Honing Tool Segmented Carriers for Non-Cylindrical Bore Surface Uniformity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing honing tools struggle to maintain a well-defined surface structure over the entire length of bores with non-cylindrical shapes, leading to issues like increased oil consumption, blow-by, and risk of seizure due to uneven material removal during machining of bores with shapes such as bottle-shaped or cone-shaped profiles.

Innovation Solution

A honing tool with a double expansion design featuring radially feedable cutting material body carriers, where one group is rigidly attached and the other group is elastically mounted, allowing for independent radial advancement and retraction, ensuring uniform surface coverage and adaptability to varying bore orientations, and an elastically flexible intermediate layer between cutting material bodies and carriers for improved flexibility and reduced abrasion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a honing tool with rigidly attached cutting material bodies is used, then the cutting performance is high, but the surface structure becomes uneven on bores with non-cylindrical shapes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting performanceVSAvoidsurface structure uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting material body carrier is divided into multiple segments that can independently move relative to each other. Each segment carries cutting material bodies and can adapt its position to maintain uniform surface structure on non-cylindrical bores, while the overall tool maintains high cutting performance through coordinated segment movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting material body carrier transitions from a rigid structure to a dynamic structure where segments can move relative to each other. This dynamic capability allows the tool to adapt to varying bore geometries (cylindrical, bottle-shaped, cone-shaped) and maintain uniform surface structure while preserving high cutting performance through controlled segment movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If the cutting material bodies are rigidly attached to the carrier, then the tool structure is simple, but the adaptability to varying bore orientations is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetool structure simplicityVSAvoidadaptability to bore orientations
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The carrier is segmented into multiple independently movable sections, each capable of adapting to different bore orientations and geometries. This segmentation provides the necessary adaptability while keeping each segment's structure relatively simple, avoiding the need for a completely complex reconfigurable tool.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The relative positions and orientations of the cutting material bodies on the carrier can be dynamically changed through segment movement. This parameter change capability allows the tool to adapt to various bore orientations (cylindrical, bottle-shaped, cone-shaped) without requiring a completely different tool structure for each application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Area of stationary object

If cutting material bodies are closely spaced on the carrier, then the surface coverage is complete, but the lubricant access and chip removal are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface coverageVSAvoidlubricant access and chip removal
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The carrier is divided into segments with controlled spacing between them. This segmentation creates natural gaps that allow lubricant to reach the cutting zones and enables effective chip removal, while each segment is designed to provide adequate surface coverage in its specific zone, achieving both complete coverage and proper fluid access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

The honing tool achieves a well-defined, uniform surface structure over the entire bore length, including axial transitions and non-round shapes, reducing the risk of surface damage and improving machining efficiency by allowing for tailored removal characteristics and grain sizes across different machining operations.

Implementation Method 1

an elastically flexible intermediate layer is arranged in an intermediate space between a cutting material body and the cutting material body carrier carrying the cutting material body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

Honing is a machining process with geometrically undetermined cutting edges. During a honing operation, an expandable honing tool is moved up and down or back and forth within the bore to be machined

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Implementation Method 3

The cutting material bodies attached to the honing tool are pressed onto the inner surface to be machined via a cutting material body feed system with a feed force acting radially to the tool axis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical Force: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentEP3582931B1Honing tool and fine machining method using the honing tool
Publication Date: 2023.09.06 ELGAN DIAMANTWERKZEUGE
  • EP3582931B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3582931B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3582931B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A honing tool (100) for machining an inner surface (322) of a borehole (320) in a workpiece (300) with the help of at least one honing operation comprises a tool body (110), which defines a tool axis, and an expandable cutting group (330), which is attached to the tool body and has a plurality of cutting material body supports (150), which can be radially advanced and which each cover a circumferential angle range, and can be radially advanced with respect to the tool axis by means of a cutting group advancing system associated with the cutting group. Each cutting material body support carries, on its radial outer side, a plurality of narrow cutting material bodies (140), which are formed as narrow cutting material strips (140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 440-1, 440-2) in the circumferential direction and have a width, in the circumferential direction, that is small in relation to the axial length of the cutting material strips. The cutting material bodies are arranged spaced apart from each other. In an intermediate space between a cutting material body (140) and the cutting material body support (150) that carries the cutting material body, an elastically yielding intermediate layer (160) is arranged that fills the intermediate space between the cutting material body and the cutting material body support. A preferred area of application is the honing of cylinder running surfaces during the production of cylinder blocks or cylinder liners for reciprocating piston machines.