Precision milling cutter equipped with cutting tips

• US 6,322,296 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Walter AG (Sandvik AB)
• Original Assignee: Walter AG (Sandvik AB)
• Inventors: Huber, Rolf, Wetli, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Application Number:
  US09/447,970
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 407/42, 407/43, 407/46, 407/47, 407/53, 407/57, 407/59, 407/61, 407/63, 407/113, 407/114, 407/115, 407/116
• US Class Current: 407/42
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2220/366 Turbine blade grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/30 Milling straight grooves, e.g. keyways
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 5/109 with removable cutting inserts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/1924 Specified tool shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/1926 Plural simultaneously usable separable tools in common seat or common clamp actuator for plural simultaneously usable tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/1934 with separate means to fasten tool to holder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/1946 Face or end mill

Abstract

A machining tool (1) has a tool body (2) with tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9), to which cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) are assigned fixedly and individually. The cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) belong to a set of cutting tips. The machining tool (1) includes further sets of cutting tips, again with cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) individually assigned to the tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9). In order to assure that each cutting tip (11, 12, 13, 14) will be mounted on the tip seat (6, 6a, 7, 7a, 8, 8a, 9, 9a) on which it was ground, both the tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9, 6a, 7a, 8a, 9a) and cutting tips (11a through 14a) are provided with markings (34, 35), which allow an unequivocal, unmistakable association.

Claims

1. A machining tool for precision machining operations, comprising:

a tool body (2) having a plurality of tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9),

a plurality of cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14), each of which has at least one cutting edge (21, 22, 23, 24) and which are arranged each to be secured in a tip seat (6, 7, 8, 9) on the tool body (2),

a releasable securing means (15, 16, 17, 18) for respectively securing the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) to the tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9),

wherein said cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) carry a marking so that each one individually corresponds to a specific one of said tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9), and

wherein said cutting edges of the cutting tips are defined by grinding each of the cutting tips while such cutting tip is installed on the tool body in its corresponding tip seat.

2. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that each cutting tip (11, 12, 13, 14) is provided with an individual marking (34), which identifies the tip seat (6, 7, 8, 9) to which the cutting tip (11, 12, 13, 14) is assigned.

3. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that at least some tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9) are embodied identically to one another.

4. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) each have a plurality of cutting edges or cutting edge regions.

5. The machining tool of claim 4, characterized in that the cutting edges (21, 22, 23, 24) of the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) overlap to form at least one complete cutting blade, with overlapping regions in the tooth tip regions.

6. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that the tool body (2) has two rows of tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9;

6a, 7a, 8a, 9a), whose cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14;

11a, 12a, 13a, 14a) are axially offset from one another.

7. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that each tip seat (6, 7, 8, 9) is provided with a respective marking (35), which distinguishes it from all the other markings of the other tip seats and that the marking (34) provided on the cutting tip is referred to the marking (35) of the associated tip seat.

8. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) are provided with an additional marking which identifies the blade shape.

9. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that the ground section on each cutting tip (11, 12, 13, 14) defines a positive clearance angle.

10. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) are provided with a coating, which has been applied to them after the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) have been ground.

11. The machining tool of claim 10, characterized in that the coating has been applied to the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) while the cutting tips are removed from the tool body (2).

12. The machining tool of claim 11, characterized in that the coating is a PVD, TiN or TiC coating.

13. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) are provided with a defined rounding on their cutting edges (21, 22, 23, 24).

14. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that the tool body (2) and the tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9) are embodied such that the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14), while installed on the tool body (2), have an axial chip angle of essentially zero, and that the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) are disposed on a helical line.

15. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that the tip seat (6, 7, 8, 9) has a plane bearing face (27) and bearing faces (28, 29) oriented at right angles thereto.

16. The machining tool of claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of complete sets of cutting tips are assigned to the tool body (2), and each cutting tip set has a suitably identified cutting tip (11, 12, 13, 14) for each tip seat (6, 7, 8, 9).

17. The machining tool of claim 2, characterized in that each cutting tip (11, 12, 13, 14) is provided with an additional marking (37), which identifies the tool body (2) to which it is assigned.

18. A method for providing cutting tip-equipped precision tools, comprising:

providing a tool body (2) having a plurality of tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9);

providing at least one complete set of cutting tips, with at least one of said cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) being adapted to each of said tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9);

assigning each of said cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) to a respective one of said tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9), and installing the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) in their assigned tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9);

grinding the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) while the cutting tips are installed in their respective assigned tip seat for formation of their cutting edges (12, 22, 23, 24);

marking said cutting tips to identify the respective tip seats to which each has been assigned;

separating the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) from their respective tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9) and post-treating the cutting tips; and

resecuring the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) to their respective assigned tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9).

19. The method of claim 18, characterized in that the cutting tips (11, 12, 13, 14) are provided with an engraving, which identifies the tip seat (6, 7, 8, 9) to which the cutting tip (11, 12, 13, 14) is assigned.

20. The method claim 19, characterized in that each tip seat (6, 7, 8, 9) of the tool body (2) is provided with a marking (35), which is distinguished from the markings (35) of other tip seats (6, 7, 8, 9).

21. The method claim 19, characterized in that each cutting tip (11, 12, 13, 14) of the set of cutting tips is provided with a marking (37), which designates the tool body to which the cutting tip set belongs.

22. The method claim 21, characterized in that each tool body (2) is provided with a marking (37′

) that individualizes it.

23. The method of claim 18, characterized in that a plurality of cutting tip sets is assigned to each tool body (2).