Lathe-Mill Hybrid Machining Non-Circular Metallic Members
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current machining methods for metallic members, such as those used in electronic device housings, face inefficiencies due to track formation during milling and incompatibility of lathe processes for non-circular surfaces and cornered peripheral sidewalls, requiring additional processes and reducing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A machine tool equipped with both a lathe feeding mechanism and a milling feeding mechanism, capable of three-dimensional movement along Cartesian coordinates, allows for simultaneous machining of top portions and peripheral sidewalls with reduced need for additional processes by using a lathe tool for curved surfaces and a milling cutter for side surfaces and corners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a milling process is employed to machine the metallic housing, then the top portion can be machined, but tracks occur on the top portion requiring additional polishing process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines lathe and milling functions into a single machine tool system. The lathe tool rotates the workpiece and removes material through reciprocating motion, while the milling cutter rotates and machines the workpiece through rotational cutting. This merging of two different machining mechanisms allows the system to achieve both the efficiency of lathe machining and the versatility of milling, eliminating track formation on the top portion while maintaining the ability to machine complex geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine tool is designed with multi-functionality, capable of performing both lathe operations (rotating workpiece with linear cutting tool) and milling operations (rotating cutting tool with stationary or moving workpiece). This universality allows a single machine to handle various machining requirements without requiring separate dedicated machines, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency and surface quality by selecting the appropriate machining mode for each surface.
2Productivity
If a lathe process is adopted to machine the metallic member, then circular surfaces can be machined efficiently, but it is difficult to machine non-circular surfaces and peripheral sidewalls with corners
Solution Approach 1:
The machine tool integrates both lathe and milling capabilities in one system. The lathe tool is used for efficient machining of circular or curved surfaces through workpiece rotation, while the milling cutter handles non-circular surfaces, flat surfaces, and corners through rotational cutting. This multi-functional design allows the system to adapt to various geometric requirements without sacrificing machining efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine tool employs dynamic operation modes where the workpiece can rotate (lathe mode) or remain stationary (milling mode), and the cutting tools can rotate or remain stationary accordingly. This dynamic adaptability allows seamless transition between different machining operations, enabling efficient processing of both circular and non-circular features on the same workpiece.
3Manufacturing precision
If separate machining processes are used for top portion and peripheral sidewalls, then each surface can be machined appropriately, but the number of additional machining processes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges lathe and milling functions into a single integrated machine tool system with a unified control mechanism. Both the lathe tool and milling cutter are mounted on the same machine, sharing common support structures, control systems, and workholding devices. This integration allows multiple machining operations to be performed in sequence or simultaneously on the same workpiece without requiring transfer between different machines, thereby reducing process complexity while maintaining surface quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for machining and finishing a metallic member to provide a finished product without any additional process uses a lathe and a milling process. A non-circular metallic member on a worktable is rotated, and lathe tool moved backwards and forwards to machine the peripheral top portion of the metallic member. The path of the lathe tool machines curved surfaces of the top portion of the metallic member. The rotation of the metallic member is then stopped, and a milling cutter is brought to meet the peripheral sidewall of the metallic member. The movement and feeding of the milling cutter is predetermined. The worktable rotates the metallic member to enable one end edge of the peripheral sidewall and then another to face the milling cutter, and have the end edge chamfered by the milling cutter.