Cured silicone based workholding method and apparatus for milling machines
AssigneeMichael Pui Hei YIM
InventorsMichael Pui Hei Yim, Lok Yan So
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A workholding device for positioning a workpiece on a machining equipment, comprising a sacrificial support for supporting the workpiece, a workpiece holding layer formed of a curable material applied onto the sacrificial support, a curable material collector, a curing processing unit which comprises a controller and a curing rate regulator, and a bearing assembly for supporting the sacrificial support, the curable material collector and the curing processing unit, wherein the curable material is a solid which is viscous before curing and elastic after curing and has a melting point above 1000° C.
Claims19
A workholding device for positioning a workpiece on a machining equipment, comprising:
- a sacrificial support for supporting the workpiece;
- a workpiece holding layer formed of a curable material applied onto the sacrificial support, which secures the workpiece at a predetermined position on the sacrificial support after completion of curing, the sacrificial support and the workpiece holding layer allowing for being damaged by a cutting tool of the machining equipment during the machining of the workpiece;
- a curable material collector which is arranged below the sacrificial support for collecting a curable material detached from the sacrificial support during the application of the curable material, the curing of the curable material,
- and/or the machining of the workpiece;
- a curing processing unit which comprises a controller and a curing rate regulator, the controller controlling the curing rate regulator to adjust a curing rate of the curable material by changing at least one of factors affecting curing;
- and
- a bearing assembly for supporting the sacrificial support, the curable material collector and the curing processing unit, which is configured to be removably mounted to the machining equipment;
- wherein the curable material is a solid which is viscous before curing and elastic after curing, and has a melting point above 1000° C.
A method for positioning a workpiece on a machining equipment, comprising:
- providing a sacrificial support, which allows for being damaged by a cutting tool of the machining equipment during machining of the workpiece;
- applying a curable material onto the sacrificial support;
- placing the workpiece on the sacrificial support while the curable material is not cured;
- curing the curable material to form a workpiece holding layer, and securing the workpiece at a predetermined position on the sacrificial support;
- providing a curing processing unit, which comprises a controller and a curing rate regulator, the controller controlling the curing rate regulator to adjust a curing rate of the curable material by changing at least one of factors affecting curing;
- providing a curable material collector, which is used to collect a curable material detached from the sacrificial support during the application of the curable material, the curing of the curable material, and/or the machining of the workpiece;
- and
- providing a bearing assembly, which is used to support the sacrificial support, the curable material collector and the curing processing unit, and which is removably mounted to the machining equipment;
- wherein the curable material is a solid which is viscous before curing and elastic after curing, and has a melting point above 1000° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.