Fuel System Orifice Hard Machining for Precise Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for machining orifices and small internal holes in fuel system and engine components lack precision and are costly, requiring expensive processes like abrasive flow machining (AFM) and introducing air that affects flow properties.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for hard machining orifices using drill edges that account for heat profile and material hardness, forming precise orifices without helical patterns, allowing for consistent and accurate flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If abrasive flow machining is used to create orifices, then manufacturing precision can be achieved, but capital investment and cycle time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical abrasive flow machining process with a hard drilling process using specially designed drill edges. The drill edges are configured to account for heat profile and material hardness, allowing direct formation of precise orifices through hard drilling rather than through the complex abrasive flow machining mechanism, thereby substituting a simpler mechanical process for a complex one.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for abrasive flow machining (AFM) processes and initial hydraulic flow measurements from the manufacturing workflow. By using hard drilling with properly configured drill edges, the process directly achieves the desired orifice precision without requiring the additional AFM step, thus removing unnecessary process steps.
2Manufacturing precision
If abrasive flow machining is used to create orifices, then manufacturing precision can be achieved, but capital investment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the expensive abrasive flow machining equipment and processes with a hard drilling system using specially configured drill edges. This replacement reduces capital investment by eliminating the need for specialized AFM machinery while maintaining orifice precision through the hard drilling process with heat-profile-aware drill edge configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs drill edges that are optimized for hard drilling but may have limited reuse life due to the demanding nature of hard material machining. These drill edges are configured to account for heat profile and material hardness, providing cost-effective precision machining without requiring expensive, durable AFM equipment.
3Loss of substance
If helical machining patterns are used, then material removal can be achieved, but air is introduced that affects fluid flow properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces helical machining patterns with a direct hard drilling approach using specially configured drill edges. The drill edges are designed to account for heat profile and material hardness, enabling direct material removal through hard drilling without creating helical patterns that would trap air, thus preserving fluid flow properties.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for hard machining at least one orifice into a heat-treated fuel system component can include mounting the component into a holding fixture. The at least one orifice can include a first orifice. The method can include determining a desired orifice size of the at least one orifice based on a desired flow rate. The method can include hard machining the first orifice into the component. The method can include forming a first portion of the first orifice. The method can include forming, at an end of the first portion, a second portion of the first orifice. A diameter of the second portion can be smaller than a diameter of the first portion. The method can include forming a corner between the first portion and the second portion. The corner can have an edge condition having a dimension of 50 microns or less.