TODAY’S PATENT – METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DESIGNING A CUTTING TOOL

This invention “Method and system for designing a cutting tool” was invented by Steven F. Wayne, David A. O’neil, Charles E. Zimmerman, and Yefim Valwas assigned to Valenite Inc and granted a patent on 9th April 1997 by EUIPO bearing patent grant number EP0592541B1 to the patentee.

The present invention is directed to cutting tools and, more particularly, to a method for designing a cutting tool by evaluating predicted tool response and chip-flow simulations of simulated cutting operations. A method of designing a cutting tool uses finite element numerical models (14) to predict the response of the tool during a simulated cutting operation on workpiece, and to simulate a chip-flow phenomenon occurring during the cutting operation. The chip-flow model (14) incorporates representations of a fracture mechanism describing a chip separation phenomenon, a heat-generating mechanism describing a thermal coupling phenomenon, and a shear localization mechanism describing a shearing phenomenon wherein these phenomena occur during the cutting operation.

The predicted tool response and the chip-flow simulation are evaluated by an artificial intelligence system (18) to render rule-based judgments which are embodied in recommendations for continuously modifying the models (14) and input design variables until the simulation and response converge to an optimal result.