carrier, then material can be joined to carrier, but material selection is significantly limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical form parameter of cutting material from wire to powder, allowing a wide variety of materials to be used without being constrained by wire drawability. This parameter change enables versatile material selection including high-speed steels, carbides, and other cutting materials that would be difficult or impossible to produce as wire.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical wire welding process with a powder application and thermal processing system. Instead of mechanically joining wire to carrier, the cutting material is applied as powder and bonded through heat treatment, eliminating the need for the cutting material to be in wire form and enabling broader material choices.
2Ease of manufacture
If tooth profile is machined from bimetallic strip, then cutting tool is produced, but significant loss of cutting material occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies cutting material to the carrier before the final tooth profiling operation. By pre-applying the cutting material in the form of a coating or layer, the subsequent machining only removes excess material to create the tooth profile, rather than removing large amounts of expensive cutting material from solid stock. This preliminary action significantly reduces material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention allows excess cutting material to be discarded after forming the tooth profile, while the bonded cutting material on the carrier is retained and reused. The process separates the valuable bonded material from the excess material, enabling recovery and reuse of the cutting material that is actually incorporated into the tool.
3Ease of manufacture
If powder is plated into groove by pressure and heat treatment, then cost advantages are achieved, but material selection is limited due to bonding stability requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the application method parameter from plating into a groove to applying as a surface coating or layer. This parameter change, combined with controlled thermal processing, creates a bonding mechanism that is less restrictive regarding material compatibility. The thermal processing parameters can be adjusted to accommodate various material combinations, enabling broader versatility while maintaining cost advantages.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a localized bonding zone where cutting material is applied and thermally processed to achieve stable bonding. By concentrating the bonding action in a controlled local region with optimized thermal and pressure conditions, the process achieves reliable bonding for a wide range of material combinations without requiring restrictive material selections.
4Strength
If conventional bimetallic strip is used, then toughness and flexural strength are achieved, but hot hardness and wear resistance of teeth are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite structure where a carrier material providing toughness and flexural strength is combined with cutting material applied as a powder coating. This composite structure allows each material to contribute its superior properties: the carrier provides mechanical strength and flexibility, while the cutting material provides hot hardness and wear resistance at the tooth edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies cutting material specifically to the edge regions where teeth will be formed, creating local zones of enhanced hot hardness and wear resistance. The carrier material maintains its toughness and flexural strength in the body of the tool, while the locally applied cutting material provides the necessary performance at the critical cutting edges.
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 method enables the use of various materials for both the carrier and cutting edge, reduces material loss, and doubles the process speed compared to previous methods, with further efficiency gains from using a wider sheet support and multiple weld lines.
Implementation Method 1
the first particulate cutting material is welded to the flat carrier
Implementation Method 2
The welding process creates an alloy zone in the contact area between the flat carrier and the particulate cutting material
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~13
Figure 14~16
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a preliminary material for a cutting tool, in particular a preliminary material for a saw blade, a saw band, a cutting line, a punching knife, or a blade, wherein at least one first particulate cutting-edge material (16, 16a) is applied to a planar carrier (10), the first particulate cutting-edge material (16) is welded to the planar carrier (10), and the planar carrier (10) is separated substantially along the weld joint (22, 27) thus produced. The invention further relates to a corresponding planar preliminary material.