Method and device for the manufacture of components

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of components, which require chip removing machining. Rings (3) are used as blanks for the manufacture, which in a first step are face machined on opposite sides (6). In a second step, a plurality of ring blanks are put together after each other along a mutual geometric axis and are fixed in relation to each other while forming a form stable set of rings. In a third step, this set of rings is submitted to a number of chip removing machining operations of which at least a concluding one consists in bringing about axially extending cuts which separates components spaced tangentially as well as axially from the ring set. Small components may by machined in an effective way and a high level of accuracy achieved using this method.

Description: Background of the Invention Miscellaneous components which are of a limited size in relation to the tool in its entirety and which require machining to high accuracy are commonly included in tools for chip removing machining, such as milling tools, drilling tools, turning tools and the like. Examples of such components are cassettes and wedges for milling tools, shims for drilling and turning tools, clamps and chip breakers for milling tools, etc. Critical surfaces on such components often require tolerances within the range of 0.005-0.02 mm. The same fine tolerances are also required for holes in the components and for serrations, thereon. Such components are usually made of steel, which requires hardening. Manufacturing methods, known hitherto (for example US 2827300, US4901546, US 3073610), require individual handling of blanks, which are slightly larger than the components are after all machining has been completed. Usually, the blanks are cast in steel, and then the individual blanks are machined in a series of different operations. In, for instance, cassettes for milling tools, seats are milled for cutting inserts in a certain machining station, while grinding of external surfaces takes place in another station. In additional stations, serrations may be produced by milling of an external surface and holes may be drilled and possibly threaded. Between these stations, the individual blanks have to be handled separately inasmuch as they have to be released from the fixture in question after a first machining operation and then be mounted again in another fixture for the next machining operation. In case one and the same blank is to be submitted to many machining operations, the handling as a whole will be time-consuming and expensive. Furthermore, the individual handling in and between different machining stations has the aggravating disadvantage that the dimensional accuracy may suffer. Thus, if all blanks are not positioned and fixed in the same way, there is a risk that individual components get unacceptable tolerance deviations. It should also be mentioned that the requisite hardening of the blanks/ components has to be carried out individually. Objects and Features of the Invention The present invention aims at obviating the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously applied manufacturing method and, in a first aspect, at providing an improved method for the manufacture of components which require chip removing machining. A primary object of the invention is to provide a manufacturing method which permits an accurate machining of the requisite blanks without the need to move about between different machining stations and fixtures, respectively, a plurality of components which in all essentials can be machined to completion in one and the same machining station. An object is also to provide a manufacturing method, which permits an efficient and thereby inexpensive production. According to the invention, at least the primary object is attained thanks to the features defined in claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the method are furthermore defined in the dependent claims 2-7. In a second embodiment, the invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method according to the invention. The features of this device are defined in claim 8. Preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention are furthermore defined in dependent claims 9-11. Brief Description of the Appended Drawings In the drawings: Fig 1 is a schematic, exploded view showing a number of tangentially spaced, finish-machined components, as well as a number of components arranged axially one after the other, Fig 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a number of ring blanks fixed on an arbor, Fig 3 is a side view of a single ring blank, Fig 4 is a cross-section through the ring blank according to fig 3, Fig 5 is an enlarged cross-section through the arbor according to fig 2 with a number of components positioned peripherally on the arbor, and Fig 6 is an enlarged, partial cross-section through an arbor and a number of other components illustrating other feasible machining operations than those shown in fig 5. Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment of the Invention In fig 1 a number of components 1 are shown, of which some are tangentially spaced and located in a ring-shaped configuration, while others are arranged side by side in an axial extension of one of the components in the ring formation. In the concrete example, these components consist of wedges having the purpose of clamping a cutting insert in a cassette included in a milling tool. In addition to a number of plane surfaces, this type of wedges is delimited by a concavely arched surface 2. Reference is now made to figs 2-6, which illustrate schematically the method according to the invention together with a device for carrying out the method. In figs 3 and 4 a blank 3 in the shape of a ring is shown (in a small scale). In this case, the ring is cylinder-shaped so far that the same is delimited by a cylindrical inner surface 4 and a likewise cylindrical outer surface 5, the two opposite side surfaces 6 being plane and mutually substantially parallel. In figs 2, 5 and 6, reference numeral 7 designates an arbor which at one end has a stop member 8 and at the opposite end an axially movable clamping mechanism generally designated 9. In the preferred embodiment, this clamping mechanism includes a cage 10 axially movable along the arbor, as well as a nut 11, which is fastened with screws on a threaded end portion 12 of the arbor. In the example, the stop member 8 consists of a thickened portion of the arbor. This thickened portion as well as the cage 10 have plane shoulder surfaces 13 and 14, respectively, which extend perpendicularly to the geometrical, longitudinal axis of the arbor. Two cutting tools are shown schematically in the form of so-called slitting cutters designated 15. Slits or cuts may be milled by means of these cutters in the ring blanks 3, which are mounted on the arbor and fixed thereon by means of the clamping mechanism. A number of tangentially spaced grooves 16 extending axially along the arbor are recessed in the arbor in order to be able to house the cutters whilst they cut completely through the set of rings. Partially circular recesses 17 in the extension of the grooves 16 are recessed in the portion 8, which serve as a stop member. Analogous recesses 17' are also recessed in the cage 10. An important feature of the method according to the invention consists of using rings 3 as blanks for the manufacture, which rings individually have a volume which is large enough to house a plurality of finished components 1. In the example according to fig 1, the individual ring blank is assumed to be large enough to permit the manufacture often components. In a first manufacturing step, the individual ring blank is face machined on the two opposite sides 6 thereof. This machining, which, in practice, can consist of face milling or face grinding, can be carried out in a conventional way, to an accuracy within the range 0.005-0.02 mm. In a second step, two or more face machined ring blanks are put together one after the other along a common geometrical axis, and fixed in relation to each other while forming a set of rings with stable shape. In the example according to fig 2, twelve ring blanks are shown in such a set. In practice, the rings are threaded onto the arbor 7, and then the cage 10 is applied and tightened by means of the nut 11. Thanks to the fact that all the ring blanks have face machined, parallel side surfaces at the same time as the pressing surfaces 13, 14 extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the arbor, an immovable clamping of the rings in the set is achieved. When the ring blanks have been fixed, the ring set is submitted to a number of chip removing machining operations, the nature of which depends on the type of component which is desired. In figs 5 and 6 examples are given as to how drills may provide a possible means of drilling holes of different types in the ring blanks, e.g. through holes 18, a hole 18' which forms a spring seat and a hole 18", respectively, for a pin. Furthermore, serrations 19 may be achieved by means of a milling cutter along one side of the component. In other respects, a number of face machined surfaces 20 are formed by means of one or more facemills which with modern milling equipment may be given a very close dimensional accuracy. Although the drilling operations are carried out one by one in different positions, all milling operations may be carried out by axial movements in relation between the ring set and the milling tool, whereby each surface or serration can be machined in one single pass. In other words, the tool and/or the ring set is/are transported in one single, unbroken motion from one end of the ring set to the opposite one. In a number of concluding machining operations, the ring set is given tangentially spaced and radially oriented through cuts, which separate the different components from each other. This may be carried out with the above-mentioned slitting cutters 15, which may cut through the rings entirely, in that the peripheral portions of the cutters carrying the cutting inserts may be led down into the grooves 16 and the recesses 17, 17', respectively, in the stop member 8 and the cage 10, respectively. This slit cutting can be carried out by axial displacement of the milling-cutter through the ring set while forming the separating slits 21, whereby the individual components, which are separated from each other, still hang together because they are clamped between the cage 10 and the stop member 8. In other words, the finish-machined components will be separated from the arbor 7 first when the nut 11 and the cage 10 have been screwed apart. In cases where the components are intended to be included in tools for chip removing machining, they are usually manufactured in steel. The invention offers a possibility to carry out the requisite hardening of the steel before the above-mentioned machining operations are started. In other words, the unmachined ring blanks 3 already in the unmachined state may be submitted to hardening. In that manner, the following advantages are won, the machining accuracy is improved, as well as that the comparatively large ring blanks facilitate and hasten the requisite handling in connection with hardening (the numerous, small components which are extracted from each ring blank require a handling which is more time-consuming). A significant advantage of the invention is that numerous components may be machined and extracted at the same time without having to be repeatedly moved between different machining stations and fixtures. This in turn ensures high accuracy of the components after all machining has been completed. In all essentials, all components become identical. In the embodiments exemplified, the ring blanks 3 are cylinder-shaped and used for the manufacture of wedges which should have concavely arched surfaces 2 of the type that is shown in fig 1. Other components may, however, require differently shaped surfaces, e.g. plane surfaces. In case the ring blank is cylindrical, a final face machining is required when the components have been separated from each other. Although after-treatment of the individual components may be needed, the majority of machining operations may, however, be carried out while the ring blanks are kept together in a set which has a stable shape. In this connection, it may be pointed out that the ring blanks as well as the arbor may be of another shape than cylindrical. The ring blanks, for instance, as well as the arbor may be of a polygonal shape (e.g. quadrangular, pentagonal and hexagonal, respectively). In such cases, the arbor and the ring blanks, respectively, may be formed and located in such a way in relation to each other that gaps result between the interior of the ring and the outside of the arbor, the peripheral portion of the slitting cutter being housed in these spaces. In other words, there is no need for recessing grooves in the arbor. Other Feasible Modifications of the Invention The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated schematically in the drawings. Thus, it is feasible to dispose the ring blanks in a set in which ring-shaped shims between adjacent ring blanks are included. In other words, the ring blanks do not need to be pressed in direct surface contact with each other as is shown in fig 2. Although the ring blanks, in the preferred embodiments, are placed concentrically in relation to a mutual geometrical axis - e.g. on an arbor common for all rings - it is also feasible to mount the rings without any requirement regarding concentricity. Although the above invention has been described in connection with components intended to be included in different types of tools for chip removing machining, the same may also apply for other arbitrary, small components irrespective of the material thereof.

Claims: Method for the manufacture of components which require chip removing machining, characterized of the steps of: a) using rings (3) as blanks for the manufacture of components (1), each one of the rings individually has a volume which is large enough to house a plurality of completed components (1), b) face machining the individual ring blank (3) on opposite sides (6), c) setting two or more ring blanks together one after the other along a mutual geometric axis and fixing the same in relation to each other while forming a set of rings which have stable shape, and d) submitting this set of rings to a number of chip removing machining operations of which at least a concluding one consists of bringing about axially extending cuts (21) which separate each ring (3) into a number of components (1), which are spaced tangentially as well as axially, from the ring set. Method according to claim 1, characterized in, that the ring blanks (3) are placed concentrically in relation to said geometry axis, viz . on an arbor (7) common for all rings. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in, that the ring blanks (3) are pressed with the face machined sides (6) of adjacent rings in direct surface contact with each other. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the ring blanks (3) are made of steel which is hardened before the rings are submitted to the machining operations. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the concluding machining operations during which the components are separated from each other are carried out using a slit cutting operation. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that all machining operations in the axial direction are carried out along the entire length of the composite ring set, more precisely so that also each one of the two outer ring blanks (3) at the ends of the ring set are machined along the entire axial extension thereof. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two or more ring blanks (3) are set together one after the other along a mutual geometric axis of an arbor (7), characterized in that , during a cutting operation during which the axially extending cuts are formed by a cutter (15), an edge of the cutter is received in an axial groove (16) formed between an outer periphery of the arbor and inner peripheries of all of the ring blanks (3). Device for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the same comprises an arbor (7) having tangentially spaced and axially extending grooves (16) which at one end has a stop member (8) and at the opposite end an axially movable clamping mechanism (9), a set of ring blanks (3) which can be threaded onto the arbor and clamped between the stop member and the clamping mechanism. Device according to claim 8, characterized in, that the arbor (7) has a cylindrical envelope surface in which said tangentially spaced and axially extending grooves (16) are provided the purpose of which is to receive a peripheral portion of a machining element (15) in connection with the concluding machining operations during which components on which machining has been completed are separated from each other. Device according to claim 9, characterized in, that the clamping mechanism (9) includes a cage (10) which is axially movable along the arbor (7), as well as a nut (11) which may be pressed against the cage so that this in turn should be pressed against the ring set so as to fix the rings therein. Device according to claim 10, characterized in, that there are recesses (17, 17') in the stop member (8) as well as the cage (10) in the extension of said grooves (16) in the arbor (7).

Inventors: QVARTH INGEMAR, QVARTH, INGEMAR
Applicants: SANDVIK AB, SANDVIK AKTIEBOLAG
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B23C5
IPC codes: B23C5, B23P23, B23Q7, B23C3, B23P13