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

• US 9,937,561 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• 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): SWINNEY, JENNIFER B
• Application Number:
  US14/874,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20160023278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• 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 continuously rotatable fly-cutting head, the fly-cutting head being rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the fly-cutting head includes;

a device mounted to an outer radius of the fly-cutting head, wherein the device is adapted to deform or remove material from the workpiece; and

a dynamically-controllable actuator, positioned between the axis of rotation and the device and radially spaced from the axis of rotation that changes a position of the device relative to the fly-cutting head, during a cutting operation in response to the command signals from the control system, such that the device traces a controllable, predetermined cutting path relative to a position and rotation of the workpiece.

2. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an encoder configured to detect angular positions of the fly-cutting head, wherein the controllable, predetermined cutting path is based on the angular positions of the fly-cutting head detected by the encoder.

3. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dynamically-controllable actuator includes a piezoelectric stack.

4. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to trace the predetermined cutting path having a straight portion.

5. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the dynamically-controllable actuator is a first dynamically-controllable actuator,

wherein the device is a first device,

wherein the controllable, predetermined cutting path is a first controllable, predetermined cutting path,

wherein the fly cutting head further includes:

a second device mounted to the outer radius of the fly-cutting head; and

a second dynamically-controllable actuator, positioned between the axis of rotation and the second device and radially spaced from the axis of rotation that changes a position of a second device relative to the fly-cutting head, during a second cutting operation in response to the command signals from the control system, such that the second device traces a second controllable, predetermined cutting path relative to the position and rotation of the workpiece.

6. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the continuously rotatable fly-cutting head is configured to operate at rotational speeds between 1000 revolutions per minute and 100,000 revolutions per minute during the cutting operation.

7. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the motorized spindle is configured to operate at rotational speeds between 0.001 revolutions per minute and 1000 revolutions per minute during the cutting operation.

8. The fly-cutting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device includes a cutting element.