Novel continuous generating grinding process for the production of cutting tools

Abstract

The production of modern cutting tools, e.g. end mills or drilling tools, is very challenging. On the one hand, the requirements regarding the tool quality and tool lifetime are continuously increasing due to new manufacturing processes and workpiece materials. On the other hand, there is an increasing demand for cutting tools and the productivity of the tool production process has to increase in order to satisfy the world market. In order to solve both challenges, new tool grinding processes have to be developed. This paper presents a modification of the generating gear grinding process that allows the production of rotationally symmetric cutting tools. The advantage of this manufacturing process is the simultaneous machining of all cutting edges and the flutes of the workpiece in one continuous process. Therefore, auxiliary process times are reduced and new tool geometries are producible, which are not machinable using conventional tool grinding processes.