Tuesday 21 February 2012

Tool Making - SQUARE Drilling a superb Technology...



                                        


   
A bit that drills square holes ... it defies common sense. How can a revolving edge cut anything but a circular hole? Not only do such bits exist (as well as bits for pentagonal, hexagonal and octagonal holes), but they derive their shape from a simple geometric construction known as a Reuleaux triangle (after Franz Reuleaux, 1829-1905).
Figure 1 To construct a Reuleaux triangle, start with an equilateral triangle of side s (Figure 1). With a radius equal to s and the center at one of the vertices, draw an arc connecting the other two vertices. Similarly, draw arcs connecting the endpoints of the other two sides. The three arcs form the Reuleaux triangle. One of its properties is that of constant width, meaning the figure could be rotated completely around between two parallel lines separated by distance s.

It was with this property of constant width that the Reuleaux triangle was introduced in a sidebar of our geometry text (Moise and Downs, Teachers' Edition, p. 555). "This figure has constant width," I lectured, "just like a circle." Without thinking, I volunteered, "Imagine it as wheels on a cart." "What sort of cart?" "Why, a math cart, to carry my board compass and protractor," I replied, digging myself in deeper. This was the first of several impulsive misstatements I made about the Reuleaux triangle, only to admit after a little reflection that it wasn't so. Not in twenty years of teaching had my intuition failed me so completely.
Figure 2 The constant width property can be used to transport loads, but not by using Reuleaux triangles as wheels. If several poles had congruent Reuleaux triangles as cross sections, bulky items could ride atop them (Figure 2). Movement would occur as poles were transferred from back to front, providing a moveable base of constant height.

Figure 3 But the Reuleaux triangle cannot be a wheel. The only conceivable point for the axle, at the triangle's centroid, is not the same distance from the Reuleaux triangle's "sides" (Figure 3). If the sides of the equilateral triangle are s, then

2  s           sqrt(3)
(1)       AP = -  - sqrt(3) = ------- s » 0.577s,
               3  2              3
while
sqrt(3)           sqrt(3)
          PB = s - ------- s = s(1 - -------) » 0.423s.
                      3                 3
Even if four Reuleaux triangle wheels were synchronized, the load would rise and fall continuously -- you'd need Dramamine to ride this cart! Figure 4 "And since it has constant width, it would just fit inside a square whose sides are that width," I continued, trying to regain their attention. I carefully drew a square circumscribing the Reuleaux triangle (Figure 4). The triangle is normally tangent to two sides of the square with two vertices touching the square directly opposite the points of tangency (why?), as in Figure 4a. The exception is Figure 4b, where the Reuleaux triangle has one point of tangency and all three vertices on the square (one directly opposite that point of tangency).

"If the Reuleaux triangle just fits inside the square, no matter what position it's in, couldn't it rotate around the inside of the square?" They needed convincing -- a model would have to be built. "But if it did rotate around the inside, doesn't that mean that a sharp Reuleaux triangle could carve out a square as it rotated?" I had them. "Drill a square hole?", one countered. "No way!"
That night I cut a four inch Reuleaux triangle from a manila folder to take to class the next day. With a lot of effort, I was able to show the triangle rotate around the inside of a four inch square. "And if this was metal at the end of a rotating shaft, it would cut out a square", I continued, racking up two more falsehoods. Firstly, it was implied that the center of the Reuleaux triangle would coincide with the center of a drill's shaft; it cannot. And secondly, the corners of the holes are not right angles, but slightly rounded.
Figure 5 Trying to show the triangle should be centered at the end of a rotating shaft, I stuck a pen through the triangle's center which, while a student manually rotated the triangle within the square, traced the center's path on paper beneath (Figure 5). "It's definitely not a single point," I had to admit, holding up the traced curve, "but it sure looks like a circle!" Falsehood #4.

Figure 6 Just what is the path of the centroid of a Reuleaux triangle boring a square hole? Assume the square and the equilateral triangle have sides of length 1. Center the square about the origin and position the Reuleaux triangle so vertex A is at (-1/2,0), as in Figure 6a. Using (1), the triangle's centroid will be P (-1/2+sqrt(3)/3,0). Now imagine rotating the triangle clockwise through the position in Figure 6b, and ending up in Figure 6c, where the centroid is P''(0,-1/2+sqrt(3)/3). The path from P to P'' lies in quadrant I. Let a be angle MA'B', ß the angle formed by A'P' and a horizontal line through A', and c the y-coordinate of point A'. We are interested in the coordinates of P'. Note that cosa=1/2+c and that ß=270°+a+30°=300°+a. Also note that during this rotation, a goes from 60° to 30°. Because A'P'=sqrt(3)/3, if we measure from the coordinates of A'(-1/2,c), the x and y coordinates of P' can be found.

-1   sqrt(3)                -3 + sqrt(3) cos(a) + 3 sin(a)
(2)  x = - + ------- cos(300°+a) =  ------------------------------,
         2      3                               6
and
sqrt(3)
(3)  y = c + ------- sin(300°+a)
              3

                        sqrt(3)
       = (cosa - 1/2) + ------- sin(300°+a)
                           3

         -3 + 3 cos(a) + sqrt(3) sin(a)
       = ------------------------------
                    6
as a goes from 60° to 30°. Finding the path of the triangle's center in the other three quadrants is similar in procedure and produces equations symmetric to the origin and both axes.
3 - sqrt(3) cos(a) - 3 sin(a)
Quadrant II:   x = -----------------------------
                            6

                   -3 + 3 cos(a) + sqrt(3) sin(a)
               y = ------------------------------
                            6

                   3 - sqrt(3) cos(a) - 3 sin(a)
Quadrant III:  x = -----------------------------
                            6

                   3 - 3 cos(a) - sqrt(3) sin(a)
               y = -----------------------------
                            6

                   -3 + sqrt(3) cos(a) + 3 sin(a)
Quadrant IV:   x = ------------------------------
                              6
 
                   3 - 3 cos(a) - sqrt(3) sin(a)
               y = -----------------------------
                              6
But these equations do not describe a circle. In equations (2) and (3), when a=30°, P is on the x-axis at approximately (0.07735,0). But when a=45°,

-6 + sqrt(6) + 3sqrt(2)
             x = y = ------------------------,
                                6
Figure 7 which makes the distance from P' to the origin about 0.08168. This non-circularity is also shown by graphing the four parametric equations above with a circle whose radius is slightly smaller or larger. In Figure 7, the circle is the outer curve. Notice that the centroid's path is farther from the circle at the axes than mid-quadrant.

Figure 8 So the Reuleaux triangle's centroid does not follow a circular path. How then is the Reuleaux bit contained within the square outline it's to cut? Harry Watts designed a drill in 1914 with a patented "full floating chuck" to accommodate his irregular bits. Bits for square, pentagonal, hexagonal and octagonal holes are still sold by the Watts Brothers Tool Works in Wilmerding PA. The actual drill bit for the square is a Reuleaux triangle made concave in three spots to allow for unobstructed corner-cutting and the discharge of shavings (Figure 8).

Figure 9 Even the modified bit leaves slightly rounded corners. How rounded? Assume the starting position in Figure 9a, in which the Reuleaux triangle is just tangent at point C. As the triangle rotates counterclockwise, C leaves that edge of the square temporarily (labeled C' in Figure 9b) only to rejoin another at position C'' in Figure 9c. In Figure 9b, let a be angle MA'B', ß be the angle formed by A'C' and the horizontal line through A', and c the y-coordinate of A'. Then ß = a+60°-90° = a-30° and cosa = 1/2+c. To generate the corner by C, a starts at 30° in Figure 9a and ends up at 60° in Figure 9c. Using A'C' = 1 and measuring from the coordinates of A', the coordinates of C' are described by

-1                   -1 + sqrt(3) cos(a) + sin(a)
     x = - + 1 cos(a-30°) =  ----------------------------,
         2                              2
and
1
     y = c + 1 sin(a-30°) = (cosa - -) + sin(a-30°)
                                    2
                                    
          -1 + cos(a) + sqrt(3) sin(a)
       =  ----------------------------.
                    2
Figure 10 The equations for the other three corners are similar, and when graphed with the rest of the square yield Figure 10.

Not only does the Reuleaux triangle have practical and interesting applications, and is easy to describe geometrically, but it generates a lot of discussion due to its nonintuitive properties. With this background, you can avoid the blunders I made. Further explorations into the topic might include other figures of constant width (see Gardner and Rademacher/Toeplitz); further identifying the curve of the Reuleaux triangle's center as it cuts a square; and the shapes of bits for pentagonal, hexagonal and octagonal holes.


 This is a nice technology and No peoples can believe this easy..but after seeing this video and details in this you may mesmerised by this valuable time saving and money saving technology...
                                      

Monday 13 February 2012

Tool Making - How to Choose the Right Drill...


                                                Drilling in mold manufacturing often differs from conventional drilling with respect to several key factors. For one thing, there is a greater frequency of contoured drilling surfaces. For another, the industry employs tougher materials than are typically encountered in general machining. Successfully dealing with these conditions requires an application-specific machining strategy.
Contoured surfaces or interrupted cuts can present problems whether you are using an indexable drill, a replaceable point drill, a solid carbide drill or even a high-speed steel (HSS) drill. That’s because the more irregular the surface, the greater chance of deflection.
Before looking at deflection, though, let’s consider which type of drill to use. The answer depends on both technical and business considerations.

Holes 0.5 in. diameter and under with depths up to 70xD are best suited for solid carbide. When confronted with larger diameter holes, indexable drills often provide the most efficient solution for holes up to 5xD. Above that, up to 10xD, replaceable tip drills are the prime candidates. For all of these applications coolant-thru drills are recommended.
There is also the economics of the application to be considered. For very low volumes where cycle time and cost per hole are not critical, an economical HSS drill might suffice. For higher volumes, a solid carbide drill could be advantageous because even though it is more expensive, it can run at higher speeds with higher cutting parameters. This provides lower cost per hole and higher throughput.
However, for holes from 0.5 in. diameter and up, and for depths up to 5xD, indexable insert drills will typically provide the best cycle time and cost per hole. This is because they bring less cutting tool material into contact with the hole wall, so there is less friction, allowing higher cutting speed. They also have an advantage, since unlike HSS or solid carbide drills, reconditioning is not necessary. The tradeoff is in precision (i.e., hole location and diameter tolerance). That’s because indexable drills are more prone to deflection than solid carbide drills.
A variety of strategies can be employed to minimize deflection and/or improve hole precision. You can use precision ground rather than production inserts on the periphery of the tool to reduce tolerance stack up. Also, offset toolholders can be used. Inner inserts encounter higher cutting forces than do the outer ones, due to the lower cutting speeds, thus promoting higher deflective forces. To compensate, insert placement within the tool can be adjusted by the tool design engineer. Regardless of drill type, irregular surfaces can be pre-machined then pilot drilled. Strategies like these can improve performance, depending on the customer’s needs and priorities.
Because mold manufacturing employs tough materials, insert grades and geometries need to be evaluated for the best combination. The inner insert encounters higher cutting forces than the outer, so here you will typically want a very tough grade and a geometry not prone to chipping. In the outer pocket, running at higher speed, use a more wear-resistant carbide. This mixing and matching can optimize the process.
                                             High-performance solid carbide coolant thru drill machining a progressive die.
Choosing the right drill for your application can be a complex affair. That’s why a final tip is: Choose the right drill supplier, one with the applications engineering expertise needed to help optimize your holemaking operations.