Hollow Step Drill Bit Structure for Lower Weight and Stress Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tool bits are heavy and wasteful due to extensive machining processes, lacking efficient material distribution and stress management during cutting operations.
Innovation Solution
The use of additive manufacturing to create tool bits with a hollow cavity and integral support members, reducing material waste and weight while enhancing strength-to-weight ratio, and incorporating unique geometries to address stress risers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional machining processes are used to manufacture tool bits, then manufacturing precision and structural integrity are maintained, but material waste increases and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameter from conventional machining (subtractive) to additive manufacturing (additive), fundamentally altering how material is removed or added. This enables creation of hollow cavity structures and complex internal geometries that would be impossible or extremely wasteful with traditional machining, directly reducing material waste while maintaining structural integrity through optimized material distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The tool bit body is segmented into a hollow cavity structure with internal support members rather than being solid. This segmentation allows material to be placed only where structurally necessary, reducing overall material consumption while maintaining the strength and rigidity required for cutting operations
2Weight of moving object
If solid structure is used for tool bits, then strength is maintained, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool bit implements local quality by varying material distribution throughout the structure. The hollow cavity contains strategically placed internal support members and reinforced walls at critical stress points, while non-critical areas have reduced material. This creates regions of high strength where needed and reduced weight where permissible, achieving optimal strength-to-weight ratio
Solution Approach 2:
The tool bit combines different material properties within a single component by using hollow cavity spaces potentially filled with different materials or configurations. The structure integrates high-strength materials in critical load-bearing areas while using lighter materials or voids in non-critical areas, creating a composite structure that optimizes both weight and strength
3Strength
If uniform material distribution is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but stress management during cutting operations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tool bit features non-uniform material distribution with varying wall thicknesses, internal support member placements, and localized reinforcements positioned according to stress analysis. Critical areas experiencing high cutting loads have increased material density and structural support, while low-stress areas have reduced material content, optimizing stress management throughout the tool bit
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional uniform cross-sections to three-dimensional complex geometries with hollow cavities, internal support members, and variable wall thicknesses. This dimensional complexity allows material to be strategically positioned in space to manage stress pathways and load distribution more effectively than uniform 2D cross-sections could achieve
Data Source
AI summary
A step drill bit including a shank operatively couplable to a tool, a body portion coupled to the shank, the body portion including a tool bit tip and a plurality of progressively sized, axially stacked steps, the body portion defining a hollow cavity, and an inner structure having a plurality of support members extending within the hollow cavity.