Radius End Mill Corner Gash Geometry for Smooth Chip Flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Radius end mills with small rake angles on the corner R cutting edge suffer from degraded cutting sharpness, high cutting resistance, and potential chip clogging or breakage due to stepped or edged portions, leading to inefficient processing and rough machined surfaces.

Innovation Solution

A radius end mill design featuring a corner gash with a controlled axial rake angle of 5 to 20 degrees and a recessed corner gash that prevents stepped portions, improves cutting sharpness, and ensures smooth chip flow by maintaining a continuous rake face, reducing the likelihood of chipping and surface roughness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a gash is formed on the corner R cutting edge, then chip removal is improved, but the rake angle becomes small and cutting sharpness is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechip removal efficiencyVSAvoidcutting sharpness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different rake angles to different regions of the corner R cutting edge. The axial rake angle is specifically controlled to be 5 to 20 degrees in the region where the corner gash is formed, while other regions may have different rake angles. This local differentiation allows the gash to effectively remove chips while maintaining sufficient cutting sharpness in the critical cutting zone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Force

If the gash is too small, then cutting resistance is reduced, but the cutting edges are not smoothly connected and stepped portions are formed causing chip clogging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting resistanceVSAvoidchip flow continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The corner R cutting edge inherently provides a curved, continuous transition between the end cutting edge and outer peripheral cutting edge. The corner gash is designed to follow this curvature, ensuring smooth connection without abrupt changes or stepped portions. This curved geometry maintains continuous chip flow while managing cutting resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Productivity

If the rake angle is increased to improve cutting sharpness, then lateral feed machining efficiency improves, but the end cutting edge becomes more susceptible to abrasive wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelateral feed machining efficiencyVSAvoidend cutting edge durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the axial rake angle parameter to a specific range of 5 to 20 degrees in the corner R cutting edge region. This parameter optimization balances cutting sharpness for efficient lateral feed machining with sufficient edge strength to resist abrasive wear, avoiding both too shallow and too steep rake angles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2799172B1Radius end mill
Publication Date: 2021.01.20 KYOCERA CORP
  • EP2799172B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP2799172B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(c)
  • EP2799172B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(b)

AI summary

[Object] To provide a radius end mill that prevents a stepped or edged portion from being formed on the cutting edge at the connection between the corner R cutting edge and the outer peripheral cutting edge, has a good cutting sharpness, and improves a surface roughness on the machined surface. [Solution] A radius end mill 20 includes a tool body 1 that rotates around a center axis O; a series of a plurality of cutting edges 5 composed of an end cutting edge 2 disposed at a distal end of the tool body 1, an outer peripheral cutting edge 4 disposed on an outer periphery of the tool body 1, and a corner R cutting edge 3 which extends between the end cutting edge 2 and the outer peripheral cutting edge 4; a rake face 6 of the end cutting edge 2, the corner R cutting edge 3 and the outer peripheral cutting edge 4; a chip removal flute 7 which extends at the back of the rake face 6; and a corner gash 8 disposed adjacent to the corner R cutting edge 3 of the rake face 6, wherein the corner gash 8 in a planar shape has an edge, part of which is located at the center portion of the corner R cutting edge 3, and an axial rake 2 at an end portion on the side of the end cutting edge 2 which is in contact with the corner gash 8 on the corner R cutting edge 3 is in the range of 5 to 20 degrees.