Cutting insert and cutting system comprising cutting insert

A cutting tool comprising:

• a toolholder having a threaded bore therein;
• a cutting insert mounted on the toolholder, the cutting insert comprising:
• an upper surface having a circular cutting edge;
• a lower surface opposite the upper surface;
• an exterior sidewall between the upper surface and the lower surface;
• and
• an interior sidewall defining a hole extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, wherein the interior sidewall includes an upper interior sidewall portion and a lower interior sidewall portion, the cutting insert having a central axis defining an axially upward direction towards the upper surface of the cutting insert, an axially downward direction towards the lower surface of the cutting insert, a radially outward direction towards the exterior sidewall of the cutting insert, a radially inward direction towards the central axis of the cutting insert, and a circumferential direction extending circumferentially about the central axis,
• wherein the lower interior sidewall portion includes a plurality of circumferentially offset and radially inwardly raised portions and a plurality of circumferentially offset and radially outwardly recessed portions, each recessed portion of the plurality of circumferentially offset and radially outwardly recessed portions being defined by a radially outwardly recessed interior surface between adjacent raised portions of the plurality of circumferentially offset and radially inwardly raised portions,
• wherein, in a vertical cross-section of the cutting insert along the central axis thereof, a distance between the upper interior sidewall portion and the central axis decreases with respect to the axially downward direction of the cutting insert and a distance between the radially outwardly recessed interior surfaces and the central axis increases with respect to the axially downward direction of the cutting insert,
• wherein, in a bottom view of the cutting insert, all of the radially outwardly recessed interior surfaces of the plurality of circumferentially offset and radially outwardly recessed portions are visible;
• and
• a screw having a shaft extending through the hole of the cutting insert and screwed into the threaded bore of the toolholder,
• wherein the shaft of the screw is configured to elastically deform in the radially outward direction to frictionally engage with a radially outwardly recessed interior surface of the plurality of circumferentially offset and radially outwardly recessed portions to inhibit rotation of the cutting insert.

A method for operating a cutting tool, the method comprising:

• inserting a shaft of a screw through a hole of a cutting insert, the cutting insert comprising:
• an upper surface having a circular cutting edge;
• a lower surface opposite the upper surface;
• an exterior sidewall between the upper surface and the lower surface;
• and an interior sidewall defining a hole extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, wherein the interior sidewall includes an upper interior sidewall portion and a lower interior sidewall portion, the cutting insert having a central axis defining an axially upward direction towards the upper surface of the cutting insert, an axially downward direction towards the lower surface of the cutting insert, a radially outward direction towards the exterior sidewall of the cutting insert, a radially inward direction towards the central axis of the cutting insert, and a circumferential direction extending circumferentially about the central axis, wherein the lower interior sidewall portion includes a plurality of circumferentially offset and radially inwardly raised portions and a plurality of circumferentially offset and radially outwardly recessed portions, each recessed portion of the plurality of circumferentially offset and radially inwardly raised portions being defined by a radially outwardly recessed interior surface between adjacent raised portions of the plurality of circumferentially offset and radially inwardly raised portions;
• screwing the shaft into a threaded bore of a toolholder;
• during a first cutting load applied to the cutting insert during a cutting process, frictionally engaging a head of the screw with the upper interior sidewall portion of the cutting insert to inhibit a rotation of the cutting insert;
• and
• during a second cutting load applied to the cutting insert during a cutting process, wherein the second cutting load is greater than the first cutting load, elastically deforming the shaft radially outwardly to frictionally engage with a radially outwardly recessed portion of the plurality of circumferentially offset and radially outwardly recessed portions to inhibit rotation of the cutting insert.