Milling Cutter Tooth Geometry for Vibration-Resistant Surface Finish
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional milling tools are prone to resonance and vibrations due to exposure to certain operational conditions, which negatively impact the surface quality of the cut surface.
Innovation Solution
The milling tool features a cutting head with a plurality of teeth, each having a rake surface, a clearance surface, and a cutting edge. The primary clearance surface behind the cutting edge has a varying primary radial clearance angle along the cutting edge, with at least one differential tooth having a repeatedly varying angle. This variation in clearance angles ensures that different teeth experience different cutting forces, reducing the likelihood of resonance and vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional milling tools with uniform teeth are used, then the tool structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the tool is prone to resonance and vibrations affecting surface quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each tooth have a different primary radial clearance angle. Specifically, at least one tooth is designed as a differential tooth where the clearance angle varies repeatedly along the cutting edge extension, while other teeth may have constant or differently varying angles. This local variation in tooth geometry disrupts resonance patterns and reduces vibrations, thereby improving surface quality without requiring complete redesign of the entire tool structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements asymmetry by introducing differential teeth with non-uniform clearance angles that break the symmetry of conventional milling tools. The varying primary radial clearance angle creates asymmetric cutting characteristics among different teeth, which prevents synchronized vibration patterns and resonance, thus improving surface finish while maintaining a relatively simple overall tool structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If the primary radial clearance angle is varied repeatedly along the cutting edge, then vibrations are reduced and surface quality improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the primary radial clearance angle along the cutting edge of differential teeth. This parameter variation is implemented in a controlled manner where the angle changes repeatedly within specific ranges (e.g., between 5-15 degrees) to achieve vibration reduction. The variation can be achieved through conventional grinding or machining processes, balancing the improvement in surface quality with acceptable manufacturing complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If all teeth have the same clearance angle, then the tool is easier to manufacture, but resonance and vibrations occur reducing surface quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by differentiating at least one tooth as a differential tooth with varying clearance angle, while other teeth can maintain simpler geometries. This selective differentiation achieves vibration reduction without requiring all teeth to be complex, thus improving surface quality while limiting the overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by implementing the differential tooth design in only one or select teeth rather than all teeth. This partial differentiation is sufficient to disrupt resonance patterns and reduce vibrations, achieving the desired surface quality improvement without the full complexity of redesigning every tooth in the tool.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a milling tool for metal cutting comprising a cutting head (1) comprising a plurality of radially protruding and axially extending teeth (6). Each tooth (6) of the plurality teeth comprises a rake surface (7), a clearance surface (8), and a cutting edge (9), which extends axially rearward from a radially outer region at the front end (3) at an intersection of the rake surface (7) with the clearance surface (8). The clearance surface (8) comprises a primary clearance surface (13) rotationally directly behind the cutting edge (9), and wherein, in each position along the cutting edge (9), the primary clearance surface (13) has a primary radial clearance angle α, and a secondary clearance surface (16) rotationally directly behind the primary clearance surface (13). The plurality of teeth (6) comprises at least one differential tooth (6), wherein the primary radial clearance angle α of each differential tooth (6) varies repeatedly along the extension of the cutting edge (9), and wherein, in a majority of axial positions along the extension of the cutting edge (9), the primary radial clearance angle α of each differential tooth (6) is different from the primary radial clearance angle α of at least another tooth (6) of the plurality of teeth (6).