Fly-cutting head, system and method, and tooling and sheeting produced therewith

• US 9,180,524 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Campbell, Alan B., Ehnes, Dale L., Wertz, Daniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dexter, Clark F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWINNEY, JENNIFER B
• Application Number:
  US11/834,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20090038450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,018 Days
• Field of Search: 82/11.1, 821/18, 82/15, 82/12, 833/04, 833/05
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2220/12 Grooving
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2260/108 Piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 29/125 Vibratory toolholders
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 3/26 the tools of which perform a radial movement; Rotary tool heads thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2226/125 cubic [CBN]
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2226/31 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2226/315 polycrystalline [PCD]
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/02 Milling surfaces of revolution B23C3/06, B23C3/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/04 while revolving the work
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/28 Grooving workpieces tread-cutting by milling B23G1/32
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/34 Milling grooves of other forms, e.g. circumferential
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 5/08 Disc-type cutters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1852 using mechanical means, e.g. ruling with diamond tool, moulding
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49334 Combine turning, milling, grinding or other in one setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/2228 Plural interfering seats
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/885 including tool-holding clamp and clamp actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 82/10 Process of turning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0515 During movement of work past flying cutter

Abstract

A fly-cutting system is disclosed, and in particular one that comprises a dynamically-controllable actuator for controlling the position, orientation, or both position and orientation of a cutting element carried by a fly-cutting head. In certain embodiments, the actuator can adjust the position or orientation of a cutting element, or both, hundreds or thousands of times per second, enabling precise control over the shape of features formed by the cutting element in a surface of a workpiece.

Claims

1. A fly-cutting apparatus comprising:

a motorized spindle for supporting and rotating a workpiece according to command signals from a control system;

a rotatable shaft that is continuously rotatable about an axis of rotation; and

a continuously rotatable fly-cutting head that is mounted to the rotatable shaft, wherein the fly-cutting head includes;

a first tool holder for securing a first device to the fly cutting head, wherein the first device is adapted to deform or remove material from a workpiece;

a first dynamically-controllable actuator, positioned between the axis of rotation at the head and the first tool holder and radially spaced from the axis of rotation, that creates motion that changes the radial position of the first tool holder in response to the command signals from the control system, relative to the axis of rotation of the rotatable shaft during a cutting operation such that the first tool holder traces a first controllable, predetermined cutting path relative to the position and rotation of the workpiece, wherein the first actuator can vary a depth of the first device by varying the radial position of the first tool holder while the first device is forming one or more features in the workpiece by deforming or removing material from the workpiece;

a second tool holder for securing a second device to the fly cutting head, wherein the second device is adapted to deform or remove material from the workpiece; and

a second dynamically-controllable actuator, positioned between the axis of rotation at the head and the second tool holder and radially spaced from the axis of rotation, that creates motion that changes the radial position of the second tool holder in response to the command signals from the control system, relative to the axis of rotation of the rotatable shaft during the cutting operation such that the second tool holder traces a second controllable, predetermined cutting path relative to the position and rotation of the workpiece, wherein the second actuator can vary a depth of the second device by varying the radial position of the second tool holder while the second device is forming one or more features in the workpiece by deforming or removing material from the workpiece, and

a third dynamically-controllable actuator, positioned between the head and the first tool holder, wherein the third actuator can vary position of the first tool holder along a different axis than the first actuator.

2. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first actuator changes the position of the first tool holder relative to the rotatable shaft based on the rotational position of the fly-cutting head.

3. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first actuator changes the position of the first tool holder according to the position of the first tool holder relative to the workpiece.

4. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cutting element, wherein the cutting element is secured to the fly-cutting head by the first tool holder, wherein the first tool holder is adapted to reposition the cutting element radially with respect to the rotational axis of the head.

5. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cutting element, wherein the cutting element is secured to the fly-cutting head by the first tool holder, wherein the first actuator changes the cutting radius of the cutting element relative to the rotational axis of the head.

6. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is activated in response to an electrical signal.

7. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first actuator comprises a piezoelectric stack.

8. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is a component of a fast-tool servo that further comprises a feedback system.

9. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cutting element, wherein the cutting element is secured to the fly-cutting head by the first tool holder, wherein the first actuator changes the position of the cutting element in a random manner according to signals transmitted by the control system.

10. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cutting element, wherein the cutting element is secured to the fly-cutting head by the first tool holder, wherein the first actuator changes the position of the cutting element according to a repeated random profile according to signals transmitted by the control system.

11. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cutting element, wherein the cutting element is secured to the fly-cutting head by the first tool holder, wherein the first actuator changes the position of the cutting element according to a predetermined profile according to signals transmitted by the control system.

12. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 11,

wherein the predetermined profile is a predetermined profile during a single pass of the cutting element relative to the workpiece, and

wherein the predetermined profile during the during single pass of the cutting element yields a groove in the workpiece with a substantially linear bottom as measured in a direction parallel to a rotational plane of the cutting element.

13. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, in combination with an encoder for detecting changes in the angular position of the head.

14. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the encoder is a rotary encoder that detects an angular position of the shaft.

15. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the encoder is adapted to transmit a signal indicative of the angular position of the head to the control system.

16. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1 or claim 15, in combination with the control system.

17. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control system sends a signal to the first actuator to control the first actuator.

18. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control system transmits signals to the first actuator to effectuate macro-position control.

19. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 18, wherein the macro-position control causes the first cutting path to include an essentially straight portion by varying a cutting radius of the first tool holder during the formation of a groove segment in a workpiece.

20. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control system transmits signals to the first actuator that effectuate micro-position control.

21. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 20, wherein the micro-position control comprises x-axis chaos.

22. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, in combination with a cutting element.

23. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, in combination with at least two cutting elements.

24. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 23, wherein one cutting element is secured to the fly-cutting head by the first tool holder and is dynamically-controlled by the first actuator, and a second cutting element is held at a fixed position relative to the fly-cutting head.

25. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 23, wherein the cutting elements are evenly spaced with respect to a rotational axis of the head.

26. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electric motor for driving the rotatable shaft.

27. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first actuator changes the position of the first tool holder relative to the rotatable shaft by pivoting the first tool holder relative to the rotatable shaft.

28. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable shaft and the first tool holder operate at rotational speeds between about 1000 revolutions per minute and about 100,000 revolutions per minute during the cutting operation.

29. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 28, wherein the motorized spindle operates at rotational speeds between about 0.001 revolutions per minute and about 1000 revolutions per minute during the cutting operation.

30. A method of machining a workpiece using a fly-cutting apparatus according to claim 1, the method comprising the step of transmitting a signal to the first actuator from the control system, wherein the signal is adapted to mitigate a hysteresis effect associated with the first actuator.

31. A method of machining a workpiece, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a fly-cutting apparatus according to claim 1, the fly-cutting head adapted for rotation relative to a fixed support; and

(b) transferring from the fixed support to the fly-cutting head at least one of (i) power, for activating the first actuator, and (ii) the command signals from the control system, for activating the first actuator.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein step (b) includes the use of a slip ring.

33. A fly-cutting apparatus comprising:

a motorized spindle for supporting and rotating a workpiece according to command signals from a control system;

a rotatable shaft that is continuously rotatable about an axis of rotation; and

a continuously rotatable fly-cutting head that is mounted to the rotatable shaft, wherein the fly-cutting head includes;

a first cutting element; and

a first dynamically-controllable actuator, positioned between the axis of rotation at the head and the first tool holder and radially spaced from the axis of rotation, that creates motion that changes the radial position of the first cutting element in response to the command signals from the control system, relative to the axis of rotation of the rotatable shaft during a cutting operation such that the first cutting element traces a first controllable, predetermined cutting path relative to the position and rotation of the workpiece, wherein the first actuator can vary a depth of the first cutting element by varying the radial position of the first cutting element while the first cutting element is forming one or more features in the workpiece by deforming or removing material from the workpiece;

a second cutting element; and

a second dynamically-controllable actuator, positioned between the axis of rotation at the head and the second tool holder and radially spaced from the axis of rotation and the second cutting element, that creates motion that changes the radial position of the second cutting element in response to the command signals from the control system, relative to the axis of rotation of the rotatable shaft during the cutting operation such that the second cutting element traces a second controllable, predetermined cutting path relative to the position and rotation of the workpiece, wherein the second actuator can vary a depth of the second cutting element by varying the radial position of the second cutting element while the second cutting element is forming one or more features in the workpiece by deforming or removing material from the workpiece, and

a third dynamically-controllable actuator, positioned between the head and the first tool holder, wherein the third actuator can vary position of the first tool holder along a different axis than the first actuator.

34. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first actuator changes the position of the first cutting element relative to the rotatable shaft based on the rotational position of the fly-cutting head.

35. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first actuator changes the position of the first cutting element according to the position of the first cutting element relative to the workpiece.

36. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first actuator changes the cutting radius of the first cutting element relative to the rotational axis of the head.

37. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 33, further comprising an electric motor for driving the rotatable shaft.

38. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first actuator changes the position of the first cutting element relative to the rotatable shaft by pivoting the first cutting element relative to the rotatable shaft.

39. The fly cutting apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a third cutting element, wherein the third cutting element is a fixed position cutting element mounted to the fly cutting head.

40. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 33, wherein the rotatable shaft and the continuously rotatable fly-cutting head operate at rotational speeds between about 1000 revolutions per minute and about 100,000 revolutions per minute during the cutting operation.

41. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 40, wherein the motorized spindle operates at rotational speeds between about 0.001 revolutions per minute and about 1000 revolutions per minute during the cutting operation.

42. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 33,

wherein the first actuator changes the position of the first cutting element during a single pass of the cutting element relative to the workpiece according to a predetermined profile according to the command signals transmitted by the control system, and

wherein the predetermined profile during the during single pass of the first cutting element yields a groove in the workpiece with a substantially linear bottom as measured in a direction parallel to a rotational plane of the first cutting element.