Apparatus and method of high-pressure waterjet assisted cooling/lubrication in machining
AssigneeUniversity of Kentucky Research Foundation
InventorRadovan Kovacevic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for high-pressure waterjet assisted machining includes a drive motor, spindle and rotary cutting tool with cutting inserts. The apparatus further includes a high-pressure intensifier pump providing cutting fluid at a pressure greater than 50,000 psi. A cutting fluid conduit system in the rotary cutting tool includes a main flow channel, a distribution manifold, a plurality of radially extending feed channels and a plurality of cooperating nozzles for delivering fluid behind the cutting inserts. The cutting fluid then passes through one or more apertures in the inserts into an interface defined by the inserts of the cutting tool and a chip being cut from the workpiece.
Claims14
In an apparatus for machining of a workpiece, said apparatus including a drive motor and a rotary cutting tool, the improvement comprising:
- a high-pressure intensifier pump providing cutting fluid at a pressure greater than 30,000 psi;
- and
- conduit means for delivering and directing said high-pressure cutting fluid from said pump through said rotary cutting tool directly into an interface defined by said rotary cutting tool and a chip being cut from said workpiece;
- said conduit means including a main flow channel, a distribution manifold and a plurality of radially directed feed channels all formed in said rotary cutting tool and providing serial communication for the passage of cutting fluid.
A rotary cutting tool comprising a tool body including a shank and a head;
- a plurality of cutting inserts fixed to said tool body;
- and
- a conduit means for delivering and directing high-pressure cutting fluid through said tool body including (a) a main flow channel extending axially through said shank into said head, (b) a distribution manifold for receiving cutting fluid from said main flow channel, (c) a plurality of feed channels extending radially from said distribution manifold, one feed channel per insert, (d) a cooperating flow aperture in each insert for receiving cutting fluid from a cooperating feed channel, and (e) a sapphire nozzle between each feed channel and cooperating flow aperture of each insert;
- whereby cutting fluid is directed into an interface defined between said rotary cutting tool insert and a chip being cut from a workpiece.
A method of machining with a rotary cutting tool, comprising the steps of:
- providing cutting fluid at a pressure greater than 30,000 psi;
- and
- delivering said high-pressure cutting fluid through said rotary cutting tool directly into an interface defined by said rotary cutting tool and a chip being cut from said workpiece by directing said high-pressure cutting fluid through an aperture in said rotary cutting tool juxtaposed to said chip during the machining operation.
A method of machining with a rotary cutting tool, comprising the steps of:
- providing cutting fluid at a pressure greater than 50,000 psi;
- and
- delivering said high-pressure cutting fluid through said rotary cutting tool directly into an interface defined by said rotary cutting tool and a chip being cut from said workpiece by directing said high-pressure cutting fluid through an aperture in said rotary cutting tool juxtaposed to said chip during the machining operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.