Process and apparatus for manufacturing a cutting tool by pressing

Abstract

The present invention concerns a process for manufacturing a cutting tool, in particular a milling cutter, such as an end mill. The process comprises providing one or two partial molds. In an embodiment, two mold units are used, each mold unit comprising two openings. In accordance with this embodiment, the process comprises joining the two mold units so as to form a mold, and inserting at least one pressing punch through one of the remaining openings in order to press a metal, ceramic or carbide powder added to the mold. The pressed cutting tool can be ejected by way of a rotational ejection rod, which pushes the cutting tool out of the mold by way of a rotational, translational movement. The invention also concerns an apparatus for conducting the process.

1 . A process for manufacturing a cutting tool, a blank tool and/or a precursor cutting tool, the process comprising:
 providing a first mold unit and a second mold unit,   wherein said first mold unit comprises a first mold part or area defining at least part of a shank of the tool to be manufactured,   wherein said second mold unit comprises a second mold part or area comprising ridges designed to define flutes of the tool to be manufactured,   and wherein each of said first and second mold units, respectively, comprises a first opening;   forming a mold with said first and second mold units by bringing a first opening of said first mold unit in contact with a first opening of said second mold unit;   filling a powder comprising a carbide, ceramic, metal, nitride or cermet powder, or a powder comprising a mixture comprising one, two or more of the aforementioned, into said first and said second mold units; and   exerting a pressure on said powder, thereby obtaining a pressed cutting tool, a blank tool and/or a precursor cutting tool.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said first mold unit comprises a second opening, the method further comprising:
 closing said second opening by positioning a pressing punch at or in said second opening before filling said first and said second mold units with said powder.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said first mold unit comprises a second opening, wherein said second mold unit comprises a second opening, and wherein during exerting a pressure on said powder, a pressing punch is moved in said second opening of said first mold unit and/or in said second opening of said second mold unit. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a first pressing punch and a second pressing punch;   providing a first punch access opening in communication with said first mold unit and a second punch access opening in communication with said second mold unit;   wherein during exerting a pressure on said powder, said first pressing punch is moved through said first punch access opening so as to exert pression on said powder and/or said second pressing punch is moved through said second punch access opening so as to exert pressure on said powder.   
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein said first and second pressing punches exert pressure on said powder by a sequential advancing movement of said punches with respect to said mold units. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , comprising exposing said powder to ultrasound while exerting said pressure on the powder. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said powder is a powdered composition further comprising one or more organic components, in particular organic binders, wherein said one or more organic components provide 0.5 to 10 wt. %, 1 to 5 wt %, 1.25 to 3 wt %, or 1.5 to 2 wt % of said powdered composition. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein said one or more organic components comprise and/or essentially consist of one selected from waxes and/or PEG. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a pressing punch comprising a head comprising complementary forms such as cutouts or an outer thread allowing said pressing to move by a linear rotational movement through said second mold part comprising ridges.   
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 rotating a pressing punch while exerting a pressure on said powder, optionally rotating and linearly moving said pressing punch while exerting said pressure.   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein during exerting pressure on said powder, said first and said second pressing punches are arranged coaxially on a common axis and said first or said second punch, or both, move along said common axis, in a converging direction, thereby exerting pressure on said powder. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1 , comprising removing the first mold unit from the pressed tool by linearly displacing the first mold unit along an axis of said tool and/or of said first mold unit, wherein removing the first mold unit comprises linearly moving the first mold unit along said axis away from said pressed tool so as to conduct a relative movement with respect to said pressed tool. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 5 , further comprising removing a first pressing punch away from said pressed tool, optionally after the removal of the first mold unit from said tool. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein a first pressing punch is a lower or bottom-up pressing punch, moving in an upward direction during exerting a pressure on said powder, and/or wherein a second pressing punch is an upper or top-down pressing punch, moving in a downward direction during exerting a pressure on said powder. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said second mold unit comprises a removable insert comprising said second mold part or area. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said cutting tool, a blank tool and/or a precursor cutting tool is a solid round tool, blank solid round tool and/or precursor solid round tool, preferably an end mill, blank end mill or precursor end mill, more preferably a solid end mill, solid blank end mill or solid precursor end mill. 
     
     
         23 . An apparatus for manufacturing a cutting tool, a blank tool and/or a precursor cutting tool, the apparatus comprising:
 a first mold unit comprising a section comprising a first mold part defining at least part of shank of the tool to be manufactured;   a second mold unit comprising a second mold part comprising ridges designed to define flutes of the tool to be manufactured; and   at least one pressure device arranged for being inserted through an opening of said first and/or second mold units and for moving coaxially with an axis of a mold formed by joined mold units, for pressing a powder retained in said mold.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising a mount on which said first and second mold units are mounted, wherein at least one of said first or second mold units is mounted on said mount so as to be able to move along an axis that is coaxial to an axis of said a least one pressing device. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising a mount and a recipient for receiving said powder, said recipient being mounted on said mount so as to be able to conduct a movement so as to transport said powder towards and opening of a mold formed by said first and second mold units, said recipient comprising an outlet opening, designed for transferring said powder to said mold. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising a sound generator, arranged so as to expose a powder present in said mold to sound or ultrasound. 
     
     
         27 . A process for manufacturing a cutting tool, a blank tool and/or a precursor cutting tool, the process comprising:
 providing a mold, wherein said mold, comprises first and second openings;   filling a powder comprising a carbide, ceramic, metal, nitride or cermet powder, or a powder comprising a mixture comprising one, two or more of the aforementioned, into said mold; and   exerting a pressure on said powder, thereby obtaining a pressed cutting tool, a blank tool and/or a precursor cutting tool.