A research on the non-NC machining of two kinds of revolving cutters

Cylindrical ball-end cutters and toroid-shaped involute cutters are both important in numerically controlled (NC) machining of complex surfaces and gears. Conventionally they are manufactured with the NC machining technique, and as the non-numerically-controlled (non-NC) manufacture technique depends on special devices, the cost is much higher than that of NC machining. Yet, batch production can largely decrease the equipment investment, especially on the basis of special mathematical models, which makes the non-NC machining method superior to the NC machining method. This paper proposes the non-NC machining of two kinds of revolving cutters, and through introducing a kind of helical cutting edge and the helical groove, presents the manufacturing models of two kinds of revolving cutters, including the mathematical models of the grinding wheel, the relative movement between the cutter and the grinding wheel and the actual groove. Incidentally, the existing problems in designing and machining revolving cutters are pointed out. This paper intends to offer some reference not only for the machining of two kinds of cutters, but also for the manufacturing of other revolving cutters. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.