Technological preparation of thread milling cutter production at the design stage

Abstract

Abstract This research was performed on the technological feasibility of manufacturing the multiple thread milling cutter flutes based on their mathematical and experimental simulation and studying possibility of manufacturing a prototype thread milling cutter with use of grinding wheels of typical profiles. System of mathematical expressions was developed to determine the flute end section profile produced by a grinding wheel and taking into account kinematic scheme of the multi-axis CNC tool grinding machines using the Walter Basic kinematic scheme as an example. Proposed mathematical expressions were approved by experimental studies when machining helical flutes on caprolon workpieces with a diameter of 34.5 mm with use of a universal grinding machine. Flute profiles comparison in the end section (experimental and calculated) showed their satisfactory convergence; the errors (up to 0.42 mm) could be explained by inaccuracy in grinding wheel installation, workpiece yielding, error in the experiment parameters settings and increasing discrepancy in the error measurement direction to the core diameter. To study technological feasibility of the thread milling cutter flutes manufacturing, the CoroMill Plura R217.15-140100AC26N thread milling cutter was choosed as a prototype. End section of the tool was obtained by a plane passing through the top of the tooth, and installation parameters for the grinding wheel type 1V1 were assigned using a developed mathematical expressions system. It was established that the grinding wheel type 1V1 made it possible to assign installation parameters required in fluting of the prototype. The possibility of choosing the grinding wheel profile and geometric parameters as well as its installation parameters based on the manufacturing simulation of the prototype performed in Walter Helitronic Tool Studio was confirmed, which makes it possible to perform thread milling cutters production technological preparation using the developed mathematical expressions.