Innovations in Grinding Equipment for Small-Diameter Tool Production
To tackle several challenges such as low grinding efficiency and quality for micro-diameter tools, inconsistent grinding results, and diverse grinding machine specifications with low utilization rates, a high-efficiency micro-diameter tool grinding machine was developed. The design concepts for the grinding mechanism, holding mechanism, control unit, and overall structure were thoroughly discussed. The feasibility of the design was confirmed through practical application.
1 Introduction
In recent years, the rapid advancement of industries such as aerospace, pharmaceuticals, steam turbines, and electronics has made efficient and cost-effective micro-hole machining technology a significant area of research within the machining field. The tools used for micro-hole machining are critical in determining their capabilities. The design and production of micro-diameter tools have consistently been both a focal point and a challenge in this domain. These micro-diameter tools are typically made from high-speed steel or cemented carbide. The cutting edge has a very small diameter, ranging from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm, and can extend up to 20 mm in length. As illustrated in Figure 1, both the primary and secondary cutting faces at the tool tip must be precisely sharpened, requiring high production volumes and stringent precision standards.
To enhance the efficiency of sharpening micro-diameter tools, a dual-wheel sharpening device has been developed. The author’s company produces a wide variety of products with significantly varying tool sizes. Consequently, it is necessary to frequently adjust the position of the grinding wheel in the dual-wheel sharpening device when sharpening different tools, which leads to low production efficiency.
To meet diverse processing requirements, a machine tool must be equipped with multiple grinding wheel sharpening devices, necessitating considerable space for their placement. Additionally, this configuration can lead to periods of inactivity for the machine tool, resulting in low utilization rates.
2 Workflow and solution of micro-diameter tool sharpening machine tool
To address the aforementioned issues, the author has designed and developed a high-efficiency micro-diameter tool sharpening machine. This machine mainly consists of a workbench, a sharpening device, and a holding mechanism.
The workbench’s loading device transfers the tool that needs sharpening to the clamping mechanism, which securely holds the tool in place using a pressing mechanism to ensure stable clamping. The rotating device then moves the clamping mechanism to each sharpening station in sequence, positioning the sharpening device at the predetermined processing location via the first sliding seat to complete the sharpening process.
Once the tool is sharpened, it is transferred to the loading position through the rotating device and packed into a box, thus completing the entire process, as illustrated in Figure 2.
3 Functional Design and Implementation
3.1 Sharpening Device Design
The sharpening device consists of an adjustment assembly and a sharpening assembly. The second and third sliding seats are symmetrically positioned around the tool axis, allowing the first and second sharpening mechanisms to contact the tool from both sides. Both the second and third sliding seats are slidably connected to the first sliding seat and can move in a second direction to either simultaneously approach or move away from the predetermined processing position. The structure of the sharpening device is illustrated in Figure 3.
The first sliding seat controls the sharpening mechanism, allowing it to move to a predetermined position for sharpening tools of various lengths. This design also facilitates the loading and unloading of tools. By adjusting the first and second sliding seats in a specific direction, the sharpening position of the assembly can be fine-tuned, as well as the spacing between the first and second sharpening mechanisms, to accommodate tools of different widths. The grinding wheels in both sharpening mechanisms are positioned at a specific angle to ensure effective sharpening of tools at varying angles. Additionally, by setting the driving directions of the two motors in the fourth and fifth drive mechanisms to rotate in opposite directions, the grinding wheels turn against each other during the sharpening process. This configuration allows the tool to experience frictional forces in opposing directions, achieving a balance of forces.
3.2 Holding Mechanism Design
The movable plate is equipped with an arcuate guide groove, and a rotating guide post is positioned on the base to align with this groove. As the telescopic end of the holding drive moves, the second holding seat can rotate closer to or farther away from the first holding seat. Additionally, the movable plate has a straight guide groove, and a linear guide post is located on the base to correspond with this groove. When the telescopic end of the pressing drive moves, the second pressing seat can also move toward or away from the pressing drive. The first pressing seat features a positioning groove, which can be either arcuate or V-shaped, to enhance tool stability during sharpening. The structure of the pressing mechanism is illustrated in Figure 4.
3.3 Overall Structural Design of the Grinding Machine
A micro-diameter tool grinding machine consists of several key components: a worktable, a loading device mounted on the worktable, a rotating device, a clamping mechanism, a pressing mechanism, and a grinding device. The clamping mechanism is attached to the rotating device, which is driven by a rotary drive. This rotating device moves the tool to the grinding device for processing.
Once the grinding is complete, the rotating device transports the tool to the loading station, enabling an automated operation. The clamping mechanism securely holds the micro-diameter tool, while the pressing mechanism applies pressure to enhance clamping stability. Ultimately, the grinding device carries out the tool CNC turning process. The structure of the micro-diameter tool grinding machine is illustrated in Figure 5.
The three parts labeled ABC in Figure 5 are all sharpening devices. In part A, the first and second grinding wheels are positioned opposite and parallel to each other. In part B, the first and second grinding wheels are set at an angle to each other, which can be any angle. In part C, the first and second grinding wheels are arranged side by side, with their surfaces on the same plane. By installing a multi-station sharpening device on the workbench, it is possible to sharpen either a single tool or multiple tools simultaneously, thereby enhancing both sharpening efficiency and machine tool utilization.
4 Control Design
The software for this equipment was developed independently, primarily using the C programming language. The main interface, illustrated in Figure 6, consolidates the key functional modules of the entire software operating system. These modules include the menu bar, tool setting and blade face image display, push pin image display, magazine hole position setting display, operating parameters and engineering mode settings, machine system operation log information, real-time data display for blade face detection, push pin detection, tool setting detection, real-time status data, production data statistics, and real-time axis position display.
The entire system of this equipment is managed by an industrial computer, which is integrated with a motion control card and a motor-driven mechanical structure. The software control interface is designed to be simple, user-friendly, and easy to navigate. It can automatically complete the entire production process of tool edge sharpening and inspection. Additionally, it can independently control the movement of a specific axis or mechanical structure to perform particular steps in the sharpening and inspection process. This enables micron-level accuracy in tool edge sharpening and inspection, ensuring that the tool edges produced meet high industrial standards for quality.
5 Applications
The micro-diameter tool sharpening machine described in this article has undergone testing and is now in production. The actual machine is depicted in Figure 7, while the software interface is shown in Figure 8. Currently, all mechanisms and control precision turned components of the machine are functioning properly. It is being widely used in the author’s company as well as in related client companies. The implementation of this micro-diameter tool sharpening machine has stabilized the quality of tool sharpening, improved efficiency by 25%, and increased machine utilization by 30%. These enhancements have significantly reduced production costs and generated substantial economic benefits.
6 Conclusion
The micro-diameter tool grinding machine described in this article is now in production. Compared to traditional tool grinding methods, it has significantly enhanced grinding quality and efficiency, increased the utilization of machine tools, and reduced production costs.
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