Panasonic Corporation

Jon Ethington

Xinbing Liu

Tzehin Lee

A precision machining system with a variable projected machining width of the cutting surface of the machining tool, including: a workpiece holder to hold a workpiece; a machining tool holder to hold the machining tool such that the Z axis is substantially parallel to the tool's centerline; a Z translation stage and an X translation stage each coupled to one of the workpiece holder or the machining tool holder; a workpiece spindle coupled to the workpiece holder to rotate the workpiece about the workpiece axis that is parallel to the Z axis; a machining path controller electrically coupled to the X translation stage and the workpiece spindle; and a tool spindle coupled to the machining tool holder. The tool spindle rotates the machining tool about the centerline of the machining tool, which varies the width of the cutting surface of the machining tool projected perpendicular to the machining path.

Precision machining system and methods

A vibration assisted machining (VAM) system, including: a frame; a vibration element mechanically coupled to the frame; a cutting tool holder connected to the vibration element; and a workpiece holder coupled to the frame. The vibration element includes a first piezoelectric (PZT) actuator and a second PZT actuator, which are adapted to generate a substantially elliptical tool path in a vibration plane of the VAM system. The VAM system also includes a third PZT actuator coupled between the frame and either the vibration element or the workpiece holder. This third PZT actuator is coupled to the frame such that its polarization axis is substantially in the vibration plane and substantially perpendicular to the feed direction of the VAM system.

Vibration assisted machining system with stacked actuators

A machining tool with a cutting surface adapted to provide a variable projected machining width during machining, including the cutting surface and a back surface. The cutting surface includes a first cutting edge and a second cutting edge that extend to a tip of the machining tool and a cross section normal to a centerline of the machining tool that is concave between the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge. The back surface forms a first acute angle with the cutting surface at the first cutting edge and a second acute angle with the cutting surface at the second cutting edge, such that the cross section of the back surface normal to the centerline of the machining tool is convex between the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge.

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Beverly, MA, United States of America

Jon Ethington