Thin-Walled Rotary Cutting Tool Blank for Lower Material Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of rotary metal cutting tools from conventional blanks is time-consuming and wasteful due to high material consumption, as these blanks often require extensive machining and have features that are thicker than necessary for strength and finishing.
Innovation Solution
A blank for rotary metal cutting tools is designed with an elongate, one-piece body featuring a chip flute section with a constant wall thickness of up to 25% of its maximal diameter, produced using additive manufacturing, which allows for optimized material usage and reduced material waste by minimizing unnecessary thickness for strength and post-treatment allowances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional blanks are used with thicker walls for strength and finishing allowances, then manufacturing reliability is improved, but material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the wall thickness parameter from conventional thick walls to optimized thin walls (at most 25% of maximal diameter). This parameter change is made possible by additive manufacturing technology, which allows precise control of wall thickness while maintaining structural integrity. The thin-walled design reduces material consumption while still providing sufficient strength for the chip flute section to perform its function during machining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary shaping of the blank using additive manufacturing, creating the chip flute section with the desired thin-walled geometry before any subtractive machining. This preliminary action establishes the optimal wall thickness from the beginning, eliminating the need to start with thicker walls that would later be machined down, thereby reducing overall material consumption while ensuring the final dimensions are achieved.
2Manufacturing precision
If extensive machining is performed on conventional blanks, then manufacturing precision is improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The additive manufacturing process performs preliminary shaping of the blank, creating chip flutes, clearance surfaces, and other features with dimensions close to the final desired dimensions. This preliminary action significantly reduces the amount of subsequent machining required, thereby reducing production time while still achieving the necessary manufacturing precision for the finished tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different wall thicknesses to different sections of the blank based on local requirements. The chip flute section has optimized thin walls (at most 25% of maximal diameter) where material removal is minimized, while other sections maintain sufficient thickness for strength. This local quality approach allows selective reduction of material in areas where it is least needed, reducing overall production time without compromising critical dimensions.
3Strength
If thicker walls are used in chip flute section, then structural strength is improved, but material efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the wall thickness parameter of the chip flute section to be at most 25% of the maximal diameter of the tool. This parameter change represents a significant reduction from conventional thick-walled designs, directly improving material efficiency. The additive manufacturing process enables this thin-walled design while maintaining sufficient structural strength through precise control of wall geometry and material distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies the thin-walled design specifically to the chip flute section where material can be most efficiently reduced, while maintaining sufficient thickness in other critical areas. This local quality approach ensures that material is removed only where it is least needed for structural integrity, achieving optimal balance between strength and material efficiency in the chip flute section.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5A~5C
AI summary
The present invention relates to a blank for a rotary metal cutting tool, wherein the blank comprises an elongate, one-piece body having a front end (1), a rear end (2) and a longitudinal axis (3) extending from the front end (1) to the rear end (2). The body comprises a head section (4), a shaft section (6) and a chip flute section (5), which has a maximal diameter (7). The chip flute section (5) comprises a longitudinally extending wall (8) surrounding a longitudinally extending internal cavity (9), which wall (8) has an internal wall surface (10) defining the cavity (9) and an external wall surface. The external wall surface defines a chip flute surface (11). As seen in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (3), the wall (8) has a wall thickness (14) measured from the external wall surface to the internal wall surface (10). As seen in cross sections in positions along a major length of the chip flute section (5), circumferentially along one portion of the chip flute surface (11), the wall thickness (14) is constant and at most 25% of the maximal diameter (7) of the chip flute section (5) including a finishing allowance.