Chatter-resistant end mill and method of making

Abstract

A method of making chatter-resistant end mills includes: (a) forming an end mill having unequal angular spacing between adjacent teeth, (b) cutting a test work piece with the end mill and measuring vibrations and resonance; (c) upon detecting undesired levels of vibration and resonance, adjusting the angular spacing between adjacent teeth to reduce vibration and resonance and forming another end mill having the adjusted angular spacing; (d) cutting a test work piece with the adjusted end mill and measuring vibrations and resonance; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until an end mill is formed in which vibration produced by the angular spacing between at least one pair of adjacent teeth cancels out at least a portion of the vibration produced by the angular spacing between at least one other pair of adjacent teeth; and (f) making at least one production end mill conforming to step (e).

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method of making chatter-resistant end mills comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming an end mill having unequal angular spacing between adjacent teeth, wherein vibrations produced by the angular spacing between at least one pair of adjacent teeth is configured to cancel out at least a portion of the vibration produced by the angular spacing between at least one other pair of adjacent teeth;   (b) cutting a test work piece with the end mill and measuring vibrations and resonance caused by the angular spacing between adjacent teeth;   (c) upon detecting undesired levels of vibration and resonance, adjusting the angular spacing between adjacent teeth to reduce vibration and resonance and forming another end mill having the adjusted angular spacing;   (d) cutting a test work piece with the adjusted end mill and measuring vibrations and resonance caused by the adjusted angular spacing between adjacent teeth;   (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until an end mill is formed in which vibration produced by the angular spacing between at least one pair of adjacent teeth cancels out at least a portion of the vibration produced by the angular spacing between at least one other pair of adjacent teeth; and   (f) making at least one production end mill conforming to the end mill produced according to step (e).   
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the difference between said first and said second angles is in the range of 0.2-60 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the difference between said first and said second angles is in the range of 0.2-30 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the width and depth of all flutes in said cutting portion is equal. 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a flute is disposed between two adjacent teeth, said adjacent teeth being spaced apart at an angle exceeding the angle which would result from equal angular spacing, said flute being wider and deeper than a second flute appropriate to an equally-spaced pair of adjacent teeth. 
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a flute is disposed between two adjacent teeth, said adjacent teeth being spaced apart at an angle less the angle which would result from equal angular spacing, said flute being narrower and shallower than a second flute appropriate to an equally-spaced pair of adjacent teeth. 
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the tool has a constant flute helix angle in each tooth and a constant flute helix angle from tooth to tooth. 
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the tool has a variable flute helix angle from low to high in each tooth and the same variability of flute helix angle from tooth to tooth. 
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the tool has a variable flute helix angle from high to low in each tooth and the same variability of flute helix angle from tooth to tooth. 
     
     
         21 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein at least one group of said cutting edges is displaced from the equally-spaced position and at least one further group has cutting edges positioned in an equally-spaced configuration. 
     
     
         22 . A method of making chatter-resistant end mills, said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming an end mill having unequal angular spacing between adjacent teeth, wherein vibration produced by the angular spacing between at least one pair of adjacent teeth is configured to cancel out at least a portion of the vibration produced by the angular spacing between at least one other pair of adjacent teeth;   (b) cutting a test work piece with the end mill and measuring vibrations and resonance caused by the angular spacing between adjacent teeth;   (c) upon detecting undesired levels of vibration and resonance, adjusting the angular spacing between adjacent teeth to reduce vibration and resonance and forming another end mill having the adjusted angular spacing;   (d) cutting a test work piece with the adjusted end mill and measuring vibrations and resonance caused by the adjusted angular spacing between adjacent teeth;   (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until an end mill is formed in which vibration produced by the angular spacing between at least one pair of adjacent teeth cancels out at least a portion of the vibration produced by the angular spacing between at least one other pair of adjacent teeth; and   (f) making at least one production end mill conforming to the end mill produced according to step (e).   
     
     
         23 . The method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said method further comprises forming an end mill in which the difference between the angular spacing of at least two pairs of adjacent teeth is in the range of 0.2-60 degrees. 
     
     
         24 . The method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said method further comprises forming an end mill in which the difference between the angular spacing of at least two pairs of adjacent teeth is in the range of 0.2-30 degrees. 
     
     
         25 . The method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said method further comprises forming an end mill in which the width and depth of all flutes in a cutting portion of the end mill is equal. 
     
     
         26 . The method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said method further comprises forming an end mill in which a flute is disposed between two adjacent teeth, said adjacent teeth being spaced apart at an angle exceeding the angle which would result from equal angular spacing, said flute being wider and deeper than a second flute appropriate to an equally-spaced pair of adjacent teeth. 
     
     
         27 . The method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said method further comprises forming an end mill in which a flute is disposed between two adjacent teeth, said adjacent teeth being spaced apart at an angle less the angle which would result from equal angular spacing, said flute being narrow and shallow than a second flute appropriate to an equally-spaced pair of adjacent teeth. 
     
     
         28 . The method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said method further comprises forming an end mill which has a constant flute helix angle in each tooth and a constant flute helix angle from tooth to tooth. 
     
     
         29 . The method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said method further comprises forming an end mill which has a variable flute helix angle from low to high in each tooth and the same variability of flute helix angle from tooth to tooth. 
     
     
         30 . The method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said method further comprises forming an end mill which has a variable flute helix angle from high to low in each tooth and same variability of flute helix angle from tooth to tooth. 
     
     
         31 . The method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein at least one group of said cutting edges is displaced from the equally-spaced position and at least one further group has cutting edges positioned in an equally-spaced configuration.