Interchangeable Ball Mill Tool With Integrated Coolant Ducts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cutting tools for metal cutting machines are expensive to manufacture and face challenges in delivering coolant or lubrication fluid, especially during machining of complex workpieces like impeller vanes, where fluid delivery is difficult.

Innovation Solution

An interchangeable cutting tool with a ball-shaped body featuring a female screw-thread and a corresponding adapter with a male screw-thread, along with coolant or lubricant fluid passages, ensures effective fluid delivery to the cutting surface through a duct system, utilizing conical surfaces for centering and axial positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a monolithic tool design is used, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and fluid delivery becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The tool is divided into separate components: a reusable adapter and interchangeable cutting members. The adapter contains the fluid delivery duct, while cutting members can be manufactured more simply with integrated fluid passages that connect to the adapter's duct system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for both strength and manufacturability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The adapter serves as an intermediary component that bridges the fluid delivery system and the cutting members. It contains the main fluid delivery duct and provides connection interfaces (screw threads) for attaching cutting members, thereby enabling fluid delivery to complex workpieces without requiring each cutting member to be monolithically complex.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If a monolithic tool design is used, then structural integrity is improved, but fluid delivery to cutting surface becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidfluid delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid delivery system is segmented into the adapter's delivery duct and the cutting member's internal passages. This allows the adapter to provide stable structural support while the cutting member focuses on providing efficient fluid delivery paths to the cutting surface, resolving the conflict between structural integrity and fluid delivery efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The fluid delivery system extends into additional dimensional space through the adapter's duct that can reach complex geometries. The adapter provides a three-dimensional fluid delivery pathway that can access cutting surfaces in locations that would be difficult to reach with a simple monolithic design, thereby improving fluid delivery without compromising structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of manufacture

If interchangeable cutting members are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but connection complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidconnection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The adapter is designed as a universal connection interface with standardized screw threads (male and female) that can accommodate different cutting members. This universal interface simplifies the connection process despite the interchangeability of components, as the same adapter can connect to various cutting members without requiring complex customization for each connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2999564B1A tool comprising an interchangeable ball mill
Publication Date: 2020.07.29 NUOVO PIGNONE SPA
  • EP2999564B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2999564B1 patent drawingFigure 3~6
  • EP2999564B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

A tool (1) is disclosed, comprising an interchangeable cutting member (5) and an adapter (3) to which said interchangeable cutting member is adapted to be replaceably mounted. The interchangeable cutting member (5) comprises a substantially ball-shaped body with a cutting surface (5A), within which a female screw-thread (12) is provided. The adapter (3) is provided having a male screw-thread portion (33) configured and arranged for screw-engagement in the female screw- thread (12). A coolant or lubricant fluid passage (15) is provided in the interchangeable cutting member (5). The coolant or lubricant fluid passage (15) ends at the cutting surface of the ball-shaped member.