PCD-Tipped Cemented Carbide End Mill for Faster Groove Grinding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional end mills with cemented carbide base materials face challenges in manufacturing due to interference issues with grinding wheels, leading to increased costs and limited groove shapes, and those with heavy metal bases are expensive and time-consuming to produce.
Innovation Solution
An end mill design featuring a cemented carbide base material with flutes and grooves arranged at specific angles to allow for large-diameter grinding wheels, enabling efficient machining of multiple PCD tips without interference, reducing manufacturing time and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If heavy metal (sintered tungsten alloy powder) is used as the base material to increase rigidity, then cutting vibration resistance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and groove formation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from heavy metal to cemented carbide, which has different mechanical properties but achieves the required rigidity at lower cost and with faster groove formation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive heavy metal with more economical cemented carbide material, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining sufficient rigidity for the application
2Strength
If cemented carbide is used as the base material to reduce cost and increase rigidity, then manufacturing cost is reduced and rigidity is improved, but groove formation becomes time-consuming due to interference with large-diameter grinding wheels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dimensional solution by specifying precise groove positions and orientations that allow large-diameter grinding wheels to access and form grooves without interference, solving the geometric constraint problem
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary design of groove positions and orientations to ensure that subsequent groove formation with large-diameter grinding wheels can proceed efficiently without interference or time loss
3Strength
If grooves are machined into cemented carbide base material with diamond grinding wheel, then rigidity is maintained, but the grinding wheel interferes with brazing surface around grooves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by specifying that grooves are formed at positions and orientations where only localized grinding wheel contact is needed, avoiding interference with the brazing surfaces while maintaining rigidity in the overall structure
4Productivity
If multiple PCD tips are joined to the base material, then cutting performance is improved, but groove spacing must be increased to prevent interference, reducing the number of tips
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement of grooves at specific positions and orientations, allowing multiple PCD tips to be accommodated without interference by exploiting the additional dimensional space around the base material
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 design allows for high-rigidity end mills with multiple PCD tips to be produced at lower costs, enhancing durability and enabling high-feed machining with reduced manufacturing time.
Implementation Method 1
A disk-shaped first rotary grinding wheel is rotated around its axis and moved relative to the base material to form two to four flutes extending axially on a surface of the base material. A disk-shaped second rotary grinding wheel is rotated around its axis and moved relative to the base material to form a normal cutting-edge groove that extends linearly between the flutes
Implementation Method 2
A PCD tip is brazed near the end of the base material as a normal cutting-edge with a positive cutting-edge lead angle. PCD tips are brazed at locations farther from the end of the base material than the normal cutting-edge as reverse cutting-edges with a negative cutting-edge lead angle
Data Source
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AI summary
[Solution to the Problem] An end mill (1) has a rod-shaped base material (2) made of cemented carbide. Two to four flutes (3) extend along on a surface of the base material (2) with a helix angle (3a) of 0° to 45° relative to an axial direction of the base material (2). A normal cutting-edge groove (4) extends linearly between the flutes (3). A normal cutting-edge (11), which is a PCD tip (10), is disposed in the normal cutting-edge groove (4) and protrudes from the normal cutting-edge groove (4). A cutting-edge lead angle (11a) of the normal cutting-edge (11) is 15° to 55°. A reverse cutting-edge groove (5) is located farther from an end of the base material (2) than the normal cutting-edge groove (4) and extends linearly between the flutes (3). A reverse cutting-edge (12), which is a PCD tip (10), is disposed in the reverse cutting-edge groove (5) and protrudes from the reverse cutting-edge groove (5). A cutting-edge lead angle of the reverse cutting-edge (12) is -55° to -15°.