Method for machining a molded part and machine tool therefor
AssigneeBuckhorn Rubber Products, Inc.
InventorsEdward Hulse, Kevin Pennewell, James Dorsey, Gregg Teel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A machine tool for machining a molded part, such as an elastomeric coated valve component includes a rotatable cutting tool having a shape corresponding to the shape of a cavity of the valve component. A method of machining the molded part is also disclosed.
Claims11
A method of machining an elastomeric coated valve component, the valve component including a cast core coated by a non-uniform elastomeric coating, the coated valve component including an outer periphery and a cavity formed by at least two elastomeric surfaces extending inward from the periphery, the elastomeric surfaces of the cavity being non-uniform in an as-coated condition due to the coating process, the method comprising:
- providing a machine tool having a rotatable cutting tool, a positioning fixture conforming to portions of the component outer periphery, and a motor for moving at least one of the cutting tool and the fixture relative to one another;
- positioning the coated valve component on the positioning fixture to thereby fix the cavity surfaces relative to the cutting tool;
- actuating the machine tool, the machine tool thereafter automatically rotating the cutting tool and moving at least one of the cutting tool and the valve component to machine at least the cavity surfaces and thereby make the cavity surfaces more uniform than in the as-coated condition.
A machine tool for machining an elastomeric coated valve component, the valve component including a cast core substantially covered by a non-uniform elastomeric coating, the coated valve component further including an outer periphery and a cavity formed by at least two elastomeric coated surfaces extending inward from the periphery, the elastomeric surfaces of the cavity being non-uniform in an as-coated condition due to the coating process, the machine tool comprising:
- a fixture sized and shaped for engaging portions of the outer periphery of the valve component and for fixing the position of the valve component on the machine tool,
- a rotatable cutting tool disposed a predetermined distance from the fixture and having a shape corresponding to the shape of the valve component cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.