Gear Tooth Milling Tool Geometry for Controlled Chip Formation

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing milling processes, such as gear hobbing and gear skiving, face challenges in achieving precise gear tooth quality due to issues with cutting edge positioning, material tearing, and suboptimal chip formation, leading to undefined surface finishes and undesirable heat input.

Innovation Solution

The method involves subdividing the cutting tooth geometry into multiple partial cutting tooth geometries, where each portion interacts differently with the workpiece, allowing for controlled chip thickness and reduced force requirements, thereby improving processing quality and surface finish.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If rounded cutting edges are used to minimize uncontrolled forces and improve tool life, then tool life is improved, but surface finish becomes undefined due to sliding and tearing of the material

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetool lifeVSAvoidsurface finish

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting tooth geometry is divided into multiple partial cutting tooth geometries, where each partial geometry is assigned to a specific cutting tooth. This segmentation allows different cutting teeth to have different edge configurations (rounded or sharp) while collectively reproducing the complete cutting tooth geometry, enabling selective optimization of tool life and surface finish across different cutting positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different cutting teeth are equipped with different local qualities of cutting edges - some with rounded edges for reduced forces and extended tool life, and others with sharp edges for precise material removal and defined surface finish. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing each cutting tooth to optimize for its specific function within the overall cutting process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If sharp cutting edges are used to achieve precise positioning and defined surface finish, then manufacturing precision is improved, but uncontrolled forces and material tearing increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting edge positioningVSAvoiduncontrolled forces

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting tooth geometry is divided into multiple partial cutting tooth geometries, where each partial geometry is assigned to a specific cutting tooth. This segmentation allows different cutting teeth to have different edge configurations (rounded or sharp) while collectively reproducing the complete cutting tooth geometry, enabling selective optimization of tool life and surface finish across different cutting positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different cutting teeth are equipped with different local qualities of cutting edges - some with rounded edges for reduced forces and extended tool life, and others with sharp edges for precise material removal and defined surface finish. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing each cutting tooth to optimize for its specific function within the overall cutting process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Device complexity

If all cutting teeth have the same cutting tooth geometry, then device complexity is reduced, but processing quality is suboptimal due to simultaneous interaction of all tooth flanks with the workpiece

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting tooth uniformityVSAvoidprocessing quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting tooth geometry is divided into multiple partial cutting tooth geometries, where each partial geometry is assigned to a specific cutting tooth. This segmentation allows different cutting teeth to have different edge configurations (rounded or sharp) while collectively reproducing the complete cutting tooth geometry, enabling selective optimization of tool life and surface finish across different cutting positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each cutting tooth engages the workpiece with only a partial cutting tooth geometry rather than the complete geometry. This partial action allows better control over chip thickness and force distribution during machining, improving processing quality while the superposition of all partial geometries ensures the complete gear tooth profile is accurately formed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS20240391005A1Method for producing a milling tool, milling tool, and method for producing gear teeth by milling using a milling tool of this kind

Publication Date: 2024.11.28 ADELBERT HAAS GMBH

AI summary

A method for producing a milling tool with cutting teeth includes the steps: defining a tooth profile to be machined with the milling tool from a workpiece to be processed to produce a gear tooth; determining a cutting tooth geometry, including the cutting edges of the cutting tooth geometry, with which the defined tooth profile to be machined in the workpiece to be processed can be machined using a milling process; subdividing the cutting tooth geometry into at least two different partial cutting tooth geometries, wherein the different partial cutting tooth geometries are configured such that at least one of the partial cutting tooth geometries has portions which recess behind the outer contour of the cutting tooth geometry and that the superposition of the different partial cutting tooth geometries reproduces the cutting tooth geometry; providing a milling tool blank; and machining of cutting teeth from the milling tool blank.