Selective Laser Melting of Cutting Blades Without Grinding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for forming cutting blades require grinding or sharpening of abrasive cutting material after deposition, increasing manufacturing time and complicating the processing with careful selection of winding materials to ensure proper adhesion of the cutting surface.
Innovation Solution
A method using selective laser melting to form cutting blades by depositing layers of powder and fusing them with a laser beam on pre-formed teeth, eliminating the need for grinding and allowing for customization of the cutting surface, with the option to reuse excess powder and process multiple strips simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If grinding or sharpening is used to form cutting surfaces on deposited abrasive material, then cutting performance is improved, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical grinding or sharpening process with a laser-based selective melting process. The laser beam selectively melts and fuses abrasive particles to the substrate, directly forming the cutting surface without requiring subsequent mechanical grinding operations, thereby eliminating the time-consuming post-processing step while maintaining cutting surface quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and bonding mechanism of abrasive material from mechanical adhesion (in traditional deposition) to thermal fusion (in selective laser melting). By controlling laser parameters such as power, speed, and focal position, the process directly creates a fused cutting surface that eliminates the need for grinding while achieving superior bonding strength and surface quality
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional deposition methods are used to apply abrasive material, then cutting surfaces can be formed, but additional winding materials and careful selection are required to ensure proper adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the winding material layer from the traditional multi-layer deposition structure. By using selective laser melting, the process directly fuses abrasive particles to the substrate without requiring intermediate winding materials, thereby simplifying the material selection process and reducing processing complexity while maintaining or improving adhesion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical adhesion mechanism (relying on winding materials to bond abrasive layers to the substrate) with a thermal fusion mechanism. The laser beam creates direct metallurgical or ceramic bonding between abrasive particles and the substrate, eliminating the need for carefully selected winding materials and simplifying the overall manufacturing process
3Ease of manufacture
If excess powder is discarded after deposition, then processing is simplified, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a powder recovery and reuse system where excess powder that is not melted during the selective laser melting process is collected and returned to the powder supply reservoir. This closed-loop approach allows the same powder to be used multiple times, significantly reducing material waste while maintaining processing simplicity through automated powder management
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
This approach reduces manufacturing time and powder waste, enables precise customization of cutting surfaces, and minimizes the need for grinding, while ensuring efficient use of super-hard materials for enhanced cutting performance.
Implementation Method 1
scanning a laser beam over the deposited powder to fuse powder to the pre-formed teeth
Implementation Method 2
forming cutting blades using selective laser melting comprising positioning a first part of an elongate strip with pre-formed teeth within a powder bed, forming coating layers layer-by-layer to create a cutting surface on each pre-formed tooth by repeatedly depositing a layer of powder on the powder bed and scanning a laser beam over the deposited powder to fuse powder to the pre-formed teeth
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a method of forming cutting blades using selective laser melting comprising positioning a first part of an elongate strip with pre-formed teeth within a powder bed, forming coating layers layer-by-layer to create a cutting surface on each pre-formed tooth by repeatedly depositing a layer of powder on the powder bed and scanning a laser beam over the deposited powder to fuse powder to the pre-formed teeth.