Rotary Cutting Insert Structure for Accurate Clamping and Higher Blade Count

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cutting inserts with positive shapes face challenges in accuracy during attachment to cutting tools and are limited in the number of blades that can be mounted due to their design, leading to poor machining precision and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A cutting insert with a unique shape featuring inclined end surfaces, curved cutting edges on both upper and lower surfaces, and a flat reference surface orthogonal to both, allowing for improved attachment stability and increased blade count without widening the insert, enhancing machining precision and efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a cutting insert with a positive shape is used to ensure sharpness, then cutting edge sharpness is improved, but attachment accuracy to the cutting tool body deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting edge sharpnessVSAvoidattachment accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting insert is divided into functional zones: the peripheral side surface provides the positive cutting edge shape for sharpness, while the end surfaces provide flat reference surfaces for accurate attachment. This segmentation allows each surface to serve its specific function without compromise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different surfaces of the cutting insert have different geometric properties tailored to their functions: the peripheral side surface has a positive shape for cutting, while the end surfaces have flat reference surfaces for attachment accuracy. Each local area has optimized quality for its specific purpose.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If the number of corners in one cutting insert is increased to increase blade count, then the number of blades is improved, but the insert width increases making it difficult to mount more blades

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of bladesVSAvoidinsert width
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting edges are arranged in both the upper and lower surfaces of the insert, utilizing the third dimension (depth/thickness) rather than only expanding in the width direction. This allows increasing the number of cutting edges without increasing insert width, enabling more blades to be mounted on the cutting tool body.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Shape

If the insert width is increased to accommodate more corners, then the number of corners is improved, but the number of blades that can be mounted on the cutting tool body deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of cornersVSAvoidnumber of blades
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Cutting edges are positioned on both upper and lower surfaces of the insert, utilizing the thickness dimension to increase corner count without increasing width. This enables more cutting edges per insert, thereby increasing the number of blades that can be mounted on the cutting tool body.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Ease of manufacture

If conventional insert shapes are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but attachment stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidattachment stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The end surfaces are designed with flat reference surface geometry specifically for stable attachment, while other surfaces maintain conventional shapes for cutting functionality. This localized optimization provides attachment stability without requiring complete redesign of the entire insert.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4119271A1Cutting insert, indexable rotary cutting tool, and body of the same
Publication Date: 2023.01.18 TUNGALOY CORP
  • EP4119271A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4119271A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4119271A1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

Provided is a structure for improving accuracy in attaching a cutting tool to a body and making it possible to increase the number of blades while the cutting tool is mounted on the body. A cutting insert 1 includes: an upper surface 10 that has a shape with a lengthwise direction LD and a widthwise direction SD; a lower surface that is located opposite to the upper surface 10; a peripheral side surface 30 that is formed so as to connect the upper surface 10 and the lower surface; cutting edges 51 and 52 that are respectively formed on an intersecting ridge line of the upper surface 10 and the peripheral side surface 30, and on an intersecting ridge line of the lower surface and the peripheral side surface 30, and each have a curved ridge line that extends in a lengthwise direction thereof; and a through hole 60 that penetrates from the upper surface 10 to the lower surface. End surfaces 31 and 32 located in the lengthwise direction LD of the upper surface 10 and the lower surface, of the peripheral side surface 30, are respectively inclined with respect to the upper surface 10 and the lower surface, and are parallel to each other. A reference surface 33 that is located opposite to the cutting edges 51 and 52, of the peripheral side surface 30, is a flat surface that is orthogonal to the upper surface 10 and the lower surface.