Multi-flute Endmill Radial Segmentation for Chip Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-flute endmills face challenges in efficiently discharging chips during high-feed cutting processing of difficult-to-cut alloys like Ni-based heat-resistant alloys, leading to reduced processing efficiency and increased wear on cutting edges.
Innovation Solution
The design of a multi-flute endmill with a unique configuration where the flute is formed to straddle from the corner R edge to the end cutting edge, with a distinct rake face for the peripheral cutting edge that also serves as the rake face for the corner R edge, enhancing chip discharge and guiding effects by increasing the volume of the flute and reducing chip clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a multi-flute endmill with conventional flute configuration is used, then the number of cutting edges is increased for finish processing, but chip discharge efficiency deteriorates leading to chip clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The flute is segmented into multiple sections along the tool axis, with each section having a different radial position. Specifically, the first flute section is positioned at a first radial position while the second flute section is positioned at a second radial position that is closer to the tool center. This segmentation allows chips to be discharged through multiple pathways and prevents clogging by distributing chip flow across different radial zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a conventional single-radial-position flute design to a multi-radial-position flute configuration. By arranging flute sections at different radial positions, the chip discharge pathway is extended into the radial dimension, creating a three-dimensional chip evacuation system that effectively prevents chip clogging while maintaining high productivity.
2Speed
If high-feed cutting processing is performed, then processing speed is increased, but chip discharge becomes insufficient leading to reduced tool life
Solution Approach 1:
The flute is divided into multiple sections positioned at different radial distances from the tool center. This segmentation creates multiple chip discharge pathways that can handle high-volume chip generation during high-feed cutting, preventing chip clogging and maintaining effective cooling, thereby extending tool life even at high cutting speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
By positioning flute sections at multiple radial positions, the invention adds a radial dimension to chip evacuation. This multi-level radial arrangement enables efficient chip discharge during high-feed cutting operations, preventing the chip clogging that would otherwise occur and reduce tool life at high speeds.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the flute is positioned close to the periphery, then chip discharge capacity is increased, but the guiding effect from gash to flute is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flute is segmented into multiple sections at different radial positions, with the first section closer to the periphery and the second section closer to the center. This segmentation creates a stepped radial arrangement that maintains both the chip discharge capacity of peripheral positioning and the guiding effect of central positioning, as chips naturally flow from the outer section toward the inner section.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses radial positioning in multiple dimensions to solve the contradiction. By arranging flute sections at different radial distances, it creates a radial gradient that maintains both the chip discharge efficiency of outer positioning and the guiding effect of inner positioning, allowing chips to flow naturally from outer to inner sections while being effectively discharged.
Data Source
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AI summary
An effect of discharging chips from gashes (7) and an effect of guiding them to flutes (8) are enhanced, when a multi-flute endmill having gashes and flutes is used to perform high-speed and high-feed cutting processing on a thin-walled member of an impeller or the like made of a difficult-to-cut alloy. The rake face of a cutting edge (3) is formed, from the side of a rotation axis O to a peripheral side in a radial direction, with the rake face (6a) of a end cutting edge (6), and the rake face (4a) of a peripheral cutting edge (4) that is adjacent to the rake face (6a) of the end cutting edge (6), that forms a face different from the rake face (6a) of the end cutting edge (6) and that also serves as the rake face of a corner R edge (5), and the intersection between a convex ridge line (64) located in a boundary between the rake face (6a) of the end cutting edge (6) and the rake face (4a) of the peripheral cutting edge (4) and a convex ridge line (68) located in a boundary between the rake face (6a) of the end cutting edge (6) and the bottom surface (8b) of the flute (8) is moved into the side of the rotationaxis O in the radial direction with respect to a boundary between the flank face (5b) of the corner R edge (5) and the flank face (6b) of the end cutting edge (6).