Patent ID: 7677146
Filing Date: 2010-03-16
Classification: B23B,G05B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A cutting tool assembly, comprising: a substantially cylindrical work piece mounted for rotational movement; a drive unit connected to the work piece for rotating the work piece; a tool post mounted on a track for movement substantially parallel to a surface of the work piece to be machined; an actuator mounted on the tool post, the actuator comprising: a controller, connected to the drive unit and the actuator, for controlling the movement of the work piece relative to the tool tip via the drive unit and for controlling the movement of the tool tip via the piezoelectric stack, wherein the controller via the piezoelectric stack moves the tool tip into and out of the surface of the work piece to be machined during cutting of the surface, wherein the tool tip is in discontinuous contact with the work piece to make discontinuous features in the work piece during a continuous cutting pass of the work piece, and wherein during at least a portion of the continuous cutting pass the microstructure on the tool tip is in contact with the work piece to make a microstructured feature within the discontinuous features.