Rotary Cutting Tool Adjustable Cooling Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extended flute milling cutters with internal cooling ducts often unnecessarily cool inactive cutting inserts, leading to inefficient coolant usage and increased operational costs, as existing solutions require time-consuming thread engagement/disengagement for adjusting cooling rows.
Innovation Solution
A relocatable seal, such as an o-ring, is used in conjunction with a center pin and pin cooling outlets to selectively direct coolant flow to active cutting inserts, allowing for easy adjustment of cooling rows by positioning the seal in different grooves, thereby preventing coolant flow to inactive inserts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cooling holes are provided for all rows of cutting inserts, then cooling coverage is improved, but coolant usage efficiency deteriorates when not all rows are active
Solution Approach 1:
The seal element is made movable along the coolant supply channel, allowing the cooling system to dynamically adapt to different cutting depths and row configurations. This enables the system to switch between cooling different numbers of rows without requiring physical reconfiguration, thus maintaining cooling coverage while optimizing coolant usage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant supply channel is segmented into multiple cooling zones corresponding to different rows of cutting inserts. The movable seal element divides these zones, allowing coolant to be directed only to the active rows. This segmentation enables independent control of cooling for each row, resolving the contradiction between comprehensive cooling coverage and efficient coolant usage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If threads are added to cooling holes for plugging, then cooling adjustment capability is improved, but operational complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The threaded plug mechanism is replaced with a movable seal element that can be easily repositioned along the coolant supply channel. This substitution eliminates the need for threading operations and screw engagement/disengagement, significantly reducing operational complexity while maintaining full adaptability for adjusting cooling to different row configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable seal element acts as an intermediary that controls coolant flow distribution without requiring direct mechanical intervention in the cooling holes. By positioning the seal at different locations, the system can selectively direct coolant to different rows, providing the same adaptability as threaded plugs but with much simpler operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple screws are used to plug cooling holes, then selective cooling is achieved, but time consumption for adjustment increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual cooling hole controls are merged into a single movable seal element that controls coolant flow to multiple rows simultaneously. By moving this single seal to different positions, the system can selectively cool different numbers of rows in one operation, achieving the same selective cooling capability as multiple screws but reducing adjustment time significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable seal element serves multiple functions: it acts as a flow divider, a position indicator, and a cooling configuration controller all in one component. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple separate screws, enabling selective cooling while minimizing adjustment time through a single repositioning action.
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 method effectively directs coolant only to active cutting inserts, reducing unnecessary cooling and operational costs, while simplifying the process of adjusting cooling mechanisms during changes in cutting depth or row usage.
Implementation Method 1
the seal element being movable along the coolant supply channel between a first position in which the seal element blocks the coolant supply channel to coolant flowing through the coolant supply channel to at least one row of cutting inserts and a second position in which the seal element allows coolant flowing through the coolant supply channel to at least one row of cutting inserts
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A milling cutter (10), having an adjustable cooling mechanism, has a tool body having a body central bore. At least one flute is formed on a body peripheral face. Each flute comprises a first row of insert pockets and at least a second row of insert pockets axially rearwardly displaced from the first row. The cooling mechanism includes a center pin (54) having at least two grooves axially spaced apart from one another along the length of the center pin. A relocatable seal (94) is seated in one of the grooves. When the relocatable seal is seated in a first groove, the body central bore (32) is in fluid communication with cooling holes associated with a first number of rows of inserts; when the relocatable seal (94) is seated in a second groove, the body central bore (32) is in fluid communication with cooling holes associated with a second number of rows of inserts.